Remote and Mobile Assets Design and Implementation Guide
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- Updated:
- September 2, 2020
Chapter: Technology Guidance
Remote and Mobile Assets—Technology Guidance
This module is part of the larger Remote and Mobile Assets (RaMA) Cisco Validated Design (CVD). Refer to the other modules for additional details about certain aspects of the architecture that are touched on in this module. All of the RaMA CVD modules are available at: www.cisco.com/go/rama ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ |
This module includes the following sections:
The overview briefly describes the purpose and layout of the document. |
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List of requirements to consider when deciding on which industrial router is most appropriate for a specific use case. |
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A brief overview of the RaMA architecture focusing on where the industrial router portfolio fits into the solution. |
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This section takes a close look at the hardware and software capabilities of the IR807, IR809, IR829, and IR1101 industrial routers as used in the RaMA solution. Recommendations are included for choosing the best platform for some common use cases. |
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How to diagnose and resolve common issues seen with WiFi, LTE, GPS, VPN, and more. |
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Appendix A—Firewall Ports for Kinetic GMM to Gateway Communication |
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Reference table of validated hardware and software combinations. This applies to all other modules of the RaMA documentation |
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Overview
This module provides an in depth look at Cisco's industrial routing portfolio which is central to the Remote and Mobile Assets solution. This module can be used to help guide the design and implementation of the RaMA solution. Feature comparisons between the available models (for mobile and fixed applications) are presented, as well as recommendations for hardware use in several common use cases. Some industry-agnostic troubleshooting tips are provided, along with issues to look out for when designing and deploying the industrial routers in the Remote and Mobile Assets solution. Finally, a hardware software matrix outlines all the versions validated as part of the solution Cisco Validated Design.
Requirements
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Portfolio of secure industrial gateways
■Secure cloud-hosted gateway deployment and management
■Zero-Touch Deployment (ZTD) and Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP)
■WAN connectivity options (Ethernet, LTE, Dual-LTE, WGB)
■Enterprise network integration
■Lower deployment and operating expenses
Figure 1 Cisco Remote and Mobile Assets—Solution Architecture—Component View
Figure 1 highlights the four primary components of the Cisco RaMA solution, the portfolio of Cisco Industrial Routers (IRs) and Cisco Kinetic GMM:
■The Cisco IR portfolio consists of different models of hardened industrial grade gateways that can be installed with fixed and mobile assets. For mobile assets, the gateways are capable of providing non-stop vehicle connectivity and an in-built GPS to track the current and historical location of the mobile asset.
■Cisco IOx provides the edge compute capability on supported IR gateways (IR809, IR829, IR1101). The ability to run microservices (from Cisco or third parties) enables data collection, processing, and forwarding at the edge of the network.
■Cisco Kinetic GMM is a cloud-hosted provisioning and management platform that enables ZTD and management of the edge routers. Kinetic GMM establishes a secure IPSec management tunnel to each of the on-boarded routers for provisioning and managing the routers from a centralized cloud. If customers wish to extend their enterprise network to the edge IoT gateways, Kinetic GMM helps provision a FlexVPN tunnel from each of the edge gateways to the enterprise headend VPN router.
■Cisco Control Center works with cellular providers to enable customers to manage the SIM cards and associated data plans for IoT devices. Integration with Kinetic GMM streamlines the management of cellular-connected Cisco gateways.
Design Considerations
Getting started with the Cisco RaMA solution requires two steps:
■Selecting the industrial router model
Selecting the Router
Figure 2 Cisco IoT Gateway Portfolio
Cisco offers a wide range of industrial routers to meet a range of requirements and budgets. Table 1 lists some of the prominent features supported by each of the routers.
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Designing Your Solution
Target Customers and Markets
Target customers for the Cisco RaMA solution have similar application requirements for connecting their assets, as shown in Table 2.
Despite these similarities, the target segments also have distinct requirements based on their industry. Typical users fall into six categories with a number of vertical industries covered by each, as shown in Table 3.
Because of the flexibility of the Industrial Routers and the Kinetic GMM software, the Cisco RaMA CVD describes a number of available options. Table 4 and Table 5 provide sample guidance for basic connectivity versus advanced connectivity to provide a flavor for the range of possibilities.
■The basic connectivity option provides basic internet connectivity for edge device(s) behind the IR, with a focus on easy deployment and minimal requirements from the enterprise network.
