Cisco Broadband Access Center

Table Of Contents

Release Notes for Broadband Access Center for Cable Release 2.6.1

Contents

Introduction

Related Documentation

System Components

System Requirements

Hardware Considerations

Device Provisioning Engine 590

Device Provisioning Engine 2115

New Features

Limitations

Installation

BACC 2.6.1 Installation

Components Upgrade Order

DPE-2115 Installation

Upgrading the RDU

Upgrading the Solaris DPE

Upgrading the Hardware DPE

Component Installation of a Solaris Device Provisioning Engine

Upgrading Network Registrar Extensions

Removal of the API Installation Component

RDU Migration From Previous Releases

Bugs

Resolved Issues

Known Software Problems

Obtaining Documentation

Cisco.com

Ordering Documentation

Documentation Feedback

Obtaining Technical Assistance

Cisco Technical Support Website

Submitting a Service Request

Definitions of Service Request Severity

Obtaining Additional Publications and Information

Release Notes for Broadband Access Center for Cable Release 2.6.1

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June 17, 2004

These release notes for release 2.6.1 of Cisco Broadband Access Center for Cable (BACC), describe fixes to certain software issues, provide descriptions of the Solaris based software Device Provisioning Engine (DPE) and the CableHome technology, and introduce the model DPE-2115 Device Provisioning Engine.

Contents

Introduction

The Broadband Access Center for Cable (BACC) product is a high-speed provisioning application that is easy to install, configure, and maintain. It provides a simple and easy way to deploy high-speed data, voice technology, and home networking technology services.

The BACC Java provisioning API allows easy integration into an existing operations support system (OSS) environment.

This release note provides information for the BACC 2.6.1 release and includes a summary of the complete set of fixes incorporated into the product since the BACC 2.6 release.

This patch release provides:

•Bug fixes for PacketCable RDU extension chaining.

•Other bug fixes related to RDU extensions and troubleshooting.

•Support for the new device provisioning engine, model DPE-2115.

Related Documentation

This release of the BACC product is supported by these related documents:

•Broadband Access Center for Cable Administrator's Guide (Release 2.6)

•Broadband Access Center for Cable Installation Guide (Release 2.5)

•To support the DPE-590:

–Device Provisioning Engine 590 Recovery CD-ROM Release Notes

–Cisco Content Engine 500 Series Hardware Installation Guide. You can locate this at:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/contnetw/ps761/products_installation_guide_book09186a00800801e0.html

•To support the DPE-2115:

–Device Provisioning Engine 2115 Recovery CD-ROM Release Notes

–Installation and Setup Guide for the Cisco 1102 VLAN Policy Server. You can locate this at:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/secursw/ps2136/products_installation_and_configuration_guide_book09186a00801f0d02.html

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Caution Refer to this guide for port and connector identification and to perform hardware installation only. Do not attempt to perform any of the configuration instructions found in that guide.

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•Cisco Network Registrar User's Guide (Release 6.0)

•Cisco Network Registrar CLI Reference (Release 6.0)

System Components

The BACC product comprises these major components:

•The regional distribution unit (RDU), which is software that you install on your server.

•The device provisioning engine (DPE), which is available in two versions:

–A software DPE that is installed on a Solaris Sparc computer.

–Software that comes pre-installed on rack mountable hardware. Two such devices are currently in use: the original DPE-590 and its replacement the DPE-2115.

•Extension points, which must be installed on the Network Registrar DHCP servers.

•An application programming interface (API) with which you can integrate BACC with other OSS and billing systems.

•An administrator's user interface from which you can monitor and manage BACC.

•A sample user interface (SUI) with which you can demonstrate BACC's power and flexibility.

System Requirements

You must have the Solaris 9 operating system and Network Registrar installed on your system to successfully use the BACC software.

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Note The minimum Network Registrar version required to install BACC 2.6.1 is Network Registrar 6.1.

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Hardware Considerations

The minimum hardware requirements needed to support both a lab and a fully deployed network are completely described in the Cisco Broadband Access Center for Cable Installation Guide.

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Note Processing capacity, disk storage, and memory requirements depend on the size of the network deployment and the amount of log information needed.

