Cisco Managed Services Accelerator (MSX) Solution Overview Guide
- Updated:
- October 9, 2018
Chapter: Cisco Managed Services Accelerator Service Packs
Cisco MSX Service Packs
A central theme behind the Managed Services Accelerator (MSX) solution is reducing the operational cost of deploying and maintaining service provider-based managed services. The solution shifts the deployment of managed services away from the manual configuration of the latest network devices to the creation of a software abstraction to represent the service definition. This approach allows the service intent of the user, to be realized by using the service models to automate the creation and customization of cloud-based services.
MSX is a next generation managed service solution for service providers who are interested in hosting enterprise connectivity and security features in their cloud infrastructure. The keys to the MSX solution are virtualization, plug-n-play CPE devices, and a flexible orchestration engine capable of centralizing the configurations of all the devices involved in the delivery of a service. With flexibility inherent in the orchestration engine, service providers can offer end customers the ability to order the service that best meets their technical and TCO requirements.
The MSX architecture is based on a service package infrastructure. MSX service packages are bundled Virtual Network Function (VNF) types, the type of services available that are tightly coupled to the VNF types included in a specific service package. The end customer, based on a service provider deployment, has a choice based on services that can be orchestrated given the VNF types, which are included in the service package bundle.
This chapter contains the following sections:
vBranch Service Pack
Cisco MSX vBranch service pack enables unified routing, switching, storage, processing, and a host of other computing and networking activities into a into a single box. The vBranch service pack provides a way to collapse the services that a branch requires into a single box, which results in easier management of services, and smaller device footprint on a branch site.
The MSX vBranch service pack includes the following:
■
An orchestration environment to allow automation of virtualized network service deployment, consisting of multiple Virtualized Network Functions (VNF).
■VNFs, which provide the desired network functionality, or even non-networking software applications, required at a deployment location.
■The NFV Infrastructure Software platform to facilitate the deployment and operation of VNFs and hardware components.
The figure below illustrates the functional architecture of a vBranch site.
Some of the advantages of the MSX vBranch service pack are:
■Zero touch provisioning for initial device connectivity through PnP server processes.
■Service provisioning of on-premise CPEs through orchestration.
■User interface portal for ordering service, network visualization, and performance or fault monitoring.
vBranch supports the branch site on Cisco 5000 Enterprise Network Compute System (ENCS) platform.
Cisco Enterprise Network Compute System
The Cisco 5000 Enterprise Network Compute System (ENCS) is a line of compute appliances designed for the Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization (ENFV) solution. It delivers a new standard of software-defined flexibility and performance, and offers a low Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). The 5000 ENCS is a hybrid platform that combines the best attributes of a traditional router and a traditional server, and offers the same functionality with a smaller infrastructure footprint. Offered with the Cisco Integrated Services Virtual Router (ISRv) and NFV Infrastructure Software (NFVIS) as the hosting layer, the platform offers a complete solution for a simplified deployment.
Supported VMs
Currently, the following Cisco supplied VMs and third-party VMs are supported on Cisco ENCS:
■Cisco Integrated Services Virtual Router (ISRv)—A virtual form-factor of the Cisco IOS XE software router that delivers WAN gateway and network services functions into virtual environments.
■Cisco Adaptive Security Virtual Appliance (ASAv)—Enables ASA firewall and VPN capabilities on virtualized environments to safeguard traffic and multitenant architectures. Optimized for data center deployments, it is designed to work in multiple hypervisor environments, reduce administrative overhead, and increase operational efficiency.
■Cisco Virtual Wide Area Application Services (vWAAS)—A virtual appliance that accelerates business applications delivered from private and virtual private cloud infrastructure. Cisco vWAAS enables you to rapidly create WAN optimization services with minimal network configuration or disruption.
■Virtual Wireless LAN Controller (vWLC)—Virtual form-factor controller for any x86 server with VMware Hypervisor ESXi.
■3rd Party VNFs—Third-Party VNFs.
SD-WAN Service Pack
Cisco SD-WAN service pack enables service providers to deploy and manage SD-WAN service for their customers. The deployment of an SD-WAN service in the context of a managed service requires deployment per customer and includes the SD-WAN management control plane (vManage, vBond and vSmart), and the corresponding data plane (vEdge).
The SD-WAN service pack management control plane and data plane consists of:
■vManage—The vManage is a centralized dashboard that enables automatic configuration, management, and monitoring of the overlay network. Users log in to vManage to centrally manage all aspects of the network life cycle—from initial deployment, on-going monitoring and troubleshooting, to change control and software upgrades.
■vBond—The vBond facilitates the initial bring-up by performing initial authentication and authorization of all elements into the network. vBond provides the information on how each of the components connects to other components. It plays an important role in enabling devices that sit behind the NAT to communicate with the network.
■vSmart Controller—The vSmart controllers establish the secure SSL connections to all other components in the network, and run an Overlay Management Protocol (OMP) to exchange routing, security, and policy information. The centralized policy engine in vSmart provides policy constructs to manipulate routing information, access control, segmentation, extranets, and service chaining.
■vEdge Router—The vEdge router establishes secure connectivity to all of the control components and also establishes IPSec sessions with other vEdge routers in the WAN network. In the MSX SD-WAN 3.1.1, you can deploy a customer site on Cisco 5000 Enterprise Network Compute System (ENCS) platform.
The Cisco 5000 Enterprise Network Compute System (ENCS) is a line of compute appliances designed for the Cisco Enterprise Network Functions Virtualization (ENFV) solution. Cisco 5000 ENCS is a hybrid platform that combines the best attributes of a traditional router and a traditional server, and offers the same functionality with a smaller infrastructure footprint.
Some of the advantages of the MSX SD-WAN service pack are:
■Provides the interface to associate the tenant (customer) with the Control Plane and Data Plane.
■User interface portal for ordering service (Control Plane and Data Plane Connectivity) and network visualization.
Managed Device Service Pack
Cisco MSX Managed Device service pack enables service providers to provide their customers manage devices services through a self-service portal. With Managed Device service pack, IT organizations can bring into its network (on-board) devices located at the customer premise (CPEs) and apply or manage configuration settings remotely from its Network Operations Center (NOC). The service provider can configure parameterized configuration template that needs to be deployed on these CPEs.
MSX Managed Device service pack makes device deployment fast and easy. Using this service pack user interface you can configure and deploy MSX CPEs.
■Some of the advantages are as follows:
■Zero touch provisioning for initial device connectivity through PnP server processes.
■Service provisioning of on-premise routers through NSO orchestration.
■User Interface portal for configuration templates, ordering service, and performance or fault monitoring.
Cisco MSX Managed Device supports different devices. The list of supported device models are:
■Cisco Cloud Services Router (CSR)1000V
■Cisco 829 Industrial Integrated Services Routers (IR829)
■Cisco 1100 Integrated Services Routers (ISR)
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