MikroTik CCR2216-1G-12XS-2XQ
The flagship MikroTik CCR2216-1G-12XS-2XQ Cloud Core Router is an advanced L3 hardware-offloaded routing engine. Unlike early CCR models that utilized Tile CPUs and system RAM for nearly all datapath forwarding, the CCR2216 introduces the Marvell Prestera Aldrin2 (98DX8525) switch chip to offload massive traffic patterns.
[!WARNING] Data Approximation: MikroTik does not publish explicit buffer allocations for their switch chips, nor does Marvell publicly share datasheets for the Aldrin2 without NDAs. The buffer limits discussed here are community-estimated context rather than official specifications.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Ports | 12x 25G SFP28, 2x 100G QSFP28 |
| Total Hardware Buffer | Small / Undisclosed (Approximation) |
| Traffic Engine | Hardware Offloaded (L3HW) + CPU (RAM) |
Approximating the Buffer via CLI
Within RouterOS, deep architectural inspection of the switch chip's buffer allocations can sometimes be queried inside the QoS monitor context:
/interface ethernet switch qos monitor
While this exposes dynamic threshold limits like total-byte-cap, it is vital to remember the CCR functions differently than a standalone switch.
Architectural Note
The CCR2216's Marvell Aldrin2 switch chip possesses a small shared-memory enterprise packet buffer (routinely estimated between 4MB and 8MB), primarily used for instantaneous line-rate forwarding of offloaded hardware flows. It is not an ultra-deep buffer switch (like those employing HBM or external DRAM).
If complex queues (such as PCQ or custom shaping) are attached to an interface, traffic leaves the hardware fast-path and enters the Annapurna AL32400 CPU, where it rests in the large pool of system RAM (16 GB) utilizing software queues rather than physical switch chip packet buffers.