Cisco Systems 520 manual Cisco Configuration Assistant

Chapter 1 Introduction

Software Features

Cisco Configuration Assistant

Compared to the switch device manager, the Cisco Configuration Assistant offers an enhanced set of features for configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting the devices in your network.

The Cisco Configuration Assistant discovers all devices in the network and can configure all supported routers, switches, and wireless access points and controllers as well as Cisco Unified Communications call-routing and voice-mail systems. After the network is deployed, you also can use Cisco Configuration Assistant to generate status reports, to synchronize passwords, and to upgrade software across all of your Cisco network devices.

Some general Cisco Configuration Assistant features include:

•Centralized, common services—such as software upgrades, configuration management, inventory reports, network events, alerts, and password and configuration synchronization—for Cisco switches, routers, access points, and voice appliances in the network

•Centralized network monitoring using two views of all connected devices in the network: a physical view (Front Panel image) and a logical view (network Topology image) of different network devices

•Drag-and-drop software upgrade for multiple devices, including backup and restoration of device configuration files

•Security configuration for all the Cisco access points in the network

•Authenticated and encrypted communications between the Cisco Configuration Assistant client and each connected network device

•Simplified troubleshooting through an Events Notification Advisor (which identifies problems and suggests resolutions related to misconfiguration such as Smartports or duplex-mode mismatch) and through a Link Diagnostic Report (which identifies problems and suggests resolutions related to connectivity such as port-speed mismatch and faulty cabling)

The Cisco Configuration Assistant is available in a number of languages.

You can download the Cisco Configuration Assistant to your PC or laptop from this Cisco.com site:

http://www.cisco.com/go/configassist

Complete details about the Cisco Configuration Assistant features and the procedures for using the application are available from the Cisco Configuration Assistant documentation and the online help.

	User Guide for the Catalyst Express 520 Switches
OL-12761-02		1-13