Cisco Prime™ Collaboration Manager is a comprehensive video service assurance and management system with a set of powerful monitoring, troubleshooting, and reporting capabilities that help ensure end users receive a consistent, high-quality video collaboration experience. Providing superior levels of video quality and availability to users can be an extremely challenging task for service and network operators. Collaboration Manager aids operators in delivering a first-rate end-user experience by:
• Visualizing and monitoring video collaboration sessions in real time, helping provide timely support to end users when issues arise
• Significantly reducing operational costs by dramatically speeding the time required to pinpoint issues that affect service
• Providing detailed video flow path analysis to rapidly isolate areas of service degradation in the session path, including an increased level of visibility if accessing Cisco® medianet-enabled networks
• Helping to enable effective management of key assets through simplified diagnostic and utilization reports and at-a-glance executive summaries
About Cisco Prime
Cisco Prime Collaboration Manager is a product in the Cisco Prime network management portfolio.
The Cisco Prime portfolio of enterprise and service provider management offerings supports integrated lifecycle management of Cisco architectures and technologies based on a service-centric framework. Built on an intuitive workflow-oriented user experience, Cisco Prime products help increase IT productivity and reduce operational costs through innovative management solutions for network services, infrastructure, and endpoints.
Simplified Video Collaboration Management with End-to-End Visualization
Improve Operational Efficiencies with Rapid Problem Resolution
Video collaboration service operators need to manage large service deployments and monitor many concurrent sessions. Cisco Prime Collaboration Manager provides operators with the ability to visualize the service status and topology of all sessions currently in progress. Operators can quickly pinpoint critical sessions as well as locate and address sessions with problems (Figure 1). This built-in visibility helps operators optimize video delivery and reduce operational costs across the organization.
Figure 1. Session Monitoring Dashboard
End-to-End Visibility and Fault Isolation for Improved Troubleshooting
Video collaboration service operators need to quickly isolate the source of any service degradation in the network for all point-to-point and multipoint video sessions in an enterprise. Cisco Prime Collaboration Manager provides a detailed analysis of the end-to-end media path, including specifics about endpoint, service infrastructure, and network-related issues. Its ability to provide detailed visibility into the media path and critical fault and performance statistics facilitates faster isolation and resolution of video problems (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Media Path Visualization
Integrated Troubleshooting with Cisco Medianet
In conjunction with Cisco medianet Cisco Prime Collaboration Manager delivers richer end-to-end information that helps operators more easily identify and isolate video issues. Collaboration Manager uses Cisco medianet to provide enhanced path computation, statistics collection, and synthetic traffic generation.
When network devices are medianet-enabled, Collaboration Manager provides:
• Deeper, flow-related information along the video path using Mediatrace (Figure 3)
• Snapshot views of all traffic at network hot spots using Performance Monitor
• The ability to initiate synthetic video traffic from network devices using the IP service-level agreement (IP SLA) video operations to assess video performance on a network
Figure 3. Network Flow-Based Information Using Mediatrace
Simplified Reports and Executive Summaries
Cisco Prime Collaboration Manager 1.1 introduces simple predefined reports as well as at-a-glance executive summaries that help enable service administrators quickly and easily to view utilization and problem trends as well as critical outages in their video collaboration deployments. These reports help business decision makers allocate video collaboration resources successfully at ideal locations and increase ROI. In addition, being able to instantly view service degradation and problem trends, service operators can help ensure higher system uptime and greater end-user experience.
Table 1 lists features, functions, and benefits of Cisco Prime Collaboration Manager.
Table 1. Features, Functions, and Benefits
Feature
Function
Benefit
End-to-end service monitoring
• Real-time visualization of in-progress video collaboration sessions
• Critical fault and performance metrics for sessions at endpoint and network level
• Extensive alarming with customizable thresholds and severity levels
• Configurable notification of service-affecting outages
• Significantly reduces operational costs by speeding time required to pinpoint service-affecting issues
• Helps in providing proactive and timely support to end users when problems arise
• Allows for granular management of specific alarm detection and notification
Real-time service troubleshooting and diagnostics
• End-to-end detailed video flow path visualization and identification of hot spots
• Deeper visibility into flow-related statistics and additional network traffic across Cisco medianet- enabled networks
• Dramatically speeds time to detect and resolve problems by pinpointing service degradation along the session path
• Simplifies troubleshooting, reducing time to identify root causes that affect video end-user experience
Service readiness assessment with Cisco medianet
• Initiate synthetic video traffic generation between endpoints using Cisco medianet-enabled routers and switches
• End-to-end video flow path analyses, including isolation of any service degradations
• Proactively discovers issues to quickly fix problems before they affect end users
• Eases validation of network readiness prior to new video endpoint deployments
Executive summaries
• Summary of business-affecting metrics (utilization, problem areas)
• At-a-glance status of health and utilization of all system resources
• Daily/weekly/monthly views
• Exportable to comma-separated value (CSV) files
• Facilitates optimal resource allocation by displaying trends in room and endpoint model utilization
• Helps ensure higher system uptime through instant visibility of any system component degradation
Simplified out-of-the box reports
• Comprehensive session and utilization data
• Statistical and diagnostic information, down to media flow level
• All reports exportable to CSV files, facilitating custom report creation
• Increases return-on-investment (ROI) by providing endpoint-specific utilization data
• Helps identify utilization and problem trends through comprehensive endpoint and session reports
Centralized inventory of video infrastructure
• Discovery and inventory of all deployed endpoints and service infrastructure devices
• Centralized database contains endpoint peripheral information (software and firmware versions, serial and model numbers)
• Complete device information exportable to CSV file
• Provides fast and easy access to comprehensive inventory details
• Reduces operations resources needed to verify device upgrades quickly and accurately
Service and Network Infrastructure Device Support Requirements
Table 2 lists support requirements for service and network infrastructure.
