Prime infrastructure vs LMS vl NCS

[jedavis]

Hi All,

So this is my situation. I am about to embark on what will start small but may quickly become a fairly substantial multi-site wireless project. I will be deploying a couple of 5508's and a couple of ISE appliances centrally. The quandry that I have is, how do I provide management for the wireless infrastructure? For the wired infrastructure I currently have LMS 4.2.3 running on a W2K8R2 server. So here are the options as I see them:

1. Install the NCS piece of PI 1.2. I think I am already entitled to this. It has been a while but it seems like I had to use the product upgrade tool to go from LMS 4.1 to PI 1.2 in order to get to LMS 4.2, Isn't P1 1.2 just LMS 4.2 and NCS slammed together? Can NCS and LMS4.2 coexist side by side on the same physical server? If not side by side, how about under VMware on the same server?
   
2. Virtualize the current LMS installation and run PI 1.3 in a separate VM. Is the technically feasible? Is PI1.3 vs PI1.2 worth it?
   
3. Purchase a PI appliance and run it alongside my existhing LMS server. In this scenario, does it even make sense to add the wired devices to PI, or should I just wait for PI 2.0 and beyond? As an aside, are version upgrades made available for appliances or will I need to replace the appliance when the time comes?
   
4. Do nothing. Do I need NCS functionality right away? If not, at what point does it make sense to implement it? How may APs or sites?
   

Any help is appreciated. This whole licensing/rebranding/rewriting thing is a bit confusing.

Thanks, -Jeff

[Saurav Lodh]

I hope this link , about PI migration will answer some of your queries.

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/netmgtsw/ps6504/ps6528/ps12239/app_note_c27-716266.html

[jedavis]

Thanks for the reply Saurav.  I had read that document.  The only thing in there that pertains to my questions is

Cisco recommends all LMS customers to deploy Cisco Prime Infrastructure (new VM or appliance); continue to operate their current LMS implementation; and begin systematically transitioning their LMS functional support and operational workflows to Cisco Prime Infrastructure until they are able to decommission the LMS servers.

But my question really is about how PI is deployed. And is it even necessary or beneficial at this point?  I am streched pretty thin as it is, I don't have a lot of time to spend implementing a new NMS.

Thanks,

-Jeff

[wtanvir]

See my answers inline:

1. Install the NCS piece of PI 1.2. I think I am already entitled to this. It has been a while but it seems like I had to use the product upgrade tool to go from LMS 4.1 to PI 1.2 in order to get to LMS 4.2, Isn't P1 1.2 just LMS 4.2 and NCS slammed together? Can NCS and LMS4.2 coexist side by side on the same physical server? If not side by side, how about under VMware on the same server?

No, PI is not LMS & NCS put together. It has its own new underlying Linux-based architecture. No, LMS and NCS cannot coexist on the same physical server. Yes, they can be on different VMs on the same server.

1. Virtualize the current LMS installation and run PI 1.3 in a separate VM. Is the technically feasible? Is PI1.3 vs PI1.2 worth it?

Would suggest to keep the LMS installation. Install the PI and upgrade to PI 2.0 expected some time in August. Not sure, why the comparison between PI1.3 and PI1.2 ... If you are going for a new install of PI then go for PI 1.3.

1. Purchase a PI appliance and run it alongside my existhing LMS server. In this scenario, does it even make sense to add the wired devices to PI, or should I just wait for PI 2.0 and beyond? As an aside, are version upgrades made available for appliances or will I need to replace the appliance when the time comes?

Yes, purchasing the PI appliance and upgrading it to PI 2.0 is the way to go. There would be an upgrade path available from PI 1.2/1.3 to 2.0.

1. Do nothing. Do I need NCS functionality right away? If not, at what point does it make sense to implement it? How may APs or sites?

well, that is your call. But I think you would need management for your wireless environment eventually so go through the hassle now of installing PI (for both wired and wireless) and upgrade it to PI 2.0. By the way, there is also an easy way to transfer your devices from LMS to PI. See the transition guide on cisco.com on this subject.

I hope this helps.

[Marvin Rhoads]

I would add to Wahaj's reply that you should NOT purchase a PI appliance until the new hardware is released with PI 2.0. While the software can be an inline upgrade in virtual environments, from what I've heard the older appliances will not meet the hardware specification required by the 2.0 release.

In your situation I'd definitely stay with your existing LMS 4.2.3 for some time - at least until PI 2.1. PI 2.0 has a lot of new features but it's still not feature parity with LMS 4.2.3 for wired management.

On the other hand, PI (either 1.3 or 2.0) has a lot of wireless management features that aren't in LMS. So it adds value in any significant Cisco wireless deployment in my opinion.

Licensing-wise if you got to your LMS 4.2.3 via a major upgrade SKU from an earlier LMS, you are not licensed for PI 1.x. If you purchased the PI 1.2 SKU as a new license, it includes a license for LMS 4.2. That is supposed to change when PI 2.0  is released and the LMS license will no longer be included with a new PI 2.0 purchase. (Although you would still be able to purchase PI 1.2 with SASU and upgrade to PI 2.0 while keeping a right to use LMS 4.2! Confusing? Sure is.)

If you have further question, I suggest emailing the product team at ask-prime-infrastructure@cisco.com. You might also attend one of the free weekly webcast product demos. Details on that are here.

[Rob Johnson]

I saw your statement above Marvin where you indicated LMS licenses won't be included with PI licenses in future releases:::                                             I say Hallelujah to that!!!  

[praveenkumar9004]

Hi All,

Whether PI 2.1 version has brought feature parity with LMS.  Like to know whether Topology view, Cisco view which presents graphical of physical device and Policy management like PSRIT, EOL, EOS and Base compliance policy definition is available in the PI 2.0 or 2.1.  As our customer is running both PI and LMS in our setup. They like to know whether its advisable to use only if feature parity is attained. 

Thanks

Praveen