Cisco Crosswork Hierarchical Controller Data Sheet

Data Sheet

Available Languages

Download Options

  • PDF
    (217.6 KB)
    View with Adobe Reader on a variety of devices
Updated:August 13, 2024

Bias-Free Language

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.

Available Languages

Download Options

  • PDF
    (217.6 KB)
    View with Adobe Reader on a variety of devices
Updated:August 13, 2024
 

 

Cisco® Crosswork Hierarchical Controller (HCO) enables multilayer visibility of transport networks, IP to optical topologies. And leverage automation of operations across vendors and domains.

Product overview

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. Enables contextual launch of controller UI on managed objects (device, link, tunnel, service)

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.

Features and benefits

Table 1.        HCO Features and Applications

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.

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.

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.

Service Assurance

View E-Line, L3VPN and L2VPN service configuration and status, as well as service underlay topology, mapped to optical topology over 3D map.

Link Assurance

Analyze multi-layer topologies of IP links, over ZR/ZR+ pluggables or OTN to WDM network, view link hop-by-hop path and performance graps per selected port and link.

Link Manager

Enable managing inter-domain and inter-layer links. User can manually add cross-links and let HCO validate link connectivity.

Product specifications

Table 2.        Product HW specifications

Details

Feature

HW requirements

A single VM with 96G RAM, 3Tb disk, 12 vCPUs

Operating system

HCO comes as OVA package with Linux OS

High Availability

Three-node cluster, need 3 VMs (2 as main and standby instances, 1 as witness)

Scalability

10,000 NEs, 50,000 links, 100,000 services

Architecture

Docker container based, with Postgres DB, Python applications

Prominent feature

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.

      Pre-integrated 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

Table 3.        HCO supported integrations with SDN controllers and NMSs

Product Family

Platforms Supported

Content coverage

Optical SDN controllers

Ciena MCP

Network discovery for inventory, topology, services

Service provisioning for OTN, E-Line, OCH, Alien Wavelength

Link and service assurance (performance monitoring)

Huawei NCE-T

Network discovery for inventory, topology, services

Service provisioning for OTN, E-Line

Link and service assurance (performance monitoring)

Nokia NSP

Network discovery for inventory, topology, services

Link and service assurance (performance monitoring)

Cisco ONC

Network discovery for inventory, topology, services

Service provisioning for RON automation where ZR pluggables are connected to NS1010 as OLS

Link and service assurance (performance monitoring)

Optical NMSs

Cisco EPNM

Nokia NFM-T

NCS2k discovery for inventory, topology, services

Network discovery for inventory, topology, services

IP NMSs

Cisco EPNM

ASR9k discovery for inventory, topology, assurance

IP SDN Controllers

Cisco CNC

Network discovery for inventory, topology, services

Service provisioning for L2VPN, L3VPN

Link and service assurance (performance monitoring)

Nokia NSP

Network discovery for inventory, topology, services

Service provisioning for L2VPN, L3VPN

Link and service assurance (performance monitoring)

Juniper Northstar

Network discovery for inventory, topology, services

RSVP-TE tunnel provisioning

Link and service assurance (performance monitoring)

Product sustainability

Information about Cisco’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives and performance is provided in Cisco’s CSR and sustainability reporting.

Table 4.        Product sustainability

Sustainability Topic

Reference

General

Information on product-material-content laws and regulations

Materials

Information on electronic waste laws and regulations, including our products, batteries, and packaging

WEEE Compliance

Information on product takeback and reuse program

Cisco Takeback and Reuse Program

Sustainability inquiries

Contact: csr_inquiries@cisco.com

Material

Product packaging weight and materials

Contact: environment@cisco.com

Cisco Capital

Flexible payment solutions to help you achieve your objectives

Cisco Capital makes it easier to get the right technology to achieve your objectives, enable business transformation and help you stay competitive. We can help you reduce the total cost of ownership, conserve capital, and accelerate growth. In more than 100 countries, our flexible payment solutions can help you acquire hardware, software, services and complementary third-party equipment in easy, predictable payments. Learn more.

Document history

New or revised topic

Described in

Date

Updated HW requirements

Product specifications

July 25, 2024

Added Cisco EPNM Adapter under IP NMSs

SDN controllers and NMSs support

July 25, 2024

Updated the list of network adapters supported. Added more details of the specific features per adapter

SDN controllers and NMSs support

June 11, 2024

Removed deprecated applications from the list (Network Vulnerability and Path Optimization)

Features and benefits

June 11, 2024

 

Learn more