Cisco Data Center Network Manager

Product Overview

Features and Benefits

• Unified management throughout the data center network: Cisco DCNM simplifies the data center operating environment and provides a centralized management application that delivers the capability to be used across the entire data center network infrastructure: core, aggregation, access in particular top-of-rack and blade switches, and storage fabric.

• Reliable Inventory: Through the powerful and fully automated discovery capability built into Cisco DCNM, critical data from the network is uploaded into a relational database that models the network. Device details, topology information, and network service settings are stored in this network model and are available for inventory purposes. The user has quick access to information on equipment and other physical assets that constitute the network, such as chassis type, supervisors, line cards, ports, fans, and power supplies. The user also has visibility into the logical resources in use, such as IP addresses, MAC addresses, VLAN IDs, access control lists (ACLs), and PortChannels. These resources are tracked on a permanent basis; hence, this inventory is a reliable and trustable source of information, easily viewed through the GUI or easily accessed programmatically.

• Better asset utilization and planning: Cisco DCNM provides an accurate and real-time view of the network including device status, alarms, traffic statistics, network wide L2 settings clearly showing where the traffic is traversing the network, PortChannel and Virtual PortChannels topologies. Such live state information is useful in monitoring resource utilization and enables efficient network planning.

• Reduced operational complexity: Cisco DCNM offers wizards to simplify configuration across multiple devices, filtered topology views to provide quick insight into both logical and physical configurations, and automated configuration backup and rollback to restore devices to production-level baselines. These features amongst others greatly reduce the need for the operational tasks on a per-device basis, thus decreasing complexity as well as time-consuming device-by-device administration.

• Configuration validation: When configuration is performed manually, misconfiguration can occur throughout the entire configuration process, leading to suboptimal operation or even network downtime. Cisco DCNM validates configuration change requests before their deployment. Typically, when configuration data is entered in Cisco DCNM, it is checked for validity and consistency during a preprovisioning step that uses domain rules. Domain rules are network feature attributes and network feature behavior enforcement: for example, IP address overlap. This validation step occurs only when the configuration request is deployed, so that the most current network model is the reference for the network feature configuration. The Cisco DCNM configuration engine helps ensure error-free configuration.

• GUI: The Cisco DCNM GUI is built with usability in mind and follows two paradigms (Figure 1):

– Network-feature-centric: Layer 2 and network security features are the network entities that the IT staff manipulates the most. Logically arranged, network features are immediately accessible.

– Data-led workflow: The data needed to complete a task is readily available from the main window. Network administrators are automatically in the context of the configuration to be accomplished; navigation between windows is minimal. Intuitive drag-and-drop actions ease the configuration process.

Figure 1. Cisco DCNM Configuration Builder

• Topology maps: Cisco DCNM provides an accurate graphical representation of the physical network (Figure 2) in a single window. The topology map visualizes devices and links and highlights configuration information such as chassis and port configuration details as well as status information. Additionally, a Layer 2 overlay map displays active VLANs and Spanning Tree Protocol blocked ports, clearly identifying the traffic path (Figure 3). The user can modify the topology map icon layout with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface. A tabular list of the managed devices provides a search tool that helps the user locate the device of interest. The view is redisplayed with the spotted device in the center of the window and its connected neighbors. Access to related configuration parameters is only a click away.

Figure 2. Cisco DCNM Topology Map: Physical View

Figure 3. Cisco DCNM Topology Map: Layer 2 View

• Virtualization: Cisco DCNM manages innovative data center features built into the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series and Cisco NX-OS: for example, network virtualization with virtual device context (VDC) and vPC technologies.

– VDC: Cisco NX-OS offers the capability to segment OS and hardware resources into VDCs that emulate a virtual device. Each VDC has its own software processes, dedicated hardware resources (interfaces), and an independent, highly delineated management environment. Cisco DCNM enables network virtualization by creating VDCs, facilitating the resource allocation across VDCs, and providing independent management for each VDC. VDCs are transparently handled throughout the application; the role-based access control (RBAC) model and topology maps are VDC aware.

