Cisco vWAAS Configuration Guide (for WAAS Version 6.4.5x)
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This chapter describes the operation of Cisco vWAAS in the Microsoft Azure and OpenStack cloud computing systems.
This chapter contains the following sections:
About Cisco vWAAS in Cloud Computing Systems
Cisco vWAAS is a cloud-ready WAN optimization solution that is fully interoperable with Cisco WAAS appliances, and can be
managed by a common Cisco WAAS Central Manager or Cisco vCM. The Cisco vWAAS cloud computing solution includes these features:
On-demand orchestration that responds to the creation or movement of application server VMs.
Minimal network configuration, including in a dynamic environment.
Designed for scalability, elasticity, and multitenancy support.
Designed for minimal network configuration in a dynamic environment.
Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure
This section contains the following topics:
About Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure provisions VMs on the Microsoft Hyper-V hypervisor. Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure is part of Cisco WAAS support
for Microsoft Office 365, and is an end-to-end solution for enterprise branch offices.
Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure is available for Cisco vWAAS in Cisco WAAS Version 6.2.1x and later.
Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure is supported for Cisco vWAAS-200, vWAAS-750, vWAAS-1300, vWAAS-2500, vWAAS-6000, and vWAAS-12000.
Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure is not supported for Cisco vWAAS-50000.
The following table shows the platforms supported for Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure.
Table 1. Microsoft Azure VM Sizes for Cisco WAAS vWAAS Models
vWAAS Model
Maximum Connections
Data Disk
Minimum Azure VM Size
vWAAS-200
200
160 GB
D2_v2 (2 cores, 7GB)
vWAAS-750
750
250 GB
D2_v2 (2 cores, 7GB)
vWAAS-1300
1300
300 GB
D2_v2 (2 cores, 7GB)
vWAAS-2500
2500
400 GB
D3_v2 (4 cores, 14GB)
vWAAS-6000
6000
500 GB
D3_v2 (4 cores, 14GB)
vWAAS-12000
12000
750 GB
D3_v2 (4 cores, 14GB)
Operating Guidelines for Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure
This section describes operating guidelines, interoperability guidelines, and operating limitations for Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft
Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure interoperability:
Consider the following interoperability guidelines for Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure:
Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure is available for specified vWAAS models in Cisco WAAS Version 6.2.1 and later.
You can display and identify vWAAS in Azure device on the Cisco WAAS Central Manager or the Cisco WAAS CLI:
On the Cisco WAAS Central Manager, choose Manage Devices. The vWAAS in Azure device type is displayed as OE-VWAAS-AZURE.
On the Cisco WAAS CLI, run either the show version EXEC command or the show hardware EXEC command. Output for both commands includes the device ID, shown as OE-VWAAS-AZURE.
Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure communicates with the Cisco WAAS Central Manager in the same way as physical appliances communicate
with the Cisco WAAS Central Manager.
To display vWAAS in Azure devices, choose Home > Devices > All Devices. The Device Type column shows all WAAS and vWAAS devices. A vWAAS in Azure device is displayed as OE-VWAAS-AZURE.
Note
For Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure, the supported traffic interception method is PBR; Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure does
not support WCCP or AppNav interception methods.
Operating limitations for Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure:
Consider the following operating limitations for Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure:
Cisco vWAAS auto registration is not supported, because Microsoft Azure uses DHCP to configure VMs with IP address and Azure
fabric server IP address. There will be operational issues if you deploy a separate DHCP server for auto registration.
Functionality similar to auto registration is available by providing the Cisco WAAS Central Manager IP address during Cisco
vWAAS VM provisioning. The Cisco vWAAS VM will try to register with this Cisco WAAS Central Manager during provisioning.
Microsoft Azure does not support GRE, IPv6, or Jumbo Frames. Therefore Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure does not support these
features.
Note
For Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure, the supported traffic interception method is PBR; Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure does
not support WCCP or AppNav interception methods.
Cisco WAAS and Cisco vWAAS with Akamai Connect are not supported for Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure.
Upgrade and downgrade guidelines for Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure:
Consider the following upgrade and downgrade guidelines for Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure:
The procedure for upgrading or downgrading Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure, for all Cisco vWAAS models except Cisco vWAAS-50000,
is the same as that for other Cisco WAAS devices. For more information, see Cisco Wide Area Application Services Configuration Guide.
