Load balancing makes use of all available paths across the internetwork, preserving valuable bandwidth and improving performance. The IOS software also provides the most effective and efficient scaling available for network applications that require transparent or source-route bridging algorithms. Through CiscoFusion, Cisco's scalable architecture for switched internetworks, the IOS software provides the framework for a new technology called multilayer switching, which fuses the ease of switching solutions with the power of routed solutions. This extends the power and flexibility of the IOS beyond internetwork routers to include the ATM and LAN switches that are increasingly being deployed throughout today's internetworks. Because most network costs are expended on WAN switching and usage functions, an effective internetwork must optimize all WAN-related operations.
Optimization increases network throughput while reducing delay time.
It also minimizes costs by eliminating unnecessary traffic and intelligently selecting the most economical WAN links available. The IOS software provides an array of network management and security capabilities designed to meet the needs of today's large, complex internetworks. Integrated management simplifies administrative procedures and shortens the time required to diagnose and fix problems. Automated operations reduce hands-on tasks and make it possible to manage large, geographically dispersed internetworks with a small staff of experts located at a central site. The IOS software provides several important management features that are built into every Cisco router.