Q. What is the Cisco® Branch Routers Series Network Analysis Module (NAM)?
A. The Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM is a powerful integrated network monitoring solution designed to give you more visibility into your network than ever before. It shows you what applications are running on your network and how they are performing to help you proactively resolve problems before they affect users, plan for changes in resource usage, and effectively manage valuable network resources. Because the Cisco NAM provides visibility for unparalleled traffic monitoring and simplified troubleshooting, it is ideally suited for today's dynamic, evolving enterprises.
The innovative design of the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM combines a rich set of embedded data collection and analysis capabilities with a remotely accessible, Web-based management console, all of which reside on a single network module that is easily installed into the Cisco 2800 and Cisco 3800 Series Integrated Services Routers, and the Cisco 3700 Series Multiservice Access Router. The Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM includes a Traffic Analyzer GUI, which provides quick access to the configuration menus and presents easy-to-read performance reports on data, voice, and video traffic.
Q. How does the second-generation Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM (NME-NAM-80S) differ from the first-generation Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM (NM-NAM)?
A. Both NAMs currently include similar software features and functions, but the second-generation NAM offers the most up-to-the-minute hardware components and design, including:
• Higher-performance processor, increasing the Cisco NAM's throughput and responsiveness
• 80-GB disk drive that offers significantly more storage space for saving capture and report data
• Larger capture buffer capacity
• Gigabit Ethernet external interface for receiving traffic from LAN ports on the router or nearby switches
Q. What are the business benefits of deploying the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM?
A. Table 1 summarizes the business benefits that the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM offers:
Table 1. Business Benefits of the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM
Benefit
Description
Gain visibility into network services and applications that make up the business
Monitor how applications and users use the network and receive services.
Improve network performance.
Maximize the return on IT investments and enhance network security
Prevent unauthorized or frivolous use of network resources.
Reduce downtime and failures.
Complement other security mechanisms such as intrusion detection and firewalls by profiling traffic types and resource usage to help assure the integrity of network traffic.
Right-size the network to reduce network spending
Determine services trends to anticipate the infrastructure changes that will be necessary to support an increased demand in services.
Tie network usage to business needs.
Q. How does the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM work?
A. The Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM receives copies of packets in a passive or promiscuous mode either from the router backplane using a special packet-monitoring feature in Cisco IOS® Software, or from an external Gigabit Ethernet interface. When the packet is received, the NAM inspects it and retrieves certain data of interest. The NAM uses this data to populate standards-based management information bases (MIBs), such as remote monitoring (RMON/RMON2) MIBs and RMON MIB extensions, included in the NAM's software. The MIBs store valuable traffic information that is uniquely presented through the NAM's Traffic Analyzer GUI in easy-to-read real-time and historical reports. The MIB data can also be accessed using a standard SNMP-based application such as the Cisco Performance Visibility Manager (PVM) to build additional value for network-wide reporting, capacity planning, and so on.
Q. What is the Cisco NAM Traffic Analyzer?
A. The Cisco NAM includes embedded Traffic Analyzer software, which analyzes and stores the collected data. The Cisco NAM also hosts an embedded Web server that presents the configuration menus and traffic reports generated by the Traffic Analyzer software to clients using a supported Web browser.
Q. Where can I deploy the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM?
A. The Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM can be deployed in the Cisco 2800, 3700, and 3800 Series routers at WAN edges or at remote branch offices. It uses features of both local and remote switches and routers to provide combined visibility into WAN and LAN traffic in the full-service branch. Traffic from selected WAN ports can be copied by the router using a special packet-monitoring feature in Cisco IOS Software and sent to the Cisco NAM for analysis using an internal backplane interface. Traffic from LAN ports in the router or from nearby switches can be sent to the Cisco NAM through an external Gigabit Ethernet interface. By using the Web-based Traffic Analyzer embedded in the NAM, network managers can perform remote traffic analysis and troubleshooting without having to send personnel to remote offices or haul large amounts of data across the WAN to the central site.
Q. What are the part numbers for the second generation Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM?
A. Table 2 lists the part numbers for the second generation Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM.
Table 2. Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM Part Numbers
Cisco Part Number
Description
NME-NAM-80S
Cisco Branch Routers Series Network Analysis Module
NME-NAM-80S=
Cisco Branch Routers Series Network Analysis Module (spare)
NME-NAM-SW-3.6
Cisco Branch Routers Series Network Analysis Module Software 3.6
Q. When will the second generation Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM be available for purchase?
A. The second generation Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM will be available for purchase in March 2007.
Hardware Features
Q. What are the part numbers for the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM?
A. Table 3 lists the part numbers for the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM.
Table 3. Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM Part Numbers
Cisco Part Number
Description
NME-NAM-80S
Cisco Branch Routers Series Network Analysis Module
NME-NAM-80S=
Cisco Branch Routers Series Network Analysis Module (spare)
NME-NAM-SW-3.6
Cisco Branch Routers Series Network Analysis Module Software 3.6
Q. What platforms support the second-generation Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM?
A. The second-generation Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM is supported on the Cisco 2811, Cisco 2821, Cisco 2851, Cisco 3725, Cisco 3745, Cisco 3825, and Cisco 3845 routers.
