Data Sheet

Cisco Prime Optical

Overview
Service providers face tremendous challenges in managing optical networks. These challenges include accurate
capacity planning; maintaining an offline database of resources and links that are aligned with the real network;
verifying that circuits are in place and working as expected; and creating on-demand reports showing quality of
service (QoS) and demonstrating fulfillment of customer service-level agreements (SLAs). Network operators need
a solution to address these issues - one that simplifies complex provisioning tasks in order to accelerate the
deployment of new services, maintains transport network efficiency during the entire lifecycle, feeds operations
support systems (OSSs) with real-time network data, and reduces the cost of ownership.
™
Cisco Prime Optical is a carrier-class, multitechnology management system that integrates the end-to-end
management of legacy transport networks and packet optical transport networks (see Figure 1). Cisco Prime
Optical helps communication service providers (CSPs) deliver the capacity and QoS required to support the
delivery of rich-content-based services and high-bandwidth applications. Cisco Prime Optical is a component of
the Cisco Prime for IP Next Generation Networks (NGNs) - a solution that drastically simplifies the design,
provisioning, and management of carrier-grade networks. Cisco Prime Optical providers operators with:

● Scalability and growth in a robust carrier-class element management system, designed for reduced total
cost of ownership (TCO), that can scale to thousands of optical devices
● Increased productivity with a multitechnology management system that integrates the inventory,
performance, and configuration management functions in a single application
● Extendability and easy OSS integration using an EMS system with a standards-based northbound
interface that provides predefined integration with market-leading OSSs, like Tivoli Netcool for Cisco Prime
● Built-in intelligence, helping operators quickly accomplish tasks when performing end-to-end circuit
provisioning by automatically selecting and implementing an optimal route that uses resource diversity on
working and standby paths

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 Figure 1. Cisco Prime Optical in an Optical Network

Features and Benefits

Features
● GUI-based, point-and-click provisioning of packet transport networks and Time Division
Multiplexing (TDM) networks
● Point-and-click provisioning of tunnels in the Multiprotocol Label Switching
Transport Profile (MPLS-TP) domain
● Runs alone or, together with Cisco Prime Central, simultaneously with other products in the
Cisco Prime Suite
● Remote reconfiguration of Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) paths without field
operator intervention
● Standards-compliant northbound interfaces
● Scales up to 5,000 optical/Carrier Packet Transport (CPT) network elements
● Embedded Oracle database
™ ™
● Linux and Cisco Unified Computing System (Cisco UCS ) support; optimized design for Linux
file system caching
● High availability for carrier-class management

Benefits
● Lower deployment, operations, and troubleshooting costs through:
◦ Quick and efficient end-to-end configuration, provisioning, and troubleshooting
◦ Faster startup, minimized network downtime
◦ Scalable architecture and implementation flexibility
● Improved QoS through reduced Mean Time to Repair

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 ● Extends the strength of the network core to the edge of the network, particularly in mobile backhaul and
optical transport networks, by provisioning static Label Switched Paths (LSPs) from core to edge
● Advanced management capabilities such as A-to-Z circuit provisioning easy to learn and error free
● Maintains an efficient and productive optical infrastructure with one view of the nationwide optical network
supporting fault, configuration, performance, and security management, constantly monitoring the key
performance indicators of the optical network
Table 1 lists other features and benefits.

Table 1. Features and Benefits

Feature Description Benefit

Highly scalable Cisco Prime Optical 9.3 offers support for up to 5000 Single view of nationwide optical network.
optical network elements (NEs).

Support for CPT Facilitates the deployment of new packet transport Managing legacy TDM technology along with the new
networks networks and supports the following software features: packet transport technology, Cisco Prime Optical helps
● MPLS-TP enable the smooth transition to an integrated transport
network.
● Ethernet Virtual Circuit (EVC)
● Pseudowire
● QoS

QoS Provisioning Create and manage QoS profiles for different types of Profiles can be easily applied at the network level,
Wizard services in the CPT network. Use the CPT QoS simplifying the process and reducing the risk of human
Provisioning Wizard to provision class maps, actions, errors.
policy maps, and table maps.

TMF 814 CORBA Complete management plane for the MPLS-TP technology Easier OSS integration of Layer 2 services provisioning.
northbound interface and Layer 2 Ethernet services extended to the northbound
interface.

Layer 2 service alarm Locate which Layer 2 services are affected by an existing Quickly identify affected services, reducing time to
isolation Layer 2 service alarm. diagnose and repair.

