Cisco Cisco Server Provisioner White Paper

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editable processes that enable customers to modify their workflows in IAC 4.0, without altering the 

underlying code or impacting their upgrade process. For example, IAC’s out-of-the-box integration with 

tools like Infoblox IPAM (IP Address Management Software) can be modified to meet an organization’s 

unique configuration, without the worry of challenges during future IAC upgrades.
Comprehensive service catalog:

 IAC 4.0 also embeds the Cisco Prime Service Catalog, which enables 

end users to order a wide range of traditional enterprise IT services as well as cloud computing services 

from one single portal interface. The service catalog now also provides advanced multi-tenant and 

pricing functionality that allows cloud administrators to apply flexible pricing scenarios to different 

tenants. This enables organizations to configure different pricing and ordering scenarios based on 

diverse types of local data center infrastructure or public cloud resources, such as Amazon Web Services. 
Network services automation: 

Another embedded component of IAC is the Cisco Prime Network 

Services Controller, which enables automated deployment of virtual network services (including load 

balancers, firewalls and VPNs) in a multi-tenant cloud environment. This is one of the more complex 

areas of cloud management, and Cisco leverages its strength in networking to simplify and automate 

the configuration of these network services.
Application Stack Accelerator:

 A new Application Stack Accelerator is now available as an optional 

add-on to Cisco IAC. This TOSCA-based solution makes it easier to design, order, and provision an 

entire application environment, including the OS, middleware and database. This enables the rapid 

standup of simple application stacks, such as a LAMP stack, or even more complex applications, such 

as SAP HANA or Microsoft SharePoint. The Application Stack Accelerator also provides integration 

with Puppet and Chef for configuration management. 

This new release aims at a balance between out-of-the box features and an open cloud approach. The 

latter is achieved through native integration with public cloud services and simple extensibility to 

accommodate customers’ unique requirements and their need to integrate with third party systems. 

Cisco’s ultimate goal is to enable its customers to offer IT as a Service, extending beyond virtual 

machines and infrastructure-as-a-service to the automated deployment of any type of application or 

IT service through on-demand, self-service provisioning. This approach makes IAC 4.0 an excellent 

foundation for a business-driven cloud management strategy. 
EMA applauds Cisco’s TOSCA

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-driven templatization of application environments, as this is one of 

the keys to achieving a more dynamic data center that is able to respond to business needs in a rapid 

and reliable manner. Integration with Puppet and Chef is key to ensuring that customers can hit the 

ground running.
Cisco provides a complete stack of cloud software that starts at the provisioning and management 

of virtual machines, bare metal servers, storage, and networking and reaches all the way up to the 

application stack layer and out into the public cloud. IAC 4.0 is a simple and powerful tool for cloud 

administrators to offer IT services in a policy-driven and secure manner. 

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  TOSCA (Topology and Orchestration Specification for Alcoud Application) is a standard to enhance workload portability between clouds. 

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