CiscoWorks Resource Manager Essentials 4.0

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Updated:January 31, 2005

Document ID:1479426870954616

Bias-Free Language

The documentation set for this product strives to use bias-free language. For the purposes of this documentation set, bias-free is defined as language that does not imply discrimination based on age, disability, gender, racial identity, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality. Exceptions may be present in the documentation due to language that is hardcoded in the user interfaces of the product software, language used based on RFP documentation, or language that is used by a referenced third-party product. Learn more about how Cisco is using Inclusive Language.

DATA SHEET

PRODUCT OVERVIEW

CiscoWorks Resource Manager Essentials (RME) 4.0 is the cornerstone application of CiscoWorks LAN Management Solution (LMS). CiscoWorks RME provides lifecycle management of Cisco ® network devices. Designed to reduce human error and eliminate many of the manual tasks associated with maintaining a network, CiscoWorks RME helps make Cisco networks the most manageable and available in the world.

CiscoWorks RME 4.0 is a suite of tools for simplifying the administration of a Cisco network. Its capabilities include:

• Inventory management

• Device-configuration management

• Software-image management

• Change-audit services

• Syslog analysis

KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITS

The basic purpose of CiscoWorks RME is to simplify network operations and to dramatically increase operational efficiency. CiscoWorks RME can automate software updates and configuration changes, reduce human error, and track changes in the network.

Features include:

• Ability to build a quick and complete network inventory of operational Cisco devices

• Monitoring and reporting on hardware, configuration, and inventory changes

• New lightweight HTML-based GUI for higher performance

• Management and deployment of configuration changes and software-image updates to multiple devices

• Redesigned workflows for improved usability and performance

• Secure communication between the client browser and CiscoWorks LMS server through Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol

• Secured upload and download of device configurations from server device through Secure Shell (SSH) Protocol and Secure Copy Protocol (SCP)

• Integration with Cisco Secure Access Control Server (ACS) for granular user-role definitions and secured device views

Inventory Manager

The CiscoWorks RME Inventory Manager builds and maintains an up-to-date hardware and software inventory. Its capabilities include the following:

• Inventory Manager provides a current inventory database of Cisco devices, from the low-end Cisco routers to the high-end Cisco GSR 12000 Series switches. The inventory database provides detailed information on device attributes, such as chassis type, interfaces, software version, memory, Flash characteristics, and more. Inventory Manager provides a wide range of reporting capabilities from high-level summary reports to detailed device-level reporting that can be scheduled and copied to CiscoWorks servers and other servers.

• CiscoWorks RME allows administrators to set up flexible polling and collection schedules to maintain an up-to-date inventory of all Cisco devices in the network.

• New device-grouping capability allows users to create groups based on a wide variety of device attributes, to facilitate easier device selection

• Devices not yet on the network can also be added to CiscoWorks RME. These devices will be "selectable" in the device selector and tasks can be scheduled on these devices.

• Users can select a wide range of inventory attributes to create custom report templates. The templates can be applied to devices in the network to identify and report on devices fitting the template criteria.

• The Inventory Manager provides a command-line interface (CLI) to extract detailed device-inventory information in Extensible Markup Language (XML) format.

Device Configuration Manager

The CiscoWorks RME Device Configuration Manager maintains an active archive and simplifies deployment of configuration changes to multiple devices. It consists of three subcomponents: Configuration Archive, NetConfig, and ConfigEditor.

The Configuration Archive offers the following benefits:

• Maintains an up-to-date archive by automatically identifying and storing changes to configuration files

• Supports configuration-file searching to simplify locating specific device configurations and configuration attributes

• Identifies differences between the running and startup, two different versions of configurations on the same device or different devices

• Significantly improves performance over previous versions of CiscoWorks RME

• Allows users to choose a device and its version of configuration and download the configuration to the device from the Config Archive application

• Offers the ability to create a configuration template per device family and compare the template file to the configuration in the archive to identify compliant and noncompliant devices

• Provides CLI command to extract the running configuration from devices in XML format

The NetConfig component includes the following benefits:

• A new wizard-based approach to simplify and reduce the complexities and time associated with deploying global changes in the network

• Significant performance and scalability enhancements compared to prior releases of CiscoWorks RME

• Capability for configuration changes to be performed against multiple switches or routers in the network; changes can be downloaded immediately or run as scheduled operations

• Templates provided by Cisco Systems® that simplify the configuration-change process for Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) community, TACACS, syslog, SNMP trap destinations, Cisco Discovery Protocol, Domain Name System (DNS), and many others

• Flexibility in pushing CLI changes out to the network through user-defined templates that are published to an authorized user or group of users for execution

• Support for downloading and uploading device configurations using secure protocols such as SSH Protocol and Secure Copy Protocol (SCP)

• Support for configuration management for devices across Network Address Translation (NAT) boundaries