Supports Linux and Cisco Prime Optical can be installed on Cisco UCS servers Lower application TCO.
Cisco UCS servers running Linux Red Hat Enterprise distribution.

Oracle embedded The database, where all the network information is stored, Lower capital expenditures (CapEx) and reduced operating
database is embedded in the application and installs seamlessly with expenses (OpEx).
Cisco Prime Optical.

Fast system startup Optimized for Linux file system caching, Cisco Prime Significantly reduces the length of the network
Optical 9.3 cuts the initial network discovery time in half, maintenance window resulting in shorter downtime of the
which allows faster system startup. network and reduced OpEx.

Product Specifications
Table 2 lists the product specifications for Cisco Prime Optical Release 9.3.

Table 2. Product Specifications

Product Specification Details

User interface ● Rich point-and-click, intuitive user interface

● Domain explorer for logical organization of NEs and subnetwork explorer for hierarchical organization of NEs
● Easy navigation from network to shelf, cards, port
● Network maps for topology display with zooming capabilities
● Alarm browser and alarm log
● Control panel for managing server properties and default settings
● Client inactivity timers for automatic screen lock and automatic logout
● Powerful step-by-step provisioning wizards

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 Product Specification Details

Configuration ● Native equipment and facility provisioning

management ● A-to-Z circuit provisioning
● Layer 2 provisioning using QoS templates
● Network element explorer for detailed configuration of network elements
● Topology and multilayer link management
● Broadcast software download and software activation
● Automatic network element memory backup, on-demand restoration
● Networkwide operations performed in bulk fashion (for example, alarm severities and default profiles assignment)
● IPv6 and Simple Network Management Protocol Version 3 (SNMPv3) support

Fault management ● Real-time visual and audible alarm (optional continuous alarm) and event management
● Current and historical alarms
● Alarm-aware displays, alarm browser and log, network maps, network element explorers, domain explorer,
subnetwork explorer, and summary dashboard
● Enable and disable unacknowledged alarm capability

Performance ● Configurable automatic collection of near-end and far-end 5-minute, 10-minute, 15-minute to 1-day performance
management monitoring data
● Query wizard for performance monitoring reports
● Robust performance monitoring collection option to recover performance monitoring data missed during
communication downtime
● Real-time display with 10-second polling
● Graph of performance monitoring data

Security management ● Centralized management of network element user accounts

● Upload, storage, and viewing of network element audit logs
● Comprehensive Cisco Prime Optical audit log tracks all user actions
● Enforced password complexity, password aging
● Custom profiles for access control of different user groups
● External authentication based on RADIUS server

Network elements See the Release Notes for Cisco Prime Optical 9.3 for the NE software releases that Cisco Prime Optical 9.3 supports.
support

Reliability and High availability options:

availability ● Local
● Geographically diverse
High Availability Solution based on Symantec Veritas to be licensed separately.

Platform Support/Compatibility
Cisco Prime Optical can be installed on either a Cisco Unified Computing System or Solaris server. Please refer to
the recommended configurations given in Table 3 for detailed information on preparing your network for Cisco
Prime Optical deployment.

Table 3. System Requirements

Network Size Small Medium Large High End

Maximum number of 200 500 2000 5000

network elements
managed

Cisco UCS B or C Series 2 Intel Xeon 5620 2 Intel Xeon 5620 2 Intel Xeon 5640 2 Intel Xeon 5640
processors processors processors processors

Oracle Sun Servers 2 UltraSPARC III or 4 UltraSPARC III or 8 UltraSPARC III or 8 UltraSPARC IV
2 UltraSPARC IIIi 2 UltraSPARC IV 4 UltraSPARC IV processors with fiber-
processors processors processors channel disk array

RAM Cisco UCS 24 GB 24 GB 48 GB 96 GB

RAM UltraSPARC 8 GB 16 GB 32 GB 64 GB

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 Vendor Product Version Note

Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5.5 64 bit

Oracle Sun Solaris Solaris 10 10/09 or later

Oracle Enterprise Edition Oracle 11g (11.2.0) Optional; embedded version available in the product

Symantec Veritas 5.1 Optional; High Availability Solution

Ordering Information
To deploy an instance of Cisco Prime Optical, a customer must have the following licenses:
● One Cisco Prime Optical Software Base Kit license
● Network element management licenses for each managed network element in the network. The specific
licenses depend on the network element type
● Optional license for the following features: Redundancy, CORBA northbound interface
®
To place an order, contact your local Cisco account representative or visit the Cisco Ordering Homepage.
See Table 4 for ordering information.
Table 4. Ordering Information
Product Name Part Number

Cisco Prime Optical (Dynamic Configuration Tool Top-Level Ordering Use Only) PRIME-9-OPTICAL-K9

Note: PRIME-9-OPTICAL-K9 is the reference Part Number to access the Configuration Tool from either Cisco.com or the Ordering Tool.