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Device Provisioning Engine 590

All installation and connection issues are discussed in the Cisco Content Engine 500 Series Hardware Installation Guide that accompanies this product.

Device Provisioning Engine 2115

All installation and connection issues are discussed in the Installation and Setup Guide for the Cisco 1102 VLAN Policy Server. You should refer to that guide to identify various ports and connectors, and whenever installing the device.

New Features

The BACC 2.6.1 release removes a previous situation whereby BACC 2.6 would not permit the chaining of RDU extensions for each supported technology. BACC 2.6.1 now supports the chaining of PacketCable voice technology configuration generation extensions.

In addition, BACC 2.6.1 provides fixes for a number of prior software limitations related to RDU extensions and the troubleshooting of RDU extensions. See the "Resolved Issues" section for specific details.

Limitations

These limitations apply to the use of the BACC 2.6.1 release.

RDU Upgrade From Prior BACC Installations

This release does not include an automated RDU upgrade capability. To use the BACC 2.6.1 RDU component on top of an existing BACC 2.6 installation, you must manually perform the steps described in the Installation section of this document.

Hardware DPE Upgrade From Prior Installations

Although hardware DPEs can simply be re-imaged, it is recommended that the hardware DPE be updated through the BACC patch mechanism. This will preserve the DPE configuration. However, re-imaging the DPE forces it to completely re-synchronize itself with the RDU.

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Note See the "Installation" section for additional related information.

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Solaris DPE Upgrade From Prior Installations

It is recommended that Solaris DPEs be updated using the BACC installation procedures outlined in this release note. See the "Component Installation of a Solaris Device Provisioning Engine" section for specific installation details.

Network Registrar DHCP Extensions Upgrade

The release of BACC 2.6.1 has not introduced any functional changes to the Network Registrar extensions. Consequently, these extensions are not automatically upgraded by BACC 2.6.1.

Installation

As with previous versions of this product, BACC 2.6 has two forms of installation: Lab and component installations. While the differences are clearly described in the Cisco Broadband Access Center for Cable Installation Guide for release 2.5, the introduction of the new Solaris DPE affects the installation process.

This section describes:

•BACC 2.6.1 Installation

•Component Installation of a Solaris Device Provisioning Engine

•Removal of the API Installation Component

•RDU Migration From Previous Releases

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Note Prior to installing the BACC product, refer to the SunSolve web site, from Sun Microsystems, Inc., to download and install the latest Solaris Patch Cluster.

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BACC 2.6.1 Installation

The BACC 2.6.1 installation instructions in this section, assume that these conditions have been met:

•BACC 2.6 is currently installed and operating correctly.

•You have fetched the BACC 2.6.1 update file from CCO and decompressed its contents to a folder such as /opt/CSCObpr/patch261.

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Note Please refer to the Cisco Broadband Access Center for Cable Installation Guide for release 2.5 for basic installation instructions.

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Components Upgrade Order

The BACC upgrade procedure requires that the components be updated in the exact order described here. Performing the upgrade in any other order may result in errors during provisioning.

1. RDU

2. DPE

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Note The BACC 2.6.1 release now supports both the DPE-590 and the DPE-2115. See the "DPE-2115 Installation" section for information specific to this device. Installation of the DPE-590 is not affected by this release although this device can be upgraded to BACC release 2.6.1, as described in the "Installing the DPE-590 Patch Software" section.

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3. CNR extensions

4. KDC

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Note Installing BACC 2.6.1 may not, depending on your deployment, require that all components be upgraded.

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DPE-2115 Installation

The DPE-2115 installation is described in the Installation and Setup Guide for the Cisco 1102 VLAN Policy Server. From an operations perspective, the DPE-2115 looks and operates similarly to the DPE-590. However, after running the reload command, when using the DPE-2115 in conjunction with a Catalyst switch, the Ethernet link is temporarily dropped until the Catalyst Fast Path feature starts to pass traffic.

