Table Of Contents

CiscoWorks Assistant - Overview

CiscoWorks Assistant - Overview

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The following sections provide an overview of CiscoWorks Assistant application and all the functionalities that are available in CiscoWorks Assistant.

•What is CiscoWorks Assistant?

•What does CiscoWorks Assistant application support?

•What are the dependencies of CiscoWorks Assistant application?

What is CiscoWorks Assistant?

CiscoWorks Assistant is a web-based tool that provides workflows to help you to overcome network management and software deployment challenges. CiscoWorks Assistant is available along with CiscoWorks LAN Management Solution (LMS) solution. This application is installed along with CiscoWorks Common Services.

A workflow is a compilation of tasks that assist you to deploy LMS servers and troubleshoot your network. The CiscoWorks Assistant Engine, which works in the backend, executes the workflows and allows you to navigate between the various tasks.

CiscoWorks Assistant workflows contain functionalities that are available across LMS applications. These functionalities are grouped logically to setup and configure the LMS server and to troubleshoot your network devices.

You can use CiscoWorks Assistant only with the following LMS applications' versions:

•Common Services 3.1 (CS 3.1)

•CiscoView 6.1.6 (CV 6.1.6)

•Campus Manager 5.0 (CM 5.0)

•Resource Manager Essentials 4.1(RME 4.1)

•Device Fault Manager 3.0 (DFM 3.0)

•Internetwork Performance Monitor 4.0 (IPM 4.0)

•Integration Utility 1.7 (NMIM)

To know more about LMS applications, see the User Guides:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/sw/netmgtsw/tsd_products_support_category_home.html

What does CiscoWorks Assistant application support?

CiscoWorks Assistant supports the following workflows:

•Server Setup

Server Setup workflow helps you to create a Multi-Server set up. It also assists you in adding and managing devices and configuring the AAA mode to ACS. You can add devices to Device and Credential Repository and import these devices across LMS applications.

See Configuring LMS Server Using CiscoWorks Assistant.

•Device Troubleshooting

You can identify the root cause for device unreachabililty. The generated Device Troubleshooting report contains the following details for the selected device:

–Alerts and Syslog Messages

–Last configuration change

–Details of the device topology

–Details on network inconsistencies, misconfiguration in the network device.

See Troubleshooting Your Network Using CiscoWorks Assistant.

•End Host/IP Phone Down

You can get the information required to troubleshoot as well as analyze the connectivity issues.

See Troubleshooting CiscoWorks Assistant.

What are the dependencies of CiscoWorks Assistant application?

CiscoWorks Assistant workflows is dependent on the LMS applications. Some of functionalities will not be available if you have not installed the relevant LMS application.

Table 1-1 describes the CiscoWorks Assistant workflows and the corresponding dependent LMS application.

Table 1-1 CiscoWorks Assistant Workflows and the Dependent LMS Applications

CiscoWorks Assistant Workflows		LMS Applications
Server Setup	Manage Servers, Add Servers, Add Devices, Change Device Management Mode, Change ACS Settings	Common Services 3.1, and all LMS 3.0 applications.
Device Troubleshooting	Device information	•Common Services 3.1 (Device and Credential Repository) •All the installed LMS 3.0 applications.
	Connectivity status	Common Services 3.1
	Topology and Neighbor information	Campus Manager 5.0
	Syslog messages	Resource Manager Essentials 4.1
	Device alerts	Device Fault Manager 3.0
	Last configuration change	Resource Manager Essentials 4.1
	Change Audit Reports	Resource Manager Essentials 4.1
	Discrepancies in this device	Campus Manager 5.0
End Host/IP Phone Down	End Host down	Campus Manager 5.0
	IP Phone down	Campus Manager  5.0
Log Level Settings	—	None.