Chapter 7, Cisco Transport Controller Operation

This chapter describes Cisco Transport Controller (CTC), the Cisco ONS 15454's software interface that is stored on the TCC+ card and downloaded to your workstation each time you log into the ONS 15454. For CTC set up and log-in information, refer to the Cisco ONS 15454 Procedure Guide.

7.1 CTC Software Versions

ONS 15454 provisioning and administration is performed using the Cisco Transport Controller software. CTC is a Java application that is installed in two locations:

7.1.1 CTC Software Installed on the TCC+

CTC software is pre-loaded on the ONS 15454 TCC+ cards; therefore, you do not need to install software on the TCC+. When a new CTC software version is released, follow procedures in the Cisco ONS 15454 Software Upgrade Guide to upgrade the ONS 15454 software on the TCC+.

When you upgrade CTC software, the TCC+ stores the older CTC version as the protect CTC version, and the newer CTC release becomes the working version. You can view the software versions that are installed on an ONS 15454 by selecting the Maintenance > Software tabs in node view. Select the tabs in network view to display the software versions installed on all the network nodes.

7.1.2 CTC Software Installed on the PC or UNIX Workstation

CTC software is downloaded from the TCC+ and installed on your computer automatically after you connect to the ONS 15454. Downloading the CTC software files automatically ensures your computer is running the same CTC software version as the TCC+ you are accessing. The computer CTC software files are stored in the temporary directory designated by your computer's operating system. If the files are deleted, they are downloaded the next time you connect to an ONS 15454. Downloading the files takes 1-2 minutes.

7.2 CTC Installation Overview

To connect to an ONS 15454 using CTC, you enter the ONS 15454 IP address in the URL field of a web browser, such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer. After connecting to an ONS 15454, the following occurs automatically:

The launcher determines whether your computer has a CTC release matching the release on the ONS 15454 TCC+.

If the computer does not have CTC installed, or if the installed release is older than the TCC+ version, the launcher downloads the CTC program files from the TCC+.

The launcher starts CTC. The CTC session is separate from the web browser session, so the web browser is no longer needed. Always log into nodes having the latest software release. If you log into an ONS 15454 that is connected to ONS 15454s with older versions of CTC, or to Cisco ONS 15327s, CTC "element" files are downloaded automatically to enable you to interact with those nodes. You cannot interact with nodes on the network that have a software version later than the node that you are logged into.

Each ONS 15454 can handle up to four network-level CTC sessions (the login node and its DCC-connected nodes) and one node-level session (login node only) at one time. CTC performance may vary, depending upon the volume of activity in each session.

Note You can also use TL1 commands to communicate with the Cisco ONS 15454 through VT100 terminals and VT100 emulation software, or you can Telnet to an ONS 15454 using TL1 port 3083. See the Cisco ONS 15454 and Cisco ONS 15327 TL1 Command Guide for a comprehensive list of TL1 commands.

7.3 Computer Requirements

To use CTC in ONS 15454 Release 3.4 or later, your computer must have a web browser with the correct Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed. The correct JRE for each CTC software release is included on the Cisco ONS 15454 software CD. If you are running multiple CTC software releases on a network, the JRE installed on the computer must be compatible with the different software releases. Table 7-1 shows JRE compatibility with ONS software releases.

Table 7-1 JRE Compatibility
ONS Software Release	JRE 1.2.2 Compatible	JRE 1.3 Compatible
ONS 15454 Release 2.2.1 and earlier	Yes	No
ONS 15454 Release 2.2.2	Yes	Yes
ONS 15454 Release 3.0	Yes	Yes
ONS 15454 Release 3.1	Yes	Yes
ONS 15454 Release 3.2	Yes	Yes
ONS 15454 Release 3.3	Yes	Yes
ONS 15454 Release 3.4	No	Yes

Requirements for PCs and UNIX workstations are provided in Table 7-2. A modified java.policy file must also be installed. In addition to Netscape Communicator and the JRE, also included on the ONS 15454 software CD and the ONS 15454 documentation CD are the Java plug-in and modified java.policy file.

Table 7-2 Computer Requirements for CTC
Area	Requirements	Notes
Processor	Pentium II 300 MHz, UltraSPARC, or equivalent	300 Mhz is the recommended processor speed. You can use computers with less processor speed; however, you may experience longer response times and slower performance.
RAM	128 MB
Hard drive	2 GB recommended; 50 MB space must be available
Operating System	•PC: Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 5, Windows 2000, or Windows XP •Workstation: Any Solaris release
Web browser	•PC: Netscape Navigator 4.73 or higher, Internet Explorer 5.0 (service pack 2) or higher •Workstation: Netscape Navigator 4.73 or higher	Netscape Communicator 4.73 (Windows) and 4.76 (UNIX) are installed by the CTC Installation Wizard included on the Cisco ONS 15454 software and documentation CDs.
Java Runtime Environment	JRE 1.3.1_02	JRE 1.3.1_02 is installed by the CTC Installation Wizard included on the Cisco ONS 15454 software and documentation CDs. If you will connect to an ONS 15454 running Release 2.2.1, you must uninstall JRE 1.3.1 and install JRE 1.2.2_05, then reinstall JRE 1.3.1_02 when you connect to an ONS 15454 running Release 3.4. JRE 1.4 is not supported.
Java.policy file	A java.policy file modified for CTC	The java.policy file is modified by the CTC Installation Wizard included on the Cisco ONS 15454 software and documentation CDs.
Cable	User-supplied Category 5 straight-through cable with RJ-45 connectors on each end to connect the computer to the ONS 15454 directly or though a LAN.