Downgrading a device or device group for Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure to a version earlier than Cisco WAAS Version 6.2.1
is not supported.
Registering Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure with the Cisco WAAS Central Manager
Consider the following guidelines for registering the Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure with the Cisco WAAS Central Manager:
If you register the Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure with the WAAS Central Manager using a private IP address, follow the Cisco
vWAAS registration process described in Configuring Cisco vWAAS Settings of the chapter “Configuring Cisco vWAAS and Viewing
vWAAS Components.
If you register the Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure with the Cisco WAAS Central Manager using a public IP address, you must
specify the public address of the Cisco vWAAS in the Cisco WAAS Central Manager Device Activation window (choose Devices >
device-name > Activation).
After you register the Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure device with the Cisco WAAS Central Manager, you must configure the public
IP address of the Cisco WAAS Central Manager. The Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure device can contact the Cisco WAAS Central
Manager only by using the public IP address of the registration. To set the public IP address of the WAAS Central Manager:
From the Cisco WAAS Central Manager, choose Home > Devices > Primary-CM-Device > Configure > Network > NatSettings.
In the NAT IP field, enter the public IP address of the Cisco WAAS Central Manager.
Deploying Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure
This section has the following topics:
Deployment Options for Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure
There are two major deployment options for Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure:
A SaaS application, such as an enterprise application, where you control the hosting of the application.
In this type of deployment, both the application server and Cisco vWAAS can be put in the Microsoft Azure cloud just as in
a private cloud. The Cisco vWAAS is very close to the server, and tied to the server movement. In such a scenario, the traffic
flow is very similar to that in a normal enterprise data center deployment.
A SaaS application, such as Microsoft Office 365, where you do not control the hosting of the application.
In this type of deployment, you do not have control over the application in the cloud; you control only the Cisco vWAAS. In
this case, traffic from the Cisco Cloud Services Router (Cisco CSR) in the branch is tunneled to the Cisco CSR in Microsoft
Azure, which is then redirected to the Cisco vWAAS. A Destination Network Address Translation (DNAT) is performed to get the
traffic back to the Cisco CSR in the Microsoft Azure cloud from the SaaS application. For more information on Microsoft Office
365 with Cisco WAAS, see Accelerate Microsoft Office 365 Shared Deployments with Cisco WAAS WAN Optimization.
Provisioning the vWAAS VM in Microsoft Azure
Before you begin
To deploy Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure, you need a Microsoft Azure Pay-As-You-Go subscription. Details about the subscription procedure and billing information are available on the Microsoft Azure website.
Procedure
Step 1
Login to the Microsoft Azure portal.
Step 2
Choose New > Compute > Virtual Machine > From Gallery.
The Create a Virtual Machine/Choose an Image window is displayed.
Step 3
At the Create a Virtual Machine/Choose an Image > My Images window, select the vWAAS Azure image for your system.
The Create a Virtual Machine/Virtual Machine Configuration window is displayed.
In the Virtual Machine Name field, enter the name of the VM you want to create. Use only letters and numbers, up to a maximum of 15 characters.
At the Virtual Machine Tier pane, select Standard.
From the Size drop-down list, select the Azure VM size for your system. The following table shows the minimum Azure VM size for each Cisco
vWAAS model available for provisioning in the Virtual Machine Tier pane.
Table 2. Microsoft Azure VM Sizes for Cisco WAAS vWAAS Models
vWAAS Model
Maximum Connections
Data Disk
Minimum Azure VM Size
vWAAS-200
200
160 GB
D2_v2 (2 cores, 7GB)
vWAAS-750
750
250 GB
D2_v2 (2 cores, 7GB)
vWAAS-1300
1300
300 GB
D2_v2 (2 cores, 7GB)
vWAAS-2500
2500
400 GB
D3_v2 (4 cores, 14GB)
Note
Use the Microsoft Azure Virutal Machine Tier pane to select an Azure VM for the Cisco vWAAS models shown in the above table. For vWAAS-6000 and vWAAS-12000, you must
use the template to specify the Azure VM. For more information, see the table in About Cisco vWAAS in Miscrosoft Azure.
