The documentation set for this product strives to use bias-free language. For the purposes of this documentation set, bias-free is defined as language that does not imply discrimination based on age, disability, gender, racial identity, ethnic identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality. Exceptions may be present in the documentation due to language that is hardcoded in the user interfaces of the product software, language used based on RFP documentation, or language that is used by a referenced third-party product. Learn more about how Cisco is using Inclusive Language.
Cisco® Crosswork Hierarchical Controller (HCO) enables multilayer visibility of transport networks, IP to optical topologies. And leverage automation of operations across vendors and domains.
Cisco Crosswork HCO is a multilayer, multivendor, multidomain transport controller. It provides powerful and intuitive applications to simplify operations in IP and optical networks.
Crosswork HCO covers a variety of use cases throughout the network and services lifecycle.
Visualization – End-to-end, 3D view of IP and optical topologies and services, across domains and layers, using schematic or satellite maps.
Analytics – Simulate failures, find alternative paths, and find single points of failure and diversity violations, all across optical and IP layers.
Assurance – Collects performance metrics on packet, L1, and photonic links. Smart analysis of bundles links and LSPs.
Provisioning – Unified and generic way to provision new optical transport services on optical domains, with proven integration to all lead vendors.
Crosswork HCO reduces complexity of operations across domains and layers and increases efficiency and network utilization.
| Feature |
Benefit |
| 3D Explorer |
Visualize IP and optical links/tunnels/services between geo sites on a satellite or schematic map, with correlation between layers. |
| Layer Relations |
Show relationships between links in different layers (for example, show all SR policies over all or specific physical links). |
| Network Inventory |
Show full tabular view of devices, cards, ports, links, SR policies, and services. |
| Time Machine |
Go back in time to a date in the past and analyze the network as it was at that point in time. |
| Dashboard |
View visual widgets displaying inventory, topology, and services info. Define rule-based widgets with SHQL queries. |
| Network History |
Analyze historical records of all inventory resources, topology, and service changes (add, modify, and delete). |
| Failure Impact |
Plan a maintenance event, finding which connections will be impacted by taking resources down and if there is an alternative path. When found, comparing existing and alternative path latency, cost, and hops. Supported for OTN, ETH, and RSVP-TE tunnels. |
| Path Optimization |
Select a group or specific tunnels or connections and run a path calculation to optimize their path. Show results by comparing existing to optimized path based on latency, hops, and cost. Applies to OTN/ETH connection, RSVP-TE and SR policies, and VPNs. |
| Shared Risk Analysis |
Find if there are commonly shared resources (node, site, link, and card) between selected group of links in any layer. Group can be selected explicitly or as an SHQL rule. |
| Network Vulnerability |
Find if there will be network routing parts that will be isolated from the rest of the network given current failures and simulated failures. |
| SHQL |
Simple, yet sophisticated multilayer query language to get inventory, topology, tunnels, and services. All based on multilayer correlation. |
| Model settings (tags, regions, sites) |
Add external data and tag resources based on rules. |
| Service Manager |
Service CRUD, show and provision all these service types. L2-L3-VPNs, RSVP-TE, and SR policies. ETH/OTN connections, OCH, and ZR links. |
Crosswork HCO is unique in providing full support of lifecycle operations of IP and optical transport networks, with proven integration (pre-SDN and SDN) to all lead vendors.
● Preintegrated with all vendors: Both pre-SDN and SDN APIs
● Ensuring tight SLA: Provisioning and assurance for both service overlay and underlay
● Unique discovery solution for all network layers, all services, and cross-layer and cross-domain links
● Sophisticated path computation allowing to optimize paths for multilayer constraints using powerful path computation algorithms
● Network analytics engine: Understand network anomalies and track changes and degradations over time using powerful query language
● Scalability: Hierarchical control scales to over 10,000 elements in real time
● Supporting evolution from pre-SDN to SDN and from legacy networks to new ones
● Demonstrable leadership for advanced use cases: Multilayer restoration, optimization, and predictive failure avoidance
SDN controllers and NMSs support
| Product Family |
Platforms Supported |
Content coverage |
| Optical SDN controllers |
Ciena MCP |
Network discovery for inventory, topology, services Service provisioning for OTN, E-Line, OCH |
| Huawei NCE-T |
Network discovery for inventory, topology, services Service provisioning for OTN, E-Line, OCH |
|
| Nokia NSP |
Network discovery for inventory, topology, services Service provisioning for OTN, E-Line, OCH |
|
| Cisco ONC |
Network discovery for inventory, topology, services Service provisioning for OTN, E-Line, OCH, as well as RON automation where ZR pluggables are connected to NS1010 as OLS |
|
| Optical NMSs |
Cisco EPNM Nokia NFM-T Huawei U2000 |
NCS2k discovery for inventory, topology, services Network discovery for inventory, topology, services Network discovery for inventory, topology, services |
Information about Cisco’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives and performance is provided in Cisco’s CSR and sustainability reporting.
| Sustainability Topic |
Reference |
|
| General |
Information on product-material-content laws and regulations |
|
| Information on electronic waste laws and regulations, including our products, batteries, and packaging |
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| Information on product takeback and reuse program |
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| Sustainability inquiries |
Contact: csr_inquiries@cisco.com |
|
| Material |
Product packaging weight and materials |
Contact: environment@cisco.com |
| Details |
Feature |
| HW requirements |
A single VM with 196G RAM, 1Tb disk, 20 vCPUs |
| Operating system |
Alma or RedHat 7.6 Linux |
| High Availability |
Three-node cluster, need 3 VMs (2 as main and standby instances, 1 as witness with 16G RAM, 250G disk, 4 vCPUs) |
| Scalability |
10,000 NEs, 50,000 links, 100,000 services |
| Architecture |
Docker container based, with Postgress DB, Python applications |
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