■The advanced connectivity option provides more complex architectures for experienced customers to use their edge gateways as a full extension of the enterprise.
All gateway configuration options shown throughout are implemented using Cisco Kinetic GMM config templates. Table 4 and Table 5 are examples that demonstrate the range of design options available through Kinetic GMM. Actual customer requirements should drive the technology decisions since those use cases may look different from the options shown below.
Although Cisco IOS provides many more options and features, these are outside the scope of this document. Mixing Kinetic GMM and manual configuration is not recommended. For use cases that require advanced IOS configuration not exposed via Base Kinetic GMM config templates, we recommend using the Advanced Templates feature within Kinetic GMM.
A collection of scripts and Advanced Templates has been posted to GitHub. This collection includes Python scripts that can be used to create these recommended templates for various use cases in Kinetic GMM. This regularly updated repository contains many of the examples shown throughout this CVD and more:
https://github.com/CiscoDevNet/iot-gateway-management
Cisco Industrial Router Portfolio
This section describes the Cisco IR portfolio in terms of hardware and networking features. When evaluating specific hardware or software features in this section, the Industrial Router platforms that support the described feature are indicated.
Cisco IR807 Ruggedized Gateway
The Cisco IR807 is a compact multimode 3G and 4G LTE wireless router. It provides an ideal solution for remote asset management across power-constrained industry segments such as distribution automation and other energy applications.
Figure 3 Cisco IR807 Ruggedized Gateway
■Cisco IR807 Datasheet:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/routers/800-series-industrial-routers/datasheet-c78-739643.html
■Cisco IR807 Hardware Installation Guide:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/access/800/807/hardware/install/guide/b_IR807hwinst.html
Cisco IR809 Ruggedized Gateway
The IR809 is Cisco's smallest multimode 3G and 4G LTE wireless router, which makes it an excellent solution for use cases where a full featured router with edge compute is required and space is a constrained.
Figure 4 Cisco IR809 Ruggedized Gateway
■Cisco IR809 Datasheet:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/routers/809-industrial-router/datasheet-c78-734980.html
■Cisco IR809 Hardware Installation Guide:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/access/800/809/hardware/install/guide/b_809hwinst.html
Cisco IR829 Ruggedized Gateway
The IR829 is Cisco's flagship IoT gateway, purpose built for deployment on board a vehicle. The optional Dual-LTE feature provides multi-path LTE and/or WAN backhaul for mission-critical IoT initiatives requiring highly-secure data delivery, edge application execution, and redundant connectivity. With two LTE modems, the IR829 can concurrently connect to two cellular networks for high reliability, enhanced data throughputs, load balancing, and differentiated services.
Figure 5 Cisco IR829 Ruggedized Gateway
■Cisco IR829 Datasheet:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/routers/829-industrial-router/datasheet-c78-734981.html
■Cisco IR829 Hardware Installation Guide:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/access/800/829/hardware/install/guide/b_IR829-HIG.html
Key features of the IR829 include:
■Seamless switching between wireless networks without manual intervention to ensure transparency to users. Devices (laptops, smart devices, sensors, and cameras) and applications maintain continuous connectivity as the WAN links change.
■Allows an entire mobile network or subnet to stay connected since the dual-radio 2.4GHz and 5 Ghz WLAN can serve as both clients and access points.
■Built-in GPS systems to track vehicle fleets.
■Dual Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) support for reliability and multi-homing capabilities over LTE and HSPA-based networks. The two SIMs operate in active/backup mode on the single LTE models of the IR829. On the Dual-LTE IR829, the two SIMs can operate in active/active mode with each of the SIMs assigned to different cellular carriers
Dual SIM active/backup mode is supported only on single LTE models of the IR829.
Cisco IR1101 Ruggedized Gateway
The Cisco IR1101 Integrated Services Router Rugged (IR1101) is Cisco's smallest modular industrial router. Designed in a highly modular form factor, it is an ideal solution for remote asset management across multiple industrial vertical markets.
