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IN THIS ISSUE

* Hot Topics
* New Online Support Applications
* Application Upgrades and Enhancements
* Software Center News
* Technical Tips
* Recent Field Notices
* Questions & Answers
* Reader Comments

HOT TOPICS

Title: Cisco Y2K Compliance Support
URL: http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/752/2000/
Summary: Cisco Systems is committed to an extensive program of Y2K compliance. Throughout 1999, Cisco plans to offer several services that specifically address our customers' Y2K questions and information requirements. The Cisco "Y2K Compliance" Web site includes contact information and FAQs (see URL above). Cisco provides dedicated TAC phone lines for Y2K questions: 1-877- NETS-Y2K or 408-525-6270. The U.S. phone lines are available now, and global lines by mid-February. Callers have three options:

1) Obtain Y2K Web access information
2) Request Y2K information to be faxed
3) Voicemail service for call dispatching to Y2K trained engineers around the world

Additionally, on March 5, all existing Technical Assistance Center (TAC) numbers will have a special option for Y2K-related questions. Other options will be available in the future. This information is provided pursuant to the Year 2000 Readiness Information and Disclosure Act.

NEW ONLINE SUPPORT APPLICATIONS

Title: Y2K Product Compliance Notification
URL: http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/752/2000/y2k-alert.html
Summary: Cisco has established a Year 2000 Alert subscription service. This will allow you to be notified via e-mail any time a product compliance document changes. View documents at: http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/cc/cisco/mkt/gen/2000/prodlit/cptbl_ov.htm. This alert will notify you when a product's compliance status changes. To enter the subscription information for your new Year-2000 alert, fill out the form at: http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/752/2000/y2k-alert.html

Title: Personalized Technical Support Capability
URL: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport
Summary: Cisco understands that a one-size-fits-all approach to online technical support does not meet the individual needs of its customers and partners. In response, Cisco has developed a new technical support capability that enables users to personalize the content they view. The personalized technical support capability allows users to select from the Cisco Internet Technical Support Applications they access most often and then set up the page to display only those resources. This capability will allow you to work faster by accessing the tools you use most often, reducing the clutter on your desktop, and displaying only the tools you choose to see.

Title: Ongoing CCO Evolution Version 6.13
URL: http://www.cisco.com/acs/content/dev/evolve/613/
Summary: On Saturday, January 30, Cisco released another set of enhancements to the CCO framework, version 6.13. Developed based on customer feedback, usability studies, and the CCO Advisory Board, version 6.13 has been designed with a new look and feel that makes CCO easier to use. This version focuses on navigation, design, content, and search capabilities.

Title: 2600/3600 Memory Calculator Now Available
URL: http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/support/memcalc/mem-calc.pl
Summary: The 2600/3600 memory calculator replaces the existing 3600 memory calculator. The user interface has been redesigned to provide easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for completing forms to specify memory requirements.

APPLICATION UPGRADES AND ENHANCEMENTS

Title: Cisco IOS Release 12.0.2aT1 Now Available on CCO
URL: http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/iosplanner/iosplanner.cgi?majorRel=12.0
Summary: Cisco IOS(r) Software Release 12.0.2aT1 became available on CCO Wednesday, January 20. This Early Deployment release replaces the deferred releases 12.0.1T, 12.0.1T1, 12.0.2T, and 12.0.2T1. To download this release, go to the Cisco IOS Upgrade Planner for 12.0 at the above-listed URL.

Title: Cisco IOS Release 12.0.2-XE Now Available on CCO
URL: http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/iosplanner/iosplanner.cgi?majorRel=12.0
Summary: Cisco IOS Release 12.0.2-XE became available on CCO Monday, January 18. This Early Deployment release replaces the 12.0.1-XE release, which was deferred. To download this release, go to the Cisco IOS Upgrade Planner for 12.0 at the above-listed URL.

