IOS XR
IOS XR is a train of Cisco Systems' widely deployed Internetworking Operating System (IOS), used on their high-end carrier-grade routers such as the CRS series, 12000 series, and ASR9000 series.
Architecture
According to Cisco's product literature, IOS XR shares very little infrastructure with the other IOS trains, and is instead built upon a "preemptive, memory protected, multitasking, microkernel-based operating system".[1] The microkernel is provided by QNX.[2]
IOS XR aims to provide the following advantages over the earlier IOS trains:
- Improved high availability (largely through support for hardware redundancy and fault containment methods such as protected memory spaces for individual processes and process restartability)
- Better scalability for large hardware configurations (through a distributed software infrastructure and a two-stage forwarding architecture)
- A package based software distribution model (allowing optional features such as multicast routing and MPLS to be installed and removed while the router is in service)
- The ability to install package upgrades and patches (potentially while the router remains in service)
- A web-based GUI for system management (making use of a generic, XML management interface)
History
IOS XR was announced along with the CRS-1 in May 2004.[3] The first generally available version was 2.0. The most recent release is version 5.3[4] which was released on 20 January 2015.
Other significant releases include the following.
- 3.2 – first generally available version for the 12000 router series
- 3.9 – first generally available version for the ASR9000 series
- 5.0 (20 September 2013) – first generally available version for the NCS6000 series, which is based upon a Linux kernel[5]
References
- ↑ Cisco IOS XR product literature
- ↑ QNX press release confirming use of their microkernel in IOS XR
- ↑ Cisco press release announcing CRS-1 and IOS XR
- ↑ Cisco's release notes, for the various IOS XR versions
- ↑ Release notes for XR 5.0
External links
- Cisco multimedia documentation covering IOS XR and its supported systems
- Cisco Security Advisories - complete history
- Cisco IOS XR Software General Information
- Cisco CRS Support Page
- Cisco XR 12000 Series Router Support
- Cisco ASR 9000 Series Support
- HEAnet's New Network and Working with IOS-XR