Figure 6 Cisco IR1101 Ruggedized Gateway
Figure 7 Cisco IR1101 Expansion Module
■Cisco IR1101 Datasheet:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/routers/1101-industrial-integrated-services-router/datasheet-c78-741709.html
■Cisco IR1101 Hardware Installation Guide:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/access/1101/hardware/installation/guide/1101hwinst.html
Select Hardware Features
Choice of Antennas
All Cisco hardware offer a wide range of antenna options to support the use case requirements. Best practices for antenna installation include:
■Antenna should offer MIMO on LTE. Without MIMO, WCDMA, UMTS, HSPA, and DC-HSPA+ are only possible for diversity. In the case of 3G UMTS, a solo antenna limits switching to the diversity port.
■Install the router with two antennas (Main and Aux) to guarantee the best performance level. A single antenna may affect downlink performance by more than 3dB and by as much as 20dB because of multipath fading (destructive interference between direct and reflected radio waves).
■We recommend the use of multi-element antennas (5-in-1, 3-in-1, 2-in-1) to avoid streams interfering with each other. If, instead, MIMO antennas that have a strong correlation coefficient were installed, the system may have trouble separating them (leading to interference).
■On the IR829, ensure physical spacing between antennas to allow for RF isolation between different radios. The router requires a guaranteed >15dB (ideally 20-25dB) isolation between Wi-Fi and LTE antennas to ensure optimum performance.
For guidance on antenna installation for the different gateways (Cellular Antenna, WLAN Antenna-5 Ghz, WLAN Antenna- 2.4GHz), refer to the Cisco Industrial Routers and Industrial Wireless Access Points Antenna Guide at:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/connectedgrid/antennas/installing-combined/industrial-routers-and-industrial-wireless-antenna-guide.html
To help with antenna selection, refer to the Antenna Selection Table at:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/connectedgrid/antennas/installing-combined/industrial-routers-and-industrial-wireless-antenna-guide/Antenna-Selection.html
SIM-based Auto-Carrier Selection (AutoSIM)
The router automatically detects the active SIM and configures its modem for the appropriate cellular carrier when an active SIM is inserted and powered up, which provides a number of benefits including:
■Simplified configuration and reduced setup time
■Simplified procurement, reduced inventory complexity, and simplified deployments
Figure 8 Industrial Router Auto SIM
Gyroscope/Accelerometer
The IR829 includes a built-in gyroscope and accelerometer that can detect linear acceleration and angular movement. This functionality could be used to detect equipment tampering or assist in automotive applications where movement is involved. Devices connected to the serial port can access the accelerometer and gyroscope data through the IOS CLI or IOx. These routers will, by default, take an accelerometer and gyroscope reading every second. However, the configuration can be changed to take a reading once every six or 60 seconds.
SSD Storage
The IR1101 Expansion module supports an optional mSATA Solid State Disk that is available in 100 GB capacity. This replaces the 4 GB of disk built-in storage available in the main unit and is only visible and usable in IOx. Once the module is installed, no additional configuration is needed to use the extra disk space. Since this module is not hot-swappable, the router will need to be powered off before installing the module.
The IR829-M models offer the option for an mSATA Solid State Disk that is available in 50 and 100 GB capacities. This replaces the four GB of disk storage available in other IR829 models and is only visible and usable in IOx. Once the module is installed, no additional configuration is needed to use the extra disk space. Since this module is not hot-swappable, the router will need to be powered off before installing the module.
For additional information on the mSATA SSD module, refer to mSATA SSD as Additional Storage at:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/access/800/829/software/configuration/guide/b_IR800config/b_IR800config_chapter_01011.pdf
General Purpose I/O (GPIO)
The IR1101 Expansion has a connector for GPIO. The Digital I/O connector has four GPIO connections plus one Return connection. The Digital I/O supports Both Dry and Wet contacts up to 60Volts.
■Dry contact is isolated from a voltage source (or “No Volt”), with an embedded relay function (NPN transistor), usually used to indicate an event. For example: open/close, alarm.
■Wet contact is a contact with external power (+3.3V to +60V, max 150mA of current allowed at high voltage) applied, usually used to energize something. For example: solenoid, light.
For additional information on the GPIO pinouts, refer to Expansion Module product overview at:
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/access/1101/b_IR1101HIG/b_IR1101HIG_chapter_01.html#con_1238158
Ignition Power Management
The Ignition Power Management feature helps keep the IR829 gateway up and running while the vehicle is stopped without draining the vehicle battery. Additional benefits of the Ignition Power Management system include:
■Zero boot up time (no cold start) because the platform stays powered up for a pre-determined period of time when the vehicle engine is turned off. The pre-determined period is programmable between 60 to 7200 seconds (2H00) using the IOS ignition off-timer command.
