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.

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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.

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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.

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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.