– vPC: vPC is another virtualization technology built in to Cisco NX-OS that allows ports that are members of a PortChannel to be spread between two physical devices. This solution enables a more efficient use of available ports by eliminating the need for Spanning Tree Protocol and Spanning Tree Protocol blocked ports. Hence, all available uplink bandwidth between a vPC endpoint and the two remote vPC peers can be used at any time.

Cisco DCNM fully automates the configuration of vPCs, with the process guided, step by step, by a wizard. The challenge with vPCs is to keep the vPC peer configurations synchronized. With Cisco DCNM, both vPC peers can be managed as one logical device, and Cisco DCNM can prevent and detect configuration mismatches between the primary and secondary vPC peers and automatically resolve any conflict. The vPC peer link joining the two vPC peers and its backup vPC peer fault-tolerant link are permanently monitored for failure. In the topology map, both a physical view displaying the three devices involved in the vPC and a logical view collapsing the two vPC peers are available. You can easily switch from the physical view to the logical view by a simple click.

Cisco DCNM configures and monitors vPC on the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series and Cisco Nexus 2000 Series as well as on the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series. Hence, vPC automation can be easily achieved throughout all Cisco Nexus network layers, from the server to the core, from a single console.

• Configuration change control and OS image management: In today's evolving data center environment, networks are migrating toward a more virtualized and consolidated model. Network redesign and introduction of new networking features compel network administrators to frequently modify the running configuration on devices and upgrade the OS to a newer version. Tracking these changes and who submitted them is essential for maintaining the stability of the infrastructure. The manual performance of these tasks does not scale.

Cisco DCNM configuration change control features include the following:

– Periodically retrieves the configuration from the Cisco Nexus platform and maintains the history of each configuration file

– Enables flexible archiving; for example, archiving can be scheduled in the future with a group of Cisco Nexus devices can be set as the target

– Analyzes, by comparison, a given configuration with any version of that configuration for the same device, including the running configuration

– Enables changes from one configuration version to be merged with another configuration version

– Enables rollback, in a granular way, to the desired configuration in the archive with the options to stop, skip erroneous commands and continue, or undo all rollback changes if one step fails

Cisco DCNM OS image management features include the following:

– Enables wizard-based installation of Cisco NX-OS images on multiple devices simultaneously

– Performs validations before installation, verifying the switch's disk space availability for the image to be downloaded and the compatibility between currently running network services and the new image

– Allows time-based deployment: on demand or scheduled

– Uses the Cisco NX-OS In Service Software Upgrade (ISSU) unique software upgrade mechanism to avoid service disruption

– Detects installation failure and automatically initiates recovery

• Fault management: Network events are collected and displayed in an Event Browser window (Figure 4). Each event is correlated with the network feature to which it relates. In addition, per-device filtering and alarm grouping are automatically performed. Color-coded status indicators make critical alarms easy to spot. The overall network health is summarized in a scoreboard-type interface. Alarms and messages can be forwarded to northbound applications.

Figure 4. Cisco DCNM Event Browser

• Performance monitoring: Numerous counters measure the traffic traversing the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series platform (Figure 5). When instructed to do so, Cisco DCNM collects port and bandwidth utilization information, error count, traffic statistics, security violation count, etc. The polling frequency and duration of the collection are user configurable. Real-time and historical performance statistics reports are displayed in chart and graph formats. The values and parameters of each report can be exported as a text file. Cisco DCNM capacity to produce both real-time and historical records provides the network administrators and planners with critical performance indicators required in today's network environments.

Figure 5. Cisco DCNM Traffic Viewer

• Security: Through RBAC, Cisco DCNM controls network operations by assigning roles to users. A role is a set of credentials defining what operations can be and cannot be invoked. This granular RBAC mechanism structures access control and allows administrators to customize user access in a very flexible and extensible manner. In addition, Cisco DCNM protects against unauthorized management access with Secure Shell (SSH) Protocol for southbound communications and with SSL Protocol for northbound communications when appropriate.