Title: Cisco IOS Release 11.3.7-AA2 Now Available on CCO
URL: http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/iosplanner/iosplanner.cgi?majorRel=11.3
Summary: Cisco IOS Release 11.3.7-AA2 became available on CCO Wednesday, January 13. This Early Deployment release replaces the deferred releases 11.3.2-AA through 11.3.7-AA1. To download this release, go to the Cisco IOS Upgrade Planner for 11.3 at the above-listed URL.

Title: Cisco IOS Release 11.1.23-CT Now Available on CCO
URL: http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/iosplanner/iosplanner.cgi?majorRel=11.1
Summary: Cisco IOS Release 11.1.23-CT became available on CCO Wednesday, January 13. This Early Deployment release supports the Tag Switching feature. To download this release, go to the Cisco IOS Upgrade Planner for 11.1 at the above-listed URL.

Title: Cisco IOS Release 11.1.24 Now Available on CCO
URL: http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/iosplanner/iosplanner.cgi?majorRel=11.1
Summary: Cisco IOS Release 11.1.24 became available on CCO Monday, January 11. This Limited Deployment release supports a variety of platforms. To download this release, go to the Upgrade Planner for Cisco IOS 11.1 at the above-listed URL.

Title: Cisco IOS Release 11.2.17 Now Available on CCO
URL: http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/iosplanner/iosplanner.cgi?majorRel=11.2
Summary: Cisco IOS Release 11.2.17 became available on CCO Monday, January 11. This General Deployment release supports a variety of platforms. To download this release, go to the Cisco IOS Upgrade Planner for 11.2 at the above-listed URL.

Title: Cisco IOS Release 12.0.1-XB1 Now Available on CCO
URL: http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/iosplanner/iosplanner.cgi?majorRel=12.0
Summary: Cisco IOS Release 12.0.1-XB1 became available on CCO Monday, January 11. This Early Deployment release supports the C800 platform, and replaces the deferred 12.0.1-XB release. To download this release, go to the Cisco IOS Upgrade Planner for 12.0 at the above-listed URL.

Title: Cisco IOS Release 12.0.2-XC1 Now Available on CCO
URL: http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/iosplanner/iosplanner.cgi?majorRel=12.0
Summary: Cisco IOS Release 12.0.2-XC1 became available on CCO Friday, January 8. This Early Deployment release supports the 2600, 3640, UBR7200 and UBR900 platforms. To download this release, go to the Cisco IOS Upgrade Planner for 12.0 at the above-listed URL.

Title: NetSonar(tm) Patch Software Released
URL: http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/netsonar-patch AND http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/netsonar-patch
Summary: The NetSonar Patch Software is an update directed to all customers who already have the NetSonar evaluation or regular release software installed in their machines. The patch software is available via the registered and public CCO sites.

Title: NetSonar JanFeb99.1.0.1 Evaluation License Update Software Published
URL: http://www.cisco.com/kobayashi/sw-center/internet/netsonar.shtml AND http://www.cisco.com/public/sw-center/internet/netsonar.shtml
Summary: The software update is available in both the public and registered sides of CCO via the NetSonar index page.

SOFTWARE CENTER NEWS

Title: Internetwork Performance Monitor (IPM) Now Part of CiscoWorks2000
URL: http://www.cisco.com/kobayashi/sw-center/netmgmt/cw2000/IPM.html
Summary: IPM complements the powerful CiscoWorks2000 family of enterprise management tools by providing wide-area monitoring solutions. Built on Web standards, IPM shares device inventory knowledge with other CiscoWorks2000 products. IPM extends the CiscoWorks2000 solution set to provide the framework from which to manage virtual private network (VPN) and WAN environments.

Title: Access Products Page Redesigned
URL: http://www.cisco.com/kobayashi/sw-center/sw-access.shtml
Summary: For greater convenience and ease of use, Cisco has split the Access Products Page into two columns. Content now appears in alphabetic order.

Title: Software Registration Page Redesigned
URL: http://www.cisco.com/kobayashi/sw-center/sw-registration.shtml
Summary: The Software Registration Web page has been redesigned to now list software features in alphabetic order and tabulate data using the Software Center standard colors.

