Troubleshooting guide

CHAPTER
1-1
Cisco Wide Area Application Services Configuration Guide
OL-26579-01
1
Configuring File Services
This chapter describes how to configure file services, which allows branch office users to more
efficiently access data stored at centralized data centers. The file services feature overcomes the WAN
latency and bandwidth limitations by caching data on Edge WAEs near branch office users. WAAS file
services uses either the CIFS or SMB application accelerators.
Note Throughout this chapter, the term WAAS device is used to refer collectively to the WAAS Central
Managers and WAEs in your network. The term WAE refers to WAE appliances, WAE Network Modules
(the NME-WAE family of devices), and SM-SRE modules running WAAS.
This chapter contains the following sections:
• About File Services, page 1-1
• Overview of File Services Features, page 1-3
• Preparing for File Services, page 1-7
• Configuring File Services, page 1-8
About File Services
Enterprises today have remote offices in different parts of the country and around the world. Typically,
these remote offices have their own file servers to store and manage the data needed by their local users.
The problem with this method of operation is that it is costly to purchase, manage, and upgrade file
servers at each remote office. A great deal of resources and manpower must be dedicated to maintaining
these file servers, and especially to protect the data in case of server failure. To achieve the required level
of data assurance, the remote office must devote resources to back up the data at the remote site and
physically move it to a secure location, often at a considerable distance from the site. If you multiply
this scenario by tens, hundreds, and thousands of remote offices, and you can see that this approach to
enterprise data management not only raises costs exponentially, it also greatly increases the risks to
critical data.
The logical solution in this scenario is to move all of the enterprise’s important data to a central location
containing the facilities, trained personnel, and storage mass required to manage the data properly. By
having a data center provide backup and other storage management facilities, the enterprise can achieve
better utilization of both personnel and storage, as well as a higher level of data assurance and security.
The WAN between the enterprise’s data center and its remote offices tends to be unreliable and slow,
with limited bandwidth and high latency. In addition, the WAN creates other obstacles to the
implementation of the data center solution.