Q. Are maintenance services for the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM purchased separately or are they included in the router's maintenance services?
A. Maintenance services for the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM are included with the purchase of maintenance services for the router in which the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM is installed.
Q. How does the router send traffic to the Cisco Branch Router Series NAM's internal interface?
A. The host router forwards traffic from user-selected interfaces to the Cisco NAM using the router's internal PCI bus. Both inbound and outbound traffic are forwarded to the Cisco NAM.
Q. Can the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM monitor traffic on multiple LAN or WAN interfaces simultaneously?
A. Yes, it can be used to monitor traffic from multiple interfaces within the router. Traffic statistics are processed and displayed using the following data sources on the module: NetFlow-based data sources and the two Cisco NAM interfaces-internal and external.
Q. Is the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM restricted to a particular slot in the branch router chassis?
A. No. The Cisco NAM can be inserted into any of the network module slots in the branch router chassis. One Cisco NAM is supported in each chassis.
Q. Is the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM compatible with all other network modules, WAN interface cards (WICs), and advanced integration modules (AIMs) that can reside in the branch routers?
A. Yes. The Cisco NAM is compatible with the other network modules, WICs, and AIMs offered for the Cisco 2800, 3700, and 3800 Series router portfolio.
Q. Is the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM hot-swappable?
A. Yes, on online insertion and removal (OIR)-capable router platforms.
Q. Should the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM fail, will network traffic be affected?
A. No. Failure of the Cisco NAM will not affect network traffic.
Q. What are the hardware specifications of the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM?
A. Table 4 lists the hardware specifications for the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM.
Table 4. Hardware Specifications of the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM
Hardware Feature
Specifications
Processor
1.0 GHz Intel Celeron M CPU
Synchronous dynamic RAM (SDRAM)
512 MB
Internal disk storage
80 GB 24x7 SATA hard disk drive
Network interfaces
One internal port to router backplane, plus one external Gigabit Ethernet port
Flash memory
64 MB internal
Software Features
Q. What release of Cisco IOS Software is required to support the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM?
A. The Cisco NAM requires any feature license in Cisco IOS Software Release 12.4(9)T or later.
Q. What Cisco NAM software version does the second-generation Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM support?
A. The second-generation Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM is first introduced in Cisco NAM Software 3.6.
Q. What are some of the important features and benefits of the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM?
A. Table 5 lists these key features.
Table 5. Key Features of Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM
Feature
Benefit
Traffic analysis integrated in the router
The Cisco NAM can be deployed in Cisco Integrated Services Routers, providing greater investment protection, lower total cost of ownership, and reduced footprint to save premium rack space.
Robust monitoring for WAN and LAN in one solution
Provides visibility into traffic from local and remote switches and routers for comprehensive traffic monitoring.
Easy-to-access traffic analysis
Includes an embedded Traffic Analyzer Web interface that can be accessed from any desktop, eliminating the need to send personnel to remote sites or haul large amounts of data to the central site.
Comprehensive network and application monitoring
Automatically identifies hundreds of protocols and provides real-time and historical performance reports on the hosts, conversations, and applications using critical network resources.
Web-based captures for anytime, anywhere troubleshooting
Captures and decodes the packet to help resolve acute problems before they affect users. Captures can be performed using a Web browser from any desktop, and the decodes can be readily viewed through the Traffic Analyzer GUI while the data is still being captured. Captures can also be triggered based on thresholds.
Built-in application response time monitoring
Tracks response times to learn how each application is performing and whether slow application response time is the cause of a performance problem.
VoIP and video packet quality analysis
Monitors voice and video packet quality to help assure a high rate of packet delivery so users get the quality they expect and demand.
Q. Must Cisco NAM software be downloaded from the Cisco.com Software Center when first deploying a Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM?
A. No. Cisco NAM Software 3.6 is preloaded on the Cisco NAM. There is no need to download the software when first deploying the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM.
Q. What components are required to implement a network-monitoring solution with the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM?
A. The following are required to enable the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM, including the NAM Traffic Analyzer:
• Cisco 2800, 3700, or 3800 Series router running Cisco IOS Software Release 12.4(9)T or later
• Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM running Cisco NAM Software 3.6
• Web browser running Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 (minimum), Mozilla 1.7 (minimum), or Firefox 1.5 (minimum)
Q. How can the Cisco NAM Traffic Analyzer application be obtained? Is it included in the price of the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM?
A. The Cisco NAM Traffic Analyzer application is embedded in the Cisco NAM and is included in the price of the module.
Q. Are all of the features included in the Cisco Catalyst® 6500 Series and Cisco 7600 Series NAMs also included in the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM?
