Cisco Systems® announces the availability of Cisco® Application Analysis Solution 1.1, Cisco Configuration Assurance Solution 1.1, and Cisco Network Planning Solution 1.1.
Cisco Application Analysis Solution (AAS) 1.1 provides a visual and quantitative breakdown of the complex interactions among applications, servers, and networks to cost-effectively troubleshoot and reliably deploy networked applications. It rapidly illustrates whether performance problems are due to network versus application issues. A new optional module is now available, Cisco AAS-Advanced Capture Module (ACM).
Cisco Configuration Assurance Solution (CAS) 1.1 automatically diagnoses device misconfigurations, policy violations, inefficiencies, and security gaps using a combined visualization of network topology, traffic, and configuration. Cisco CAS improves network availability and security, and documents compliance with best practices and important regulatory and IT Governance requirements. A new optional module is now available, Cisco CAS-Service Provider Module (SPM).
Cisco Network Planning Solution (NPS) 1.1 is a "what-if" network-planning tool to help users optimize capacity and performance, ensure resiliency, plan for new technology deployments, improve application and service continuity, and validate planned configuration changes. Cisco NPS reduces the risks associated with network growth, migration, and consolidation. A new optional module is now available, Cisco NPS-Service Provider Module (SPM).
Table 1 describes the features of Cisco AAS, Cisco CAS, and Cisco NPS.
Table 1. Features and Benefits
Feature
Description
CISCO APPLICATION ANALYSIS SOLUTION 1.1
Profiling of application transactions
Parses an application trace and analyzes it at the application message level and network packet level, with their interdependency presented graphically
Diagnosis of end-to-end performance problems
Identifies root cause of delay by breaking down multiple-tier applications into component flows and automatically determining dependencies among application messages
Assessment of alternative solutions
Provides the ability to "test" a proposed solution to an end-to-end application-performance problem, measured in end-to-end response time
Planning for application deployments
Assesses the ability of the infrastructure to support new applications and projects the impact of increasing application usage over time, as well as changes in the infrastructure topology and capacity
Continuous packet capture
Cisco AAS-ACM works with the Cisco AAS Capture Agents to eliminate the need to manually launch an application trace, but rather performs continuous packet capture
Integration with Cisco Network Analysis Module (NAM)
Uses the Application Capture Manager (an integrated feature of Cisco AAS) to directly control capturing traces from several sources, including Cisco NAM
Cisco Configuration Assurance Solution 1.1
Reduces network outages
Detects configuration problems before they disrupt network operations by using an extensive rules library to analyze individual devices, groups of devices, topology, and routing information
Confirm network security
Verifies that network security policies have been implemented effectively by implementing "tests" that simulate unauthorized traffic flows in a virtual model of the production network, identifying security gaps and pinpointing misconfigured nodes that block valid connectivity
Verifies network resiliency
Inspects complex backup configurations across the network, diagnoses latent problems by simulating failures to test network resiliency, and predicts change impact on applications, resources, and security
Demonstrates compliance
Documents compliance with operational best practices and regulatory requirements such as Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA), and supports key processes from popular IT Governance frameworks including ITIL/BS15000, and ISO 17799
Offers service provider-centric audit and analysis
Cisco CAS-SPM extends the high-fidelity network model and configuration rules to include Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) and Intermediate System-to-Intermediate System (IS-IS), and enables support for networks that have a large number of internal Border Gateway Protocol (I-BGP) speakers
Cisco Network Planning Solution 1.1
Advanced network planning and analysis
Uses an integrated, operationally valid behavioral model of the underlying network infrastructure and allows for accurate traffic flow simulations, identifying bottlenecks and affect on traffic flow due to outages, as well as predicting the impact of deploying new technologies, protocols, or applications
Automated network design and optimization
An integrated design framework with configurable models and repeatable actions is used for capacity planning, resilient link dimensioning, and topology design
Rules-based configuration analysis
Proposed network changes can be validated prior to deployment with a powerful rules-based engine that systematically checks the entire network model, diagnosing device misconfigurations, errors, policy violations, and inefficiencies
QoS planning
Automatically sets IP QoS parameters, and sizes the queue bandwidth or weight on IP interfaces based on the queue load and queue configuration rules
Voice over IP (VoIP) readiness assessment
Provides step-by-step analysis, scoring the network's readiness for VoIP deployment
Service provider planning
Use the optional Cisco NPS-SPM for planning MPLS networks, including the initial deployment of MPLS-based VPNs, MPLS Traffic Engineering, and Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS), and for networks that have a large number of internal Border Gateway Protocol (I-BGP) speakers
AVAILABILITY
Cisco AAS 1.1, Cisco CAS 1.1, and Cisco NPS 1.1 will be available beginningJanuary 9, 2006.Customers interested in purchasing these products can place orders through their normal sales channels beginning December 22, 2005. Tables 2 and 3 provide ordering information.
