Solution Profile

Cisco Small Business Network Foundation

Business Challenges and Opportunities
Todays Internet-based economy often demands around-the-clock business availability and customer service. Many growing small businesses reach a point at which their existing business processes can no longer efficiently manage day-to-day activities. This can reduce customer satisfaction and make it harder to compete effectively. Successful implementation of network-based business processes and communications tools is vital to increasing business efficiency and managing growth. Employees need to share information and communicate with the business systems that hold the companys vital data. This collaboration and communication must be fast and efficient, whether employees are at the main office, traveling, or working from remote locations. A network foundation is critical to connect all the network devices and to support dissimilar applications, protocols, and services while efficiently moving data among people and business systems. It must also be smart enough to automatically fend off disruptive security incidents and to adjust to changing traffic loads to maintain consistent application performance. To generate the greatest return from the investment, the network should align with business priorities such as increasing responsiveness to customers, increasing business efficiency, and generating greater business availability. When this network is in place, it provides the necessary foundation to optimize updated business processes through technologies such as wireless connectivity and unified voice and data communications. Because networks have so many multidimensional functions, it is no longer practical or economically feasible to construct them by stringing together a large number of standalone components that are managed separately and have little or no awareness of one another. Rather, todays networks require a significant level of technology and management integration to function optimally and securely. Implementing these best practices results in a simpler, systems-centric approach to networking that automates operations and lowers the total cost of ownership (TCO) for small businesses. Cisco Small Business Network Foundation

Solution Overview
Many small businesses have several locations within a metropolitan area. The main office typically has the majority of back-office and sales staff and provides most of the business and customer presence. The remote offices support the main office or may serve specific functions, such as customer service or shipping. Employees on the move are supported by remote access to the business tools they need to do their jobs. Figure 1 shows a typical small business network. Figure 1 Typical Small Business Network

Cisco ESW500 Series Switch Internet Cisco SA500 Security Appliance

Cisco SA500 Security Appliance

The Cisco Small Business Network Foundation solution consists of switching, routing, and security devices in multiple validated and tested configurations. These configurations offer increasing levels of capabilities, ranging from ones that address only the smallest networking need to full-function networks with integrated voice and video capability. The network devices and advanced features such as security, quality of service (QoS), and high availability are designed to work together to deliver powerful, integrated solutions that are easy to install and manage. Consistent hardware, commonly used default settings, and device management enable faster, plug-and-play deployment, delivering added value and predictability. Together, they form a solid foundation that can be effectively augmented as the communications needs of the business evolve.

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The Cisco Small Business Network Foundation allows small businesses to: Offer a fully connected office to optimize employee productivity and reduce costs Protect business applications and employees from viruses, spyware, spam, and phishing attacks Extend the network to mobile users with predefined and centralized security policies Configure, manage, and troubleshoot the network with simple, web-based graphical user interfaces (GUIs) Address immediate business requirements and evolve with the business without costly upgrades or replacements

For Small Business

purchasing habits or brand loyalties. They are accustomed to shopping and interacting with businesses online, and they expect easy access to information, real-time responses, and fast, personalized service. Faced with a choice of leaving a message or calling a competitor, most customers will choose to work with the more responsive and accessible business. The Cisco Small Business Network Foundation enables a fully connected office by: Facilitating communications among personal computing devices, servers, and business applications, with flexible, high-performance Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet connections Supporting Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology that provides power to network-attached devices such as IP phones, video cameras, and wireless access points directly over their Ethernet connections, resulting in a simpler and less expensive deployment Allowing the use of either a copper or a fiber Gigabit Ethernet uplink for deployment flexibility and cost reduction Extending the network to provide users in remote offices access to the business applications running in the main office Enabling cost-effective, high-speed links, and site-to-site virtual private network (VPN) encryption and authentication capabilities to reduce recurring WAN costs without sacrificing security Integrating wireless LAN (Wi-Fi) capability to extend network access to employees wherever they work

