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Cisco WAN Manager (CWM), a suite of WAN multiservice management applications, provides powerful fault, configuration, and performance management functionality for WAN multiservice switches. CWM also provides robust statistics collection, storing the information in an Informix SQL database and allowing simple integration of this data into existing network management and operations systems.
Element and network management functions are provided by the CWM system, which can manage Cisco BPX, IGX, and MGX devices seamlessly. CWM provides open interfaces for higher level service management systems.
The CWM desktop graphical user interface (GUI) provides the following management functions:
Other management functions include:
CWM provides these functions in an open management environment, runs on Solaris and AIX platforms, and integrates with HP OpenView and IBM NetView:
This section provides information about the main features of CWM.
CWM provides seamless element and network management for the complete Cisco WAN multiservice switching product portfolio, including BPX, MGX, IGX, IPX, and ESP. The distributed intelligent architecture enables each network element to collect comprehensive performance and utilization statistics. Each node stores these statistics in a file which is then transferred to CWM, where it is stored in the SQL database.
Operating within the HP OpenView and IBM NetView multi-vendor management environments, CWM supports a suite of open interfaces for access to management information including:
WAN multiservice management can be integrated within the multi-vendor environment using third party applications in conjunction with the CWM application. Otherwise, integration management interfaces and software tools can achieve fault, configuration, performance and security management through the open management interfaces.
The Connection Manager provides the network manager the ability to add, modify, and delete end-to-end connections. The Connection Manager provides a series of forms-based screens to add, modify, or delete connections. You select the desired connection end-points and configure the connection type and class of service. The end-to-end connection is automatically established without requiring configuration of the network on a switch-by-switch basis. In addition, each connection's status can be viewed from one endpoint to the other.
Connection management is one of the most challenging issues in ATM network management; ATM networks support so many connections that it can become impossible to administer and manage them. The Connection Service MIB provides integrated automated provisioning of connections based on quality of service parameters, such as the type of connection being made, available bandwidth, and the current state of the network.
The Connection Service MIB provides a standard SNMP interface for the WAN ATM network at the service level. Service providers who are responsible for managing the entire shared network can use this interface to integrate with automated Operations Support Systems (OSS) provisioning systems and also to provide Customer Network Management (CNM) views and control capabilities on a per-connection basis.
CWM graphical applications provide value-added functionality to the standard features in the HP OpenView or IBM NetView platforms. These forms-based, graphical applications are launched from the management platform to provide intuitive, point-and-click management capabilities.
The Cisco WAN network topology is automatically discovered and presented through HP OpenView or IBM NetView topology map windows. Network element and trunk status is represented by icon color changes dynamically. Custom background images can be associated with each network map to provide a user defined view of the network.
CWM Statistics Reports are generated through a graphical reporting package based on the Informix WingZ application. This application provides a point-and-click graphical user interface to generate reports based on information collected by the Statistics Agents. For each report, the user identifies the network object, type of statistics, granularity, report interval, and graphical format. The report agent queries the Informix database and generates a report in the desired format, such as line, bar, 3D, or tabular chart.
The Statistics Collection Manager (SCM) provides a forms-based interface to establish and modify statistics collection policies for the network. You can configure statistics collection policies such as which statistics to collect and collection interval periods for a node, port, or private virtual circuit (PVC). SCM provides extensive error handling and logging capabilities that enable reliable collection of statistics for performance or billing applications. Additional SCM agent workstations can be installed should the load require gathering additional statistics. Each SCM agent can collect in excess of 1 million statistics per hour. Scalability of statistics collection is an important differentiator of CWM.
The Equipment Manager application provides the capability to configure and manage network equipment including cards, lines, and ports through an intuitive graphical user interface. The Equipment Manager application simplifies configuration and diagnostic tasks for Cisco WAN multiservice network equipment.