The effects of this are that:

•The console port login is displayed, although there is a short delay imposed before you can Telnet to the DPE-2115. The console port login prompt is:

(Hit Enter to Login) 

•The DPE-2115 log files may show the DPE process stopping and restarting until the Ethernet port begins to pass traffic. This activity may cycle a few times before the DPE process successfully restarts. As a result of this situation, you may see error messages, similar to that shown below, in the log files.

bacc_dpe.bacc.net: 2004 10 21 14:39:18 GMT: %BACC-DPE-5-0236: 

[Device Provisioning Engine] starting up

bacc_dpe.bacc.net: 2004 10 21 14:39:34 GMT: 

%BACC-DPE-0-STACK_TRACE: com.cisco.provisioning.cpe.PACEConnectionException: 

Specified RDU host [bacc_dpe.bacc.net] is unknown

Upgrading the RDU

There is no migration path from earlier BACC releases to BACC 2.6.1. Release 2.6.1 must be installed directly over the BACC 2.6 release. A script is provided, as part of the BACC 2.6.1 release, to simplify upgrading the RDU component. It is strongly recommended that you use this script when upgrading the BACC 2.6 RDU component.

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Step 1 Untar the release package (261upgrade.tar) onto the computer on which the BACC 2.6 RDU resides. For example, you would enter:

tar xvf 261upgrade.tar 

Step 2 Run this script from the upgrade folder:

cd patch261/bin 
./261-upgrade-rdu.sh 

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Note You must manually restart the BPR Agent to finish the upgrade process.

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An output similar to this displays.

BPR Located

BPR Home directory is /opt/CSCObpr

Current version is 2.6

RDU Component Installed

Stopping the BPR Agent

BPR Agent for BPR Provisioning Engine is stopped.

BPR Agent stopped

Copying the Upgrade Files

Upgrading Package Information

Upgrade for BPR 2.6.1 Completed Successfully

Please start your BPR Agent to finish the upgrade Process 

Step 3 Run this command to verify that the output indicates it is BACC release 2.6.1:

# pkgparam CSCObpr VERSION  

The version information returned should be 2.6.1.

Step 4 Check the installed list of files. An output similar to this displays.

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Note The previous version of the file bpr.jar is renamed as bpr-26.jar.

# cd /opt/CSCObpr/lib # ls -l total 82992
-rw-r--r--	1 root	oldother	1107051	Mar 25 2004	AdventNetSnmp.jar
drwxr-xr-x	2 root	oldother	512	Feb 4 11:55	SnmpAgent
-rw-r--r--	1 root	oldother	452107	Mar 25 2004	adminui.war
-rw-r--r--	1 root	oldother	934636	Mar 25 2004	bcprov-jdk14-116.jar
-rw-r--r--	1 root	oldother	8573142	Mar 25 2004	bpr-26.jar
-rw-r--r--	1 root	oldother	8610759	Feb 4 12:28	bpr.jar
-rw-r--r--	1 root	oldother	187162	Mar 25 2004	crimson.jar
drwxr-xr-x	4 root	oldother	512	Feb 411:55	electric
-rw-r--r--	1 root	oldother	28404	Mar 25 2004	jaxp.jar
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	oldother	623324	Mar 25 2004	libInformManager.so
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	oldother	1479524	Mar 25 2004	libbprextensions.so
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	oldother	11837004	Mar 25 2004	libcrypto.so.0.9.6
-rw-r--r--	1 root	oldother	668508	Mar 25 2004	libdb-3.3.so
-rw-r--r--	1 root	oldother	750816	Mar 25 2004	libdb_java-3.3.so
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	oldother	61128	Mar 25 2004	libnative.so
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	oldother	1481856	Mar 25 2004	libsnmp-0.4.2.3.so
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	oldother	2478752	Mar 25 2004	libssl.so.0.9.6
-rw-r--r--	1 root	oldother	13070	Mar 25 2004	pkcerts.jar
-rw-r--r--	1 root	oldother	84315	Mar 25 2004	sampleui.war
-rw-r--r--	1 root	oldother	25900	Mar 25 2004	sleepycat.jar
-rw-r--r--	1 root	oldother	28404	Mar 25 2004	sun_jaxp.jar
-rw-r--r--	1 root	oldother	187162	Mar 25 2004	sun_parser.jar
-rw-r--r--	1 root	oldother	801714	Mar 25 2004	xalan.jar
-rw-r--r--	1 root	oldother	1728861	Mar 25 2004	xercesImpl.jar
-rw-r--r--	1 root	oldother	131919	Mar 25 2004	xmlParserAPIs.jar

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Upgrading the Solaris DPE

Release 2.6.1 must be installed directly over the BACC 2.6 release. A script is provided, as part of the BACC 2.6.1 release, to simplify upgrading the Solaris DPE component. It is strongly recommended that you use this script when upgrading the BACC 2.6 Solaris DPE.

