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Cisco Router and Security Device Manager (SDM) is a Web-based device-management tool for Cisco routers that can improve the productivity of network managers, simplify router deployments, and help troubleshoot complex network and VPN connectivity issues. Network and security administrators and channel partners can use Cisco SDM for faster and easier deployment of Cisco routers for integrated services such as dynamic routing, WAN access, WLAN, firewall, VPN, SSL VPN, IPS, and QoS. Cisco SDM provides a series of easy-to-use wizards that quickly take you step by step through configuring your router, without requiring knowledge of the Cisco IOS software CLI.

QoS (Quality of Service) involves prioritization of network traffic. QoS is the idea that transmission rates, error rates, and other characteristics can be measured, improved, and, to some extent, guaranteed in advance. QoS can be targeted at a network interface, toward a given server or router’s performance, or in terms of specific applications. A network monitoring system must typically be deployed as part of QoS, to insure that networks are performing at the desired level. QoS is especially important for the new generation of Internet applications such as VoIP, video-on-demand and other consumer services.

Introduced in the Cisco IOS Release 12.2(15), Gateway Load Balancing Protocol (GLBP) is supported by Cisco 1700, 2600, 3620, 3631, 3640, 3660, 3725, 3745, 7100, 7200, 7400, 7500 series. GLBP is a Cisco proprietary protocol that attempts to overcome the limitations of existing redundant router protocols (HSRP, VRRP, …) by adding basic load balancing functionality. GLBP provides load balancing over multiple routers (gateways) using a single virtual IP address and multiple virtual MAC addresses. Each host is configured with the same virtual IP address, and all routers in the virtual router group participate in forwarding packets. GLBP members communicate between [...]

John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, and Frank Calderoni, CFO, speak with CNBC and Bloomberg News about Cisco’s Q1 FY 09 financial results. How would you characterize the strength of the quarter, and the strength of the company as a whole? John Chambers says: “We exit the first quarter of fiscal year 2009 with an extremely strong position in the marketplace. We have approximately $27 billion in cash and investments. We also have solid balance from a product, geographic and customer segment perspective, which we consider perhaps one of the broadest balances across the IT industry. We have achieved continued success [...]

On September 2008, Cisco has agreed to purchase open-source instant messaging firm Jabber (http://www.ciscozine.com/2008/09/20/cisco-to-acquire-jabber/). Two days ago (November 3, 2008 ) Cisco announced that it has completed its purchase of Jabber Inc. “The acquisition will enable Cisco to embed presence and messaging services “in the network” and provide rich aggregation capabilities to users through both on-premise and on-demand solutions, across multiple platforms including Cisco WebEx® Connect and Cisco® Unified Communications.

EtherChannel bundles individual Ethernet links into a single logical link that provides bandwidth up to 1600 Mbps (Fast EtherChannel, full duplex) or 16 Gbps (Gigabit EtherChannel) between two Cisco Catalyst switches. All interfaces in each EtherChannel must be the same speed and duplex, and both ends of the channel must be configured as either a Layer 2 or Layer 3 interface. If a link within the EtherChannel bundle fails, traffic previously carried over the failed link is carried over the remaining links within the EtherChannel. There are two protocols used for the link aggregation: Cisco’s proprietary Port Aggregation Protocol (PAgP). [...]

As you see in the article “Implementing High Availability with HSRP“, it is quite simple configure Hot Standby Router Protocol. Some cases require a custom configuration, using priority, track, preempt etc…and these are: The standby preempt interface configuration command allows the router to become the active router when its priority is higher than all other HSRP-configured routers in this Hot Standby group. The configurations of both routers include this command so that each router can be the standby router for the other router. If you do not use the standby preempt command in the configuration for a router, that router [...]