The Route Switch Processor 8 (RSP8) is Cisco Systems' newest-generation, main system processor for the Cisco 7500 Series Router. The RSP8 increases switching performance more than 40 percent compared to the RSP4. The RSP8 is available as an upgrade to existing RSP4, RSP2, or RSP1-based systems, as well as Cisco 7500 system configurations. It serves as an ideal platform for enterprise and service provider networks that require additional performance and processing power to support service-enabled edge and core applications.The RSP8 combines all of the routing and high-speed switching functions for the Cisco 7500 series router. In addition to running the system software, the RSP8 contains and executes the following management functions that control the system: sending and receiving routing protocol updates; managing tables and caches; monitoring interface and environmental status; providing Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) management and the interface between the console and Telnet. The high-speed switching section of the RSP8 communicates with and controls the interface processors on the Cisco 7500's internal high-speed buses. This switching section determines the destination of a packet, and switches it based on that decision.