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Step 1 Untar the release package (261upgrade.tar) onto the computer on which the Solaris DPE resides.For example, you would enter:

tar xvf 261upgrade.tar 

Step 2 Run this script from the upgrade folder:

cd patch261/bin 
./261-upgrade-dpe.sh 

Step 3 You must manually restart the BPR Agent to finish the upgrade process.

An output similar to this displays.

BPR Located

BPR Home directory is /opt/CSCObpr

Current version is 2.6

DPE Component Installed

Stopping the BPR Agent

BPR Agent for BPR Provisioning Engine is stopped.

BPR Agent stopped

Copying the Upgrade Files

Upgrading Package Information

Upgrade for BPR 2.6.1 Completed Successfully

Please start your BPR Agent to finish the upgrade Process 

Step 4 Run this command to verify that the output indicates it is BACC release 2.6.1:

# pkgparam CSCObpr VERSION  

The version information returned should be 2.6.1.

Step 5 Check the installed list of files. An output similar to this displays.

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Note The previous version of the bpr.jar file is renamed as bpr-26.jar.

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-rw-r--r--	1 root	other	420106	Mar 23 13:30	adminui.war
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	1107051	Mar 23 13:29	AdventNetSnmp.jar
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	934636	Mar 23 13:29	bcprov-jdk14-116.jar
-rw-r--r--	1 root	other	9657423	Mar 23 13:29	bpr-26.jar
-rw-r--r--	1 root	other	9658499	Mar 23 13:29	bpr.jar
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	29411	Mar 23 13:29	comm.jar
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	187162	Mar 23 13:29	crimson.jar
drwxr-xr-x	4 root	other	512	Apr 2 10:23	electric
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	28404	Mar 23 13:29	jaxp.jar
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	1545628	Mar 23 13:29	libbprextensions.so
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	14475552	Mar 23 13:29	libcrypto.so.0.9.7
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	840092	Mar 23 13:29	libdb-4.1.so
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	938044	Mar 23 13:29	libdb_java-4.1.so
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	832960	Mar 23 13:29	libgcc_s.so.1
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	756332	Mar 23 13:29	libInformManager.so
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	463032	Mar 23 13:29	libnative.so
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	2328048	Mar 23 13:29	libnetsnmp.so.5
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	115420	Mar 23 13:29	libosstatus.so
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	2370312	Mar 23 13:29	libssl.so.0.9.7
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	8661944	Mar 23 13:29	libstdc++.so.5
-rw-r--r--	1 root	other	13070	Mar 23 13:29	pkcerts.jar
-rw-r--r--	1 root	other	84324	Mar 23 13:30	sampleui.war
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	35899	Mar 23 13:29	sleepycat.jar
drwxr-xr-x	2 root	other	512	Apr 2 10:23	SnmpAgent
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	28404	Mar 23 13:29	sun_jaxp.jar
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	187162	Mar 23 13:29	sun_parser.jar
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	62624	Mar 23 13:29	TelnetD.jar
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	801714	Mar 23 13:29	xalan.jar
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	1728861	Mar 23 13:29	xercesImpl.jar
-rwxr-xr-x	1 root	other	131919	Mar 23 13:29	xmlParserAPIs.jar

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Upgrading the Hardware DPE

You can remotely patch your DPE-590 devices, or if you have local access to these devices, you can fully re-image them.

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Note The DPE-2115 currently ships with the BACC release 2.6.1 and should not, therefore, require upgrading.

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Installing the DPE-590 Patch Software

This section describes how to install the software patch required to upgrade the DPE-590 from release 2.6 to release 2.6.1. Complete these instructions to install the DPE software patch bundle called dpe-590-261-upgrade.bpr.

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Warning If the hardware DPE is rebooted or powered off, while a patch is being applied, the hardware DPE is left in an unknown state and must be completely re-imaged.

