Using the Service Configuration Editor

Table Of Contents

Using the Service Configuration Editor

Service Configurations

Managing Service Configurations

Opening the Service Configuration Editor Tool

How to Add New Service Configurations

How to Open Existing Service Configurations

How to Save the Current Service Configuration

How to Save the Current Service Configuration to a Service Configuration File

How to Save the Current Service Configuration to the File from Which it Was Loaded

How to Close Service Configurations

How to Export Service Configuration Data

How to Import Service Configuration Data

Applying and Retrieving Service Configurations

How to Validate the Current Service Configuration

How to Apply a Service Configuration to SCE Platforms


Using the Service Configuration Editor


To configure a Service Control Engine (SCE) platform to handle traffic, you must define a service configuration and apply it to the platform. Use the Service Configuration Editor tool to create, define, and manage service configurations.

This module describes how to use the Service Configuration Editor tool.

Service Configurations 

Managing Service Configurations 

Service Configurations

A service configuration is a data structure that defines how the SCE platform analyses network traffic, what rules apply to the traffic, and what actions the SCE platform takes to enforce these rules.

A service configuration consists of the following two main elements:

Services—Define the categories to which transactions are classified

Packages—Define how the SCE platform acts upon transactions from different services

Service configurations are stored as PQB files.

Managing Service Configurations

This section explains how to:

Manage service configurations

Export and import service configuration data

Apply service configurations to SCE platforms and retrieve them

Opening the Service Configuration Editor Tool

If no service configurations are open when you open or switch to the Service Configuration Editor tool, a No Service Configuration Is Open dialog box appears.

Figure 6-1 No Service Configuration Is Open

No Service Configuration Is Open dialog box

To create a new service configuration (see How to Add New Service Configurations ), click Yes.

To open an existing service configuration (see How to Open Existing Service Configurations ), click No.

The Configuration option is included in the main menu only when at least one service configuration is open.

You can have many service configurations open at one time; each is displayed in its own view, and you click a view to make that view's service configuration active.

When a service configuration has unsaved changes, an asterisk precedes its name on the view.

How to Add New Service Configurations

You can add a new service configuration whenever necessary.


Note You cannot add a second new service configuration until you have saved the first one.


When a new service configuration opens, it contains the default service configuration supplied with SCA BB. This includes a default package, which contains a default service rule.


Step 1 In the Console toolbar, click 158885.jpg(New Service Configuration).

A New Service Configuration Settings dialog box appears.

New Service Configuration Settings dialog box

Step 2 Select an operational mode for the service configuration.

Step 3 Select a routing classification mode for the system.

Selecting asymmetric routing classification mode gives more accurate protocol classification in topologies with a high rate of unidirectional flows. Several classification, reporting, and control features are not supported when this mode is enabled (see Asymmetric Routing Classification Mode, page 10-34 ).

Step 4 Click OK.

If you have set a default DSS file (see The Default DSS File, page 7-39 ), a Default Signature message appears.

Default Signature message

(Recommended) Click Yes to import the default DSS file.

Click Noto continue without importing the default DSS file.

The new service configuration is added to the Console window, open on the Network Traffic tab, and becomes the active service configuration.

Network Traffic tab


How to Open Existing Service Configurations

You can open a saved service configuration for viewing or for editing, or to apply it to an SCE platform.

Service configuration files have the extension PQB.


Step 1 In the Console toolbar, click 158890.jpg (Open A Service Configuration File). (Or, from the Console main menu, choose File >Open Service Configuration.)

An Open dialog box appears.

Step 2 Browse to a service configuration file.

Step 3 Click Open.

The Open dialog box closes.

If the default DSS file has not been imported into the service configuration, a Default Signature message appears.

Default Signature message

If the default DSS file has not been imported into the service configuration, a Default Signature message appears.

(Recommended) Click Yes to import the default DSS file.

Click No to continue without importing the default DSS file.

The service configuration is loaded into the Console:

This service configuration becomes the active service configuration.

The title of the Console window includes the name of the service configuration.


How to Save the Current Service Configuration

You can save the active service configuration.

How to Save the Current Service Configuration to a Service Configuration File 

How to Save the Current Service Configuration to the File from Which it Was Loaded 

How to Save the Current Service Configuration to a Service Configuration File


Step 1 From the Console main menu, choose File >Save As.

A Save As dialog box appears.

Enter your password if prompted.

Step 2 Browse to the folder where you want to save the file containing the service configuration.

Step 3 In the File name field, enter a new file name, or select an existing PQB file.

Step 4 Click Save.

The service configuration is saved to the selected file. If the file exists, it is overwritten.

During processing, a Saving Service Configuration File message appears.


How to Save the Current Service Configuration to the File from Which it Was Loaded


Step 1 In the Console toolbar, click Save (Save).

If the current service configuration was not loaded from a PQB file (that is, if it is new, or it was retrieved from an SCE platform), the Save As dialog box opens as in the previous procedure.


How to Close Service Configurations


Step 1 On the service configuration view, click 158780.jpg(Close).

If there are no unsaved changes, the service configuration view closes.

If there are unsaved changes a Save Resource message appears.

Save Resource message

Click Yes:

If this is an existing edited service configuration, the changes are saved and the service configuration view closes.

If this is a new service configuration, a Save As dialog box opens.

Enter a name for the service configuration and click Save.

