Cisco Cisco Active Network Abstraction 3.7 Leaflet
© 2011 Cisco and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information.
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Data Sheet
Cisco ANA VNE Drivers
Overview
Cisco Active Network Abstraction (ANA) virtual network element (VNE) device driver technology is a key enabler
for ANA to manage end-to-end IP next-generation networks (NGNs). ANA VNE drivers support Cisco devices
ranging across access, aggregation, edge, and core domains. The ANA VNE drivers make use of the device
management instrumentation to discover an accurate view of the physical configuration and logical services of the
managed device and translate the information to th
e ANA network model. The VNE driver processes the device’s
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) traps and syslogs into events monitored by the ANA GUI and
northbound interface to operation support systems (OSSs).
For service providers to stay competitive, and for enterprises to expand and evolve their mission-critical IT
infrastructures with the latest device upgrade, ANA VNE drivers are maintained for compatibility with Cisco IP NGN
device releases. The corresponding VNE drivers can be upgraded independently, without requiring ANA software
upgrades.
ANA VNE drivers are also user extensible to manage new hardware modules, device types, events, and device
software versions that have compatible management instrumentation. Customers can perform private VNE
extensions to gain competitiveness with the latest device software and hardware and, at the same time, reduce
costs and dependency on professional services.
The same device driver technology is also applicable for mediating third-party devices, and VNE drivers can be
developed for ANA to manage multivendor networks. Whether a customer’s business strategy leads to an all Cisco
network approach or a multivendor network approach, with the VNE technology, ANA provides a “single pane of
glass” management view of the end-to-end network.
developed for ANA to manage multivendor networks. Whether a customer’s business strategy leads to an all Cisco
network approach or a multivendor network approach, with the VNE technology, ANA provides a “single pane of
glass” management view of the end-to-end network.
Benefits
ANA provides a single, authoritative view into a network consisting of heterogeneous devices. This reduces
operating expenses (OpEx) by providing a unified user experience for real-time discovery of devices and network
topology and centralized fault management. Additionally, organizations can further reduce OpEx and OSS
integration costs by utilizing a single northbound interface regardless of the network equipment series. The network
upgrade cost is minimized by the independent device driver updates or by extending the VNE drivers. The support
of third-party devices in the end-to-end network further helps enable customers to evolve to the best network
strategy of their choice.