Cisco - Cisco ACNS Software Version 5.1 Datasheet

The Cisco Application and Content Networking System (ACNS) Software enables organizations of all sizes to reduce costs, drive productivity and increase revenues by extending strategic applications from the data center to the branch including:

Cisco ACNS Software combines the technologies of demand-pull caching and pre-positioning for accelerated delivery of Web applications, objects, files, and streaming media; and runs on Cisco Content Engines, Content Distribution Manager, and Content Router hardware platforms.

For turnkey "live" and on-demand streaming, customers can use the Cisco ACNS solution in conjunction with Cisco's IP/TV^® 3400 Series Broadcast Servers, which capture and deliver standards-based MPEG video with synchronized presentations, program creation, scheduling, and interactive Question Manager features.

In the data center, Content Engines can be used with the Cisco 11500 Series Content Services Switch (CSS), the Catalyst^® 6500 Series Content Switch Module (CSM) and the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Switching Modules for reverse proxy caching to offload expensive, backend web servers.

The Cisco ACNS solution is a key component of the Cisco Full Services suite of intelligent application-enabling network services and adaptable "how-to" blueprints, addressing voice and video, security, web application acceleration, Internet mobility and connectivity services. These network-integrated, intelligent services allow organizations to boost productivity and customer satisfaction while lowering operational and capital expenses.

Table 1 Key Features of Cisco ACNS Software v5.1

Feature-rich Non-Streaming Server and Proxy

HTTP Server and Proxy:

Demand-pull caching features:

Forward and reverse proxy caching
Transparent (WCCP v2), nontransparent (browser proxy configuration), and Layer 4 redirection
HTTP 1.0 and 1.1 Web caching, File Transfer Protocol (FTP) over HTTP proxy, HTTPS tunneling, Internet Cache Protocol (ICP)
Rules template for cache policies and rules
ToS/DSCP set by cache hit or miss, URL, file type, domain to classify traffic using cache rules template
IP spoofing that present clients' IP addresses for easy tracking of users
Split DNS that allows a content engine to be configured with multiple DNS servers based on domain name, such as intranet and Internet
DNS caching allows the content engine to cache DNS entries to avoid multiple WAN accesses for DNS server resolution (Proxy and WCCP mode)

Content Pre-positioning features:

Web content preloading via CLI or local Web GUI:

Preload HTTP, FTP, and Microsoft Media Server (MMS) files with URL list for a small number of content engines

Intelligent Content Pre-positioning via Content Acquisition and Distribution:

HTTP delivery of static files for any file format, including PDF, Flash, Shockwave, etc. managed by the CDM for a large number of content engines

Bandwidth controls, day-of-week and time-of-day scheduling, replication status, authentication support

HTTPS Server and Proxy:

Terminates and stores content tunneled in SSL at branch offices

SSL Termination of SSL 2.0, 3.0, TLS 1.0
Cost-effective software-based termination of HTTPS for up to 200 users (see performance bulletin for details)
Transparent (WCCP) redirection support
Demand-pull caching and Pre-positioning supported
Backend SSL support to Origin Server
Secured import and storage of keys and certificates
Support all major Certificate Authorities for origin server certificates (such as Verisign, Entrust) for Reverse Proxy SSL as well as enterprise self-issued certificates for Forward Proxy SSL
Maximum of 255 key pairs (keys and certificates) supported
Bulk Encryption supported: RC4, DES, DES3
Hash Algorithm supported: MD5, SHA1

Native FTP Proxy:

Native FTP (Port 20, 21), Active and Passive modes
Demand-pull caching supported

Transparent (WCCP) redirection support with basic authentication
Transactions logged to HTTP logs

Native TFTP Server and Gateway:

Serves SW images and configuration files to routers, switches, IP phones and STBs
Demand-pull caching and Pre-positioning supported
Non-transparent (Proxy) redirection support
Content expiration, logs and backend HTTP authentication supported

SMB Server:

Windows File Share service with CIFS file path support

Pre-positioning supported
Access Control, NTLM user authentication and Access Logs supported

NFS/CIFS:

Client support CE mounts content to Network-Attached Storage (NAS) devices as external storage etc.
Supports Pre-positioned Content and WMT/Real Proxy Content

Comprehensive Streaming-Media Support

Concurrent streaming of RealNetworks, Windows Media Technologies (WMT), Cisco Streaming Engine (Quicktime-compatible), and HTTP
Live splitting (auto setup with tree structure), IP Multicast, and VOD can all be delivered in both Proxy and Server for RealNetworks, WMT and Cisco Streaming Engine
Rule-based filtering for MMS and Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP)
Streaming bandwidth throttles and time-of-day for all streaming protocols
Cisco Streaming Engine: (no additional license fee)

