Configuring QoS on Cisco Switches

Configuring QoS on Cisco Switches
The Cisco range of switches is currently undergoing one of the largest series of changes I have ever
seen. As you may know, Cisco became one of the largest switch vendors in the world, partly by buying
up some of the best competition. Companies such as Kalpana, Grand Junction, and Catalyst all
provided input to the range. The result has been a mixture of operating systems and command-line
interfaces that Cisco engineers and technicians have had to learn.
As Cisco standardizes the range into IOS, we are also experiencing an emerging need for
something better than best efforts data delivery on our computer networks. The combination of
the newer operating systems, new switch architectures, and new application demands means
that there is a lot more to learn. Because the process is ongoing, not every Cisco switch will support
every QoS feature. And because the IOS now plays such a large part in all this, new versions
of the IOS may offer enhancements over previous versions.
This section covers the main commands used in the three current operating system options,
CatOS and the standard and enhanced IOS images. But you need to stay up-to-date on this,
because a major new IOS revision will almost certainly cause some things to change.