Cisco announces the availability of Cisco® IP Solution Center (ISC) 5.1. Cisco IP Solution Center is a family of intelligent network management applications that help reduce overall network administration and management costs by providing automated resource management and rapid profiled-based provisioning capabilities that help enable rapid deployment and fast time to market of Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) and Carrier Ethernet technologies. Cisco IP Solution Center also helps reduce network operating costs by providing automated workflow-based troubleshooting and diagnostic capabilities for MPLS VPNs. The following applications can operate alone or as a suite:
• Cisco IP Solution Center MPLS VPN Management
• Cisco IP Solution Center L2 VPN and Carrier Ethernet Management
• Cisco IP Solution Center Traffic Engineering Management
• Cisco MPLS Diagnostics Expert: This product can be used on its own or together with Cisco IP Solution Center MPLS VPN Management
Cisco IP Solution Center's capabilities include provisioning and automated diagnostics1 of MPLS VPNs, ATM/Frame Relay/Ethernet over MPLS VPNs, Carrier Ethernet VPNs, and planning and configuration of MPLS traffic engineering. Table 1 describes the features of Cisco IP Solution Center 5.1.
Table 1. Features of Cisco IP Solution Center 5.1
Feature
Description
Tracking of MPLS and Carrier Ethernet resources
Manages resources such as Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) autonomous system, regions, customers, customer sites, access domains, provider administrative domains, Virtual Route Forwarding (VRF) names, IP addresses, VLAN IDs, pseudowire virtual circuit IDs, route distinguishers, and route targets.
Rapid profile-based provisioning of MPLS and Carrier Ethernet VPNs
Allows service operators to define MPLS and Ethernet VPN provisioning parameters in a service policy; uploads the network element configuration to calculate the change in configuration needed to help ensure successful service activation.
Recognize incorrect service configuration and verify services before delivery
Provides postprovisioning validation of the service design in order to determine whether the Layer 3 and Layer 2 VPNs are active and functional.
In addition, MPLS Diagnostic Expert can be used in association with MPLS provisioning to verify end-to-end service connectivity
Investment protection from Cisco IOS®Software and Cisco IOS XR Software and line card changes
Provides comprehensive platform and Cisco IOS Software and IOS XR Software support.
Bandwidth protection and Fast Re-route (FRR) planning
The Traffic Engineering Management application identifies placement of FRR backup tunnels to protect critical network elements. Installs backup tunnels to protect against link, node, or Shared Risk Link Group (SRLG) failures.
MPLS traffic engineering tunnel placement, repair, and network grooming
Generates MPLS traffic engineering tunnel paths that meet user-specified constraints, including bandwidth, affinity, and delay, and proposes fixes to meet user-specified constraints for new tunnel demands. Global reoptimization of primary tunnel placements improves network utilization.
Automated workflow-based troubleshooting and diagnostics of MPLS VPN deployments
The diagnostics performed by Cisco MPLS Diagnostics Expert are based upon analysis of network failure scenarios, across MPLS access, edge, and core.
Carrier-grade infrastructure for large deployments
Provides the following system features:
• Sun/Solaris-based server installation
• Thin web multiuser GUI client
• Role-based access control (RBAC)
• Extensible Markup Language (XML) over HTTP northbound interface
• Data backup and restore
Integration features and extensions
ISC has a standards-based API supporting OSS integration and inherent reporting facilities for MPLS and Layer 2 VPNs
ISC also has an integrated Template Engine, which allows custom extensions to the native service policies.
New Features
The following list shows the key new features and updates of Cisco IP Solution Center 5.1:
• Cisco IOS XR Software 3.7.0 support across all Cisco ISC modules.
• Layer 2 VPN enhancements: Support for Ethernet Virtual Circuit (EVC) provisioning on the ES20 and the SPA Interface Processor-400 (SIP-400), version 2, line cards. This new enhancement is supported for Cisco 7600 series routers running on Cisco IOS Software 12.2(33) SRB and later. Other Layer 2 VPN enhancements include supporting local switching on E-line and port mode connections for ATM over MPLS for Cisco IOS XR Software.
• Layer 3 VPN enhancements: Additional capability to match the Q-in-Q second VLAN on the provider edge interface.
– Allows removal of traffic engineering links from ISC repository
• Template Manager enhancements:
– Dynamic instantiation of templates based on device attributes: "Super templates" calling device-specific "subtemplates"
– Template and data file association with service policy
– Deletion validation checks for "in use" data files before deletion
– Role-based access control (RBAC) support for templates and data files
Upgrade Paths
Cisco IP Solution Center 3.x and 4.x and Cisco VPN Solution Center customers are encouraged to migrate to Cisco IP Solution Center 5.1. The following paragraphs outline the upgrade paths for existing Cisco IP Solution Center and Cisco VPN Solution Center customers:
• All existing Cisco IP Solution Center 3.x and 4.x customers can purchase an update kit for a fee by contacting their Cisco sales representatives. See Table 9 below for ordering information.
• Existing ISC 5.0 customers with a Software Application Support SAS contract can order an update kit for ISC 5.1 though the Cisco Product Upgrade Tool at http://www.cisco.com/upgrade. See Table 10 below for ordering information.