In the New User Name field, enter your user name.
In the New Password field, enter your password.
In the Confirm field, re-enter your password.
(Optional) If your system uses SSH key-based authentication:
Check the Upload compatible SSH key for authentication checkbox.
From the Certificate field, browse for the certificate file for your system.
(Optional) If your system requires a password, check the Provide a password checkbox.
Click the right arrow at the lower right of the window to proceed to the next window.
The next Create a Virtual Machine/Virtual Machine Configuration window is displayed.
Step 4
At the next Create a Virtual Machine/Virtual Machine Configuration window:
From the Cloud Service drop-down list, choose Create a Cloud Service.
In the Cloud Service DNS Name field, enter the name of the VM that you created in Step 3a.
When Azure VMs are being named, the DNS name has cloudapp.net automatically appended to it.
From the Region/Affinity Group/Virtual Network drop-down list, choose a location that is in close proximity to the resources you want to optimize, such as East U.S. or
North Europe.
The Region/Affinity Group/Virtual Network setting determines the location of the VM within the Azure cloud data centers.
From the Storage Account drop-down list, select Use an automatically generated storage account.
From the Availability Set drop-down list, choose (None).
Click the right arrow at the lower right of the window to proceed to the next window.
The Virtual Machines/Virtual Machine Instances window is displayed.
By default, the Install the VM Agent check box is checked.
Step 5
At the Virtual Machines/Virtual Machine Instances window:
In the Endpoints section:
Add an endpoint for SSH (port 22).
Add an endpoint for HTTPS (port 443).
Click the check mark at the lower right corner of the window to proceed for provisioning Cisco vWAAS.
The Virtual Machines/Virtual Machine Instances window now shows the newly-created VM with an initial status of Starting (Provisioning).
The process takes a few minutes before the VM status is displayed as Running.
Deploying vWAAS VM with Template and Custom VHD from the Microsoft ARM Portal
Before you begin
Verify that the Cisco vWAAS VM is provisioned in Microsoft Azure, including the creation of a storage account and a VM location
specified in Microsoft Azure. For more information, see Provisioning the Cisco vWAAS VM in Microsoft Azure.
Procedure
Step 1
Using Azcopy, copy vwaas.vhd to the storage account.
Step 2
Use the template to deploy the vWAAS VM.
Step 3
At the Microsoft ARM portal, choose New > Template Deployment > Edit Template.
Step 4
Copy the template.
Step 5
Paste the template in the Templates window.
Step 6
For the parameters, enter the values for your system, such as resource group and resource group location, and whether or not
to deploy the vWAAS VM in a new or existing virtual network.
Deploying Cisco vWAAS VM Using Microsoft Windows Powershell
Before you begin
Verify that the Cisco vWAAS VM is provisioned in Microsoft Azure, including the creation of a storage account and a VM location
specified in Microsoft Azure. For more information, see Provisioning the Cisco vWAAS VM in Microsoft Azure.
Procedure
Step 1
Deploy Cisco vWAAS on Microsoft Hyper-V. For information on this deployment procedure, see the chapter "Cisco vWAAS on Microsoft Hyper-V."
Step 2
To set the necessary Azure parameters, run the azure_predeploy.sh script in Hyper-V.
Step 3
Export the flash VHD from the Microsoft Hyper-V disk location to the storage account in Microsoft Azure, using AzCopy.
Step 4
Run the Microsoft Windows Powershell commands to specify the following parameters:
To specify the deployment name, run the deployName command.
To specify the resource group, run the RGName command.
To specify the location, run the locName command.
To specifiy the template file, run the templateURL command.
Step 5
To to create the resource group, run the New-AzureRmResourceGroup -Name $RGName -Location $locName Powershell command.
Step 6
To deploy Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure, run the New-AzureRmResourceGroupDeployment Powershell cmdlet. To complete the deployment, specify values for the following parameters:
userImageStorageAccountName
userImageStoragContainerName
userImageVhdName
osType
vmName
adminUserName
adminPassword
Step 7
After you enter these parameters, Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure is deployed. The system displays provisioning information
including deployment name, provisioning state, date/time, and mode.
Verifying the Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure Deployment
The following table provides a checklist for verifying the Cisco vWAAS VM deployment in Microsoft Azure.