Enabling a Fully Connected Office

Business communication is moving faster than ever. The more efficiently employees can handle customer interactions, the happier their customers will be. However, resolving customer issues may require retrieving information from separate systems, possibly located in different locations, which can take lots of time. To stay ahead of the competition, employees require immediate access to the people, information, and communications tools they needregardless of where they are working or how they are communicating. Paper documents of all types also tend to get misplaced and misinterpreted, making it difficult for employees to work productively and respond quickly to customer needs. Employees also might resort to using out-of-date information that can lead to poor or uninformed business decisions. In addition, when a company cannot accommodate an increased volume of incoming calls, no one, from prospects to long-term customers, receives the level of service they expect. Customers are no longer bound by traditional Figure 2 Cisco Small Business ESW 540 Switches

Figure 2 shows key Cisco Small Business Network Foundation components that enable the fully connected office.

Cisco Small Business SA 500 Series Security Appliances

Cisco Small Business Network Foundation

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For Small Business

The Cisco Small Business Network Foundation reduces security concerns and enables small businesses to take advantage of the benefits of the Internet by: Reducing the inefficiency and added cost of deploying separate devices with an integrated, multilevel VPN, firewall, and web security solution Filtering virus, spyware and unwanted Internet content at the firewall, freeing support resources from the need to spend time cleaning virus infections and removing spyware, and improving employee productivity Effectively blocking spam with very low false positives, helping to restore the effectiveness of email, so communication with customers, vendors, and partners continues uninterrupted Blocking undesired network activity and allowing business-critical application traffic to flow, with firewall capability certified by the Internet Computer Security Association (ICSA) and Common Criteria (EAL4) Accurately identifying, classifying, and stopping malicious traffic, including worms, spyware, malware, adware, network viruses, and application abuse Restricting access to sensitive portions of the network and guarding against denial-of-service (DoS) and other attacks with access control lists (ACLs)

Protecting Business Applications and Employees from Security Attacks

The Internet has become a source of potentially severe network threats, including viruses, spyware, phishing, and other attacks. Hackers are becoming more innovative, with attacks coming from both outside and within the network. Even a minor network security breach can result in lost business and productivity, as well as additional expenses to repair the damage and fix the problem. Negative publicity, and legal liabilities resulting from a security breach, can harm business continuity and shake customer confidence. To secure the most important business assets, a network must be able to proactively identify, prevent, and respond to threats. Firewalls have traditionally provided the first line of defense by serving as a buffer between the Internet and the network (Figure 3). A firewall is analogous to a lock on a door, preventing anyone without the required key or access code from entering. Firewalls also enforce security policies through customizable filters that restrict the information that is allowed to enter and leave the network. In addition, firewalls can restrict access to specific information based on the permissions assigned to a specific user or group. Internal firewalls prevent unauthorized employees from accessing information resources that corporate policy dictates are off-limits to them. Figure 3 Packet Inspection with Firewall

Securing Remote Network Access with Predefined and Centralized Security Policies
More and more small businesses rely on wireless networks to give their employees greater mobility and flexibility to stay connected to applications and customers, and to work productively throughout their business location. Wireless networks also enable customers and partners to have Internet access without granting them any visibility into the business network. Advanced features such as clustering, the ability of wireless access points such as the Cisco AP 541N (Figure 4) to form a dynamic, configuration-aware group with other access points in the same network, make the wireless networks easy to install, configure, and support. Figure 4 Cisco AP 541N Wireless Access Point

Cisco SA540 Security Appliance Internet

Laptop

Laptop

File web server DMZ

Email server

Laptop

Valid business traffic

Unwelcome visitors, P2P, IM, and other unwanted traffic

Internet threats also come through email and from websites that host malicious software. Viruses and other malicious code can overwhelm support resources and disrupt business operations. In addition, Internet bandwidth and email server storage are wasted. Productivity is diminished as employees spend time sifting through spam or browsing through non-work-related websites.

