Routers RAM and BGP table bloat

Fri Oct 21 11:27:47 UTC 2005

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Hi,

Apologies if this is not deemed operational enough.  Further to the
debate about prefixes / v6 / multihomeing etc etc.  The growing size of
the route table, de-aged networks and increasing corporate mutlihomeing
all drive up the size of the route table and brings pressure to bear on
the memory requirements of our routers.  Now while I want to steer well
clear of the my box is better than your box discussion - I was wondering
if anyone had a view on what would happen if I managed to source an
SDRAM of 512MB / 1GB of the same specification as the 256MB Cisco
compatible memory that you use in an 7200 NPE225.  Cisco say the maximum
ram for that NPE is a pitiful 256MB, I am sure the memory manufacturers
will have made larger SDRAMs, while recognising it would be fully
unsupported what would happen if we tried to stick in a larger memory
module in the NPE....

I can always go out and spend 5K per box on NPE G1 cards for each
router, but operationally I don't need faster processors but I do need
more RAM and I don't really see why I should be forced by Cisco to
purchase an expensive upgrade just because they say 256MB is the maximum
when I suspect we would be able to get away with sticking in a large
SDRAM.

Anyone got any thoughts on whether this would work or not?

It must be costing us all a small operational fortune in router upgrades
brought about by the growing BGP table size.  And yes I do know that if
I was running Quagga on a PC I could have 4GB of inexpensive RAM very
easily, but I want to avoid the x is better than y discussion.

Kind Regards

Ben Butler
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C2 Internet Ltd
Globe House
The Gullet
Nantwich
Cheshire
CW5 5RL
W http://www.c2internet.net/
T +44-(0)845-658-0020
F +44-(0)845-658-0070

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