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Step 1 Untar the release package onto a computer that has access to the DPEs being upgraded. This computer must also have FTP enabled.

Step 2 Open an FTP connection to each DPE to be patched and upload the patch bundle to the DPE.

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Note When opening the FTP connection, you must enter the username admin and the password chosen for the selected DPE.

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Step 3 Once an FTP connection is established, change directory to incoming using this command at the FTP prompt:

cd incoming 

This will locate the patch file so that the DPE can easily find it.

Step 4 FTP the dpe-590-261-upgrade.bpr file to the DPE by issuing the following commands.

bin

put dpe-590-261-upgrade.bpr 

Step 5 Log into each DPE, in the enable mode, and run the upgrade command. This prompts you to select the 2.6.1 patch bundle and apply it.

Step 6 Restart the DPE after the patch process completes.

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Warning If the DPE appliance is rebooted or powered off, while a patch is being applied, the appliance will be left in an unknown state, and must be completely re-imaged using the instructions in the next section.

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Re-imaging the DPE

Using the dpe-590.gz file, found in the BACC 2.6.1 release package, re-image the DPE-590 following the instructions found in the Release Notes for the Broadband Access Center for Cable Device Provisioning Engine Recovery CD-ROM. When referring to that release note, you must substitute all references to the folder "/cdrom/DPE-590" with the folder into which the BACC 2.6.1 update file was decompressed.

Component Installation of a Solaris Device Provisioning Engine

During a component installation, you are prompted to select the components you want to install. With this BACC release, you can now install a DPE component.

Within the Lab Installation process, there are no differences to the installation. In the component installation however, you must select the DPE.

If, during DPE installation, the installation program detects the presence of a TFTP server running on the same computer that the DPE being installed on, the installation is immediately terminated and an error message appears on screen.

During the DPE installation, you are prompted to provide the locations of these directories:

•Home Directory

•Data Directory

Once you enter this information, refer to chapter 5 of the Cisco Broadband Access Center for Cable Installation Guide and perform the Configuring a Device Provisioning Engine for Data procedure, starting with step 2.

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Caution After Solaris DPE installation is complete, you must configure the DPE using the command line interface (CLI). Refer to the Cisco Broadband Access Center for Cable Administrator's Guide for these configuration instructions. Do not attempt to start the DPE until after you have completed this configuration.

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Upgrading Network Registrar Extensions

As mentioned in the "Network Registrar DHCP Extensions Upgrade" section, there have been no functional changes to BACC 2.6.1 and there is therefore, no specific reason to upgrade Network Registrar extensions from BACC 2.6 to BACC 2.6.1.

However, if you wish to upgrade these extensions:

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Step 1 Stop the Network Registrar DHCP server.

Step 2 Uninstall the BACC Network Registrar extensions. At this time you should also uninstall any custom extensions.

Step 3 Use the BACC installation program to place the BACC 2.6.1 Network Registrar extensions onto the required computer(s).

Step 4 Use the nrcmd command to install the BACC 2.6.1 Network Registrar extensions. See the Cisco Broadband Access Center for Cable Installation Guide for specific instructions.

Step 5 Re-attach any custom chained Network Registrar extensions.

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Removal of the API Installation Component

The installation programs for previous BACC releases provided for the installation of an API component. The installation of this component has been removed in the BACC 2.6 release although the API is still available as in previous releases. See the Cisco Broadband Access Center for Cable Installation Guide for specific instructions.

RDU Migration From Previous Releases

This release does not support migration of the RDU database from prior BACC releases. If a previous BACC version is detected during installation, the installation program prompts you to uninstall that version and remove the RDU database.

Bugs

For information on BACC bugs, see the BACC26_BugList.html file in the docs/ subdirectory of the BACC CD-ROM or electronic distribution.

Resolved Issues

Table 1 identifies software issues that have been resolved in the BACC 2.6.1 release.