A. All of the Cisco NAMs offer a common user experience but some functional disparities exist because of the distinctions in the capabilities of both the host platforms and the NAM hardware platforms. For example, Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN), Remote SPAN (RSPAN), and Encapsulated SPAN (ERSPAN) configurations unique to the Catalyst switches are not supported on the branch routers.
Q. What versions of NetFlow does the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM support?
A. The NAM supports versions 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.
Q. Can NetFlow Data Export (NDE) be collected from remote WAN routers?
A. Yes, the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM can collect and analyze NDE from remote devices, including WAN routers. However, sending NDE from remote devices over congested WAN links is not recommended.
Q. Can historical traffic analysis be performed with the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM?
A. Yes. The NAM Traffic Analyzer can display, store, and retrieve historical statistics on selected network traffic for up to 100 days.
In addition, historical reports can be exported either on-demand or as scheduled. The NAM also can serve as a rich source of data "feeding" standard SNMP-based applications such as the Cisco Performance Visibility Manager application to provide historical analysis beyond 100 days. These applications use the data collected by the NAM to perform network-wide reporting, trending, capacity planning, and baselining.
Q. How is the Cisco NAM Traffic Analyzer secured?
A. The Cisco NAM Traffic Analyzer can be secured with up to 168-bit encryption. This will require users to download a K9-designated patch for the NAM software from the Cisco.com Software Center. The NAM also supports role-based user authorization and authentication locally or using TACACS+.
Q. What MIBs are supported on the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM?
A. The Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM is standards-compliant and supports RMON and RMON2 MIBs, as well as several extensions. The major MIB groups supported in the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM include the following:
• MIB-II (RFC 1213)
• RMON (RFC 2819)
• RMON2 (RFC 2021)
• DSMON (RFC 3287)
• HC-RMON (RFC 3273) (High-Capacity RMON)
• NBAR-PD
• ART (Application Response Time) extension
Supporting Applications
Q. What Cisco traffic management applications support the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM?
A. The Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM is supported by the following Cisco applications:
• Cisco NAM Traffic Analyzer application: Embedded within the Cisco NAM, it is accessible at anytime and from any desktop through a Web browser.
• Cisco Performance Visibility Manager (PVM): Data from Cisco NAMs deployed across the network can be collected by the Cisco PVM application to provide performance monitoring, reporting, and planning network-wide. Cisco PVM collects data from Cisco NAMs to provide an intuitive and integrated end-to-end view of network traffic, protocol types, and application and host bandwidth usage. It provides a centralized view of application performance, correlates application response times, localizes the cause of application-performance problems, and accounts for the impact of other traffic on application performance.
• Cisco Application Analysis Solution (AAS): Cisco AAS collects traces from the Cisco NAM to help model and predict application performance under varying configurations and network conditions to facilitate network-planning decisions.
Specifications
Q. What are the physical specifications of the Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM?
A. Table 5 provides the physical specifications.
Table 6. Physical Specifications of Cisco Branch Routers Series NAM
Physical Specification
Description
Dimensions (H x W x D)
1.55 x 7.10 x 7.2 inches (3.9 x 18.0 x 18.3 centimeters)
Weight
1.5 pounds (0.7 kilograms) maximum
Operating humidity
5 percent to 85 percent (non-condensing)
Operational temperature
41 to 104°F (5 to 40°C)
Nonoperating temperature
-40 to 158°F (-40 to 70°C)
Operational altitude
-197 ft to 6,000 ft (-60 to 1,800 m)
Safety
• UL 60950-1, Second Edition Safety of Information Technology Equipment-Safety-Part 1: General Requirements (USA). Plastic materials that are exposed to the end user shall meet the requirements of fire enclosure (UL94V-1) as defined in UL 60950.
• CSA 60950-1, Second Edition, Safety of Information Technology Equipment-Safety-Part 1: General Requirements (Canada)
• IEC 60950-1, Second Edition, Safety of Information Technology Equipment-Safety-Part 1: General Requirements, including all national deviations as specified in the current CB Bulletin;
• EN 60950-1, Second Edition, Safety of Information Technology Equipment-Safety- Part 1: General Requirements (European Union) incorporating all Deviations, as applicable.
• GB 4943-95, Safety of Information Technology Equipment (Including Electrical Business Equipment) (standard for China, equivalent to IEC 60950)
Compliance
Emission:
• 47 CFR Part 15 Class A
• CISPR22 Class A
• EN300386 Class A
• EN55022 Class A
• EN61000-3-2
• EN61000-3-3
• VCCI Class I
• AS/NZS CISPR 22 Class A
Immunity:
• CISPR24
• EN300386
• EN50082-1
• EN55024
• EN61000-6-1
Information Resources
Q. Where is additional information about the Cisco NAM found?