7.4 The CTC Window

The CTC window (screen) displays after you log into an ONS 15454 ( Figure 7-3). The window includes a menu bar, toolbar, and a top and bottom pane. The top pane displays status information about the selected objects and a graphic of the current view. The bottom pane displays tabs and subtabs, which you use to view ONS 15454 information and perform ONS 15454 provisioning and maintenance. From this window you can display three ONS 15454 views: network, node, and card.

7.4.1 Node View

The CTC node view, shown in Figure 7-3, is the first view displayed after you log into an ONS 15454. The login node is the first node displayed, and it is the "home view" for the session. Node view allows you to view and manage one ONS 15454 node. The status area shows the node name, IP address, session boot date and time, number of critical (CR), major (MJ), and minor (MN) alarms, the name of the current logged-in user, and security level of the user.

7.4.1.1 CTC Card Colors

The graphic area of the CTC window depicts the ONS 15454 shelf assembly. The colors of the cards in the graphic reflect the real-time status of the physical card and slot ( Table 7-3).

Table 7-3 Node View Card Colors
Card Color	Status
Grey	Slot is not provisioned; no card is installed
Violet	Slot is provisioned; no card is installed
White	Slot is provisioned; a functioning card is installed
Yellow	Slot is provisioned; a minor alarm condition exists
Orange	Slot is provisioned; a major alarm condition exists
Red	Slot is provisioned; a critical alarm exists

Ports can be assigned one of four states, OOS, IS, OOS_AINS, or OOS_MT. The color of the port in both card and node view indicates the port state. Table 7-4 shows the port colors and their states.

Table 7-4 Node View Card Port Colors
Port Color	State	Description
Grey	OOS	Port is out of service; no signal will be transmitted
Violet	OOS_AINS	Port is out of service, auto in service. The port will transmit a signal but will suppress alarms and allow loopbacks. The port will transition to IS when a signal is received for the amount of time specified in the AINS_SOAK field as long as no hardware-related alarms, such as EQPT, IMPROPRMVL, are present on the node.
Cyan	OOS_MT	Port is out of service, maintenance. The port will transmit a signal but alarms are suppressed and loopbacks are allowed. The port will not transition to IS until manually assigned by the user.
Green	IS	Port is in service. The port will transmit signal and display alarms; loopbacks are not allowed.

7.4.1.2 Node View Card Shortcuts

If you move your mouse over cards in the graphic, popups display additional information about the card including the card type, card status (active or standby), the number of critical, major, and minor alarms (if any), and the alarm profile used by the card. Right-clicking a card reveals a shortcut menu, which you can use to open, reset, or delete a card. Right-click a slot (grey) to pre-provision a card (i.e., provision a slot before installing the card).

7.4.1.3 Node View Tabs

Table 7-5 Node View Tabs and Subtabs
Tab	Description	Subtabs
Alarms	Lists current alarms (CR, MJ, MN) for the node and updates them in real-time	none
Conditions	Displays a list of standing conditions on the node.	none
History	Provides a history of node alarms including date, type, and severity of each alarm. The Session subtab displays alarms and events for the current session. The Node subtab displays alarms and events retrieved from a fixed-size log on the node.	Session, Node
Circuits	Create, delete, edit, and map circuits	none
Provisioning	Provision the ONS 15454 node	General, Ether Bridge, Network, Protection, BLSR, Security, SNMP, SONET DCC, Timing, Alarm Behavior, Defaults Editor, UCP
Inventory	Provides inventory information (part number, serial number, CLEI codes) for cards installed in the node. Allows you to delete and reset cards.	none
Maintenance	Perform maintenance tasks for the node	Database, Ether Bridge, Protection, BLSR, Software, XC cards, Overhead XConnect, Diagnostic, Timing, Audit, Routing Table, RIP Routing Table Test Access

7.4.2 Network View

Network view ( Figure 7-4) allows you to view and manage ONS 15454s that have DCC connections to the node that you logged into and any login node groups you may have selected.

Note Nodes with DCC connections to the login node will not display if you select Exclude Dynamically Discovered Nodes on the Login dialog box.

