Specifications

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Cisco MGX 8800/8900 Series Software Configuration Guide
Release 5.1, Part Number OL-6482-01, Rev. A0, January 25, 2005
Chapter 1 Preparing for Configuration
Collecting Information
Administrator Access Method
Beginning in Release 5, the Cisco MGX switch supports secure access for CLI management sessions. In
prior releases the switch supported insecure Telnet access. The secure access feature encrypts the
administrator’s user ID and password, and all session activity.
As an administrator, you can now disable Telnet access to force all CLI management sessions to use the
secure access method. When planning for configuration, consider which access method you want to use
and whether you want to disable Telnet access.
For more information on establishing secure sessions, see “Starting a Secure (SSH) CLI Session” in
Appendix C, “Supporting and Using Additional CLI Access Options.” For information on disabling
Telnet access, see “Enabling and Disabling Telnet Access” in Chapter 9, “Switch Operating
Procedures.”
Network Clock Source Plan
A network clock source plan is recommended for switch synchronization. This topic is described in the
“Guidelines for Creating a Network Clock Source Plan” section later in this chapter.
Network Management Plan
You can use the following tools to manage the Cisco MGX switches:
• Command line interface (CLI) provided with the switch
• Cisco WAN Manager
• Third-party SNMP manager
The CLI that comes with the switch is the least expensive option. To use the other tools, you must
purchase Cisco WAN Manager (CWM) or a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) manager.
The MGX switches come with an SNMP agent for use with an SNMP manager.
The advantage to using CWM or an SNMP manager is that you can use one program to simultaneously
manage multiple devices. Also, CWM is the only management tool that can configure Service Class
Templates (SCTs). Most installations require at least one CWM workstation to complete the switch
configuration.
To determine what versions of CWM are compatible with this release, refer to the following release note
documents:
• Release Notes for Cisco MGX 8850 (PXM1E/PXM45), Cisco MGX 8950, and Cisco MGX 8830
Switches, Release 5.1.00.
• Release Notes for the Cisco MGX 8880 Media Gateway, Release 5.0.02
For information on managing the switch with an SNMP manager, refer to the Cisco MGX 8850 SNMP
Reference, Release 4.
Physical Location of Cards and Lines in the Switch
Many configuration features depend on a specific hardware installation configuration. The following list
provides some samples of how the software configuration depends on the hardware installation:
• The software for each switch supports a specific set of processor cards and service modules.