Table 2. Service and Network Infrastructure Device Support Requirements
Device Type
Devices
Software Version
Service infrastructure
Cisco TelePresence System
Endpoints
CTS 500 Series
CTS 1000
CTS 1100
CTS 1300 Series
CTS 3000 Series
CTS 3200 Series
1.7 or later
Cisco Telepresence SystemEX/Profile/Integrator C/QuickSet series endpoints
EX60
EX90
C20 QuickSet
C40 Series
C60 Series
C90 Series
Profile 42
Profile Dual 52 and Profile 52
Profile Dual 65 and Profile 65
TC 4.1 or later
Call processors
Cisco Unified Communications Manager
Cisco Video Communication Server (VCS)
System version: 7.1.3.11001-7 or later
System version: x6.0 or later
Application managers
Cisco TelePresence Manager
Cisco TelePresence Management
Suite (TMS)
1.7 or later
13.1 or later
Conferencing devices
Cisco TelePresence Multipoint Switch
TelePresence Server
MCU 4500
MSE 8510
MSE 8710
1.7 or later
2.1 or later
4.1 or later
2.1 or later
4.1 or later
Network infrastructure
Routers
1800, 2800, 3800
1900, 2900, 3900
ASR 1000
7200, 7400, 7600
Cisco IOS® Software 12.2 or later
Cisco IOS Software 12.2 or later
Cisco IOS Software 12.4 or later
Cisco IOS Software 12.4 or later
Switches
Catalyst®2000
Catalyst3000
Catalyst4000
Catalyst6000
Cisco IOS Software 12.2 or later Cisco IOS Software 12.2 or later Cisco IOS Software 12.2 or later Cisco IOS Software 12.2 or later
System Requirements
Cisco Prime Collaboration Manager 1.1 is available as a virtual appliance. A single downloadable open virtual appliance (OVA) image, which contains the Collaboration Manager virtual machine (VM), is provided for installation onto a VMware server with a virtual machine environment matching or exceeding the virtual machine template described below.
A virtual machine template defines the configuration of the virtual machine that includes CPU, memory, disk, and network resources. The configuration of a Collaboration Manager virtual machine must match or exceed the supported virtual machine template defined in Table 3.
Table 3. Virtual Machine Templates
VM Template
vCPU
vMemory
vDisk
vNIC
Up to 1000 endpoints
4
8 GB
90 GB
1 GB NIC
More than 1000 endpoints
4
16 GB
90 GB
1 GB NIC
Table 4 outlines the minimum system requirements for the VMware server onto which the Collaboration Manager OVA image will be installed.
Cisco Unified Computing System™ (Cisco UCS™) is recommended, but other servers can also be used.
Software (hypervisor)
VMware ESXi 4.1
Table 5 outlines the minimum system requirements for client systems.
Table 5. System Requirements: Client
Description
Specifications
Browser
Mozilla Firefox 3.6.x,4.x,5.x
Internet Explorer 8.0, 9.0
Flash Plug-in
Adobe Flash Player 10x
Resolution
1024 x 768 minimum
Licensing and Ordering Information
Cisco Prime Collaboration Manager licensing is based on the scale of Cisco Video deployment and allows customers to add individual device type licenses as they grow their video deployment. For specific details, contact your local Cisco account representative.
Figure 5 presents the specifications for each license type based on the variables described below.
Figure 5. End Point Device Categories
Cisco Prime Collaboration Manager 1.1 is available for purchase through regular Cisco sales and distribution channels worldwide. To download software, visit the Cisco Software Center. Table 7 presents ordering information. To order the software license, visit the Cisco Ordering Homepage. The license will be available by eDelivery only.
Table 6. Ordering Information
Product Number
Description
Price
R-PC-1.1-BASE-K9=
Cisco Prime CM 1.1 Software
$0
L-CM-A-DEVICE
Collaboration Manager Device Licenses
$0
L-PC-A-50-MID-LIC
50 midrange end point tier license
$20,000
L-PC-A-100-MD-LIC
100 midrange end point tier license
$38,000
L-PC-A-200-MD-LIC
200 midrange end point tier license
$72,200
L-PC-A-500-MD-LIC
500 midrange end point tier license
$171,475
L-PC-A-1K-MID-LIC
1000 midrange end point tier license
$325,803
L-PC-A-10-HI-LIC
10 high end, end point single codec tier license
$20,000
L-PC-A-20-HI-LIC
20 high end, end point single codec tier license
$38,000
L-PC-A-50-HI-LIC
50 high end, end point single codec tier license
$90,250
L-PC-A-100-HI-LIC
100 high end, end point single codec tier license
$171,475
L-PC-A-200-HI-LIC
200 high end, end point single codec tier license
$325,803
L-PC-A-1-MULT-LIC
1-high end, end point multi codec tier license
$6,000
L-PC-A-10-MUL-LIC
10-high end, end point multi codec tier license
$50,000
Services from Cisco and Our Partners
Organizations can realize the full business value of their technology investments with smart, personalized services from Cisco and our partners. Backed by deep networking expertise and a broad ecosystem of partners, Cisco Services enable organizations to successfully plan, build, and run their network as a powerful business platform. Whether you are looking to quickly seize new opportunities to meet rising customer expectations, improve operational efficiency to lower costs, mitigate risk, or accelerate growth, Cisco has a service that can help you.
Warranty Coverage and Technical Service Options
Cisco Prime Collaboration Manager comes with the Cisco 90-day software warranty. Purchasing an application support service provides benefits not available with warranty including access to maintenance and minor updates, online resources, and Technical Assistance Center (TAC) support services. Table 7 shows the technical services available for Collaboration Manager 1.1.