TECHNICAL TIPS

Title: CESM-8 Unstructured Data Transport
URL: http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/74/125.html
Summary: The Circuit Emulation Service Module-8 (CESM-8) card offers a 100% port density increase over the CESM-4 card, as well as various clocking and framing functional enhancements. The CESM-4 card supports only T1/E1 basic unstructured service with synchronous clocking. The CESM-8 provides both basic unstructured service and basic/channel associated signaling (CAS) structured service. This document explores the unstructured service features of the CESM-8 card, particularly the clocking schemes (synchronous, Synchronous Residual Time Stamp [SRTS], and adaptive), and the framing-on-VC disconnect feature, thereby providing readers with a more detailed technical understanding of the product.

Title: CESM-8 Structured Data Transport
URL: http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/74/131.html
Summary: The Circuit Emulation Service Module-8 (CESM-8) card offers a 100% port density increase over the CESM-4 card, as well as various clocking and framing functional enhancements. The CESM-4 card supports only T1/E1 basic unstructured service with synchronous clocking. The CESM-8 provides both basic unstructured service and basic/channel associated signaling (CAS) structured service. This document explores the structured service features of the CESM-8 card, N*DS0 transport, CAS, and On-Hook detection, thereby providing readers with a more detailed technical understanding of the product.

RECENT FIELD NOTICES

Title: RF Gasket on IGX(tm) Door Presses Buttons on ARM, HDM, and LDM
URL: http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/770/fn2888_01151999.shtml
Summary: Each IGX 8400 series switch has a door fitted with RF gaskets. When the door is closed, and the ARM, HDM, or LDM is installed in slot 16 or slot 32, the RF gasket presses the button.

Title: IGX 8430 Clocking Fix for Slot 17 through 20 Anomaly
URL: http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/770/fn2608_01151999.shtml
Summary: Due to unequal clock bus trace lengths in the IGX 8430 backplane occasional packet drops are experienced in user data for slots 17, 18, 19, and 20. This problem is observed only when the IGX switch uses Bus "B." Use the dspbuses command to determine which bus is active in the IGX 8430.

Title: Field Notice 980105: ASC2 May Fail to Boot Up Gracefully
URL: http://www/warp/customer/770/fn2889_01131999.shtml
Summary: This notice affects the AX-ASC2. The AXIS Shelf Controller 2 (ASC2) is the second-generation ASC. The ASC2 may fail to boot up properly after a shelf power cycle, ASC2 insertion, switchcc command, or resetsys command. For an MGX(r) 8220 shelf with redundant ASC2s, customers experience disabled ASC2 redundancy. With MGX 8220 shelves with a single ASC2, customers may experience interrupted traffic through the shelf until the ASC2 is recovered. Customers are urged to upgrade to 4.0.19 or later to prevent this ASC2 failure.

Title: PA-A3-XXX (New SAR Chip) Requires Cisco IOS 11.1(22)CC or Later
URL: http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/770/fn2428_01121999.html
Summary: The current version of the Segmentation and Reassembly (SAR) component used in the Enhanced ATM Port Adapter (PA-A3) for Cisco 7500/7200 routers has been discontinued. The new version makes some low-level changes to the component to address the initial version's limitations. With the version change, this microcode had to be modified for the new version to function properly. Therefore, Cisco IOS versions 11.1(22)CC and 12.0(1) are the minimum software required for the PA-A3 hardware with the new version component.

Title: Cisco IOS Syslog Crash
URL: http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/770/iossyslog-pub.shtml
Summary: Certain versions of Cisco IOS software may crash or hang when they receive invalid user datagram protocol (UDP) packets sent to their "syslog" ports (port 514). At least one commonly used Internet scanning tool generates packets that can cause such crashes and hangs. This vulnerability affects devices running Cisco IOS software version 11.3AA, version 11.3DB, or any 12.0-based version (including 12.0 mainline, 12.0S, 12.0T, and any other regular released version whose number starts with "12.0"). The workaround for this vulnerability can be viewed at the above URL.

