cisco | IPNET - Part 22

Cisco: How to shape traffic on Frame-Relay connection

In some previous article, I explained how to configure a Frame-Relay Hub and Spoke network environment. Based on that example, I will show you today how you can implement traffic shaping over the Frame-Relay Hub and Spoke.You can have a look at the topology that we will use here.

A note from the beginning. Since I do not have a traffic generator, I cannot really prove that the traffic is shaped, you’ll just have to believe me or to try on your own.

Let’s assume that we have an excessive amount of packet loss between R1 and R2 from the topology and the R1 is overwhelming the Frame-Relay connection to R2. R1 has a port speed of 512Kbps and we have to assure that R1 is sending traffic at 384Kbps. In case that the connection get congested R1 should throttle down the CIR to 256Kbps. R1 should be permitted to burst in case it accumulate credit and to minimize the delay due to serialization the interval (Tc) should be 10ms.

To summarize:
-we have a CIR of 384Kbps; CIR = 384Kbps
-when congested CIR throttle down to 256Kbps; minCIR = 256 Kbps
-time interval is 10ms; Tc = 10ms
-burst size, based on the date above is 3840 bps; Bc=CIR*Tc=384000*0.01=3840; (note that CIR has to be in bps and time in seconds)
-also R1 is allowed to send burst in excess in case of accumulated credit, so excess burst is 1280 bps; Be=(AR-CIR)*Tc=(512000 – 384000) * 0.01=1280 (AR is the port speed 512Kbps)

After we have gathered all this data let’s proceed to the Cisco device configuration. Please see the presentation below:

Cisco’s data-center push holds promise, perils

Cisco Cisco’s move into the heart of data centers, expected to be laid out at an event next Monday, holds the promise of easing a big IT headache but may also escalate competition between the company and its partners.

The networking giant is widely expected to announce an entry into the blade server market, codenamed “California,” at the Monday event, though the company’s brief press invitation referred only to a concept Cisco calls “Unified Computing.” In a recent blog posting, Cisco CTO Padmasree Warrior described Unified Computing as a move toward unifying computing and storage platforms with networks and virtualization platforms. She also acknowledged Cisco will compete with some of its partners.

What Cisco wants to do, according to industry analysts, is to make virtualization easier — and gain a lot more control over virtualization itself. That goal doesn’t necessarily require the company to make its own servers, but some signals point in that direction.

Read the full article on NetworkWorld.com…

Cisco: How to selective drop packets without using an access-list

The title actually was a request that I encounter during my CCIE RS preparation. Of course, that in the real world, I would go straight forward and implement an access-list do drop selected packets. But since the lab environment is different for the real one, you might get a task like the above one.

Let’s assume that we have a network topology with a central router (R1) that connects 2 routers (R2 and R3), like in a hub and spoke diagram. Communication between R2 and R3 is done through R1. In this environment routing is already functional, implemented by dynamic or static routing (actually doesn’t matter this is not a topic for this presentation) and R2 can reach R3. We will drop all packets from R2 to R3, but telnet related packets (just to do things a little bit more interesting). As I specified before all this has to be achieved without access-list implementation.

Please have a look to this topology, to have a clear picture of the network environment. After you have checked the topology, watch the video presentation below:

Cisco Breaks New Ground in E-mail Security

Cisco IronPort Cisco today announced new managed, hosted and hybrid hosted e-mail security services that provide the industry’s most versatile set of e-mail protection offerings. As businesses demand greater agility and flexibility in how they collaborate, the Cisco® IronPort® Email Security services are aimed at providing them with complete choice and control over where their e-mail security is deployed and managed, whether it be on premise, off-site, in the cloud or a combination of the three.

Cisco IronPort Email Security services are a highlight of Cisco innovation, leadership and execution. Building on industry-leading IronPort email security technology, these services help organizations vigilantly defend their communications lifeline against spam, viruses, phishing and a wide variety of other threats.

New additions to the Cisco IronPort Email Security service portfolio deliver high-performance email security in dedicated hosted and hybrid hosted form factors. These services are based on the same platform that protects 40 percent of Fortune 1000 companies and provides organizations with the opportunity to select the email security infrastructure that is best for them – security leadership with choice, backed by email security experts. Depending upon business needs, customers can choose one of many deployment options, including on premises, hosted and hybrid hosted. Regardless of the deployment model, customers get the benefits of hardware capacity assurance, predictable budgetary planning and simplified management. Backed by industry-leading support and corporate stability, Cisco IronPort Email Security services help organizations worldwide protect and manage their email infrastructures.

Read the full story on cisco.com…

Cisco, NASA ally on environmental monitoring

Cisco and NASA this week said they are collaborating on an online global monitoring platform to capture, collect, analyze and report data on environmental conditions around the world.

Called “Planetary Skin,” the project will involve NASA and Cisco working to develop the online platform to capture and analyze data from satellite, airborne, sea- and land-based sensors across the globe. This data will be made available for the general public, governments and businesses to measure, report and verify environmental data to help detect and adapt to global climate change.

Please read the full article on NetworkWorld.com…