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GBIC & SFP Module compatibility with Cisco/Juniper? |
There is no "yes" or "no" answer to the question of Cisco/Juniper/Alcatel/Redback/etc compatibility; it depends on the manufacturer's equipment. Best recommendation is to field try any third party module first. Compatibility has nothing to do with the functions of the transceiver, only in recognizing ID code and selecting to lock out third party GBIC/SFP or not. All CTC GBIC and SFP are manufactured in accordance with SFF (the Small Form Factor consortium).
1. Currently we do not keep any stock of GBIC (Gigabit Interface Converters) transceivers. GBICs are already considered a 'legacy' component, as the only demand for them is for field replacement. There is no new equipment manufactured now that uses GBIC; all have switched to the small form-factor pluggable (SFP) modules.
2. Both GBIC and SFP introduced "manufacturer coding" within the transceiver. The idea of having coding was actually meant for network management software to be able to 'inventory' the pluggable modules within the network. However Cisco and some other appliance manufactures (Alcatel is another), used the coding scheme to lock out all other third party transceivers except those that had the same host equipment's ID code. Basically this allowed Cisco and others to monopolize the transceivers for their equipment and charge three to five times the market value for those transceivers.
3. Compared to GBIC, SFP modules went even farther and introduced "Digital Diagnostics" or DD into the SFP. All SFP have ID coding, but not all have DD. Usually only the higher end transceivers used for extra long haul or for CWDM have the DD function which allows the host equipment to read and report via management the actual received optical signal level, output power, and the temperature within the SFP module.
4. Compatibility depends on two factors; does the SFP require DD function? second, does the host equipment check the ID code and lock out third party components? Certainly from our experience, most Cisco core equipment and routers do lock out all but Cisco ID SFP modules. We do not have a comprehensive listing of what Cisco equipment does and does not lock out third party SFP. The only way to know for sure is to try a third party module and see if the host equipment rejects it.
5. Most newer Cisco equipment no longer builds in the SFP lockout feature, probably due to customer complaints and possible FTC (federal trade commission, USA) pressure to stop monopolizing the SFP market for their equipment. However, most Cisco equipment over three years old all have the lockout function. We do not have any compatibility information for Juniper equipment either. Remember, the compatibility has nothing to do with the functions of the transceiver, only in recognizing ID code and selecting to lock out third party SFP or not.
added May 26, 2008
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