Network faults are integrated with the HP OpenView or IBM NetView Event Browser to enable management of heterogeneous, multi-vendor network environments. Through the Event Browser the events can be filtered by a combination of event type, source, message string, time received and severity, grouped into categories based on event severity, or acted-on through custom-defined operator actions. Different actions can be configured on a per-node basis such that the same type of event from different sources cause different automatic actions.
Security Management is a new CWM desktop application that provides controlled access to multiple users of CWM based on the unique user ID and password. You can use Security Management to provide individuals access privileges to perform specific tasks such as viewing topology or establishing and managing connections. Without the required access privileges, unauthorized users cannot perform any network management functions.
This section provides information about the other miscellaneous features and benefits of CWM.
IGX, BPX, and MGX switches provide an Ethernet 802.3 AUI LAN interface connecting the Network Processor Module (NPM) to CWM for network management control and information. The physical interface is connected to active and standby NPM cards through the IGX SCC-B (System Control & Clock) module. An entire network can be managed through an Ethernet connection on a single WAN switch or through multiple Ethernet interfaces distributed throughout the network. Cisco WAN switches use TCP/IP over Ethernet to communicate between CWM network management workstations and the WAN switch. Telnet support is also available to enable LAN-based workstations access to the IGX, BPX, or MGX management interface.
An entire network can be managed through a connection on a single WAN switch or through multiple interfaces distributed throughout the network. Network Management access to the IGX can be either provided locally through a direct interface or remotely. Remote and dial access to any IGX node can be accomplished by connecting a dial modem to the control port. All of the security management functions of the IGX, BPX, or MGX platforms are maintained whether access is local or remote.
Virtual Terminal access to any remote IGX from the CWM configuration screen or a VT100 connected to the Control Port is supported using the 'VT' command. The 'VT' command will provide network operations staff with identical control and monitoring capabilities as if they were locally attached to the switch.
Software and Firmware downloading of all operating system and firmware code is fully supported by BPX, IGX, MGX, and CWM. Software and firmware upgrades are performed by loading new code from either a CWM workstation via TCP/IP, a new NPM module, or via dial in from Cisco's Technical Assistance Center (TAC). New software and firmware are downloaded throughout the network utilizing inter-nodal trunks. New code is loaded into the standby NPM card for initiation at a specified time. This new code can be uploaded to all other IGXs in-band through the ATM fabric connecting the switches.
Firmware upgrades for a specific function module are performed by first loading the new firmware code into the NPM. Then a command is issued to burn the function module with the new firmware revision. This may take up to ten minutes, during which time the function module is out of service. Software upgrades are conducted in background, and then activated network wide. The duration of a software activation is 10 seconds per node on a rolling basis. Configuration translation software is provided with software upgrades to automatically migrate existing configuration information into new software releases.
Simultaneous upgrades to multiple devices is supported via background loading of new code and simultaneous switching to the new code.
During all software and firmware upgrades the current configuration is retained. The conversion is automatic and performed by the new software release. If a software upgrade is faulty a single command can return the entire network to the previous version software and configuration in ten seconds.
The Configuration Save and Restore function enables you to save a snapshot of the entire network's configuration on CWM. In a disaster recovery scenario, you can selectively restore a single node's configuration, or restore the configuration of the entire network on a node by node basis. This feature significantly reduces time to recover in the unlikely event of a catastrophic failure. You can also use the Save and Restore feature to restore a previous configuration after making a series of incorrect or temporary changes.
The CWM TFTP statistics collection facility offers extensive usage and error collection. A wide range of statistics are available at the port and virtual channel level to support operations and maintenance, customer network management and usage-based billing. Historical statistical information is stored in the CWM Informix database. The open SQL interface architecture then provides users with direct access to the information stored in the Informix relational database. CWM addresses historical information via the SQL architecture because of the large volume of information present in the database and the inefficiencies involved in retrieving it via SNMP.
Posted: Wed Mar 31 15:15:03 PST 1999
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