Cisco Software-Defined AVC (SD-AVC) is a component of Cisco AVC. It operates as a centralized network service, with specific participating devices in a network.

Cisco SD-AVC complements solutions such as:

• Cisco Intelligent WAN (IWAN)

• Cisco EasyQoS

• Application Assurance

Some of the current features and benefits provided by SD-AVC:

• Network-level application recognition consistent across the network

• Improved application recognition in symmetric and asymmetric routing environments

• Improved first packet classification

• Cloud service providing continually updated information about server addresses used by public internet sites and services, improving traffic classification

• Protocol Pack update at the network level

• Secure browser-based dashboard over HTTPS

• Analysis of unclassified traffic

• Network-wide user-defined applications

• Configuring custom applications

• Support for Office 365 Traffic Categories

• REST API

New and updated features in SD-AVC Release 4.3.0:

• Installation Package for the SD-AVC Network Service in tar Format

  The installation package downloaded from Cisco is in tar format, replacing the earlier OVA format.

• Limit the MS Office 365 Server Domains Sent to Devices in the Network

  Added the ability to limit the Microsoft Office 365 server domains that the SD-AVC network service sends to devices in the network, to include only specific service instances.

SD-AVC consists of two main components:

• SD-AVC network service: Operates as a virtualized service on a Cisco host platform. A variety of Cisco ASR1000 Series, ISR4000 Series, and other platforms can function as the host for this component, which is installed using a file downloaded from Cisco.

• SD-AVC agent: SD-AVC can be activated on numerous devices in the network, which communicate with the centralized SD-AVC network service. Activating SD-AVC on a device does not require any additional software download. It requires only executing a few Cisco IOS commands on the device. A variety of Cisco ASR1000 Series, ISR4000 Series, and other platforms are supported. Activating SD-AVC starts an SD-AVC agent service on the device, which manages communication between the device and the SD-AVC network service.

See the user guide for the following:

• System requirements for platforms hosting the SD-AVC network service, and instructions for installing the component.

• System requirements for network devices using SD-AVC, and instructions for activating SD-AVC.

See the Cisco SD-AVC 4.3.0 user guide for information about supported platforms and software releases for the following:

• Host platforms for the SD-AVC network service

• Network devices that support SD-AVC

The user guide describes system requirements and installation instructions.

SD-AVC Network Service

The SD-AVC network service is installed from a tar file and operates as a virtualized service on a host platform. The file is available for download on the Cisco software download page (https://software.cisco.com/download/home). On the download page, specify a platform model to display software available for download. For example, to display SD-AVC files available for the Cisco ASR 1002-HX, enter ASR 1002-HX in the search field.

In the results, one software option is SD-AVC.

Network Devices

Configuring SD-AVC on network devices does not require downloading any additional software. SD-AVC is included in the system software.