■Energy management by allowing users to program automatic power-down of the router when the vehicle battery drops below a certain voltage threshold.
■Vehicle power fluctuations can be mitigated since the IR829 withstands the cold crank down to 6V for a period of time specified in the ISO-7637-2.
■IOS-based discharge management to prevent battery discharge by turning the router off if the vehicle has the ignition off for a period of time (programmable) and protects the router by turning the router off if the battery voltage rises above a certain level (fixed amount of time).
■Automatic event logging including ignition state (on or off), ignition-off timer expiry, features enabled or disabled through the CLI, and under-voltage and over-voltage events.
Figure 9 Ignition Power Management Features
Figure 10 Ignition Power Management
Ordering Information
An updated list of supported hardware and firmware versions is maintained at:
https://developer.cisco.com/docs/kinetic/#!supported-gateways-and-firmware/supported-gateways
To enable Cisco Kinetic GMM on Cisco gateways, order the following option in the catalog:
■Option PID: IR-CLOUD-MGMT-Enable the gateway to be ready for cloud management.
Full ordering information is covered in the Ordering Guide:
https://www.cisco.com/c/dam/en/us/products/se/2018/12/Collateral/kinetic-ess-cloud-og.pdf
When ordering new gateways for greenfield deployments, use one of the following base routers:
Once the base router is selected, options for specific hardware models and Kinetic GMM subscription terms are made available. The available hardware SKUs supported in Kinetic GMM are listed in the next section.
Kinetic GMM Gateway Compatibility
Kinetic GMM supports the management of Cisco IR 8x9 series gateways, which currently includes the IR807, IR809, IR829, and IR1101 models as shown in Table 6, Table 7, Table 8, Table 9, and Table 10.
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Because of the differences in LTE bands supported by different operators across the globe, we encourage you to consult in-country sales resources to validate ordering information for your country. Table 7 contains the available SKUs when this document was published.
Kinetic GMM Subscription Details
Kinetic GMM is available as part of the Cisco Kinetic platform subscription. Cloud-hosted Kinetic GMM is sold based on the number of gateways under management. You can purchase a subscription for a 12, 36, or 60-month period. Since Cisco Kinetic GMM is a cloud-hosted platform, you will automatically receive periodic updates to stay up-to-date with the latest version of the software. You can choose to prepay the subscription price for the entire term or on an annualized basis.
Kinetic GMM Services and Support
Your Kinetic GMM base software subscription entitles you to limited 12x5 phone/TAC support. The limited support includes access to trained TAC personnel via phone, web, and email. In addition, support includes the continuous monitoring of the Kinetic Cloud Operations. You can also access online resources, including the knowledge base and tutorials. No additional products, licenses, or fees are required to access basic support services with the Cisco Kinetic GMM subscription. Enhanced support is available for an additional fee.
Common Issues and Troubleshooting
For additional detailed troubleshooting procedures, refer to:
https://developer.cisco.com/docs/kinetic/#!gateway-diagnostics
Common Gateway Issues
Stuck in Registering for more than 10 minutes.
This usually indicates that the gateway is not able to contact Cisco Kinetic:
■For cellular gateways, ensure that a SIM card was inserted and has a valid data plan.
■If Ethernet-based gateways are used, verify that the required network ports are open and that no firewalls are blocking the gateway from reaching the internet.
Stuck in the In Progress State for more than 10 minutes:
■Ensure that the gateway did not go offline and internet connectivity is still present.
■Check the Gateway Event Logs under the Gateway Details page to see if the gateway registered successfully and was configured.
■Verify that the WAN interface configuration is correct in the template used to claim the gateway.
■Ensure that the gateway did not go offline and internet connectivity is still present.
■Check that the gateway model and model for the associated template are the same.
■Verify that the WAN interface configuration is correct in the template used to claim the gateway.
GPS Troubleshooting
If the gateway location is not being updated correctly on the map view:
■Wait for the update to occur. The gateway location is updated every 30 seconds.
■Verify that GPS is enabled on the Gateway Details -> Current Config page.
