Cisco.com: Networkers 2004 Presentations

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NMS-1011: Principles of Fault Management
An effective fault-management process is essential to maintain network service and high availability. This session teaches how to improve network availability through the use of fault-management tools and techniques. It provides an overview of the fault-management process, as well as specifics on fault-management tools, including event- or fault-reporting capabilities in Cisco devices and available fault-management applications. The course goes into some detail about Simple Network Managment Protocol (SNMP) and syslog notifications, as well as additional capabilities in Cisco devices, such as the Cisco Service Assurance Agent, Remote Monitoring (RMON) alarms and events, and the Event MIB. In addition, the session provides a brief introduction to the Expression MIB. Discussion includes applications that can be used to manage fault-reporting capabilities and fault-management systems such as the Cisco Internetwork Performance Monitor, Cisco Info Center, CiscoWorks Device Fault Manager, and several third-party applications.

NMS-1101: Understanding DHCP and DNS
This session describes how to manage IP addresses and host and domain names. It covers the protocols and operation of Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and Domain Name System (DNS). It covers the interaction between DHCP and DNS through Dynamic DNS. It also includes methods for supporting various applications and recent standards developments in the IETF.

NMS-1N01: Introduction to Network Management
This session describes what it means to manage today's complex networks. It discusses the role of network management within organizations, along with the different components and processes involved. By describing the various network management tools and technologies available today, this session provides participants with a solid foundation for effective network management.

NMS-1N02: Introduction to SNMP and MIBs
The Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and its Management Information Base (MIB) structure and function are described in this foundation session for Network Management. The session will introduce the SNMP components, provide a brief History of SNMP1, SNMPv2c and SNMP3 outlining the important differences and evolution. We will then present in some detail how data is retrieved from managed devices using SNMP. We will provide some useful SNMP MIB references, examples and corrected exercises.

NMS-1N03: Accurate Time Synchronization
Time is important in everyday life, but also in your network: Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), security logs, real-time data, performance, and availability measurement are all time-sensitive. Unfortunately, accurate time synchronization is not as simple as configuring the Network Time Protocol (NTP) everywhere. This course analyzes various synchronization methods and their limitations, such as the global positioning system (GPS) and NTP. More importantly, different scenarios for time synchronization, all backed up by lab tests, are considered. At the end, attendees will be able to find and deploy the method that best fits their needs.

NMS-1N04: Introduction to Service Assurance Agent
Cisco IOS Software Service Assurance Agent (SA Agent) is a performance evaluation and monitoring function embedded into Cisco IOS Software. The course first explains what SA Agent is about, how it works, and the various operation types and features it supports. Abundant real-life examples of configuration are provided for a better understanding. Attendees will be able to apply what they learn directly in their network. Other topics such as performance, accuracy, and scalability are covered.

NMS-1N31: Introduction to Content Switching Technologies
This session introduces the underlying technologies and the principles of content switching, including local load balancing, Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) offload, and geographic load balancing. A discussion of relevant protocols, such as Domain Name System (DNS), TCP, User Datagram Protocol (UDP), HTTP 1.0 and 1.1, SSL, and Transport Layer Security (TLS), serve as a foundation for the session. Fundamental concepts of content switching are then presented: load balancing based on Layer 3 and Layer 4 information, delayed binding and parsing of HTTP requests, server health monitoring mechanisms, session persistence issues and solutions, redundancy options, SSL load balancing, and termination. With the goal of providing the attendees with the knowledge to evaluate content switching products and solutions that meet their current and future needs, the session also covers the basic and advanced features offered by today's content switches and SSL devices, as well as their performance metrics. The session concludes with an overview of some real-world content switching deployments.

NMS-1N32: Introduction to Web Edge Delivery and Caching
This session introduces the fundamental technologies used to create and distribute multimedia content. The individual nature of the content has an impact on how it should be distributed in the network. The session discusses in more details several protocols used in multimedia streaming applications, the impact of multimedia on the network and how the different network elements will support the scalability of multimedia applications. It gives some examples on how content networks are built and how the different protocols and technologies are applied to create powerful solutions.

NMS-1N41: Introduction to Performance Management
This session provides an introduction to network performance management, starting with the relationship of performance, fault, and accounting mangement. The course explains the operations of the protocols used in this area. The basic statistics that are required to achieve performance mangement are covered. Then data collection and the types of data to collect are discussed, followed by data processing and analysis - what to do with this data. Lastly, the class briefly covers the applications available from Cisco and its partners that implement performance management.

NMS-2001: Network Troubleshooting Tools and Techniques
This session covers general network troubleshooting tools and techniques, focusing on classifying network problems in order to determine what tools to use to troubleshoot them. The course examines some general tools of the trade, such as ping, traceroute, sniffers, and Remote Monitoring (RMON), as well as Cisco tools such as Service Assurance Agent and command-line interface (CLI) commands.

NMS-2021: Large Scale Deployments of CiscoWorks
This session focuses on tools and techniques to effectively scale CiscoWorks up to its maximum device capacity, and the deployment models needed to manage larger networks. The course examines server requirements, redundancy scenarios, tools such as the Data Export Engine, Remote Syslog Analyzer Collect, and Device List Management Services, as well as real-world, large-scale deployments.

