Auto-Deployment Overview

For network administrators with experience using PacketShapers, installing and configuring one or two individual units is a relatively simple and straightforward process. But what if you want to install a unit at a remote site where no network administrators are available? Or what if you want to deploy several dozen units all at once? The simple solution for these types of deployments is the PolicyCenter auto-deployment feature.

With this feature, network administrators no longer have to travel to remove sites to configure standard PacketShapers— they only need to enter the unconfigured units' names, IP addresses, subnet mask(s), and gateway and target addresses into PolicyCenter. Once the staff at the remote site connects the units to the network with the two provided cables and powers the unit on, PolicyCenter will contact all the unconfigured units and give each unit its IP address and other unit-specific information. Once the units are configured with their basic network settings, they will subscribe to the PolicyCenter directory server and receive their complete configurations.

Important: If you send auto-deploy messages to an entire subnet with a single unconfigured unit, only that one unconfigured unit will see the auto-deploy message. If, however, a subnet of your network has multiple unconfigured units, more than one unit may try to configure itself with a single auto-deployment message, causing instability or duplicate IP addresses in those units. Avoid this problem by removing from that subnet all but one unconfigured unit.

What Type of Information is Sent in an Auto-deployment Message?

The PolicyCenter auto-deployment feature sends RSVP auto-deploy messages to all the units that are still in an unconfigured state. Each RSVP message contains the following information:

*Optional

Auto-deployment Feature Requirements

Before implementing the PolicyCenter auto-deployment feature, verify that you have the following:

• PolicyCenter 7.2.0 or later
• PacketWise 7.1.0 or later on standard unconfigured units (the auto-deployment feature will not configure PacketShaper ISP units)
• The unconfigured units are already correctly connected to the network.
• Network routers are properly configured for auto-deployment. The PacketShaper will only recognize a auto-deploy message received through the unit's OUTSIDE port.