Table 1 Resolved Software Issues  

Number	Description	Notes
CSCec17360	Unable to chain PacketCable MTA extensions at the RDU.	This limits the ability to create customized RDU extensions used to extend PacketCable functionality.
CSCed63853	RDU device detection fails with ArrayIndexOutOfBounds.	This improves the error handling for malformed DHCP option-43 found in incoming packets.
CSCed29976	The DPE must dump incoming message on failure.	This improves the logging for certain types of failure.
CSCec17973	Unable to chain Device Detection extension points.	This limits the ability to create customized RDU extensions that extend the default device detection functionality.
CSCed34251	RDU crashing due to null pointer.	The RDU may crash when operating under a heavy load with many API batches.
CSCed59596	The CISCO-NMS-APPL-HEALTH-MIB trap is not generated by the RDU.	State changes at the RDU do not generate traps.
CSCed59314	The DPE does not forward traps when it is stopped or started.	State changes at the DPE do not generate traps.
CSCed67887	The performOperation() call is not validating properties.	This API call does not validate some of its arguments.
CSCed61100	The IPDevice.getDetails call returns incorrect giaddr.	The giaddr returned is the giaddr of the RDU, not of the device.
CSCed41485	Incorrect DHCPCriteria displayed for promiscuous computers.	Under some circumstances, the device details shown in the administrative user interface may show the System Default for Provisioned Promiscuous DHCP Criteria rather than the actual criteria assigned by the Class of Service.
CSCed90570	The hardware DPE upgrade fails.	The upgrade20to25.bpr upgrade script shipped with the BACC 2.6 release will not work to upgrade a DPE-590 to the 2.6 release.
CSCed63904	The RDU does not log DHCP input packets on extension failure.	The error processing for certain incoming packet failures lacks some details that would aid in debugging.
CSCea34086	PublishingTransaction should catch throwable during publishing	The error processing for certain publishing failures lacks some details that would aid in debugging

Known Software Problems

Table 2 identifies software issues that are known to exist in this release of BACC.

Table 2 Broadband Access Center for Cable Known Software Problems  

Number	Description	Resolution
CSCdy22648	MTA file encryption property not handled correctly. It is not currently possible to control whether MTA files are encrypted, on a per device or ClassOfService basis, using properties at the RDU.	To correct this problem, set the encryption property at each DPE. This results in all files handed out by that DPE following that DPE setting.
CSCec80350	The SNMP svc does not accept log level changes.	The DPE CLI command that changes the DPE logging level does not immediately take effect for the PacketCable SNMP Service. A restart of DPE is required for the new log level to be recognized by this service.
CSCed08053	The KDC is unable to start unless a KDC certificate called KDC_private_key_proprietary is present.	The KDC requires that the private key corresponding to the KDC certificate be named KDC_private_key_proprietary. This must be done regardless of the format of the key.
CSCed44803	The PKCert utility does not support Euro PacketCable. The PKCert utility cannot operate on certificates issued by tComLabs. The utility only supports certificates issued by CableLabs.	This utility fails in both the certify and create modes when attempting to operate on tComLabs certificates.
CSCed95991	The API client running JDK 1.4.2_04 can cause the RDU to crash.	Do not use JDK version 1.4.2_04, or newer, when running the API.

Obtaining Documentation

Cisco documentation and additional literature are available on Cisco.com. Cisco also provides several ways to obtain technical assistance and other technical resources. These sections explain how to obtain technical information from Cisco Systems.

Cisco.com

You can access the most current Cisco documentation at this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/home/home.htm

You can access the Cisco website at this URL:

http://www.cisco.com

You can access international Cisco websites at this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/public/countries_languages.shtml

Ordering Documentation

You can find instructions for ordering documentation at this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/es_inpck/pdi.htm

You can order Cisco documentation in these ways:

•Registered Cisco.com users (Cisco direct customers) can order Cisco product documentation from the Ordering tool:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/partner/ordering/index.shtml

•Nonregistered Cisco.com users can order documentation through a local account representative by calling Cisco Systems Corporate Headquarters (California, USA) at 408 526-7208 or, elsewhere in North America, by calling 800 553-NETS (6387).

Documentation Feedback

You can send comments about technical documentation to bug-doc@cisco.com.

You can submit comments by using the response card (if present) behind the front cover of your document or by writing to the following address:

Cisco Systems
Attn: Customer Document Ordering
170 West Tasman Drive
San Jose, CA 95134-9883

We appreciate your comments.

