Cisco® announces the availability of Cisco Network Planning Solution (NPS) 2.0 and Cisco Network Planning Solution-Service Provider (NPS-SP) 2.0.
Cisco NPS and Cisco NPS-SP help enterprises and network service providers optimize network capacity and performance, ensure network resiliency even during unplanned changes, improve application and service continuity, plan for new technology deployments, and validate planned configuration changes. Cisco NPS and Cisco NPS-SP help reduce the risks associated with network growth, migration, and consolidation, strengthening business continuity with minimal operational expense. This includes the ability to predict, avoid, and lessen the effects of costly network and application service disruptions and the confidence to quickly adapt the network to changing business opportunities.
Table 1 describes the new features of Cisco NPS 2.0 and Cisco NPS-SP 2.0, including the Cisco Virtual Network Data Server 2.0
Table 1. New Features
Feature
Description
Multilayer service models
Identify the effects of network failures and congestion on defined services.
Traffic center
A unified interface for organizing, visualizing, and manipulating network traffic data.
MPLS design features (Cisco NPS-SP only)
Model MPLS Traffic Engineering and FRR bypass tunnel generation, MPLS auto bandwidth, and MPLS Fast Reroute Bypass LSP design.
Device configlets support
Enables updating a model with incremental commands instead of full Cisco configuration files. This introduces changes for "what-if" analysis in a manner closer to the real world. It also allows configlets to be preserved for potential application to the operational environment.
Service provider-class device support
Cisco NPS-SP supports modeling and analysis of Cisco IOS XR Software-based devices Cisco Carrier Routing System-1 and Cisco 12000 XR. Cisco VNDS is pre-requisite.
Automation enhancements
Web console for remote Cisco VNDS status monitoring; auto-configuration of device access and collection; support for multiple schedules; group-based reporting; network browser view; performance improvements; additional Cisco and third-party network hardware support.
Network showcase
Enables selective visualization of portions of a network. Easier to see connectivity and neighbor relationships in complex network topologies.
Network whiteboard
Provides dynamic network diagrams for enhanced documentation.
Additional analysis workflows
Service analysis, CDR import for VOIP readiness assessment.
Availability
Cisco NPS 2.0 and Cisco NPS-SP 2.0 will be available beginning December 26, 2006. Customers interested in purchasing these products can place orders through their normal sales channels beginning December 11, 2006.
