Cisco Systems ME 3400 Configuring Cisco IOS IP SLAs Operations

CHAPT ER

37-1

Cisco ME 3400 Ethernet Access Switch Software Configuration Guide

OL-9639-06

Configuring Cisco IOS IP SLAs Operations

This chapter describes how to use Cisco IOS IP Service Level Agreements (SLAs) on the Cisco ME 3400

Ethernet Access switch. Cisco IP SLAs is a part of Cisco IOS software that allows Cisco customers to

analyze IP service levels for IP applications and services by using active traffic monitoring—the

generation of traffic in a continuous, reliable, and predictable manner—for measuring network

performance. With Cisco IOS IP SLAs, service provider customers can measure and provide service

level agreements, and enterprise customers can verify service levels, verify outsourced service level

agreements, and understand network performance. Cisco IOS IP SLAs can perform network

assessments, verify quality of service (QoS), ease the deployment of new services, and assist with

network troubleshooting.

Note Full Cisco IP SLAs functionality is supported only on switches that are running the metro IP access or

metro access image. Switches running the metro base image, such as the ME 2400, support only IP SLAs

responder functionality and must be configured with another device that supports full IP SLAs

functionality.

For more information about IP SLAs, see the Cisco IOS IP SLAs Configuration Guide, Release 12.4T at

this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/ios/ipsla/configuration/guide/12_4t/sla_12_4t_book.html

For command syntax information, see the command reference at this URL:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/ios/ipsla/command/reference/sla_book.html

This chapter consists of these sections:

• Understanding Cisco IOS IP SLAs, page 37-1

• Configuring IP SLAs Operations, page 37-6

• Monitoring IP SLAs Operations, page 37-13

Cisco IOS IP SLAs sends data across the network to measure performance between multiple network

locations or across multiple network paths. It simulates network data and IP services and collects

network performance information in real time. Cisco IOS IP SLAs generates and analyzes traffic either

between Cisco IOS devices or from a Cisco IOS device to a remote IP device such as a network

application server. Measurements provided by the various Cisco IOS IP SLAs operations can be used for

troubleshooting, for problem analysis, and for designing network topologies.