Obtaining Technical Assistance

For all customers, partners, resellers, and distributors who hold valid Cisco service contracts, Cisco Technical Support provides 24-hour-a-day, award-winning technical assistance. The Cisco Technical Support Website on Cisco.com features extensive online support resources. In addition, Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) engineers provide telephone support. If you do not hold a valid Cisco service contract, contact your reseller.

Cisco Technical Support Website

The Cisco Technical Support Website provides online documents and tools for troubleshooting and resolving technical issues with Cisco products and technologies. The website is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/techsupport

Access to all tools on the Cisco Technical Support Website requires a Cisco.com user ID and password. If you have a valid service contract but do not have a user ID or password, you can register at this URL:

http://tools.cisco.com/RPF/register/register.do

Submitting a Service Request

Using the online TAC Service Request Tool is the fastest way to open S3 and S4 service requests. (S3 and S4 service requests are those in which your network is minimally impaired or for which you require product information.) After you describe your situation, the TAC Service Request Tool automatically provides recommended solutions. If your issue is not resolved using the recommended resources, your service request will be assigned to a Cisco TAC engineer. The TAC Service Request Tool is located at this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/techsupport/servicerequest

For S1 or S2 service requests or if you do not have Internet access, contact the Cisco TAC by telephone. (S1 or S2 service requests are those in which your production network is down or severely degraded.) Cisco TAC engineers are assigned immediately to S1 and S2 service requests to help keep your business operations running smoothly.

To open a service request by telephone, use one of the following numbers:

Asia-Pacific: +61 2 8446 7411 (Australia: 1 800 805 227)
EMEA: +32 2 704 55 55
USA: 1 800 553 2447

For a complete list of Cisco TAC contacts, go to this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/techsupport/contacts

Definitions of Service Request Severity

To ensure that all service requests are reported in a standard format, Cisco has established severity definitions.

Severity 1 (S1)—Your network is "down," or there is a critical impact to your business operations. You and Cisco will commit all necessary resources around the clock to resolve the situation.

Severity 2 (S2)—Operation of an existing network is severely degraded, or significant aspects of your business operation are negatively affected by inadequate performance of Cisco products. You and Cisco will commit full-time resources during normal business hours to resolve the situation.

Severity 3 (S3)—Operational performance of your network is impaired, but most business operations remain functional. You and Cisco will commit resources during normal business hours to restore service to satisfactory levels.

Severity 4 (S4)—You require information or assistance with Cisco product capabilities, installation, or configuration. There is little or no effect on your business operations.

Obtaining Additional Publications and Information

Information about Cisco products, technologies, and network solutions is available from various online and printed sources.

•Cisco Marketplace provides a variety of Cisco books, reference guides, and logo merchandise. Visit Cisco Marketplace, the company store, at this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/go/marketplace/

•The Cisco Product Catalog describes the networking products offered by Cisco Systems, as well as ordering and customer support services. Access the Cisco Product Catalog at this URL:

http://cisco.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/pcat/

•Cisco Press publishes a wide range of general networking, training and certification titles. Both new and experienced users will benefit from these publications. For current Cisco Press titles and other information, go to Cisco Press at this URL:

http://www.ciscopress.com

•Packet magazine is the Cisco Systems technical user magazine for maximizing Internet and networking investments. Each quarter, Packet delivers coverage of the latest industry trends, technology breakthroughs, and Cisco products and solutions, as well as network deployment and troubleshooting tips, configuration examples, customer case studies, certification and training information, and links to scores of in-depth online resources. You can access Packet magazine at this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/packet

•iQ Magazine is the quarterly publication from Cisco Systems designed to help growing companies learn how they can use technology to increase revenue, streamline their business, and expand services. The publication identifies the challenges facing these companies and the technologies to help solve them, using real-world case studies and business strategies to help readers make sound technology investment decisions. You can access iQ Magazine at this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/go/iqmagazine

•Internet Protocol Journal is a quarterly journal published by Cisco Systems for engineering professionals involved in designing, developing, and operating public and private internets and intranets. You can access the Internet Protocol Journal at this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/ipj

•World-class networking training is available from Cisco. You can view current offerings at this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/learning/index.html

Copyright © 2004 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.