- More Information on CiscoSwitching Solutions
- More Information onCiscoWorks
- More information on CiscoWorks Switched Internetworking Solutions
SAN JOSE, Calif. - December 4, 1995 - Cisco Systems, Inc. today announced acomprehensive strategy and product set for managing multi-layer switchedinternetworks. The products and strategy fill the growing need to extendnetwork management beyond shared 10BaseT hubs to better manage scalableswitched internetworks.
The offerings include an integrated suite of switch management applications-- CiscoWorks for SwitchedInternetworks -- plus embedded network agents.
"Cisco is addressing the need for a new generation of managementapplications, brought on by the rapid adoption of switches at all levelswithin the organization," states John Morency, principal at the Registry, aStratham, N.H.-based consultancy. "These applications will provide a muchgreater degree of configuration, fault and performance management servicesthat are sorely needed for true production implementation of switchingtechnology. Cisco has clearly listened to its users and responded with aset of management tools that will clearly put it in the forefront ofswitched internetworking management."
Enterprise-Wide Topology Maps for Switched Internetworks
One of the greatest management challenges in switched internetworks isgaining an accurate view of the network at the physical and logical layers.To provide such a view, Cisco is delivering a multi-layer topologymanagement application. For the first time, network managers can fullyunderstand the physical configuration of links between switches and quicklydetermine the type of link that connects a series of switches. This enablesthe network manager to perform "drag-and-drop" configuration functions ofthese links for fine tuning communications between client/serverapplications.At the core of these topology capabilities are intelligent agents thatreside within the Cisco InternetworkOperating System software (CiscoIOS(tm)) running on Cisco's multi-layer switches. The agents offer enhancedand detailed topology and traffic management information for detailedanalysis.
One of these agents, the Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP), is a topologydiscovery and mapping protocol that dynamically discovers the adjacentdevices and operates independently within the network.
Other agents include embedded traffic management agents using embedded RMONtechnology or external switch probes, virtualLAN communication agents and fully compliant SNMP MIB II agents.
Cisco's VLAN communication protocols, including ISL (interswitch link),802.10 and LAN emulation, facilitate enterprise VLANs across the backbonelinks. These intelligent agents substantially reduce the amount of traffictypically generated by management applications when performing discoveryand configuration functions. Administrative overhead is reduced along withthe amount of management attention required for managing, monitoring andconfiguring switches both physically and logically.
Optimized Switched Management Applications
Essential applications for managing multi-layer switched internetworksinclude graphical device management, virtual LAN management, trafficmanagement and ATM virtual circuit management tools. The CiscoWorksSwitched Internetworks integrated application delivers on theserequirements (respectively) with the inclusion ofCiscoView establishes a new graphic management model within the company forgraphically configuring and monitoring all Cisco products. With a simpledouble-click from enterprise topology maps, network administrators canlaunch a graphical view of switches within the network and changeconfigurations using intuitive field menus. Additionally, the real-timestatus of each device, including port, traffic and chassis variables, iseasily measured and monitored.
VlanDirector leverages the graphical capabilities of CiscoView by addingdrag-and-drop virtual configuration functions at both the device andnetwork topology levels. Users are quickly assigned to a VLAN by draggingthe ports represented by CiscoView into VLAN configuration windows. VLANports and topology view windows offer a filtered approach in which tovisualize each specific VLAN. This provides a quick method forunderstanding how the network is configured at the logical layers.Furthermore, VlanDirector dynamically assigns links between switches thatreside within the same VLAN. This substantially reduces the amount ofadministration required by the network manager to set up VLANs across theenterprise.
TrafficDirector leverages the graphical capabilities of CiscoView with bothRMON agent configuration and traffic management application launchcapabilities. The configuration of the RMON agents can often be a complextask, especially when there are multiple ports to choose from across aseries of RMON groups, with multiple OSI layers fromwhich to monitor.Cisco significantly reduces this complexity by providing a graphic portview of each switch, allowing the network manager to choose quickly from aseries of RMON agent options. These options can be applied to an individualport or multiple groups of ports concurrently. TrafficDirector also offersadvanced monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities at the link, network,transport and application layers so problems can be quickly identified.
"While the switch market is growing at a rapid pace, so is the need forcontrol over network resources, particularly as more customers adoptswitches within the core of their wiring closets and backbones," saidJayshree Ullal, director of marketing for Cisco's Workgroup Business Unit."These new applications, packaged as one cohesive switched managementsystem, give users a truly complete view of their topology."
Availability
The integrated management package, CiscoWorks for Switched Internetworks,will be available on CD-ROM with on-line documentation and help systems inthe first quarter of 1996. This packagewill support all major UNIX platforms. Individual applications such asCiscoView and VlanDirector are available now. TrafficDirector andAtmDirector will be available in the first and second quarters of 1996,respectively.Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO) is the leading global supplier of
Posted: Wed Aug 27 16:53:09 PDT 1997
