Table Of Contents
Intelligent Caching and Content Delivery Services for Cisco Routers
Accelerating User Productivity with the Cisco ACNS Solution
Integrating Content Networking and Branch-Office Routing
Important Features of Cisco ACNS Software Version 5.1
Cisco 2600/3600/3700 Series Content Engine Module Product Summary
Data Sheet
Cisco 2600/3600/3700 Series Content Engine Modules
Intelligent Caching and Content Delivery Services for Cisco Routers
Figure 1
Cisco 2600/3600/3700 Series Content Engine Module
Cisco® 2600/3600/3700 Series content engine modules offer the industry's only router-integrated content-delivery system. Combining intelligent caching, content routing, and management with robust branch-office routing conserves WAN bandwidth for important branch IP services such as voice over IP (VoIP) and network security, while simplifying configuration, deployment, and operation. Cisco Application and Content Networking System (ACNS) Software combines the technologies of demand-pull caching and pre-positioning for accelerated delivery of Web applications, objects, files, and streaming media. Running Cisco ACNS Software, the Cisco 2600/3600/3700 Series content engine modules enable Cisco customers to extend the value of their branch routers to deliver strategic new application services—with no performance degradation—such as:
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Web-application acceleration (including software distribution)
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Further, the content engine modules interoperate with all routers running Cisco IOS® Software, and important Cisco IOS Software features such as IP Multicast and Web Cache Communication Protocol (WCCP), while supporting a common command-line interface (CLI).
The Cisco 2600/3600/3700 Series content engine modules (Figure 1) fit into a single network module slot on the Cisco 2600 and 3600 series multiservice platforms and the Cisco 3700 Series multiservice access routers. Available configurations are a 40-GB hard disk, 80-GB hard disk, or Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) controller. The content engine module with a SCSI controller has no disk drive onboard and requires an external disk array.
Accelerating User Productivity with the Cisco ACNS Solution
The Cisco ACNS solution is an important component of the Cisco Full Service Branch, featuring intelligent application-enabling network services and adaptable "how-to" blueprints, addressing voice and video, network security, Web-application acceleration, Internet mobility, and connectivity services. These network-integrated, intelligent services allow organizations to boost productivity and customer satisfaction while lowering operational and capital expenses.
The primary benefits of the Cisco ACNS solution include:
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Integrating Content Networking and Branch-Office Routing
By offering integrated content delivery and branch-office routing, Cisco Systems® reduces the complexity of value-added services, while optimizing WAN bandwidth and reducing operational costs. The complete solution, featuring ACNS software and content engine network modules, makes it easy for organizations to start with a simple service, such as content acceleration or WAN cost reduction, and then add e-learning or corporate communications and other more advanced services. Organizations can take a phased approach, starting small and then scaling to higher capacity and availability. They can quickly deploy their business-critical Web applications with ease of management while preserving their infrastructure investment. The integration of the Cisco 2600/3600/3700 Series Content Engine Module into the branch-office router provides a number of important customer benefits, including the following:
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Hardware Architecture
The Cisco ACNS Software runs in a separate processor on the Cisco 2600/3600/3700 Series Content Engine Module. The Cisco ACNS Software communicates to the Cisco IOS Software in the router through the internal Fast Ethernet interface, and the internal Cisco ACNS console (Figure 2). The Cisco IOS Software can establish a console session on the Cisco ACNS console via the service-module content-engine <slot>/0 session command. Content engine status is available with the Cisco IOS Software service-module content-engine <slot>/0 status command.
Figure 2
Architecture of the Integrated Content Engine Module and Router
Important Features of Cisco ACNS Software Version 5.1
The Cisco 2600/3600/3700 Series content engine modules use the same Cisco ACNS Software Version 5.1 that is supported on the Cisco 500 Series content engines. For detailed specifications, see the Cisco ACNS Software v5.1 Data Sheet.
Cisco 2600/3600/3700 Series Content Engine Module Product Summary
Table 1 lists the part numbers and descriptions for the Cisco 2600/3600/3700 Series content engine modules.
Table 2 lists the hardware options and spare parts for the Cisco 2600/3600/3700 Series content engine modules.
Table 3 lists the software options and licenses for the Cisco 2600/3600/3700 Series content engine modules.
Table 4 lists the routers that support the Cisco 2600/3600/3700 Series content engine modules. There is no limit on the number of content engine modules in a router.
Cisco IOS Software Support
The Cisco 2600/3600/3700 Series content engine modules support Cisco IOS Software Release 12.2(13)T and later.
Performance
Cisco 2600/3600/3700 content engine modules have ample performance to deliver accelerated content to end users.
HTTP Caching Performance
HTTP caching performance (Table 5) is measured using the Polygraph test tool ( http://www.web-polygraph.org) and the Polymix-4 workload.
Streaming Video Performance
The streaming media benchmark tests each use a single short video stream transmitted to all users. This is a best-case performance scenario where the entire video clip is buffered in RAM. Real-world applications tend to use longer video streams, and multiple users watch different video streams. Cisco recommends that customers perform their own testing with parameters that reflect their actual usage.
Windows Media Technologies Stream Serving
The Cisco 2600/3600/3700 Series content engine modules deliver a maximum of 28 Mbps of Windows Media Technologies (WMT) video streams (Table 6). Individual stream rates and number of users have little effect on overall throughput.
Table 6 Windows Media Technologies Streaming Performance
100 Kbps
269
26.9
256 Kbps
109
27.9
800 Kbps
35
28.0
RealSystem Proxy Stream Serving
The RealSystem Proxy uses WCCP redirection and acts as a proxy to the origin server to serve up cached content in RealSystem streaming media format (Table 7). This configuration cannot take advantage of pre-positioned content.
Table 7 Real Proxy Serving Video On Demand
100 Kbps
200
20
256 Kbps
60
15.4
800 Kbps
20
16
RealSystem Server Subscriber
The RealSystem Server Subscriber allows the content engine to serve RealSystem streaming media content directly to the users (Table 8). This allows for the pre-positioning of content in the content engine.
Table 8 Real Server Subscriber Video-On-Demand Streaming
100 Kbps
520
52
256 Kbps
200
51.2
800 Kbps
60
48
Table 9 lists the hardware specifications for the Cisco 2600/3600/3700 Series content engine modules.
