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QoS: L2 Overhead Specification for Shaping and
Policing Parameters for Ethernet
The Layer 2 (L2) Overhead Specification for Shaping and Policing Parameters for Ethernet allows you
to configure shaping and policing bit rates that count Layer 2 encapsulation frame lengths in addition to
Layer 3 packet lengths.
Feature History for QoS: L2 Overhead Specification for Shaping and Policing Parameters for Ethernet
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Contents
This document describes the L2 Overhead Specification feature in Cisco IOS 12.(28)S and includes the
following sections:
Configuring QoS: L2 Overhead Specification for Shaping and Policing Parameters for Ethernet,
page 2
Additional References, page 3
Command Reference, page 4
Release Modification
12.0(28)S This feature was introduced for the Cisco 12000 Series 4-Port Gigabit
Ethernet ISE Line Card.

QoS: L2 Overhead Specification for Shaping and Policing Parameters for Ethernet
Configuring QoS: L2 Overhead Specification for Shaping and Policing Parameters for Ethernet
2
Cisco IOS Release 12.0(28)S
Configuring QoS: L2 Overhead Specification for Shaping and
Policing Parameters for Ethernet
This feature provides you with the option to configure shaping and policing QoS features that take the
Layer 2 encapsulation overhead into account. Previously, outbound shaping and policing algorithms
were based only on the Layer 3 packet length.
This feature is enabled with the hw-module slot slot-number qos account layer2 encapsulation {arpa
| dot1q | length} global configuration command. When enabled, the feature is enabled on all ports of the
line card in both ingress and egress directions. Layer 3 accounting is the default. The no form of the
command enables the default. The show policy-map interface and show interface rate commands
display the additional Layer 2 overhead length.
For the Cisco 12000 Series 4-Port Gigabit Ethernet ISE Line Card, the Layer 2 encapsulation overhead
options to specify are as follows:
The specified byte length in the CLI is used only in the egress (Tx) direction. Output shaping or policing
must be configured on an interface. The bit rate transmitted from the line card is determined by adding
the Layer 3 length of the packet to the length defined in the CLI.
Incoming packets are shaped or policed based on the true Layer 2 length of the packets. For example, if
the user-specified length is 14 bytes, and all packets egressing from any port are ARPA main interface
packets, then the results are accurate. If some egress packets have VLAN encapsulations and some are
non-VLAN (main interface) packets, then the results cannot be completely accurate because the
encapsulation overheads are different. On the input side, Layer 2 encapsulation overhead is 14 bytes for
ARPA main interface packets and 18 bytes for 802.1Q packets, regardless of the user-specified length.
Restrictions
For Any Transport over ATM (AToM) the user-specified byte length on the egress of the disposition
router is still added to the length of the packet, though there is no Layer 2 transport encapsulation
on the packet.
IPv6 does not currently support input/output Committed Access Rate (CAR).
SUMMARY STEPS
1. enable
2. configure terminal
3. hw-module slot slot-number qos account layer2 encapsulation {arpa | dot1q | length}
4. exit
Keyword Option Description
arpa Specifies Ethernet frames with a header size of 14 bytes.
dot1q Specifies 802.1Q Ethernet frames with a header size of 18 bytes.
length Specifies a length in bytes of the Layer 2 encapsulation frame.

QoS: L2 Overhead Specification for Shaping and Policing Parameters for Ethernet
Additional References
3
Cisco IOS Release 12.0(28)S
DETAILED STEPS
Additional References
The following sections provide references related to QoS: L2 Overhead Specification for Shaping and
Policing Parameters for Ethernet.
Related Documents
Command or Action Purpose
Step 1 enable
Example:
Router> enable
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
Enter your password if prompted.
Step 2 configure terminal
Example:
Router# configure terminal
Enters global configuration mode.
Step 3 hw-module slot slot-number qos account layer2
encapsulation {arpa | dot1q | length}
Example:
Router(config)# hw-module slot 1 qos account
layer2 encapsulation length 14
Enables Layer 2 overhead accounting for calculating
policed or shaped bit rates.
In this example, a Layer 2 overhead of 14 bytes per frame is
added to the egress traffic for interfaces on the line card in
slot 1.
Step 4 exit
Example:
Router(config)# exit
Exits global configuration mode.
Related Topic Document Title
Quality of service (QoS) commands: complete
command syntax, command modes, command history,
defaults, usage guidelines, and examples
Cisco IOS Quality of Service Solutions Command Reference,
Release 12.3 T
Modular QoS Command-Line Interface (CLI) (MQC) Cisco IOS Quality of Service Solutions Configuration Guide
Information about attaching policy maps to interfaces Cisco IOS Quality of Service Solutions Configuration Guide
Traffic policing Cisco IOS Quality of Service Solutions Configuration Guide

QoS: L2 Overhead Specification for Shaping and Policing Parameters for Ethernet
Command Reference
4
Cisco IOS Release 12.0(28)S
Technical Assistance
Command Reference
This section documents modified commands. All other commands used with this feature are documented
in the Cisco IOS Release 12.0 command reference publications.
Description Link
Technical Assistance Center (TAC) home page,
containing 30,000 pages of searchable technical
content, including links to products, technologies,
solutions, technical tips, and tools. Registered
Cisco.com users can log in from this page to access
even more content.
http://www.cisco.com/public/support/tac/home.shtml

QoS: L2 Overhead Specification for Shaping and Policing Parameters for Ethernet
hw-module slot qos account layer2 encapsulation
5
Cisco IOS Release 12.0(28)S
hw-module slot qos account layer2 encapsulation
To enable Layer 2 accounting for QoS, use the command in global configuration mode. To disable, use
the no form of this command.
hw-module slot slot-number qos account layer2 encapsulation {arpa | dot1q | length}
no hw-module slot slot-number qos account layer2 encapsulation {arpa | dot1q | length}
Syntax Description
Defaults No Layer 2 encapsulation accounting is the default.
Command Modes Global configuration
Command History
Usage Guidelines The no version of the command enables the default method of calculating the bit rate of traffic over an
interface based on Layer 3 packet lengths.
The length parameter specifies Layer 2 overhead for output traffic only. The packets transmitted from
the line card are shaped or policed by adding the user-specified length to the Layer 3 length of the output
packets. The incoming packets are shaped or policed according to the actual Layer 2 lengths of the
encapsulations, regardless of the user-specified length.
For Any Transport over ATM (AToM), the user specified byte length on the egress of the disposition
router is still added to the length of the packet though there is no Layer 2 transport encapsulation on the
packet.
The following example specifies that 16 bytes of Layer 2 encapsulation overhead are added for each
Layer 3 packet egressing from the linecard:
Router(config)# hw-module slot 1 qos account layer2 encapsulation 16
slot-number Specifies the slot number of the line card to be configured for L2 overhead
specification.
arpa Specifies L2 overhead frames as Ethernet frames with a header size of
14 bytes.
dot1q Specifies L2 overhead frames as 802.1Q Ethernet frames with a header size
of 18 bytes.
length Specifies length in bytes of the L2 overhead to be added for each egress
frame.
Release Modification
12.0(28)S This command was introduced.

QoS: L2 Overhead Specification for Shaping and Policing Parameters for Ethernet
hw-module slot qos account layer2 encapsulation
6
Cisco IOS Release 12.0(28)S
Related Commands
Copyright 2004 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
Command Description
show interfaces rate-limit Displays information about the committed access rate (CAR) for an
interface
show policy-map interface Displays the configuration of all classes configured for all service
policies on the specified interface.
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