Dedicated Instance Partner Connect- Webex
The Partner Connect option enables businesses to extend their operations to Webex Calling Dedicated Instances, which provide customers with a secure connection on their own facilities.
Introduction
Webex Calling now provides users with the option of using a dedicated cloud instance, which is founded on the architecture of Cisco Unified Communications Manager. Dedicated Instance is incorporated into Webex Calling, and it takes advantage of the features provided by the Webex platform. As a result, consumers benefit from cloud innovation and an improved experience.
The following are components of the Dedicated Instance add-on for Webex Calling:
- Manager of Unified Communications at Cisco Systems
- Unified Instant Messaging and Presence from Cisco
- Connection to Cisco’s Unified Unity Platform
- Expressway de Cisco
- Cisco Emergency Responder is only available in the Americas area.
The Dedicated Instance service is almost always provided to the customer via a private connection that is established to their location. This paper provides information regarding the Partner Connect option, which customers can utilize in conjunction with Webex to extend their company to Webex Calling – Dedicated Instance.
Make certain that the Dedicated Instance service is operational in the relevant region before submitting the peering request for Partner Connect.
Partner Connect
Through the use of the Partner Connect paradigm, partners are able to aggregate all of the customer networks and then extend the connectivity to their own Webex Calling Dedicated Instance.
Within the context of a paradigm known as Partner Connect, the partner makes use of direct connection or ECX while interacting with Webex in order to establish the following:
1. Structure of Management and Operations Provided by Partner
- permission to use the Dedicated Instance Application Management Interface
- Access to their customers’ applications is provided through Management Applications, such as Domain Managers.
2. Framework for the Aggregation of Customers Provided by the Partner
- Collect customer networks and extend each client’s connection to their individual Dedicated Instances.
3. The Supplemental Services Framework Provided by Partner
- Software that is hosted in the cloud and provides and administers services for customers
Partner Connect Options
The following section provides an overview of the two different connectivity choices that Partners have while using Webex for Dedicated Instance.
Direct – At a particular Equinix location, the connectivity is established by means of direct physical connections that are made between Cisco and the partner in question. In accordance with the Cisco routing policy, sessions for Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) are configured across all of these connections. Direct connectivity facilities are currently offered at Equinix Data Centers located in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia-Pacific and Japan.
Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric- Exchange connection makes it possible for partners to virtually connect with Cisco if they are located in any Equinix data center around the world and have the Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric (Equinix FabricTM) activated on their network. If the partner already has a physical connection to Equinix Fabric (which has been negotiated between the partner and Equinix), then all they need to do to make virtual connections is use a portal or invoke Cloud Exchange APIs. In a similar manner, BGP sessions and VRFs, which are Equinix Fabric virtual connections, are configured across the connection.
Direct (Cross Connect) |
Equinix Cloud Exchange |
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Two points in each geographic region. |
30 or more points throughout both EMEAR and the Americas. The aim is to complete APJ by Q1CY2020. |
Americas = Dallas, Tx & San Jose, CA – or – EMEA = London, UK & Amsterdam, NL – or – ALJ – Tokyo, JP & Singapore, SG – or – AUS = Sydney, AU & Melbourne, AU – or – EU = Frankfurt, GE & Amsterdam, NL |
Accessible at any location that is powered by Equinix ECX. |
The only fee that is assessed is for the physical connection, and there are no additional fees assessed either per subscriber or for virtual connections. |
Fees will be assessed for both the physical connection and for individual virtual connection. Each customer is required to have their own unique virtual connection. |
bandwidth options of 1 or 10 gigabits per second. |
Options for bandwidth ranging from 200 megabytes to 10 gigabytes. |
IP Addressing and ASN
The following specifications apply to the IP Addressing and ASN that are needed for the Webex Calling Dedicated Instance.
1. /31 or /30 for any publicly accessible physical connection link.
- 4 Subnets are assigned to each Geo directly.
- Equinix Fabric: 4 Subnets per Geo
2. Between Cisco and the partner, a public ASN is used for BGP routing.
3. /16 Networks for each Geographic Region for Partner UC Application Management
Note that the partner’s equipment needs to be able to provide Layer 3 sub-interfaces with dot1q tagging so that VRF separation can take place. Although the given subnets are allowed to be shared across all VRFs, they are required to be distinct for each physical link. It is required that public addressing of the connection subnets and public ASN be used since it assures that each of the partners providing the service has a unique network configuration. These link subnets won’t be routed anywhere outside the service they belong to.
Customer Aggregation Framework
Partners compile customer networks and then expand them to the Dedicated Instance that is most relevant to them. Partners can make plans to use one or more of the following available alternatives.
MPLS |
SD-WAN |
VPN |
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Customer Network Activation
While opening a TAC case or engaging their PSM, the partner is required to supply a Dot1Q tag in order for the new customer to be operationalized. After that, the PSM will communicate with TAC so that they can create a ticket and monitor the situation. It will take ten business days to finish the connection at the Webex datacenters, according to the timeline.
Important Notes:
- In order for partners to take use of partner connect and increase the volume of Webex Calling and Meetings traffic for their clients, the partners will need to run a NAT server and establish an additional connection by making use of a Dot1Q tag.
- Without purchasing the Dedicated Instance add-on, the Partner Connect model cannot be utilized for Webex Calling and Meetings in any capacity