VOD server for standards-based hinted MPEG-4, MPEG-2, MPEG-1, and QuickTime video over RTP/RTSP to Apple QuickTime-compatible players
Live-stream pull splitting (unicast in) and push splitting (multicast or unicast in) with multicast and unicast out of CE to connected clients
Interoperate with IP/TV 5.1 Broadcast Server, Program Manager and Viewer
Standards-based (ISO/IEC) MPEG Encoder interoperability: Compatible with ISO/IEC MPEG4 Advanced Simple AV Profile (ISMA v1.0) and ISO/IEC MPEG4 Advanced2D level 1 as well as MPEG1 and MPEG2 profiles

RealNetworks Helix Universal Gateway (additional license fee)

RealNetworks RTP/RTSP delivery over TCP or UDP
Live-stream pull splitting (unicast in) and push splitting (multicast or unicast in) with multicast and unicast out of CE to connected clients
Encoder failover
Content pre-positioning for VOD streaming of Real format RTP/RTSP content
MMS and Quicktime/RTSP is supported with manual configuration

Microsoft Windows Media Services v4.1 Server and Proxy: (additional license fee)

Windows Media MMS delivery over TCP, UDP, or HTTP
Content pre-positioning for VOD streaming
Variable bit-rate support
CE as a live stream source (publishing point)
Supports live-stream pull splitting, including multicast or unicast into the CE and multicast or unicast out of the CE to connected clients
Certified by Microsoft
WM v9 Encoder interoperability for MMS, Windows Media Codec 7, 8 and Single bit-rate 9
WM v9 Player interoperability for MMS, Windows Media Codec 7, 8 and Single bit-rate 9
WMT upstream Proxy bandwidth controls

HTTP paced delivery of MPEG, ASF, Real and QuickTime Movie format files

MPEG video display for retail kiosks:

Predefined play lists with multiple video clips and time-of-day setting, centrally managed by CDM, multiple playlists per content engine
One video stream per AV-decoder card option or content engine: integrated MPEG-1 and -2 decoders, National Television Standards Committee [NTSC] and Phase Alternating Line [PAL] TV output
Set Top Box (STB) interoperability: Playlists exported to STBs via Program API, CE as TFTP Server for STBs' software image and configuration files

Powerful Streaming Automation

Program Import, Export, Scheduling API:

XML-based API to create, manage and schedule programs.
Supports Live and Scheduled Rebroadcast, multicast and stream splitting programs
Cisco Streaming Engine and WMT are supported
Playlists can be exported to settop boxes

Manifest API:

XML-based API to manage pre-positioning of video files for VOD serving by the CEs including bandwidth, content expiration and user authentication policies for acquisition, distribution and stream serving.
Cisco Streaming Engine, WMT and RealNetworks protocols and file formats supported

Live Streaming Failover:

Redundant Encoders specified in the Program API
Root CE Failover: contact Origin Server
Intemediate CE Failover: Go to Parent CE or failover to other CEs in the same location
Client CE Failover: Roll over to unicast from Multicast, Next-click failover

Turnkey IP/TV 5.1 Integration

ACNS and CE replaces IP/TV Archive Server
Interoperates with IP/TV v5.1 Broadcast Server and extends its reach to multicast islands with Cisco Streaming Engine Stream Splitting and Streaming Automation
IP/TV 5.1 Program Manager:

Injects content into ACNS using the Manifest and Program API
IP/TV Program Manager as a personality of the CE
Publish URLs to Apple QuickTime Players and IP/TV 5.1 Viewers

Superior Management

Scalable Content acquisition and distribution:

Content acquisition from origin servers by root content engines for HTTP, HTTPS, FTP and MMS
Channel-based acquisition and distribution control with bandwidth-shaping, priority, scheduling, content expiration, and authentication policies. Policies can be specified at the CDM GUI or the Manifest API/File.
Manifest Generation Tool: Quickstart Windows-based tool to generate basic manifest files
Secured content distribution with HTTPS
Hierarchical tree distribution for scalability and optimal performance
Multicast replication option available (additional license fee) with intelligent on-demand carousels for retransmissions and hot standby multicast sender failover

Multiple, flexible Client request redirections:

Transparent Edge Intercept with advanced WCCP Version 2: includes scalable clustering (WCCP flow protection, WCCP slow start), fault tolerance (WCCP multihome router support), fault prevention (overload bypass, dynamic client bypass), TCP tuning knobs, and WCCP standby mode for easy maintenance
Non-Transparent Edge Intercept with browser proxy configuration
Content routing with DNS Intercept and HTTP redirect with the Content Router uses the coverage zone file which specifies the client source-IP addresses and which CEs serve that zone to redirect clients
Dynamic Proxy Auto Configuration uses coverage zone information to automatically generate custom PAC files at CEs designated as PAC file servers to redirect client browsers to local CEs