• API: Using industry-standard web services (using Simple Object Access Protocol [SOAP] and XML), Cisco DCNM exposes an API for northbound integration with third-party applications, achieving, for example, flow-through provisioning, data mining, and IT systems federation from a configuration management database (CMDB). The web services API technology is self-describing and extensible, reducing operating expenses (OpEx) related to upgrading and migration. Web services are structured and allow rapid development of client applications.

• Cisco Fabric Manager Integration: Consolidation is taking place today in the data center network, with new management requirements arising from SAN and LAN unification. The industry-recognized management offering for storage network administration for the Cisco MDS 9000 Family is Cisco Fabric Manager. Cisco Fabric Manager and Cisco DCNM are integrated to run as a single centralized application. Physically, Cisco Fabric Manager and Cisco DCNM coexist on the same host and share critical SAN and LAN information. In particular, sharing of discovery data and topology mapping enables the construction of a high-level topology map and central point for managing both Fiber Channel and Ethernet domains. Cisco SAN and LAN devices and their Ethernet, Fiber Channel, and Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) connections with the server can be displayed in a single pane to the unified data center. With the Cisco MDS 9000 Family directors and fabric switches supported, Cisco DCNM truly is a comprehensive solution for operating SAN and LAN networks (Figure 6).

Figure 6. Centralized SAN and LAN Management with Cisco DCNM and Cisco Fabric Manager Working Together

Table 1. Features and Benefits

Network Features Management

• Ethernet switching

– Port and PortChannel

– VLAN and private VLAN (PVLAN)

– Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP) and Multi-Instance Spanning Tree Protocol (MISTP)

• Network security

– ACLs (MAC address ACL, IP ACL, and VLAN ACL)

– IEEE 802.1X

– Authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA)

– Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) snooping

– Dynamic Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) inspection

– IP source guard

– Traffic storm control

– Port security

• General

– Virtual Device Context

– Virtual PortChannel

– Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP)

– Gateway Load-Balancing Protocol (GLBP), object tracking, and key chain

– Hardware resource utilization with ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) statistics

– Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN)

– OS image management with ISSU

– Configuration change control (configuration archive, rollback, and differentiation)

System and OS Compatibility

• Supported hardware:

– Cisco Nexus 7000 Series (Cisco Nexus 7000 10-Slot Switch and 18-Slot Switch)

– Cisco Nexus 5000 Series (Cisco Nexus 5020 Switch and 5010 Switch)

– Cisco Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extenders (Cisco Nexus 2148T Fabric Extender)

• Supported OS (see Tables 2 and 3)

Table 2. Recommended Cisco NX-OS Software Releases

Table 3. Other Compatible Cisco NX-OS Software Releases

System Specifications

• Microsoft Windows server recommended requirements

– OS: Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition Service Pack 1

– RAM: 6 GB

– CPU: 3.45 GHz dual processor or dual core

– Free disk space: 60 GB

• Linux server recommended requirements

– OS: Red Hat Enterprise Linux AS Release 4

– RAM: 6 GB

– CPU: 3.40 GHz dual processor or dual core

– Free disk space: 60 GB

• Microsoft Windows and Linux server minimum requirements

– RAM: 4 GB

– CPU: 2.5 GHz dual processor or dual core

– Free disk space: 60 GB

• Client requirements

– OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional Version 2002 Service Pack 2

– RAM: 1 GB

– CPU: 2.16 GHz

Databases

• PostgreSQL

• Oracle 11g Enterprise

Protocols

• SSH and SSL

• HTTPS

• Remote Method Invocation (RMI)

Licensing

• DCNM LAN is the base version of DCNM available at no cost. DCNM LAN can be used to manage a mixed Cisco Nexus network made of Cisco Nexus 7000, Cisco Nexus 5000 and Cisco Nexus 2000.

• DCNM LAN Enterprise is a licensed version of DCNM adding more functionality to the base version. DCNM LAN Enterprise is an option when ordering a Nexus 7000; one license is required per Nexus 7000 chassis. There is no such option available yet when ordering a Cisco Nexus 5000 or Cisco Nexus 2000 platform. The part numbers listed in Table 4 are available.

Ordering Information

Table 4. Ordering Information

Service and Support

For More Information