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Solution Profile
Employees also need to conduct more business away from the office than ever, working from hotels, their own homes, and even at client offices. Yet customers still demand a fast response and immediate results. Without the right network solution, employees on the move can be difficult for customers to reach. And when they are away from their desks, they might have limited access to the business tools they need to do their jobs. Small businesses can use VPNs to cost-effectively and securely extend the reach of their networks to anyone, anywhere, at any time by establishing encrypted tunnels across the Internet without compromising network security (Figure 5). VPNs provide more flexibility and scalability than Frame Relay, leased lines, or dial-up remote-access connections. Figure 5 Securing Remote Network Access

For Small Business

The Cisco Small Business Network Foundation VPN implementation helps small businesses be more responsive to customers by making information and business applications accessible anywhere, at any time. It lets employees securely access the network from venues such as public hotspots and hotels, and enables guest access at the main and remote offices. Deploying and supporting VPNs with the Cisco Small Business Network Foundation is greatly simplified, with easy-to-use wizards and the ability to push predefined security configuration parameters automatically without touching end-user devices.

Simple Device and Management Framework

The Cisco Small Business Network Foundation supports various user-friendly GUIs to simplify the configuration, deployment, and ongoing management and maintenance of Cisco switches, routers, and security devices (as shown by the example in Figure 6). These GUIs provide a centralized network view that allows network administrators to easily apply common services, generate inventory reports, synchronize passwords, and implement features across all network devices. They also help network administrators avoid potential network problems by proactively monitoring device performance statistics, system logs, and security logs in real time.

Remote offices Internet

Cisco SA500 Security Appliance

Employees and partners

Main office

Employees at home

Figure 6

Viewing Network Topology with Cisco Configuration Assistant

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For Small Business

The Cisco Small Business Network Foundation provides the following services and benefits: Is easy to learn, install, and manage Offers high availability Requires a lower initial capital expenditure, lower deployment costs, and lower ongoing operational costs than multiple-vendor solutions Can be implemented over time in small, incremental steps, at a pace suited to the business Includes Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity for personal computing devices and servers in high-performance, flexible Power over Ethernet (PoE) or non-PoE configurations Extends the network to remote sites and gives mobile users access to the business applications running in the main office without sacrificing security Filters virus, spyware, and unwanted Internet content at the firewall, freeing support resources from spending time cleaning virus infections and removing spyware, and improving employee productivity Can accurately identify, classify, and stop malicious traffic, including worms, spyware, malware, adware, network viruses, and application abuse to help ensure business continuity and minimize the effect of costly intrusions Greatly simplifies the configuration and support of the VPN client with easy-to-use wizards and the ability to push predefined security configuration parameters automatically without touching end-user devices Provides a network view through a user-friendly GUI and allows network administrators to easily apply common services, generate inventory reports, synchronize passwords, and implement features across all Cisco network devices

Meeting Immediate Needs and Allowing Growth

Developed for todays growing small businesses, the Cisco Small Business Network Foundation addresses immediate business requirements and evolves with the business. Advanced network features are ready for use or can be added easily and quickly, significantly enhancing performance and network availability. Mobile and voice applications are changing the way people work together. These applications require wireless and other remote access options and demand the same level of security, scalability, reliability, and performance that small businesses expect from their wired LANs. The Cisco Small Business Network Foundation fully supports the integration of voice and wireless technology into one IP infrastructure, allowing small businesses to simplify operations and enabling the network to do more. This is made possible by the level of network technology integration and a systems approach that lowers the overall costs for small businesses. An integrated solution is easier to learn, install, and manage and has higher availability. The Cisco Small Business Network Foundation also has a lower initial capital expenditure, lower deployment costs, and lower ongoing operational costs than competing multiple-vendor solutions.

Solution Summary
Information is the core of the modern business. Networked businesses benefit from increased business efficiency and effectiveness, as well as a sustainable competitive advantage. Cisco has combined routing, switching, security, voice, and wireless technologies into unified network components, alleviating the need for small business customers to bolt devices from multiple vendors onto the network and then manage and secure them individually. Separate installation, security, and management require additional resources that many small businesses do not readily have.

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