CLI similar to Cisco IOS Software for individual content-engine and CDM-configuration management
Remote Device Management: Role-based administration, Device group configuration, auto-registration of devices
Extended SNMP Version 2 and Version 3 MIBs
Local content engine Web GUI, SSH Version 1 and 2, HTTPS and Telnet access
CiscoWorks2000 Resource Management Essentials (RME) Version 3.4 support of content engines and CDM: CLI editor, inventory, netconfig, syslog analyzer, device availability
CiscoWorks2000 CiscoView support of content engines: a graphical SNMP-based device management tool that provides real-time views of the CE operational status
Comprehensive Industry-standard Logging:

Transaction logging and log pushing via FTP, interoperate with Reporting Partners for customizable performance and activity reports
HTTP Cache transaction logs: Squid logs, W3C-compliant Apache common logs
WMT Proxy and Server logs: standard WMS format (W3C-compliant)
Real Server and Proxy logs: standard Real format
Configurable Log Formats: Referrer Headers and User Agent Headers

Secure Content Access Management

Administrator Authentication

RADIUS and TACACS+ client authentication against an Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) or Active Directory database

User Authentication

RADIUS and TACACS+ client authentication against an Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) or Active Directory database
Full NT LAN Manager (NTLM) authentication: NTLM Single Sign On, NTLM object caching, NTLM pass-through, and user authentication for WMT streaming
Basic, NTLM and LDAP authentication against Active Directory. Basic and NTLM authentication against Windows NT Domain Controller. Both user and group authentication are supported.
NTLM Authentication supported for demand-pull caching and pre-positioning
LDAP Enhancements: LDAP Password Expiration, iPlanet Single Sign On, LDAP attribute for accept use policy

Web (URL, file type) filtering

Websense Enterprise Version 5.0 Server and client content-filtering support on content engine (additional per 100-user license fee) - Embedded in the Content Engine and does not require separate Websense server. Websense v5.0 includes Dynamic Protocol Management for Instant Messaging, Peer-to-peer and malicious applications, Bandwidth Optimizer, Real Time Analyzer, File Type Management and Central Policy Distribution.
Secure Computing SmartFilter Version 3.2 server and client content-filtering support (additional per-user license fee)—On-box content-engine solution that does not require separate SmartFilter server. Admin Console v3.2 is enhanced for central device policies and LDAP group-authentication support.
N2H2 Internet Filtering Protocol Version 1.0 client content-filtering support on content engine-Requires separate N2H2 Sentian server from N2H2

ICAP v1.0

Scales Anti-virus servers and caches clean content
Request modification (REQMOD) and Response modification (RESPMOD) supported
Load balancing and failover of ICAP Servers
Demand-pull caching and Pre-positioning supported

ACLs for CE Interfaces

Permit/Deny telnet, SSH, SNMP, CDM traffic
Standard and extended IP-access-lists for inbound and outbound traffic

Ordering Information

Table 2 lists the major system and value added software options available. Note all the software options must be ordered in with their corresponding hardware platforms identified in the Content Engine Datasheet at:

