of IP telephony. One of the solutions to this
issue, Cisco AutoQoS, is shown on the voice-enabled router in a
simple branch consisting of one user. To increase IP telephony
reliability and availability, Cisco Survivable Remote Site
Telephony (SRST) has been deployed at one of the branches.
There are many reasons to increase security, including, in this
example, wireless mobility. Encryption and identity-based
networking (including authentication and access control) and
device hardening provide increased security in the sample
network with integrated router security. The AutoSecure feature
is used to provide simple and straightforward “one touch”
device lockdown. Note
Network performance, which is
based on application types and network security, is a key part
of enabling the network to provide business value to the
enterprise.
Content 1.2 Describing Converged
Network Requirements 1.2.4 Intelligent
Information Network The Cisco Intelligent Information
Network (IIN) vision is a strategy that meets the evolving role
of the network within businesses and directly meets the need to
align IT resources with business priorities. The Cisco IIN
vision has three key features: - Integration of
networked resources and information assets: Modern networks
with integrated voice, video, and data allow IT departments to
link the IT infrastructure more closely with the information
network.
- Intelligence across multiple products and
infrastructure layers: The intelligence that is built into
each network component extends networkwide and applies
end-to-end.
- Active participation of the network in
the delivery of services and applications: With added
intelligence within network devices, the IIN makes it possible
for the network to actively manage, monitor, and optimize
service and application delivery across the entire enterprise
environment.
With these features, the IIN offers
much more than basic connectivity, bandwidth for users, and
access to applications. The IIN offers end-to-end functionality
and a centralized, unified control that promotes true business
transparency and agility. The IIN vision offers an evolutionary
approach. Functionality can be added to existing network
infrastructure as required in three phases: -
Integrate transport: IIN consolidates data, voice, and
video into an IP network for secure network convergence. By
integrating data, voice, and video transport into a single,
standards-based, modular network, organizations can simplify
network management, generate enterprisewide efficiencies and
reduce infrastructure costs. Network convergence also lays the
foundation for a new class of IP-enabled applications
delivered through Cisco IP Communications solutions.
-
Integrate services: When convergence is complete, the
network pools and shares, or virtualizes, resources to meet the
changing needs of the organization more flexibly. Integrated
services unify common elements including storage and data
center server capacity. By extending virtualization
capabilities to encompass server, storage, and network
elements, an organization can use all of its resources more
efficiently. In addition, shared resources across the IIN
provide services in the event of a local systems failure, which
enhances business continuity.
- Integrate
applications: The third phase is Application-Oriented
Networking (AON). AON focuses on making the network
“application aware” so that the network can optimize
application performance and deliver networked applications to
users more efficiently. In addition to capabilities such as
content caching, load balancing, and application-level
security, Cisco AON makes it possible for the network to
simplify the application infrastructure by integrating
intelligent application message handling, optimization, and
security into the existing network.
Content
1.2 Describing Converged Network Requirements
1.2.5 Cisco SONA Framework The Cisco
Intelligent Information Network helps organizations meet new IT
challenges including deploying service-oriented architectures,
web services, and virtualization. Cisco SONA is an
architectural framework that details the set of common services
that are deployed in the network to close gaps between the
resources and applications. Cisco SONA describes how to build
an IIN. The Cisco SONA framework provides these advantages to
enterprises: - Outlines the path toward the IIN
- Illustrates how to build integrated systems across a fully
converged IIN
- Improves flexibility and increases
efficiency resulting in optimized applications, processes, and
resources
Cisco SONA uses the extensive product
line, services, proven architectures, and experience of Cisco
and its partners to help the enterprises achieve their business
goals. Figure summarizes these points. The Cisco SONA framework
shows how integrated systems allow a dynamic, flexible
architecture and provide for operational efficiency through
standardization and virtualization. The premise that the
network is the common element that connects and enables all
components of the IT infrastructure, is the basis of Cisco
SONA. Cisco SONA outlines these three layers of the IIN as
shown in Figure : - The networked infrastructure
layer: The infrastructure layer interconnects all IT
resources across a converged network foundation. IT resources
include servers, storage, and clients. The networked
infrastructure layer represents how these resources exist in
different places in the network, including campus, branch, data
center, WAN, metropolitan-area network (MAN), and teleworker
locations. The infrastructure layer provides customers with
connectivity anywhere and anytime.
- The interactive
services layer: The interactive services layer delivers
efficient allocation of resources to applications and business
processes through the networked infrastructure. This layer
includes these services:
- Voice and collaboration
services
- Mobility services
- Security and
identity services
- Storage services
- Computer
services
- Application networking services
-
Network infrastructure virtualization
- Services
management
- Adaptive management services
- The application layer: The application layer
includes business applications and collaboration applications.
The objective for customers in this layer is to meet business
requirements and achieve efficiencies by leveraging the
interactive services layer.
Content
Summary This module explains the history and current
situation of telephone companies and the services they offer.
Companies have used telephone services for over 100 years as a
part of their business practices, and the module explains how
the changes in technology have affected company use and
security. The module also explains the traditional three layer
hierarchical model and the new Cisco Enterprise Architecture
that integrates the entire network to provide secure remote
access to all tools, processes, and services across all sectors
of the company. Cisco’s IIN vision and Cisco SONA explains how
to close the gaps between network resources and applications.