Understanding Plug & Go

Plug & Go enables you to quickly install a factory-reset Cisco Provider Connectivity Assurance Sensor (formerly Skylight performance element) unit on the network and remotely manage it without requiring further unit configuration. The unit discovers and configures its own service ports, automatically configures its management settings, and then adds itself to a centralized inventory-tracking database (the inventory-tracking unit). The purpose of the inventory-tracking unit is to view a network inventory of all units that have advertisement settings enabled.

Plug & Go is supported on both Layer-2 and Layer-3 networks.

This article explains the general steps required to enable the automatic configuration of factory-reset units on the network. These steps are as follows:

• Enable the beaconer and set its ACP level.
• Enable units in the path so that they will forward beacon and advertisement frames. The required configuration will vary, depending on whether the intermediate units are running firmware release 5.2 and higher or 5.1 and lower.
• Configure an inventory-tracking unit.

Beacon and Advertisement Frames

Plug & Go uses multicast frames with Ethertype (0x88fc), referred to as beacons. You need to configure one unit to be the “beaconer” to send the beacons to all remote units that are used by the auto interface for auto-provisioning. You only need to configure one beaconer on your network.

The beacon frame needs to reach the final destination: the remote unit. The remote unit responds by sending an advertisement―a frame of the same type as the beacon―back to the beaconer. Both beacons and advertisements must be transmitted in each direction. If there are any units in the path of the beacon on its way to the remote unit, you must configure each unit to be able to forward beacon and advertisement frames.

ACP Level

Complying with Service OAM standards, Plug & Go is based on a common multi-domain network model. This model accommodates services delivered by multiple providers at different levels. It is used to ensure that networks using ACP (Accedian Control Protocol) are maintained within defined maintenance levels.

The ACP level is used in transmitting beacon and advertisement frames. A unit receiving a beacon will automatically set its system ACP level to the one included in the beacon frame.

The ACP level defines how far the ACP frames can go. A unit requires a higher level to be able to transmit frames through a unit with a lower level. For example, a unit using ACP frames level 3 will be able to reach another unit if each unit in between has an ACP frame level of 2 or lower.

Configuring a Unit for Beacon

You can configure a logical interface to send beacons. A frame is sent by the central unit (or another unit configured as the beaconer) to all remote units that are used by the auto interface for auto-provisioning. This can be done at Layer 2 or Layer 3. Configure the unit to send beacons at Layer 2 if the remote units are within the same subnet. Configure the unit to send beacons at Layer 3 if the remote units are outside the beaconer's subnet.

Only configure one unit on your network―either the central unit or a separate beaconer―for sending beacons. Configure the auto interface of the remote units to listen for beacons by modifying the Discovery Settings parameters.

• Managing the Unit
• Managing Alarms and System Messages

Setting Up a Beacon Instance at Layer 2

When the beaconer is configured at Layer 2, a frame is sent by the beaconer unit to all remote units that have the auto interface enabled for auto-provisioning.

To configure a logical interface for sending beacons at Layer 2

1. Access the page System ▶Configuration ▶Interface.

2. Click an Interface Name to edit it.

3. Complete the required fields in the Beacon Settings section, then click Apply.

Setting Up a Beacon Instance at Layer 3

There are two ways to set up a beacon at Layer 3:

• Use Interface Settings to specify the interface on which to send the beacons. This method can be used, for example, when units to be configured with Plug & Go are on the same subnet as the interface used to send the beacons (e.g. a network interface with IP of 192.168.10.10/24 and units to be configured on the subnet 192.168.10.0/24).

• Use DHCP Relay to send the beacons via a DHCP relay (e.g. a router). This method can be used when the units to be configured with Plug & Go are on other subnets (no interface in the unit is in this subnet). If this method is used, the beacons will be sent using the interface that has a predefined route leading to the DHCP Relay IP address. If no predefined route leads to this IP address, the default gateway address is used. If this method is used with the Use interface settings option, the beacons are sent using this specific interface.

To set up a beacon instance for sending beacons at Layer 3

1. Access the page Plug & Go ▶Layer-3.

2. Click Add to add a new Layer-3 Beaconer or click the Layer-3 Beaconer Name to edit an existing beaconer.

3. Complete the required fields, then click Apply.

For more information on specific parameters, refer to the following table.

Beacon Layer-3 Configuration (Plug & Go ▶Layer-3)

Transmission Settings

Beacon Settings

Deleting a Beacon Instance at Layer 3

To delete a beacon instance at Layer 3

1. Access the page Plug & Go ▶Layer-3.

2. Select the beacon instance to delete by clicking its name in the list.
   The Layer-3 beacon configuration page opens.

3. Click Delete.

Modifying a Beacon Instance at Layer 3

To modify a beacon instance at Layer 3

1. Access the page Plug & Go ▶ Layer-3.

2. Select the beacon instance to modify by clicking its name in the list.
   The Layer-3 beacon configuration page opens.

3. Update the beacon's setting as required.

4. Click Apply to save your changes.

Configuring the Forwarding Settings of Intermediate Units

To configure the forwarding settings of each intermediate unit

1. Access the page System ▶Configuration ▶Interface.

2. Click the Auto interface to edit its settings.

3. In Forwarding Settings, set the level to All or to a value lower than the one set in the beaconer. Doing so allows beacon and advertisement frames to pass through this unit.

4. Set all other fields as required, then click Apply.

Managing Network Inventory

Viewing Network Inventory

You can view the network inventory of all Accedian units that have advertisement settings enabled. For more information about advertisement settings, refer to Configuring the Logical Interfaces.

To view the network inventory

1. Access the page Plug & Go ▶Inventory.

2. Click Enable Inventory Tracking, then click Apply.
   For more information on specific parameters, refer to the following table.

Discovery Config and Inventory (Plug & Go ▶Inventory)

Inventory

Unicast Beacon Configuration

You can also view more information on a specific unit by clicking on the link in the Serial Number column.

For more information on specific parameters, refer to the table Discovery config and inventory (Plug & Go ▶Inventory).

Logging In to a Remote Unit

You can connect and manage a remote unit by logging in to the Web server of the remote unit.

To connect to the remote unit

1. Access the page Plug & Go ▶Inventory.

2. Click the hyperlink in the Remote NID IP column.
   The login page for the remote unit is displayed.

3. Enter your user name and password to start managing the remote unit.

For more information on specific parameters, refer to the table Discovery config and inventory
(Plug & Go ▶Inventory).

Sending a Beacon

To send one beacon to the remote units

1. Access the page Plug & Go ▶Inventory.

2. Click Send Beacon.

For more information, refer to the table Discovery Config and Inventory (Plug & Go ▶ Inventory).
You can also configure a logical interface for beacon on the Interface Settings page. Refer to Configuring the Logical Interfaces.