Getting Started with Cisco SD-WAN Cloud

The Cisco SD-WAN Cloud platform

The Cisco SD-WAN Cloud networking solution (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,

  • provides flexible cloud consumption, operational simplicity, and the comprehensive analytics features that are part of Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN,

  • requires you to manage only edge devices and the edge network while Cisco handles almost all the operational responsibilities for the fabric, and

  • is ideal for small 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.

Feature limitations of the Cisco SD-WAN Cloud platform

The Cisco SD-WAN Cloud platform does not support these features:

  • BYO-IDP (Bring Your Own Identity Provider)

  • Integrations with Identity Services Engine (ISE), such as SDA, Trustsec, or ACI

  • Multi-Region Fabric (MRF)

  • Cloud gateways for AAA/TACACS/SYSLOG

  • Precise control component locations requirements, such as for data sovereignty

If you require any of these features, see 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 implementation

These requirements must be met to implement the Cisco SD-WAN Cloud platform:

  • An active Cisco Smart Account.

  • An active Cisco Virtual Account.

  • The SA-Admin role for your Cisco Smart Account.

    This is required to access the Catalyst SD-WAN Manager for the first time to create a fabric. It is not required thereafter.

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

Create a Cisco SD-WAN Cloud fabric in Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal


Note

Cisco SD-WAN Cloud is only available in limited locations in the US, EU, and APAC regions. To host a Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN fabric in a specific location apart from the available locations for Cisco SD-WAN Cloud fabrics, provision a Cisco SD-WAN Cloud-Pro dedicated fabric instead.

Before you begin

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

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

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

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

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

Procedure

Step 1

Log in to the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal at https://ssp.sdwan.cisco.com with your CCO username and password.

Step 2

Select the SD-WAN Customer role.

Step 3

In the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal Dashboard, select Create Fabric.

Step 4

Select the SD-WAN Cloud fabric type.

Step 5

Select your Smart Account and Virtual Account.

Step 6

Enter or select the Fabric Name, Fabric Location, Fabric Admin(s), and Release Category.

Note

 

  • The Recommended release category provides new features and new platform support in addition to bug fixes. It delivers maximum stability and reliability.

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

All the information you provide is listed in the Preview section on the right panel of the page.

Step 7

Accept the Terms and Conditions in the Preview section.

Step 8

Select Create Fabric.

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

What to do next

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

Add a user to a fabric and assign a role

User roles assign specific access permissions to users for a fabric.

Roles, or 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.

When you create a fabric, you are automatically assigned the Admin user role for that fabric and you can configure roles for other users.


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 CCO email address of the user.

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

  7. Click Add.

The user is added to the fabric with the assigned role.

Access Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Manager from the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal

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 into the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal.

    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.

    The Cisco SD-WAN Manager opens.

  3. 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.


Note

You can also bookmark the SD-WAN Manager URL, which allows you to directly access it with your CCO email address and password after you have logged into the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Portal at least once.

Add devices from a Smart Account to Cisco SD-WAN Manager

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.

Step 3

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

Step 4

Click Sync Smart Account.

Step 5

In the Sync Smart Account pane, 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 Cisco SD-WAN Cloud fabric

Use Cisco SD-WAN Analytics to view 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.

  2. Navigate to the Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN page for the fabric.

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

Cisco SD-WAN Analytics opens, displaying device behavior, traffic, and related activities for your fabric.

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