The Save As dialog box closes, the changes are saved, and the service configuration view closes.


How to Export Service Configuration Data

You can export service configuration data from the current service configuration to CSV files. The CSV file formats are described in the "CSV File Formats" chapter of the Cisco Service Control Application Suit for Broadband Reference Guide .

Each type of service configuration element is exported to a separate file.


Step 1 From the Console main menu, choose File >Export.

The Export dialog box appears.

Export dialog box

Step 2 From the export destination list, select Export service configuration parts to CSV file.

Step 3 Click Next.

The Export Service Configuration Parts dialog box appears.

Export Service Configuration Parts dialog box

Step 4 Select one of the Select service configuration element to exportradio buttons.

The radio buttons are:

Service Elements

Protocol Elements

Zones

Flavors

If you select Flavors, the flavors in the flavor area of the dialog box are enabled.


Note Only those flavors for which a flavor type is defined in this service configuration are enabled.


Step 5 If you selected Flavors, select one of the flavor typeradio buttons.

Step 6 Click Next.

The second screen of the Export Service Configuration Parts dialog box opens.

Export Service Configuration Parts dialog box II

The Available elements pane lists all elements in the service configuration of the selected type.

Step 7 Select the elements to export, using the check boxes and the select buttons.

Step 8 In the Select the export destination area, click Browse.

An Open dialog box appears.

Step 9 Browse to the folder where you want to save the file containing the service configuration elements.

Step 10 In the File name field, enter a new file name, or select an existing CSV file.

Step 11 Click Open to select the file.

If the file exists, it will be overwritten.

The Open dialog box closes.

Step 12 Click Finish.

The selected service configuration elements are exported to the file.

An Export Complete message appears.

Export Complete message

Step 13 Click OK.

The Export Service Configuration Parts dialog box closes.


How to Import Service Configuration Data

You can import service configuration data to the current service configuration from CSV files. The CSV file formats are described in the "CSV File Formats" chapter of the Cisco Service Control Application Suit for Broadband Reference Guide .

Each type of service configuration element is imported from a separate file.


Step 1 From the Console main menu, choose File >Import.

The Import dialog box appears.

Import dialog box

Step 2 From the Select an import source list, select Import service configuration parts from CSV file.

Step 3 Click Next.

The Import Service Configuration Parts dialog box appears.

Import Service Configuration Parts dialog box

Step 4 Select one of the Select service configuration element to import radio buttons.

The radio buttons are:

Service Elements

Protocol Elements

Zones

Flavors

If you select Flavors, the flavors in the flavor area of the dialog box are enabled.

Step 5 If you selected Flavors, select one of the flavor typeradio buttons.

Step 6 Click Next.

The second screen of the Import Service Configuration Parts dialog box opens.

Import Service Configuration Parts dialog box II

Step 7 Click Browse.

An Open dialog box appears.

Step 8 Browse to the folder containing the file to import, and select a CSV file.

Step 9 Click Opento select the file.

The Open dialog box closes.

Step 10 Click Finish.

The configuration elements are imported from the file.

An Import Complete message appears.

 Import Complete message

Step 11 Click OK.

The Import Service Configuration Parts dialog box closes.


Applying and Retrieving Service Configurations

For a new or edited service configuration to take effect, you must apply it to the SCE platform. Until you do, the SCE platform continues to enforce the previous service configuration.

You can use the Service Configuration Editor to apply a service configuration to an SCE platform, but not to retrieve a service configuration.

You can apply or retrieve a service configuration using:

The Network Navigator Tool, page 5-1

servconf , the SCA BB Service Configuration Utility (see Information About the SCA BB Service Configuration Utility, page 13-1 )

How to Validate the Current Service Configuration

Use the Validate option to validate the new or updated service configuration currently displayed. The validation process checks for overall service configuration coherence, and points out possible pitfalls in the service configuration.

The Validate process runs automatically when you select Apply Service Configuration to SCE devices. The Validation Results dialog box appears only if the procedure found errors or issued warnings about the current service configuration.


Step 1 From the Console main menu, choose File >Validate.

The Validation Results dialog box appears.

Validation Results dialog box

Validation Results dialog box

Any problems with the service configuration are listed in the Problems view.

Step 2 Click OK.

The Service Configuration Validation dialog box closes.


How to Apply a Service Configuration to SCE Platforms

When you click Apply Service Configuration to SCE Devices, the validation process runs automatically on the current service configuration.


Note You can use the Validatemenu command to manually validate the service configuration.



Step 1 In the Console toolbar, click 158726.jpg (Apply Service Configuration to SCE Devices).

The Select SCE Devices dialog box appears.

Select SCE Devices dialog box

All SCE platforms defined in the Network Navigator are listed in the dialog box.

Step 2 Select one or more SCE platforms from the list.

Step 3 Click OK.

A Password Management dialog box appears for each platform selected.

Step 4 Enter the appropriate password. (For more information, refer to Chapter 5, "Using the Network Navigator".)

Step 5 Click Apply.

The Password Management dialog box closes.

An Applying service configuration to SCE progress bar appears for each SCE platform selected.

The validation process runs on the service configuration.

If there is a problem and the validation process ends with a warning or error, the Validation Results dialog box appears. Click OK, modify the service configuration based on the information provided in the Problems view, and then repeat this procedure.

If the validation process runs successfully, the service configuration is applied to the selected SCE platforms.