Table 2 Cisco ACNS Software v5.1 Part Numbers

Software Part Number	Description
SF-ACNS-5.1-K9	Cisco Application and Content Networking System Software v5.1
Value-added Software Options	Description
SF-CE510-RCPS (=)	Helix Universal Gateway combined proxy/server for Cisco CE-510
SF-CE565-RCPS (=)	Helix Universal Gateway combined proxy/server for Cisco CE-565
SF-CE7305-RCPS (=)	Helix Universal Gateway combined proxy/server for Cisco CE-7305
SF-CE7325-RCPS (=)	Helix Universal Gateway combined proxy/server for Cisco CE-7325
SF-NM-RCPS (=)	Helix Universal Gateway combined proxy/server for Cisco NM-CE-BP-20G-K9, NM-CE-BP-40G-K9, NM-CE-BP-SCSI-K9 and NM-CE-BP-80G-K9
SF-CE507-RCPS (=)	Helix Universal Gateway combined proxy/server for Cisco CE-507
SF-CE560-RCPS (=)	Helix Universal Gateway combined proxy/server for Cisco CE-560
SF-CE590-RCPS (=)	Helix Universal Gateway combined proxy/server for Cisco CE-590
SF-CE7320-RCPS (=)	Helix Universal Gateway combined proxy/server for Cisco CE-7320
SF-WMS-56 (=)	Microsoft Windows Media software 56 Mbps
SF-WMS-84 (=)	Microsoft Windows Media software 84 Mbps
SF-WMS-168 (=)	Microsoft Windows Media software 168 Mbps
SF-WMS-224 (=)	Microsoft Windows Media software 224 Mbps
SF-WMS-560 (=)	Microsoft Windows Media software 560 Mbps
SF-WMS-1008 (=)	Microsoft Windows Media software 1008 Mbps
SF-CE-510-TL-5.0 (=)	Multicast Replication software for Cisco CE-510
SF-CE-565-TL-5.0 (=)	Multicast Replication software for Cisco CE-565
SF-CE-7305-TL-5.0 (=)	Multicast Replication software for Cisco CE-7305
SF-CE-7325-TL-5.0 (=)	Multicast Replication software for Cisco CE-7325
SF-CE-507-TL-5.0 (=)	Multicast Replication software for Cisco CE-507
SF-CE-560-TL-5.0 (=)	Multicast Replication software for Cisco CE-560
SF-CE-590-TL-5.0 (=)	Multicast Replication software for Cisco CE-590
SF-CE7320-TL-5.0=	Multicast Replication software for Cisco CE-7320
SF-SMF12	Secure Computing SmartFilter 12-month subscription (pricing option per user)
SF-SMF24	Secure Computing SmartFilter 24-month subscription (pricing option per user)
SF-SMF36	Secure Computing SmartFilter 36-month subscription (pricing option per user)
SF-WEB12	Websense Enterprise Master Database 12-month subscription (pricing option per 100-users)
SF-WEB24	Websense Enterprise Master Database 24-month subscription (pricing option per 100-users)
SF-WEB36	Websense Enterprise Master Database 36-month subscription (pricing option per 100-users)
SF-WP112	Websense Enterprise Premium Group I 12-month subscription (pricing option per 100-users)
SF-WP124	Websense Enterprise Premium Group I 24-month subscription (pricing option per 100-users)
SF-WP136	Websense Enterprise Premium Group I 36-month subscription (pricing option per 100-users)
SF-WP212	Websense Enterprise Premium Group II 12-month subscription (pricing option per 100-users)
SF-WP224	Websense Enterprise Premium Group II 24-month subscription (pricing option per 100-users)
SF-WP236	Websense Enterprise Premium Group II 36-month subscription (pricing option per 100-users)
SF-WP312	Websense Enterprise Premium Group III 12-month subscription (pricing option per 100-users)
SF-WP324	Websense Enterprise Premium Group III 24-month subscription (pricing option per 100-users)
SF-WP336	Websense Enterprise Premium Group III 36-month subscription (pricing option per 100-users)
SF-WBW12	Websense BW Optimizer 12 month Subscription (pricing option per 100-users)
SF-WBW24	Websense BW Optimizer 24 month Subscription (pricing option per 100-users)
SF-WBW36	Websense BW Optimizer 36 month Subscription (pricing option per 100-users)

Web Cache Communication Protocol Support

The Web Cache Communication Protocol (WCCP) is a free software feature in Cisco IOS Software that runs on the following Cisco platforms: Cisco 7x00 series routers, uBR72xx Universal Broadband Router, Cisco 6400 Node Route Processor (NRP), Cisco Catalyst 6x00 Multilayer Switch Feature Card (MSFC), Cisco Catalyst 5x00 Route Switch Module (RSM), Cisco AS5800 Access Server, Cisco AS5300, Cisco 4x00/M, Cisco MC3810 Multipoint Controller, and Cisco 3700, 3600, 2600, 2500, 1700, and 1600.

WCCP v2 is available in the following and later Cisco IOS Software releases: 12.2, 12.2(x)T, 12.1, 12.0(3+)T, 12.0(11+)S, 12.1(13)E. WCCP v1 is available in the following Cisco IOS Software releases: 12.2, 12.2(x)T, 12.1, 12.0, 12.0T, 12.0S, 11.1(18+)CC/CA, 11.2(13+)P.

Cisco Systems Service and Support Solutions

Cisco support solutions are designed for one purpose-to ensure customer success through the delivery of a suite of proactive solutions. Cisco services and support include planning, design, implementation, operational, and optimization solutions. By including services and support with Cisco equipment purchases, customers instantly gain access to a wealth of resources. Cisco service and support solutions enhance the customer's network investment, reducing the cost of doing business, among other benefits.

Additional Resources

Data Sheet

Cisco ACNS Software Version 5.1

Cisco Application and Content Networking System (ACNS) Software

Ordering Information

Web Cache Communication Protocol Support

Cisco Systems Service and Support Solutions

Additional Resources