RPM Overview
The third key topic discussed in this chapter is the RPM. The RPM is a high-performance router module based on the Cisco 7200 NPE-150 router that has been modified to fit into a 32-slot, full-height MGX 8850 switch. The RPM substantially enhances the MGX 8850 product. The Cisco 7200 NPE-150 router engine can process up to 140 k packets per second (pps). It is a double-height service module that can be placed in any of the MGX 8850 service module slots.
The RPM provides integrated IP in an ATM platform, enabling services such as integrated Point-to-Point (PPP), Frame Relay termination, and IP VPNs using MPLS technology. It provides Cisco IOS-based multiprotocol routing over ATM, Frame Relay and ATM Interface Layer 3 termination, local server interconnect over high-speed LANs, access concentration, and switching between Ethernet LANs and the WAN facilities of the MGX 8850.
The RPM includes interprocessor communication with the main processor switch control module (called the PXM) in the MGX 8850 for management, including configuration, mode supervision (such as redundancy and load-sharing control), and software and configuration file management.