Title: D4 AMI Line Coding on the IGX UXM Card Not Functioning Properly
URL: http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/770/fn2788_12311998.shtml
Summary: The D4/AMI trunk will not appear on the IGX Universal Switching Module (UXM) single T1 or UXM inverse multiplexing for ATM (IMA). It is, however, a configurable option when configuring the trunk. The trunk reports an alarm and does not pass traffic.

Title: AUSM-8 Hardware Revision AD and Later Not Compatible With 4.0.11 Firmware and Earlier
URL: http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/770/fn2469_12231998.shtml
Summary: A hardware change implemented on the AX-AUSM-8-E1 and AX-AUSM-8-T1 has resulted in a change to revision AD for these models. Firmware versions earlier than 4.0.14 are incompatible with the hardware revision AD and later of both the AX-AUSM-8-E1 and AX-AUSM-8-T1. It should be noted that the version of AX-AUSM-8-E1/-T1 firmware immediately preceding 4.0.14 is 4.0.11.

Title: Y-Redundant SDPs Stop Passing Traffic after 8.4.30 to 9.1.04 Upgrade
URL: http://www/warp/customer/770/fn2548_12231998.shtml
Summary: On the IGXSDP, upgrading from software release 8.4.30 to 9.1.04 causes Y-redundant-paired SDP card databases to experience an anomaly that results in the cessation of traffic through the active Y-redundant SDP. This problem has not been observed on non-Y-redundant SDPs or on the similar IGXHDM, either in Y-redundant or non-Y-redundant mode.

Title: IPX 32 Node Rebuilds During Switch Software Upgrade from Version 8.2.59 To Version 9.1.03
URL: http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/770/fn2288_12231998.shtml
Summary: After the first loadrev 9.1.03 nodename command is issued during the switch software upgrade process, the IPX 32 goes into continuous bus diagnostic failures until CC redundancy is disabled. Please note that this problem has only been observed in the field in a single network and has not been duplicated by the Cisco TAC or Cisco Engineering.

Title: Bandwidth of Universal Voice Module (UVM) D-Channel Compressed Connection Cannot Be Configured
URL: http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/770/fn2668_12231998.shtml
Summary: D-Channel Compression connection bandwidth cannot be configured to less than 100%. This feature is implemented by adding a connection on a UVM Model D as type "td" (Transparent D-channel), which can be altered from the default of 100%. At 100% utilization, the "td" connection produces a load of 381 packets per second. Configuring the channel utilization to less than 100% does not alter the load for the "td" connection as expected.

Title: G.729 and G.729a Performance on Universal Voice Module (UVM) Model D with Firmware Revision
URL: http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/770/fn2568_12211998.shtml
Summary: Cisco has discovered a bug has been found that affects the voice quality of G.729 and G.729a in some instances. Speech over G.729 and G.729a permanent virtual circuits (PVCs) may suffer from low quality and exhibit "breaking up" of words, phrases, and sentences.

Title: IGX 8430 Clocking Fix for Slot 17 Through 20 Anomaly
URL: http://www.cisco.com/warp/customer/770/fn2608_12181998.shtml
Summary: Due to unequal clock bus trace lengths in the IGX 8430 backplane for slots 17, 18, 19, and 20, occasional packet drops are experienced in user data. This problem is observed only when the IGX switch uses bus "B."

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q: "While the introduction of your newsletter is welcome, many of the links require a CCO password. Is there any way around this? Cheers, Brett Maxfield"

A: Thank you for your question. If you are not yet a registered CCO user, but you have a valid Cisco Service Contract or Partner Service Contract, please visit www.cisco.com/register to complete the registration process. Although much information is available as a "guest" on CCO, access to most Cisco online technical support applications requires a higher access level which can be obtained through a valid Cisco Service Contract or Partner Service Contract:. For more information, please see -
Registered User Benefits: http://www.cisco.com/public/regben.html
Cisco's PICA Program: http://www.cisco.com/public/partner.html
Cisco's Service Contract Center: http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/front.x/csadispatch?AppName=ContractAgent
Benefits to having a higher CCO access level include instant access to information and resources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and mission-critical network support.

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