Configuration Tools
This section describes the SDX configuration tools.
Local Configuration Tools
The local configuration tool allows administrators to configure local files on the hosts that support SDX components such as the SAE and NIC. For some SDX components, the local configuration tool also reads data from and writes information to the directory.
Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration tool.
Policy Editor and Management
The SDX software works with Juniper Networks routers and PacketCable Multimedia Specification (PCMM) compliant CMTS platforms to provide differentiated QoS. The SDX software uses policies to define how the router or the CMTS device treats subscriber traffic. Policy management is responsible for defining policies and deploying the policies in an SDX network.
On JUNOS routing platforms, the SDX software supports class-of-service (CoS), firewall filters, policing, stateful firewall, stateless firewall, and network address translation (NAT) services.
On JUNOSe routers, the SDX software supports policy routing, rate limiting, QoS classification and marking, packet forwarding, and packet filtering.
The Policy Editor application allows easy specification and validation of policies. Policy Editor stores policies in a central repository, or directory. It works closely with a policy engine, which performs dynamic policy decisions while activating services, leveraging on the directory content to decide which policies to use in a given context. Figure 4 provides an example of Policy Editor.
SDX Admin
SDX Admin allows service providers to add, modify, and delete services, network definitions, and advanced configurations within the SDX software. For small installations and demonstrations, you can use SDX Admin to create and modify retailers, subscribers, and subscriptions to services.
Figure 5 shows the two panes that make up the SDX Admin interface:
- Navigation pane—Displays objects in a hierarchical tree. This pane is used to select and navigate through SDX objects or the directory.
- Content pane—Displays details of objects that appear in the navigation pane. This pane is used to display and modify information about SDX objects.
From SDX Admin, for example, you can create and define a new service, define a grouping of virtual routers, or define a new retailer in a wholesaler environment.
Also, using SDX Admin, administrators can set the language for SDX interfaces so that information can be displayed in the language of choice. The language environment is set globally on the host that is running the SDX Admin software.
SDX Configuration Editor
SDX Configuration Editor is an XML-based GUI that administrators can use to configure SDX components that store data in the directory. You can configure SDX components such as the SAE, NIC properties for portals and applications, LDAP connection properties, logging, router access, plug-ins, RADIUS accounting and authentication, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) access, the Enterprise Manager Portal, and the license manager.
SDX Configuration Editor is a plug-in to the Eclipse platform and presents Extensible Markup Language (XML) property files as forms in which you edit configuration elements.For information about Eclipse, see
Figure 6 shows a sample window for SDX Configuration Editor. The LDAP tab for the SAE.xml file is selected to allow configuration of LDAP properties for the SAE.
