Skip to main content
Cisco SD-WAN
Support
Product Documentation
Viptela Documentation

Using CloudExpress Service

  1. Last updated
  2. Save as PDF

CloudExpress service optimizes the performance of Software as a Service (SaaS) cloud applications based on network loss and latency. CloudExpress service provides clear visibility of the performance of individual applications and automatically chooses the best path for each one.

CloudExpress service calculates a value called the Viptela Quality of Experience (vQoE). The vQoE value weighs loss and latency using a formula customized for each application. For example, email applications tolerate latency better than video applications, and video applications tolerate loss better than email applications. The vQoE value ranges from zero to ten, with zero being the worst quality and ten being the best. CloudExpress service computes vQoE values for applications and paths, and then assigns applications to the paths that best match their vQoE value. CloudExpress service periodically recalculates vQoE values for paths to ensure ongoing optimal application performance.

CloudExpress Requirements

You can enable CloudExpress service in your Viptela overlay network on sites with Direct Internet Access (DIA) and on DIA sites that access the internet through a secure web gateway such as Zscaler or iboss. You can also enable CloudExpress service on client sites that access the internet through another site in the overlay network, called a gateway site. Gateway sites can include regional data centers or carrier-neutral facilities. When you enable CloudExpress service on a client site that accesses the internet through a gateway, you also enable CloudExpress service on the gateway site.

All Viptela devices configured for CloudExpress service must meet these requirements:

  • The devices must run Viptela Software Release 16.3 or higher.
  • The devices must run in vManage mode.
  • You must configure a DNS server address in VPN 0.
  • You must configure local exit interfaces in VPN 0:
    • If the local interface list contains only physical interfaces, you must enable NAT on those interfaces. You can use normal default IP routes for next hops.
    • If the local interface list contains only GRE interfaces, you do not need to enable NAT on those interfaces. You can add default routes to the IP address of the GRE tunnel to the destination.

CloudExpress service runs on IPv4 only. It does not support IPv6.

Supported Applications

CloudExpress service supports the following enterprise applications:

  • Amazon Web Service (AWS)
  • Box
  • Concur
  • Dropbox
  • Google Apps
  • GoToMeeting
  • Intuit
  • Microsoft Office 365
  • Oracle
  • Salesforce
  • SugarCRM
  • Zendesk
  • Zoho CRM

Enable CloudExpress Service

  1. In vManage NMS, select the Administration ► Settings screen.
  2. Click the Edit button to the right of the CloudExpress bar.
  3. In the Enable CloudExpress field, click Enabled.
  4. Click Save.

Configure CloudExpress Service

Add Applications

  1. In vManage NMS, select the Configuration ► CloudExpress screen, or click the CloudExpress icon in the title bar. The CloudExpress Dashboard screen opens.
  2. From the Manage CloudExpress drop-down, located to the right of the title bar, select Applications to add applications to the CloudExpress configuration.
  3. Click the Add Applications and VPN button. The Add Applications & VPN popup window displays.
  4. In the Applications field, select an application.
  5. In the VPN field, enter the service VPN in which that application runs. You can enter any VPN other than 0 and 512.
  6. Click Add.
  7. Repeat Steps 3 through 6 for each application you want to add.
  8. Click Save Changes.

Configure Client Sites and Gateways

To configure CloudExpress service on client sites that access the internet through gateways, you must configure CloudExpress service both on the client sites and on the gateway sites:

  1. In vManage NMS, select the Configuration ► CloudExpress screen, or click the CloudExpress icon in the title bar. The CloudExpress Dashboard screen opens.
  2. From the Manage CloudExpress drop-down, located to the right of the title bar, select Client Sites.
  3. In the Manage Sites screen, click the Attach Sites button. The Attach Sites screen displays all sites in the overlay network with available sites highlighted. For a site to be available, all devices at that site must be running in vManage mode.
  4. In the Available Sites pane, select a client site to attach and click the right arrow. To remove a site, select it in the Selected Sites pane and click the left arrow.
  5. Click Attach. vManage NMS pushes the feature template configuration to the devices. The Task View window displays a Validation Success message.
  6. Select Configuration ► CloudExpress to return to the CloudExpress Dashboard screen.
  7. From the Manage CloudExpress drop-down, located to the right of the title bar, select Gateways.
  8. In the Manage Gateways screen, click the Attach Gateways button. The Attach Gateways popup window displays all sites in your overlay network with available sites highlighted. For a site to be available, all devices at that site must be running in vManage mode.
  9. In the Available Sites pane, select a gateway site to attach and click the right arrow. To remove a site, select it in the Selected Sites pane and click the left arrow.
  10. If you do not specify interfaces for CloudExpress service to use, the system selects a NAT-enabled physical interface from VPN 0. To specify GRE interfaces for CloudExpress service to use:
    1. Click the link Add interfaces to selected sites (optional), located in the bottom right corner of the window.
    2. In the Select Interfaces drop-down, select GRE interfaces to add.
    3. Click Save Changes.
  11. Click Attach. vManage NMS pushes the feature template configuration to the devices. The Task View window displays a Validation Success message.
  12. To return to the CloudExpress Dashboard, Select Configuration ► CloudExpress.

Configure DIA Sites

  1. In vManage NMS, select the Configuration ► CloudExpress screen, or click the CloudExpress icon in the title bar. The CloudExpress Dashboard screen opens.
  2. From the Manage CloudExpress drop-down, located to the right of the title bar, select Direct Internet Access (DIA) Sites.
  3. In the Manage DIA screen, click Attach DIA Sites. The Attach DIA Sites popup window displays all sites in your overlay network with available sites highlighted. For a site to be available, all devices at that site must be running in vManage mode.
  4. In the Available Sites pane, select a site to attach and click the right arrow. To remove a site, select it in the Selected Sites pane and click the left arrow.
  5. If you do not specify interfaces for CloudExpress service to use, the system will select a NAT-enabled physical interface from VPN 0. If you would like to specify GRE interfaces for CloudExpress service to use:
    1. Click the link, Add interfaces to selected sites (optional), located in the bottom right corner of the window.
    2. In the Select Interfaces drop-down, select GRE interfaces to add.
    3. Click Save Changes.
  6. Click Attach. vManage NMS pushes the feature template configuration to the devices. The Task View window displays a Validation Success message.
  7. To return to the CloudExpress Dashboard, Select Configuration ► CloudExpress.

You have now completed configuring the CloudExpress service. To return to the CloudExpress Dashboard, select the Configuration ► CloudExpress screen, or click the CloudExpress icon in the title bar.

View Application Performance

In vManage NMS, select the Configuration ► CloudExpress screen, or click the CloudExpress icon in the title bar. The CloudExpress Dashboard displays the performance of each cloud application in a separate pane.

Each application pane displays the number of vEdge routers accessing the application and the quality of the connection: 

  • The bottom status bar displays green for devices experience good quality.
  • The middle status bar displays yellow for devices experiencing average quality.
  • The top status bar displays red for devices experiencing bad quality.

The number to the right of each status bar indicates how many devices are experiencing that quality of connection.

View Details about an Application

  1. In vManage NMS, select the Configuration ► CloudExpress screen, or click the CloudExpress icon in the title bar. The CloudExpress Dashboard displays each cloud application in a separate pane.
  2. Click in an application's pane. vManage NMS displays a list of sites accessing the application.
  3. Click a graph icon in the vQoE Score column to display vQoE history for that site:
    • Click a predefined or custom time period for which to display data.
    • Hover over a point on the chart to display vQoE details for that point in time.

Release Information

Introduced in vManage NMS in Release 16.3.

  1. Back to top
  • Was this article helpful?

Recommended articles

  1. Article type
    Topic
  2. Tags
    This page has no tags.