The Cisco WebEx™ node is a shared port adapter (SPA) for the Cisco® ASR 1000 Series that integrates transparently with the Cisco WebEx collaboration cloud. The shared port adapter runs WebEx software that enables the module to act like a private extension of the WebEx service.
The Cisco WebEx node for the Cisco ASR 1000 Series provides enhanced performance and reduced bandwidth consumption for WebEx web/voice over IP (VoIP)/video sessions in a large enterprise. This is achieved by extending the hosted Cisco WebEx collaboration cloud into a large enterprise by deploying primary software components of the WebEx platform to an embedded processor within the onsite router.
The Cisco WebEx node for ASR 1000 is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Cisco WebEx Node for Cisco ASR 1000 Series
This capability will allow much of the "heavy lifting," including voice, video, and desktop sharing, required for large-scale WebEx meeting application deployments to be moved to the internal side of the proxy server/firewall infrastructure. This will reduce the load on the proxy server/firewall infrastructure and will also substantially reduce the peak bandwidth requirements for a large enterprise. The meeting switching fabric is fully distributed across the WebEx collaboration cloud and the WebEx node infrastructure within the enterprise. Attendees on the public Internet will still connect to the WebEx hosted infrastructure. VoIP/video performance and overall latency for the service will be substantially improved. Figures 2 and 3 compare what the deployment looks like when deploying WebEx with and without the Cisco WebEx node on the Cisco ASR 1000 Series.
Figure 2. Implementation Without the Cisco WebEx Node for the Cisco ASR 1000 Series
Figure 3. Implementation with the Cisco WebEx Node for the Cisco ASR 1000 Series
Features and Benefits
The Cisco WebEx node for the Cisco ASR 1000 enhances the WebEx meeting experience while reducing congestion on an enterprise network and lowering WAN bandwidth requirements.
Benefits include:
• The highest level of performance for WebEx meeting attendees:
– WebEx meeting attendees connect to the closest node onsite or offsite
– Faster delivery of multimedia content (web, VoIP, video)
– Lowest possible latency
• Optimized bandwidth:
– Optimized bandwidth during live large-scale training events or multiple simultaneous corporate meetings using WebEx meetings applications
– By accelerating web meeting performance, the WebEx node frees up bandwidth for other business-critical applications at the edge
– Limits traffic on the WAN, proxies, and firewalls
• Lower customer deployment and maintenance costs:
– No dedicated servers or appliances
– Transparent operations and ease of deployment
– Minimal configuration and administration
– WebEx meeting control, administration, and enhanced services remain hosted in the WebEx collaboration cloud.
The Cisco WebEx node for the Cisco ASR 1000 Series is customized to provide various deployment models. Customers can use the same hardware for their contracted services (that is, just web conferencing or for voice/video conferencing). Any number of WebEx nodes and in any mix, can be deployed in the Cisco ASR 1000 Series; however, web and voice/video conferencing cannot be deployed on the same hardware at the same time.
The WebEx node is implemented on the industry-leading Cisco shared port adapter design. The Cisco SPA/SIP portfolio offers the following additional advantages:
– Pioneering programmable interface processors that provide flexibility for the service diversity required in next-generation networks
– Innovative design that supports intelligent service delivery without compromising on performance
• Increased speed-to-service revenue:
– The scalable, programmable Cisco architecture extended to 10 Gbps dramatically improves customer density, increasing potential revenue per platform.
• Dramatically improved return on your routing investment:
– Improved slot economics and increased density reduce capital expenditures (CapEx)
– The ability to easily add new interfaces as they are needed facilitates a "pay-as-you-grow" business model; SPAs are shared across multiple platforms and can be easily moved from one to another, providing consistent feature support, accelerated product delivery, and a significant reduction in operating expenses (OpEx) through common sparing as service needs change
Product Specifications
Details on product specifications are listed in Table 1.
Table 1. Product Specifications
Product compatibility
Cisco ASR 1000 Series:
• Cisco ASR 1002 chassis
• Cisco ASR 1004 chassis
• Cisco ASR 1006 chassis
Minimum Cisco IOS® XE Software Release
Cisco IOS XE Software Release 2.4.0
Service
Web conferencing
Voice and video conferencing
Performance
500 clients for media
or
600 streams for mixed audio and multipoint video mode
SPA height and number of SPA slots used
Double height
Uses 2 SPA slots in a Cisco ASR 1000 Series chassis
Memory
4 GB RAM
Storage
250 GB 24X7 disk drive
Reliability and availability
Online insertion and removal (OIR)
Hard drive shutdown button
On failure, service automatically reverts to another WebEx Node or to the WebEx Collaboration Cloud
The WebEx node for ASR 1000 supports WebEx Meeting Center, WebEx Training Center, WebEx Event Center, and WebEx Support Center.
Ordering Information
To place an order, visit the Cisco Ordering Home Page. To download software, visit the Cisco Software Center. Tables 2 and 3 provide the part numbers to order respective hardware and software.
Table 2. WebEx Node for Cisco ASR 1000 Series SPA Hardware Ordering Information
Product Description
Part Number
SPA WebEx node for ASR 1000
SPA-WMA-K9
SPA WebEx node for ASR 1000, spare
SPA-WMA-K9=
Table 3. WebEx Node for Cisco ASR 1000 Software Ordering Information: Part Numbers for Cisco IOS XE Software Release 2.4
Product Description
Part Number
Cisco ASR 1000 Series RP1 WebEx node
SASR1R1-WMAK9-24SR
Cisco ASR 1000 Series RP2 WebEx node
SASR1R2-WMAK9-24SR
Note 1 regarding the deployment of the Cisco WebEx node on the Cisco ASR 1000 Series: In addition to the WebEx node software, the Cisco ASR 1000 Series also needs to be configured with one of the Cisco IOS XE consolidated software packages. Details on the ordering and configurations can be found in the Cisco ASR 1000 Ordering Guide.
Note 2 regarding the software part numbers for the WebEx node: With each Cisco IOS XE release, new part numbers will be made available reflecting the Cisco IOS XE release number in the part number. Table 3 shows the part numbers for the WebEx node software for Cisco IOS XE Software Release 2.4.
Cisco Services for the Enterprise WAN Edge
Cisco and our partners help make your enterprise WAN edge deployment a success with a broad portfolio of services based on proven methodologies. We can help you establish a secure, resilient WAN architecture and successfully integrate Cisco® Unified Communications, Cisco TelePresence™, security, and mobility technologies with bandwidth to support video, collaboration, branch solutions, and growth in alignment with your business goals. Planning and design services align technology with business goals and can increase the accuracy, speed, and efficiency of deployment. Technical services help maintain operational health, strengthen software application functionality, solve performance issues, and lower expenses. Optimization services are designed to continually improve performance and help your team succeed with new technologies. For more information, visit http://www.cisco.com/go/services.
For More Information
For more information about the Cisco WebEx node for the Cisco ASR 1000 Series, visit http://www.cisco.com/go/asr or contact your local Cisco account representative. For more information about WebEx Meeting Applications, visit WebEx.com.