Product Name Part Number

Cisco Prime Optical 9.3 - Base Application OPTICAL-9.3-K9

Cisco Prime Optical 9.3 - Laboratory Application (No Production) OPTICAL-9.3-LAB-K9

Cisco Prime Optical 9.3 - Standby Application (Redundancy) OPTICAL-9.3-SBY-K9

Cisco Prime Optical 9.x - Group A Right to Manage OPTICAL-9-GR-A-RTM

Cisco Prime Optical 9.x - Group B Right to Manage OPTICAL-9-GR-B-RTM

Cisco Prime Optical 9.x - Group C Right to Manage OPTICAL-9-GR-C-RTM

Cisco Prime Optical 9.x - Group D Right to Manage OPTICAL-9-GR-D-RTM

Cisco Prime Optical 9.x - CORBA Northbound Interface OPTICAL-9-CORBA

Note: OPTICAL-9.3-LAB-K9 cannot be used in production networks but only in laboratory environments. The Laboratory license entitles a single
running instance of the Cisco Prime Optical Server. There is no limit, besides the system limit and support specifications, to the number of devices
that can be managed with OPTICAL-9.3-LAB-K9.

Product Name Part Number

Cisco Prime Optical 9.3 - Major upgrade for up to 20 NEs OPT-9.3-UPG-20-K9

Cisco Prime Optical 9.3 - Major upgrade for up to 50 NEs OPT-9.3-UPG-50-K9

Cisco Prime Optical 9.3 - Major upgrade for up to 100 NEs OPT-9.3-UPG-100-K9

Cisco Prime Optical 9.3 - Major upgrade for up to 200 NEs OPT-9.3-UPG-200-K9

Cisco Prime Optical 9.3 - Major upgrade for up to 500 NEs OPT-9.3-UPG-500-K9

Cisco Prime Optical 9.3 - Major upgrade for up to 1000 NEs OPT-9.3-UPG-1K-K9

Cisco Prime Optical 9.3 - Major upgrade for up to 2000 NEs OPT-9.3-UPG-2K-K9

Cisco Prime Optical 9.3 - Major upgrade for up to 4000 NEs OPT-9.3-UPG-4K-K9

Cisco Prime Optical 9.x - Major upgrade for CORBA OPT-9-UPG-CORBA

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 Product Name Part Number
Note: OPTICAL-9.3-K9 is the mandatory base Cisco Prime Optical software license. It includes the license to deploy one Cisco Prime Optical
instance. Cisco Prime Optical licenses are per Cisco Prime Optical instance. An instance of Cisco Prime Optical corresponds to a single running
instance of the Cisco Prime Optical server. For example, if a customer is running two separate instances of Cisco Prime Optical, each instance
needs to have a software base kit license.
Note: OPTICAL-9.3-SBY-K9 is the second server application used for high availability purposes. It is required to have at least one OPTICAL-9.3-K9
to use this part number.

Product Name Part Number

Cisco Prime Optical 9.3 - Service and Minor Upgrade OPTICAL-9.3-SR-K9

About Cisco Prime

The Cisco Prime portfolio of enterprise and service provider management offerings empowers IT organizations to
more effectively manage their networks and the services they deliver. Built on a service-centered foundation, the
Cisco Prime portfolio of products supports integrated lifecycle management through an intuitive workflow-oriented
user experience. The portfolio of Cisco Prime solutions for service providers provides A-to-Z management for IP
next-generation networks, mobility, video, and managed services.

Service and Support

Cisco offers a wide range of services programs to accelerate customer success. These innovative services
programs are delivered through a unique combination of people, processes, tools, and partners, resulting in high
levels of customer satisfaction. Cisco services help you to protect your network investment, optimize network
operations, and prepare the network for new applications to extend network intelligence and the power of your
business. For more information about Cisco services, see Cisco Technical Support Services or Cisco Advanced
Services.

For More Information

For additional product information on Cisco Prime Optical 9.3, visit http://www.cisco.com/go/transport or contact
your local account representative.

To download a copy of Cisco Prime Optical 9.3 for evaluation, please contact your Cisco sales representative or
send an email to prime-optical@cisco.com and discover the benefits of this powerful solution with a no-cost, 120-
day evaluation license.

Printed in USA C78-678680-02 12/11

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