• Significant performance and scalability enhancements compared to prior releases of CiscoWorks RME

• Ability for operators to specify username and password (including enable password) for devices selected for the job, during job creation (function is also available in ConfigEditor)

The ConfigEditor component offers the following capabilities:

• A powerful Web-based editing facility for modifying and downloading configuration changes

• Improved workflow, allowing multiple users to modify configuration file of the same device

• Masked user and access credentials in configuration files, for improved security

• Ability for operators to specify username and password (including enable password) for devices selected for the job, during job creation

Software Image Manager

The CiscoWorks RME Software Image Manager greatly simplifies the version management and routine deployment of software updates to Cisco routers and switches through wizard-assisted planning, scheduling, downloading, and monitoring of software updates. Software Image Manager automates the many time-consuming steps required to upgrade software images while reducing the error-prone complexities of the upgrade process. Built-in links to Cisco.com correlate the Cisco online information about software patches with Cisco IOS ® Software and Cisco Catalyst ® software deployed in the network, highlighting related technical notes. New planning tools, also linked to Cisco.com, find system requirements and send notification when hardware upgrades (BootROM, Flash RAM) are needed to support proposed software image updates.

The Software Image Manager delivers the following capabilities:

• Provides software-update analysis reports showing prerequisites and impacts of proposed updates

• Significantly enhances performance and scalability compared to prior releases of CiscoWorks RME, including the ability to download different images to multiple device types simultaneously

• Distributes single or multiple images to devices in a single deployment operation

• Supports software-image management for devices across NAT boundaries

• Performs Cisco device software-image audits and library synchronization

• Uses Cisco.com to report on software defects and available patches that affect devices and images in your network

• Contains enhanced Web-proxy support for improved Cisco.com connectivity

• Provides robust software-upgrade analysis for Cisco devices

• New workflows added in the Software Image Management application include:

– Ability for users to select an image and appropriate devices, followed by job scheduling. This new workflow reduces the amount of time it takes to create a job (especially if the image to be deployed is known) by eliminating the "Image Recommendation" phase.

– Ability for users to optimize bandwidth utilization by storing the image to be deployed on a router's Flash memory and "instructing" the devices to retrieve the image from the router.

– Device and image combination safety checks before distribution.

Change Audit Service

The CiscoWorks RME Change Audit tool provides a central point where users can view network changes. Summary information is easily displayed, showing the types of changes made, by whom, and when. Further, the nature of the changes is identified quickly through detailed reports (cards added or removed, memory changes, configuration changes, and so on). In organizations with policies defining when changes should be made to the network, Change Audit provides an exception summary, highlighting changes made outside the approved time window. The Change Audit tool includes the following capabilities:

• Provides a comprehensive audit of network changes reported chronologically

• Records who changed what, when, and how

• Offers change-report filtering using simple or complex sort criteria

• Identifies network changes made during critical network uptime

Syslog Analyzer

The CiscoWorks RME Syslog Analyzer filters syslog messages logged by Cisco switches, routers, access servers, and Cisco IOS firewalls, displaying explanations of probable causes and recommended actions. It uses embedded Cisco IOS technology to provide detailed device information. Its reports are based on user-defined filters that highlight specific errors or severity conditions and help identify when specific events occurred (such as a link-down or a device reboot). Syslog Analyzer delivers the following benefits:

• Significantly enhances performance and scalability compared to prior releases of CiscoWorks RME, including the ability to process larger number of incoming syslog messages per second

• Speeds troubleshooting by displaying critical error patterns over time

• Summarizes syslog events by severity or user criteria for switches, routers, Cisco IOS firewalls, and Cisco PIX® firewalls

• Supports selective filtering of remote syslog collectors, allowing only wanted messages to be sent to the CiscoWorks RME server

• Separates unwanted messages with user-definable filters

• Launches user-defined scripts based on when a particular syslog severity message is received

ORDERING INFORMATION

CiscoWorks RME is part of several CiscoWorks solutions such as the CiscoWorks LAN Management Solution, CiscoWorks VPN/Security Management Solution, and CiscoWorks Small Network Management Solution. These CiscoWorks management solutions are available for purchase through regular Cisco sales and distribution channels worldwide.

To place an order, visit the Cisco Ordering Home Page.

SERVICE AND SUPPORT

Cisco offers a wide range of services programs to accelerate customer success. These innovative services programs are delivered through a unique combination of people, processes, tools, and partners, resulting in high levels of customer satisfaction. Cisco services help you to protect your network investment, optimize network operations, and prepare the network for new applications to extend network intelligence and the power of your business. For more information about Cisco services, see Cisco Technical Support Services or Cisco Advanced Services.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information about the CiscoWorks Resource Manager Essentials (RME) application, visit http://www.cisco.com/go/lms or contact your local Cisco account representative or send an e-mail to the Product Marketing group at ciscoworks@cisco.com.

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