NMS-2031: Traffic Accounting Scenarios
This session identifies and distinguishes different accounting techniques and discusses how to apply them to various scenarios, such as performance monitoring, network baselining, traffic engineering, security analysis, peering agreements, and billing scenarios (usage- and time-based and voice over IP [VoIP]). Technologies covered include NetFlow, Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), network-based application recognition (NBAR), Remote Monitoring (RMON), application response time (ART), authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA), RADIUS, TACAS, and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) policy accounting.

NMS-2032: NetFlow for Accounting, Analysis and Attack
This session covers NetFlow features such as aggregation schemes, versions, IP Multicast, Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) Next Hop, Egress NetFlow, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), Sampled NetFlow, sub-interface support, and recent features such as NetFlow input filters, NetFlow MIB, and top talkers. Subjects include configuration, deployment, troubleshooting, performance, platform support, and standards for NetFlow. NetFlow has become the leading accounting, analysis, and denial-of-service attack mitigation technology at Cisco and now the industry.

NMS-2042: Performance Measurement with Cisco Devices
This session focuses on Cisco IOS Software features to measure performance in the Network.Understanding the different technologies, including Application Response Time (ART), Remote Monitoring (RMON), NBAR, different MIBs, Embedded Event Manager, NetFlow and Service Assurance Agent (SAAgent), will allow attendees to measure availability, usage, and performance on their network through the command-line interface (CLI) or Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

NMS-2051: Securely Managing Your Network and SNMPv3
This technical session explains the concepts, issues, and current capabilities in combining security and network management requirements. The issues that sometimes put these necessary functions at odds are discussed. Design considerations for in-band and out-of-band management are shared, along with secure protocols for managing Cisco networks. A significant amount of time is spent on Simple Network Management Protocol Version 3 (SNMPv3); how it works, its features, and important design considerations. Additionally, examples of securely managing a network and how the SAFE Blueprint from Cisco might be integrated with network management in mind are presented.

NMS-2101: DNS Deployment and Operation
The Domain Name System (DNS) is used in almost all the application layer protocols we use on the Internet. Therefore, stable, reliable DNS is important for communication. This session examines in detail operational and technical constraints when a domain name owner wants to deploy DNS for the domain name. The goal is to describe how an enterprise should set up DNS for its organization. This involves numerous different steps, including but not limited to management of hidden master servers, secure zone transfer, split DNS scenarios in firewall situations, and similar day-to-day operational issues.

NMS-2102: Deploying and Troubleshooting NAT
This session discusses the configuration and deployment of Cisco IOS Software-based Network Address Translation (NAT) in an enterprise environment. The discussion varies from why someone might want to implement NAT to the configuration and troubleshooting of a network that is using NAT technology. Focus is on Virtual Private Network (VPN), voice, and new enhancements to Cisco IOS Software-based NAT functions, and comparisons to how NAT operates on the Cisco Secure PIX Firewall.

NMS-2201: Network Availability Measurement
The session introduces availability definitions and their relationship to business objectives in enterprise and service provider networks. The focus is on collection and calculation needs from component level through service level. Measurement techniques such as Component/Device/Network availability %, defects per million (DPM), and impacted user minutes (IUM) are compared and contrasted. We will discuss technologies to gather availability which will includes the use of component-outage-online (COOL) measurement and embedded event manager. A case study depicting data-collection technologies and their correlation to automated trouble ticketing systems is shown. How these create the ability to produce availability reports is discussed. The final section covers the development of an 'Availability Culture' within an organization wherein availability is one of the primary metrics used to identify and categorize the root causes of downtime, which would then be addressed by the appropriate team.

NMS-2202: How Cisco Achieved High Availability in its Local Area Network
This session shares the experience of the Cisco IT Networking organization during its quest to achieve high availability in the 50-building San Jose campus. This session describes how Cisco IT Networking measures network availability, shares Cisco availability results, and explains the technologies and operational best practices Cisco used to achieve those results.

NMS-2301: Deploying Streaming Video
Delivering live or on-demand multimedia content enables enterprises to improve internal and external communication and reduce costs by taking advantage of existing data networks. This session covers the streaming multimedia technologies in detail and shows how to enable different streaming protocols using the Cisco Application and Content Networking System (ACNS). This session is built for those who plan to deploy or are already deploying and want to scale services for Windows Media Technologies, Real Networks, Quicktime, the Cisco IP/TV system, or the Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA). Solutions for all these protocols in various network topologies using unicast or multicast delivery are discussed.

NMS-2302: Deploying Corporate Communications and E-learning
Customers that have been hesitant to deploy rich media e-learning applications and software distribution are no longer constrained by expensive limited WAN resources. They're also not constrained by the administrative overhead of deploying a general purpose server for video or a dedicated storage device. This session will focus on deploying e-learning and corporate communications. Initially, the session will review the standard multimedia request protocols, session protocols, and CODECs. We'll examine the various Cisco Content Engine video services including serving, caching, and splitting. Finally, we'll review what's involved in safely, efficiently, and securely acquiring and distributing corporate multimedia content using a Content Distribution Network (CDN). Finally, we'll learn about request routing methods so that client requests are intelligently routed to the best available Content Engine to service the request.