Table 3. Checklist for Verifying the Cisco vWAAS in Azure Deployment
Task
Description
Viewing vWAAS in Azure vWAAS devices
From the Cisco WAAS Central Manager, choose Manage Devices. The vWAAS in Azure device type is displayed as OE-VWAAS-AZURE.
From the Cisco WAAS CLI, run either the show version EXEC command or the show hardware EXEC command. Output for both commands will include device ID, displayed as OE-VWAAS-AZURE.
Viewing Boot Information and Diagnostics
On the Microsoft Azure portal, choose Virtual Machines > VM > Settings > Boot Diagnostics.
Verifying CMS Registration
If the Centralized Management System (CMS) is enabled, run the show cms device statusname command to display status for the specified device or device group.
After you have registered the vWAAS in Azure device to the Cisco WAAS Central Manager, you must configure the public IP address
of the Central Manager. The vWAAS in Azure device can contact the Cisco WAAS Central Manager only by using the public IP address
of the registration. To set the public IP address of the Cisco WAAS Central Manager:
In the Cisco WAAS Central Manager, choose Home > Devices > Primary-CM-Device > Configure > Network > NatSettings.
In the NAT IP field, enter the public IP address of the Cisco WAAS Central Manager.
Verifying Cisco WAAS Central Manager Address
To dipslay inforamtion about all Cisco WAAS devices, run the show running-config command.
Note
Whenever ARP caches are cleared or the Cisco vWAAS is rebooted, packets may not be forwarded to the next hop in Microsoft
Azure cloud. To ensure that packets are successfully forwarded, use the ping EXEC command to update the ARP cache table.
Upgrade and Downgrade Guidelines for Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure
Consider the following upgrade and downgrade guidelines for Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure:
The procedure for upgrading or downgrading Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure, for all Cisco vWAAS models except Cisco vWAAS-50000,
is the same as that for other Cisco WAAS device.
Downgrading a device or device group for Cisco vWAAS in Microsoft Azure to a version earlier than Cisco WAAS Version 6.2.1
is not supported.
Cisco vWAAS in OpenStack
This section contains the following topics:
Operating Guidelines for Cisco vWAAS in Openstack
Consider the following operating guidelines for Cisco vWAAS in OpenStack:
Cisco vWAAS in OpenStack is supported for Cisco vWAAS in WAAS Version 6.4.1b and later.
Cisco vWAAS in OpenStack is supported for all Cisco vWAAS and Cisco vCM models that are supported on RHEL KVM on CentOS.
On the Cisco WAAS Central Manager, Cisco vWAAS devices in OpenStack are displayed as OE-VWAAS-OPENSTACK.
All Cisco vWAAS models for Cisco vWAAS in OpenStack are deployed with a single, unified OVA. The following are examples of
the unified OVA and NPE OVA package filenames for Cisco vWAAS in OpenStack:
When you deploy the OpenStack host, it uses the default vWAAS disk size. Modify the disk size, as needed, for your configuration
requirements.
For OpenStack deployment, the Generic Receive Offload (GRO) setting on the host NIC card must be enabled.
Deploying Cisco vWAAS in OpenStack
This section contains the following topics:
Guidelines for Deploying Cisco vWAAS in OpenStack
Consider the following guidelines to deploy Cisco vWAAS in OpenStack:
Cisco vWAAS in OpenStack is deployed for vWAAS on KVM. For more information on Cisco vWAAS on KVM, see the chapter "Cisco
vWAAS on RHEL KVM, KVM on CentOS, and KVM in SUSE Linux."
For Cisco vWAAS on KVM in Cisco WAAS Version 6.4.x and later, Cisco provides a single, unified OVA or NPE OVA package for
each hypervisor type, which can be used with all Cisco vWAAS models for that hypervisor. Here are some examples of the unified
OVA and NPE OVA package filenames for vWAAS on KVM:
After Cisco vWAAS in OpenStack is operational on a device, you can use the Cisco WAAS Central Manager or the Cisco WAAS CLI
to display the OpenStack device.
The Cisco WAAS Central Manager displays the following information for the device:
The OpenStack device is displayed in the Devices > All Devices listing under Device Type as OE-VWAAS-OPENSTACK.