ORDERING INFORMATION
Table 2. Ordering Information for Cisco AAS 1.1, Cisco CAS 1.1, Cisco NPS 1.1
Part Number
Description
CAAS-1.1UR-K9
Cisco Application Analysis Solution 1.1 - Unrestricted. Also available as an option is CAAS-ACM-1.1UR-LC (Cisco AAS-Advanced Capture Module - 1.1 Unrestricted).
CAAS-1.1R-K9
Cisco Application Analysis Solution 1.1 - Restricted. Also available as an option is CAAS-ACM-1.1R-LC (Cisco AAS-Advanced Capture Module - 1.1 Restricted).
CCAS-1.1-K9
Cisco Configuration Assurance Solution 1.1. Also available as an option is CCAS-SPM-1.1-K9 (Cisco CAS-Service Provider Module - 1.1).
CNPS-1.1UR-K9
Cisco Network Planning Solution 1.1 - Unrestricted. Also available as an option is CNPS-SPM-1.1UR-K9 (Cisco NPS-Service Provider Module - 1.1 Unrestricted).
CNPS-1.1R-K9
Cisco Network Planning Solution 1.1 - Restricted. Also available as an option is CNPS-SPM-1.1R-K9 (Cisco NPS-Service Provider Module - 1.1 Restricted).
CNPS-1.1URADD-K9
Cisco Network Planning Solution 1.1 - One Unrestricted License for additional concurrent user - Virtual Network Data (VND) server not included. Also available as an option is CNPS-SPM-1.1UR-K9 (Cisco NPS-Service Provider Module - 1.1 Unrestricted).
CNPS-1.1RADD-K9
Cisco Network Planning Solution 1.1 - One Restricted License for additional concurrent user - VND server not included. Also available as an option is CNPS-SPM-1.1R-K9 (Cisco NPS-Service Provider Module - 1.1 Restricted).
Table 3. Upgrade and Module Ordering Information for Existing Users of Cisco AAS 1.1, Cisco CAS 1.1, Cisco NPS 1.1
Part Number
Description
Current User Software
CAAS-1.1UP-LC
Cisco Application Analysis Solution 1.1 - Upgrade from Restricted to Unrestricted. Also available as an option is CAAS-ACM-1.1UP-LC (Cisco AAS-Advanced Capture Module 1.1 Upgrade from Restricted to Unrestricted).
Cisco Network Planning Solution 1.1 - Upgrade from Restricted to Unrestricted. Also available as an option is CNPS-SPM-1.1UP-LC (Cisco NPS-Service Provider Module -1.1 - Upgrade from Restricted to Unrestricted).
With the availability of Cisco NPS 1.1, Cisco CAS 1.1 and Cisco AAS 1.1, Cisco is announcing that July 10, 2006 will be the end of sale for the following products. Customers continuing to need new copies of the older Cisco NPS 1.0, Cisco CAS 1.0, and Cisco AAS 1.0 versions should use the part numbers listed in Table 4 to place orders before the end-of-sale date. Information on timelines for technical support of past versions is provided in Cisco NPS, Cisco CAS, and Cisco AAS end-of-sale documentation.