The graphic area displays a background image with colored ONS 15454 icons. The icon colors indicate the node status ( Table 7-6). Green lines show DCC connections between the nodes. Selecting a node or span in the graphic area displays information about the node and span in the status area.

Table 7-6 Node Status Shown in Network View
Color	Alarm Status
Green	No alarms
Yellow	Minor alarms
Orange	Major alarms
Red	Critical alarms
Grey with node name	Node is initializing
Grey with IP address	Node is initializing, or a problem exists with IP routing from node to CTC

Table 7-7 Network View Tabs and Subtabs
Tab	Description	Subtabs
Alarms	Lists current alarms (CR, MJ, MN) for the network and updates them in real-time	none
Conditions	Displays a list of standing conditions on the network.	none
History	Provides a history of network alarms including date, type, and severity of each alarm.	none
Circuits	Create, delete, edit, filter and search for network circuits	none
Provisioning	Provision security, alarm profiles, BLSR and overhead circuits	Security, Alarm Profiles, BLSR, Overhead Circuits
Maintenance	Displays network nodes status; displays working and protect software versions and allows software to be downloaded	Software

7.4.3 Card View

Card view displays information about individual ONS 15454 cards and is the window where you perform card-specific maintenance and provisioning ( Figure 7-5). A graphic of the selected card is shown in the graphic area. The status area displays the node name, slot, number of alarms, card type, equipment type, and either the card status (active or standby), card state (IS, OOS, OOS_AINS, or OOS_MT), or port state (IS, OOS, ). The information that is displayed and the actions you can perform depend on the card.

Note CTC displays a card view for all ONS 15454 cards except the TCC+, XC, XCVT, and XC10G cards.

Card view provides access to the following tabs: Alarms, History, Circuits, Provisioning, Maintenance, Performance, and Conditions. (The Performance tab is not displayed for the AIC card.) The subtabs, fields, and information displayed under each tab depend on the card type selected.

7.5 TCC+ Reset

You can reset the ONS 15454 TCC+ cards by using the Cisco Transport Controller (CTC) software, or by physically reseating a TCC+ card (card pull). Resetting the TCC+ using CTC reboots the TCC+ and reloads the operating system and the application software. Additionally, a card pull reset temporarily removes power from the TCC+ and clears all buffer memory.

You can apply a CTC reset to either an active or standby TCC+ without affecting traffic, but you should only perform a card pull on a standby TCC+. If you need to perform a card pull on an active TCC+, put the TCC+ into standby mode first by performing a reset using CTC on the card.

Note When a software-initiated reset is performed on an active TCC card or TCC+, the AIC card goes through an initialization process and also resets. The AIC card reset is normal and will happen each time an active TCC card goes through a software-initiated reset.

7.6 The TCC+ Database

When dual TCC+ cards are installed in the ONS 15454, each TCC+ card hosts a separate database; therefore, the protect card's database is available if the database on the working TCC+ fails. You can also store a back-up version of the database on the workstation running CTC. This operation should be part of a regular ONS 15454 maintenance program at approximately weekly intervals, and should also be completed when preparing an ONS 15454 for a pending natural disaster, such as a flood or fire.

Note The following parameters are not backed up and restored: node name, IP address, mask and gateway, and IIOP port. If you change the node name and then restore a backed up database with a different node name, the circuits will map to the new node name. Cisco recommends keeping a record of the old and new node names.

7.7 Reverting to an Earlier Software Load

Prior to Release 2.2.1, the ONS 15454 could not revert to an earlier software database without deleting the current database and losing both cross-connect and DCC connectivity. The revert would result in a loss of traffic until the user manually restored the previous database or recreated the existing circuits and provisioning.

Reverting to a 2.2.1 or later load will switch to the older software load and its attendant database without affecting traffic or DCC connectivity. This feature requires dual TCC+ cards and CTC software Release 2.2.1 or later as the protect version.

When you click the Activate button after a software upgrade, the TCC+ copies the current working database and saves it in a reserved location in the TCC+ flash memory. If you later need to revert to the original working software load from the protect software load, the saved database installs automatically. You do not need to restore the database manually or recreate circuits.

Tip

The revert feature is useful if a maintenance window closes while you are upgrading CTC software. You can revert to the standby software load without losing traffic. When the next maintenance window opens, complete the upgrade and activate the new software load.

Note A revert to a maintenance release software load will use the current active database; therefore, no provisioning is lost. All other reverts do restore the database. (A maintenance release has a three-digit release number, e.g. 2.2.2).

Circuits created and provisioning performed after a software load is activated (upgraded to a higher software release) will not reinstate with a revert. The database configuration at the time of activation is reinstated after a revert. This does not apply to maintenance reverts (e.g. 2.2.2 to 2.2.1), because maintenance releases use the same database.

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Cisco Transport Controller Operation