Cisco Cisco Enhanced Device Interface 2.0 Bulletins
Product Bulletin
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Cisco Enhanced Device Interface 2.2
PB342589
Cisco
®
announces Cisco Enhanced Device Interface (EDI) 2.2, providing new
enhancements for device configuration and troubleshooting. Cisco Enhanced Device
Interface is accessible through an intelligent command-line interface (CLI) and an
Extensible Markup Language programmatic interface (XML PI).
Cisco Enhanced Device Interface is an external implementation of the network element interface
and provides two major features: an enhanced CLI user interface and an XML PI. The CLI user
interface is a CLI-like command emulator with added features and enhanced for usability; it allows
the user to manage multiple network elements from a single location, individually or as a group.
The exposed CLI is based on the CLI of the managed network element; in this release, Cisco IOS
®
Software, Cisco PIX
®
OS, and Cisco Catalyst
®
OS CLIs are supported.
The purpose of the XML PI in Cisco Enhanced Device Interface is to provide a programmatic
interface to be used by management applications for configuring Cisco devices. The programmatic
interface has a well-defined set of operations based on the IETF NETCONF Internet draft along
with a supporting data model defined using the XML schema language. Customers that configure
and monitor devices through scripting tools and do not wish to make use of the data model may
continue to use CLI commands as payload in the management operations supported over the XML
PI.
Cisco Enhanced Device Interface is aimed to increase end-user as well as management
application-developer productivity in the areas of device configuration and troubleshooting. Table 1
describes the features of Cisco Enhanced Device Interface 2.2.
Table 1.
Features of Cisco Enhanced Device Interface 2.2
Feature
Description
OS parser emulation (CLI syntax check
command context validation)
command context validation)
This feature helps eliminate common user errors.
Grouping capability
This capability allows for the definition of administrative domains. Access
control can be performed at the administrative domain level. This feature
simplifies configuration and administrative tasks.
control can be performed at the administrative domain level. This feature
simplifies configuration and administrative tasks.
Group least common denominator CLI
(that is, a common CLI)
(that is, a common CLI)
This feature allows users to perform group operations without the possibility of
generating an unsupported command.
generating an unsupported command.
Context-based CLI
This capability allows users to simultaneously apply changes to one or more
devices by simply selecting the context. It provides a single point for network
configuration.
devices by simply selecting the context. It provides a single point for network
configuration.
Macro CLI
Helps enable users to push commands to various types of platforms (Cisco
Catalyst OS, Cisco IOS Software, and Cisco PIX OS) that have variation in CLI
commands.
Catalyst OS, Cisco IOS Software, and Cisco PIX OS) that have variation in CLI
commands.
GUI applications
Eclipse-based GUI applications: Config Manager, Macro Command Manager,
Command Translator, Command Analyzer, Command Modeler
Command Translator, Command Analyzer, Command Modeler
XML programmatic interface, IETF
NETCONF operations
NETCONF operations
The standards-based interface promotes consistency.
XML command data model
Command structure and syntax can be programmatically read; simplifies
interaction with Cisco devices.
interaction with Cisco devices.