The OpenStack device is displayed in the Devices >device-name> Dashboard as OE-VWAAS-OPENSTACK.
Run the show hardware command to display the device, as well as other system hardware status information such as startup date and time, the run
time since startup, microprocessor type and speed, and a list of disk drives.
Procedure for Deploying Cisco vWAAS in OpenStack
Procedure
Step 1
Copy the unified OVA to a directory on the host machine.
Step 2
Untar the OVA using the following command:
tar -xvf Cisco-KVM-vWAAS-Unified-6.4.5-b-69.tar.gz
Step 3
Create the image.
Click the OpenStack Admin tab and choose the Compute > Images window.
From the Images table, choose the image for your system.
To create the image, click Create Image.
Step 4
Create the bootable volume.
Click the OpenStack Admin tab and choose Compute > Create Volume.
In the Volume Name field, enter the name of the Cisco vWAAS model and disk, for example, vWAAS_200_disk0.
From the Volume Source drop-down list, choose Image.
From the Use image as a source drop-down list, choose the build number for your system.
From the Type drop-down list, choose iscsi.
From the Size (GiB) drop-down list, choose the size for this volume, for example, 4.
From the Availability drop-down list, choose nova.
Click Create Volume.
Step 5
Create nonbootable volumes.
Click the OpenStack Admin tab and choose Compute > Create Volume.
In the Volume Name field, enter the name of the Cisco vWAAS model and disk, for example, vWAAS_200_disk1.
From the Volume Source drop-down list, choose No source, empty volume.
From the Type drop-down list, choose iscsi.
From the Size (GiB) drop-down list, choose the size for this volume, for example, 10.
From the Availability drop-down list, choose nova.
Click Create Volume.
Step 6
In the OpenStack Compute > Volumes window, create all the volumes related to your deployed model.
In the OpenStack Compute > Volumes page, create an instance with a bootable volume.
Launch the instance.
Click the OpenStack Admin tab and choose Compute > Instances > Launch Instance.
In the Instance Name field, enter the name of the Cisco vWAAS model, for example, vWAAS-200.
From the Availability drop-down list, choose nova.
From the Count drop-down list, choose 1.
Click Launch Instance.
Step 7
Specify the flavor suitable for the selected Cisco vWAAS model. As noted on the OpenStack page, flavors manage the sizing for the compute, memory, and storage capacity of the instance.
Click the OpenStack Admin tab and choose Compute > Instances > Launch Instance > Flavor.
Step 8
Select the networks for the vWAAS.
Click the OpenStack Admin tab and choose Compute > Instances > Launch Instance > Networks.
Step 9
Select the configuration drive to send model parameters.
Click the OpenStack Admin tab and choose Compute > Instances > Launch Instance > Configuration.
From the Disk Partition drop-down list, choose Automatic.
Check the Configuration Drive check box.
Click Launch Instance.
Step 10
Provide model and connection information to deploy vWAAS in OpenStack metadata.
Click the OpenStack Admin tab and choose Compute > Instances > Launch Instance > Metadata.
Specify resource metadata by selecting and moving items from the Available Metadata column into the Existing Metadata column.
Step 11
Attach disks to the deployed instance.
Click the OpenStack Admin tab and choose Compute > Volumes.
From the Edit Volume drop-down list, choose Manage Attachments.
The Manage Volume Attachments dialog box appears.
From the Select an instance drop-down list, choose the instance to attach to the disk.
Click Attach Volume.
Step 12
After attaching the disks, the Compute > Volumes window displays the attached disks.
Step 13
Reboot the system (hard reboot).
After the system is rebooted, choose Compute > Instances.
From the Create Snapshot drop-down list, choose Hard Reboot Instance.
The Compute > Instances window displays the attached disks.
Step 14
From the Instances > Instance Console page, connect to the console to work on Cisco vWAAS.
Upgrade and Downgrade Guidelines for Cisco vWAAS in OpenStack
Consider the following upgrade and downgrade guidelines for Cisco vWAAS in OpenStack:
The procedure for upgrading or downgrading vWAAS in OpenStack is the same as for any other WAAS device.
Downgrading a device or device group for vWAAS in OpenStack to a Cisco WAAS version earlier than Version 6.4.1b is not supported.