■If GPS is not in enabled state, check if the gateway was claimed using a configuration that enabled GPS. This can be checked in the Gateway Event Logs. There will be an entry indicating the configuration that was applied to the gateway. Ensure that the proper configuration was applied.
■Ensure that the correct GPS antennas are attached to the gateway.
■Delete and reclaim the gateway with the correct configuration if required.
Login Troubleshooting
■Ensure that you or your user has a valid account in the portal.
Private Subnet Troubleshooting
If the devices connected to the gateway are not getting assigned the right DHCP IP addresses:
■If private subnet is not enabled, the devices will be assigned IP addresses from Cisco Kinetic.
■Verify that the private subnet is enabled on the Gateway Details -> Current Config page.
■If private subnet is not enabled, check if the gateway was claimed using a configuration that enabled private subnet. This can be checked in the Gateway Event Logs. There will be an entry indicating the configuration that was applied to the gateway. Ensure that the proper configuration was applied.
■Verify that the configuration details entered for configuration are correct.
■Delete and reclaim the gateway with the correct configuration if required.
Customer VPN Troubleshooting
If the gateway is not able to establish a tunnel with the HER:
■Verify that VPN is enabled on the Gateway Current Config page.
■If the VPN is not enabled, check if the device was claimed using a configuration that enabled the Customer VPN. This can be checked in the Gateway Event Logs. There will be an entry indicating the configuration that was applied to the gateway. Ensure that the proper configuration was applied.
■Verify that the details entered for the VPN configuration are correct.
■Verify that the configuration on your HER is correct and that it allows the gateways to establish tunnels with the provided configuration.
■Delete and reclaim the gateway with the correct configuration if required.
Note: A known issue exists where site-to-site VPN tunnels and the site-to-site VPN tunnel IP Address on the Gateway Details page can take up to 30 minutes to update after it is successfully enabled.
WGB Troubleshooting
If the gateway is not able to connect to the root access point:
■Verify that WGB is enabled on the Gateway Details -> Current Config page.
■If it is not enabled, check if the gateway was claimed using a configuration that enabled WGB. This can be checked in the Gateway Event Logs. Note:
■Confirm that the details entered for the WGB configuration are correct.
■Ensure that the correct antennas are attached to the gateway.
■WGB is supported only on the 5GHz radio. Verify that the root access point is compatible with this.
■Make sure the radio frequencies between AP and the WGB device are in the same domain and have a common frequency.
■Use the command show controller Dot11 1 frequency to display the frequency channels.
Ideally, there will be many overlapping non-DFS channel between the IR829 gateway’s AP and the root AP.
■Delete and reclaim the gateway with the correct configuration if required.
Note: WGB is supported only on IR829 gateways that use cellular as the uplink and is not supported on IR809 gateways and Ethernet enabled IR829 gateways.
Wi-Fi Troubleshooting
If you are not able to connect any devices to the Wi-Fi hotspot configured on the gateway:
■Ensure that the correct SSID and preshared key are entered into the device.
■Ensure that the correct antenna is attached to the gateway and that the device is within range.
■Verify that Wi-Fi is enabled on the Gateway Details -> Current Config page.
■If Wi-Fi is not enabled, check if the gateway was claimed using a configuration that enabled Wi-Fi. This can be checked in the Gateway Event Logs. There will be an entry indicating the configuration that was applied to the gateway. Ensure that the proper configuration was applied. Delete and reclaim the gateway with the correct configuration, if required.
■If WGB is also enabled on the gateway, then Wi-Fi works only on the 2.4 GHz radio.
■Wi-Fi is supported only on the IR829 gateways (not supported on IR809 devices).
For additional information on troubleshooting:
■ https://developer.cisco.com/docs/kinetic/#!gateway-configuration-troubleshooting
■ https://developer.cisco.com/docs/kinetic/#!deploy-your-gateways/troubleshooting
Appendix A—Firewall Ports for Kinetic GMM to Gateway Communication
Cisco Kinetic requires specific TCP/UDP network ports and IP protocols to be opened on the network firewall to communicate with the gateways. For the recommended settings, refer to https://developer.cisco.com/docs/kinetic/#!requirements/admin-console-requirements,
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Appendix B—Hardware and Software Matrix
Table 13 lists the individual component versions that have been validated to work together as part of the CVD test effort.
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IOS for IR807, IR809: 15.8(3)M2a |
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Glossary
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