NMS-2304: Deploying Web Application Acceleration and Employee Internet Management
Every web object requested by your employees will cross the WAN or Internet link at least as many times as there are employees. In this session, we'll focus on deploying intranet caching edge servers to improve the enterprise branch web client experience for web enabled applications like Siebel, SAP, Oracle, JDE, and others. Similarly, we will examine Internet edge Employee Internet Management which enables enterprise customers to authenticate, content filter, and log Internet usage for policy enforcement. Finally, we'll look at common Internet proxy deployment models, tiered intranet and Internet web caching deployments, and securing the enterprise from worm propagation.

NMS-2305: Deploying and Managing a Content Switched Network
Application developers often say: It is the network; the network is the problem. Many customers are challenged to prove that the network is not the problem. Many of the issues relate to the complexity around troubleshooting and managing a load-balanced network. This session focuses on the skills to help troubleshoot load-balanced networks. The course examines the various load-balancer configurations for bridged mode, routed mode, and one-armed configurations of the Cisco Content Switching Module (CSM) and the Cisco Content Services Switch (CSS) in issues around these design options. The session focuses on the troubleshooting aspects of the designs, including server connectivity, persistence, and scripted health checking. The session also addresses the top ten load-balancing questions, issues, and concerns from Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC) cases. Finally, the course examines common load-balancing deployment models, and multitiered intranet and Internet load-balancing deployments.

NMS-2306: Disaster Recovery and Geographic Load Balancing
Zero downtime is one of the key principles in network design, in particular when building data-centers, where key applications and data need to be accessed at any given time. Content switches have traditionally been used to build scaleable and resilient data-centers offering local load balancing for the data-center front-end and multi-tier architectures. Over the past years enterprises and services providers around the world have started to utilize content switches (often in conjunction with other dedicated GSLB [expand the acronym] devices) to also provide redundancy across multiple distinct geographic locations. The session introduces Global Server Load Balancing (GSLB) concepts and terminology, like active-standby, active-active, and disaster recovery, before diving into a detailed description of the most common GSLB technologies, including DNS-based solutions, L3-based solutions (Route Health Injection) and HTTP-only mechanisms. Examples of real-world deployments, with caveats and strengths of each solution, complete the session.

NMS-2307: SSL Optimization and Server Offload for Content Management
Providing authentication, encryption and integrity, the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol is today widely used for communication between applications across intranets and the Internet. SSL represents a significant and growing percentage of the total traffic that enterprise and service provider networks are carrying. Networks and connected devices need to rapidly adapt to transport and process large amount of encrypted data. This session starts by reviewing the basics of the SSL protocol stack and functions. It covers mechanisms of Public Key Infrastructure, including SSL certificates, Certificate Authorities and Certificate Revocation Lists. SSL termination devices (SSL offloaders) are then presented in detail: which advantages they offer, how they fit in the network, what are their features, and how to measure their performance. The session includes network diagrams and packet flows for both basic and advanced designs with SSL termination devices, like SSL termination, back-end SSL, and SSL initiation.

NMS-3011: Getting the Right Events from Network Elements
An effective fault-management process is essential to quickly detect problems and maintain network services. This session teaches how to improve network availability through the use of fault-management techniques. It provides a quick overview of the fault-management process, including event- or fault-reporting capabilities in Cisco devices. Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and syslog notifications are discussed in detail, as well as additional capabilities in Cisco devices, such as the Remote Monitoring (RMON) alarms and events, the Event MIB, and the Cisco Service Assurance Agent. This session provides a brief introduction to the Expression MIB. In addition, new fault-management features embedded in Cisco devices are also described. Note that several examples and scenarios, including command-line interface (CLI) configuration and show commands, are analyzed.

NMS-4012: MPLS Embedded Management Tools
Fault management and diagnosis is a challenge in MPLS networks due to the separation of control plane and data plane. Several tools are available to detect control and data plane failures. This toolset has been expanded recently to include data plane liveliness check for Label Switched Path (LSP), Traffic Engineered (TE) tunnels and pseudo wires. This presentation discusses the tools available for diagnosis and management of faults in control and data plane. It discusses capabilities such as VPN Routing and Forwarding (VRF) Aware Ping, Traceroute, LSP Ping, Trace and Virtual Circuit Connection Verification (VCCV) for comprehensive embedded fault management and diagnosis of network elements. Also covered would be Service Assurance Agent (SA Agent) to measure end to end Service Level Agreements (SLA) and benefits of Netflow in MPLS environment.

NMS-4043: Advanced Service Assurance Agent
For attendees already familiar with Cisco Service Assurance Agent (SA Agent), this course explains how to get the most out of it. In particular, the course explains how to find the ideal set of parameters that can be set to achieve more accurate and meaningful results with SAA, such as frequency, interval, and packet size. Then, more advanced topics and new features are reviewed, such as mean-opinion-score (MOS) measurement for a voice-over-IP (VoIP), and the use of Cisco SA Agent in a Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) or VPN network.


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