Getting Started

Information about Cisco SD-WAN Cloud

Cisco SD-WAN Cloud (formerly referred to as "Cloud-delivered Catalyst SD-WAN") is a platform for Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN services that reduces and simplifies operational tasks for your Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN fabric. With this platform, you can deploy the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN fabric, managing only edge devices and the edge network, while Cisco manages almost all the operational responsibilities for the fabric. Cisco SD-WAN Cloud provides flexible cloud consumption, operational simplicity, and the comprehensive analytics features that are part of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN.

Cisco SD-WAN Cloud is ideal for small-sized or medium-sized businesses and enterprises that have limited network resources and want to limit the operational burdens of running the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN fabric.

This document describes the initial setup and configuration procedures for Cisco SD-WAN Cloud. Perform these procedures from the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal, which provides options for creating and accessing management tools for fabrics in Cisco SD-WAN Cloud.

Limitations of Cisco SD-WAN Cloud

Cisco SD-WAN Cloud may not fully meet your unique needs if the following features are required:

  • BYO-IDP (Bring Your Own IDP)

  • Identity Services Engine (ISE) Integrations (such as SD-WAN/SDA, Trustsec, ACI)

  • Multi-Region Fabric (MRF)

  • Cloud gateways for AAA/TACACS/SYSLOG

  • Specific requirements for control component locations (such as data sovereignty)

For these cases, refer to the instructions for creating a Cisco SD-WAN Cloud-Pro dedicated fabric in the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal Configuration Guide.

Prerequisites for Cisco SD-WAN Cloud

  • Active Cisco Smart Account.

  • Active Cisco Virtual Account.

  • SA-Admin role for your Cisco Smart Account. This is required to access the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal for the first time to create a fabric. It is not required thereafter.

  • Valid order for a Cisco DNA Cloud subscription or paid SD-WAN Control Component SKUs on the Cisco Commerce site (formerly Cisco Commerce Workspace).

Create a fabric in the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal

After logging into Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal, you can:

  • by default, create a Cisco SD-WAN Cloud fabric, or

  • find information about requesting a Cisco SD-WAN Cloud-Pro dedicated fabric.

Create a Cisco SD-WAN Cloud fabric

Cisco SD-WAN Cloud is only available in limited locations in the US/EU/APAC regions. If you require a Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN fabric to be hosted in a specific location apart from the available locations for Cisco SD-WAN Cloud fabrics, you need to provision a Cisco SD-WAN Cloud-Pro dedicated fabric.

Before you begin

A valid Smart Account and Virtual Account are required to add a Cisco SD-WAN Cloud fabric.

Procedure

Step 1

Enter https://ssp.sdwan.cisco.com to log in to the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal.

Step 2

Enter your Cisco Connection Online (CCO) username.

Step 3

Enter your Cisco Connection Online (CCO) password.

Step 4

Select the role of SD-WAN Customer.

The Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal Dashboard opens.

Step 5

In the dashboard, click Create Fabric.

Step 6

Select the SD-WAN Cloud option.

These instructions apply to Cisco SD-WAN Cloud fabrics only.

Step 7

On the Create Fabric page, do the following:

  1. From the Smart Account drop-down list, choose the name of your Cisco Smart Account.

  2. From the Virtual Account drop-down list, choose the name of your Cisco Virtual Account.

  3. Enter the Fabric Name.

  4. Choose the Fabric Location.

  5. Enter the Fabric Admin(s).

  6. Select the Release Category.

    The Recommended release category provides new features and new platform support in addition to bug fixes. It delivers maximum stability and reliability, making it ideal for most production environments.

    The Early Adopter release category, if available in your location, delivers new features and expanded platform support compared to the Recommended category, but may require more frequent maintenance and updates for bug fixes.

Note

 

All the information selected and entered is listed in the Preview section located on the right side of the page.

Step 8

Accept the Terms and Conditions in the Preview section.

Step 9

Click Create Fabric from the dashboard.

You are notified by email that the fabric has been created.

What to do next

You can begin to access the fabric by logging back into the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal.

Add a user

When you create a fabric, you are automatically given the Admin role for that fabric. You can then configure roles for other users.

A role defines which Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager features a user has read-only access to, and which features they have read and write access to.


Note
Before you can add a role for a user, the user must have an account in Cisco Connection Online.

  1. Log in to the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal with the Admin role for the fabric.

  2. Click View Details.

  3. On the Fabric Details page, click User Role.

  4. Click Add User.

  5. In the User Email ID field, enter the Cisco Connection Online email address for whom you are adding a role.

  6. From the Role drop-down list, choose the user group to belong to.

    User groups are configured in Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager. A user group specifies which features the users in the group have read-only access to, and which features the users have read and write access to.

  7. Click Add.

Access Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager

Cisco SD-WAN Manager provides options for configuring, managing, and monitoring a fabric. Any user with a user role that has been added to the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal can access Cisco SD-WAN Manager.

  1. Log in to the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal: https://ssp.sdwan.cisco.com

    This login provides single sign-on authentication for the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal and Cisco SD-WAN Manager.

  2. Click Manage Fabric for the fabric you want to access.


Note
You can also bookmark the SD-WAN Manager URL and directly access SD-WAN Manager with your CCO email address and password.

To exit the Cisco SD-WAN Manager and return to the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal, choose SD-WAN Portal from the Cisco SD-WAN Manager menu.

Add devices from a Smart Account to the Cisco SD-WAN Manager instance for a fabric

Procedure

Step 1

Log in to the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal.

Step 2

From the list of available fabrics, select a fabric to add devices to and click Manage Fabric.

The Cisco SD-WAN Manager instance for the selected fabric opens.

Step 3

From the Cisco SD-WAN Manager menu, select Configuration > Devices.

Step 4

Click Sync Smart Account.

The Sync Smart Account pane opens.

Step 5

Click Sync.

After synchronization, the devices in your Smart Account appear in the list of edge devices in the Cisco SD-WAN Manager instance for the selected fabric.

Access Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Analytics for a fabric

Cisco SD-WAN Analytics provides information about device behavior, traffic, and related activities in your fabric.

  1. Log in to the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal as a user with the Admin role for the fabric and navigate to the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN for that fabric.

  2. From the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN menu, choose Analytics > Overview.

For more information, see Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Analytics.