• Existing ISC 5.0 customers without an SAS contract can purchase an update kit for a fee by contacting their Cisco sales representatives. See Table 11 below ordering information
• Customers with Cisco MDE 2.0, or 2.1 with ISC 5.0, and with a current Software Application Support (SAS) contract can order an update kit for MDE 2.1 though the Cisco Product Upgrade Tool at http://www.cisco.com/upgrade. See Table 10 below for ordering information. Customers without an SAS contract, or customers with Cisco MDE 1.x, can purchase an update kit for a fee. See Table 9 below for ordering information.
Availability
Cisco IP Solution Center 5.1 and associated minor release update kits will begin shipping on December 5, 2008. Customers can order these new products through normal Cisco sales channels beginning November 21, 2008. To place an order, visit the Cisco Ordering Homepage.
Ordering Information
Tables 2 through 11 provide ordering information for Cisco IP Solution Center 5.1 applications.
Note: For Cisco IP Solution Center MPLS VPN Management and L2 VPN Management, an activation license implies the maximum number of connections or attachment circuits to be managed by the application. For Traffic Engineering Management, each tier value implies the maximum number of traffic engineering-enabled routers to be managed by Cisco IP Solution Center Traffic Engineering Management.
Table 2. Cisco IP Solution Center 5.1 Entry Points and Combo Packages
Part Number
Description
BASE-ISC5.1-K9
Cisco ISC 5.1 CD Base Media (required for all new customers)
MPLS-ISC5.1-AP
ISC 5.1 MPLS Provisioning (Incl Ethernet Access) -Incl 200 Als
L2-ISC5.1-AP
ISC 5.1 L2 Provisioning - Incl First 200 ALs Unless Already Installed
Table 9. Cisco IP Solution Center Update Options from Cisco ISC 4.x to 5.1 or from Cisco MDE 2.0 to 2.1 for All Customers
Part Number
Description
ISC4-5.1UP-250K-K9
Upg To ISC 5.1 Apps For 4.x Customers With >100K-> 250K A/Cs
ISC4-5.1UP-100K-K9
Upg To ISC 5.1 Apps For 4.x Customers With >50K->100K A/Cs
ISC4-5.1-UP-50K-K9
Upg To ISC 5.1 Apps For 4.x Customers With >30K->50K A/Cs
ISC4-5.1-UP-30K-K9
Upg To ISC 5.1 Apps For 4.x Customers With >6K->30K A/Cs
ISC4-5.1-UP-6K-K9
Upg To ISC 5.1 Apps For 4.x Customers With >2K->6K A/Cs
ISC4-5.1-UP-2K-K9
Upg To ISC 5.1 Apps For 4.x Customers With Up To 2K A/Cs
MDE21-UPG-ISC51-K9
Upgrade From MDE 1.x, 2.0 to 2.1, For Customers NOT On SAS
Table 10. Cisco IP Solution Center Upgrade Options from Cisco ISC 5.0 to Cisco ISC 5.1 or from Cisco MDE 2.0 to 2.1 for Customers with an SAS Contract
Part Number
Description
ISC5.1-COMBO-SR-K9
ISC 5.1 Upg For ISC 5.0 COMBO Customer With SAS Contract
ISC5.1-MPLS-SR-K9
ISC 5.1 Upg For ISC 5.0 MPLS Customer With SAS Contract
ISC5.1-L2VPN-SR-K9
ISC 5.1 Upg For ISC 5.0 L2VPN Customer With SAS Contract
ISC5.1-TEM-SR-K9
ISC 5.1 Upg For ISC 5.0 TEM Customer With SAS Contract
MDE21-SR-ISC51-K9
Upgrade From MDE 2.0 to 2.1, For Customers With SAS Contract
Cisco IP Solution Center 5.0 customers with Cisco Software Application Support (SAS) contracts can request the minor update kits above from the Cisco Product Upgrade Tool at http://www.cisco.com/upgrade.
Table 11. Cisco IP Solution Center Upgrade Options from Cisco ISC 5.0 to Cisco ISC 5.1 for Customers without an SAS Contract
Part Number
Description
ISC5.1-COMBO-UP-K9
ISC 5.1 Upg For ISC 5.0 COMBO Customer Not On SAS Contract
ISC5.1-MPLS-UP-K9
ISC 5.1 Upg For ISC 5.0 MPLS Customer Not On SAS Contract
ISC5.1-L2VPN-UP-K9
ISC 5.1 Upg For ISC 5.0 L2VPN Customer Not On SAS Contract
ISC5.1-TEM-UP-K9
ISC 5.1 Upg For ISC 5.0 TEM Customer Not On SAS Contract
Technical support services are orderable on these products through the Cisco Software Application Support Programs. Service part numbers can be found on the Cisco online ordering tools and price lists.
For More Information
For more information about Cisco IP Solution Center, visit http://www.cisco.com/go/isc, contact your local account representative, or send an email to the product marketing group at isc-mktg@cisco.com.
1Automated diagnostics features are not available for Layer 2 and Carrier Ethernet VPNs in Cisco IP Solution Center as of today.
