Cisco 2901 Integrated Services Router
Enabling Borderless Networks at the Branch

Features & Benefits:

The Integrated Services Routers Generation 2 (ISR G2) provide superior services integration and agility. Designed for scalability, the modular architecture of these platforms enables you to grow and adapt with your business needs.

Platform Architecture and Modularity

The Cisco 2900 Series is architected to meet the application demands of today's branch offices with design flexibility for future applications. The modular architecture is designed to support increasing bandwidth requirements, time-division multiplexing (TDM) interconnections, and fully integrated power distribution to modules supporting 802.3af Power over Ethernet (PoE) and Cisco Enhanced PoE (ePoE).

Modularity Features and Benefits

The Cisco 2900 Series provides significantly enhanced modular capabilities (refer to Table 3) offering investment protection for customers. Most of the modules available on previous generations of Cisco routers, such as the Cisco 2800 Series, are supported on the Cisco 2900 Series. Additionally, modules can be used on other supported Cisco platforms to provide maximum investment protection. Taking advantage of common interface cards across a network greatly reduces the complexity of managing inventory requirements, implementing large network rollouts, and maintaining configurations across a variety of branch-office sizes.

Modularity-Features and Benefits
ISR Modules	Benefits
Cisco Service Module	Each service module slot offers high-data-throughput capability: Up to 4 Gbps aggregate toward the route processor Up to 2 Gbps aggregate to other module slots over MGF Service module (SM) slots are highly flexible with support for double-wide service modules (SM-D's), which are Service Modules that require two SM slots. SM-Ds in the Cisco 2921 and 2951 provide flexibility for higher-density modules. A service module slot replaces the network module and the extension module for voice/fax (EVM) slots and is offered on Cisco 2911, 2921, and 2951 ISRs. An adapter module enables backward compatibility with existing network modules, enhanced network modules (NMEs), and EVMs. Service module slots provide twice the power capabilities relative to the network-module slots, allowing for flexibility for higher-scale and better-performance modules. Power to service module slots can be managed by extensions similar to the Cisco EnergyWise framework, so your organization can reduce energy consumption in your network infrastructure. Full EnergyWise support will be available in future software releases.
Cisco Enhanced High-Speed WAN Interface Card (EHWIC	The EHWIC slot provides enhancements to the prior generation's high-speed WAN interface card (HWIC) slots while provide maximum investment protection by natively supporting HWICs, WAN interface cards (WICs), voice interface cards (VICs), and voice/WAN interface cards (VWICs). Four integrated EHWIC slots on the Cisco 2901, 2911, 2921, and 2951 allow for more flexible configurations. Each HWIC slot offers high-data-throughput capability: Up to 1.6 Gbps aggregate toward the route processor Up to 2 Gbps aggregate to other module slots over the MGF Flexibility to support double-wide modules is enabled by combining two EHWIC slots. Up to 2 double-wide HWIC (HWIC-D) modules are supported.
Cisco Internal Services Module (ISM)	A single ISM slot provides flexibility to integrate intelligent service modules on an internal slot within the chassis Each ISM slot offers high-data-throughput capability: Up to 4 Gbps aggregate toward the route processor Up to 2 Gbps aggregate to other module slots over the MGF The ISM replaces the AIM slot; existing AIM modules are not supported in the ISM slot. Power to ISM slots can be managed by extensions similar to the Cisco EnergyWise framework, so your organization can reduce energy consumption in your network infrastructure. Full EnergyWise support will be available in future software releases.
Cisco High-Density Packet Voice Digital Signal Processor (DSP) Module (PVDM3) slots on motherboard	PVDM3 slots natively support PVDM3 modules, providing support for richer density for rich-media voice and video. Each PVDM3 slot connects back to the system architecture through a 2 Gbps aggregate link through the MGF. Investment protection for PVDM2 modules is supported through an adapter module. Power to the PVDM slots can be managed by extensions similar to the Cisco EnergyWise framework, so your organization can reduce energy consumption in your network infrastructure. Full EnergyWise support will be available in future software releases.
Compact Flash slots	Two external Compact Flash slots are available on the Cisco 2900 Series Integrated Services Routers. Each slot can support high-speed storage densities upgradeable to 4 GB in density.
USB 2.0 ports	Two high-speed USB 2.0 ports are supported. The USB ports enable secure token capabilities and storage.

Cisco OS Software

Cisco 2900 Series Integrated Services Routers deliver innovative technologies running on industry-leading Cisco IOS Software. Developed for wide deployment in the world's most demanding enterprise, access, and service provider networks, the Integrated Services Routers Generation 2 platforms are supported on Cisco IOS Software releases 15M&T. Release 15.0(1)M is available immediately and provides support for a comprehensive portfolio of Cisco technologies, including the functionality and features delivered in releases 12.4 and 12.4T. New innovations in 15.0(1)M span multiple technology areas, including security, voice, high availability, IP Routing and Multicast, quality of service (QoS), IP Mobility, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), VPNs, and embedded management.

Cisco IOS Software Licensing and Packaging

A single Cisco IOS Universal image encompassing all IOS technology feature sets is delivered with the platforms. You can enable advanced features by activating a software license on the Universal image. In previous generations of access routers, these feature sets required you to download a new software image. Technology packages and feature licenses, enabled through the Cisco software licensing infrastructure, simplify software delivery and decrease the operational costs of deploying new features.

Four major technology licenses are available on the Cisco 2900 Series Integrated Services Routers; you can activate the licenses through the Cisco software activation process. The four licenses are as follows:

• IP Base: This technology package is available as default.
• Data
• Unified Communications
• Security (SEC) or Security with No Payload Encryption (SEC-NPE)

Key Branch Office Services

The Cisco Integrated Services Routers are industry-leading platforms that offer unprecedented levels of services integration. Designed to meet the requirements of the branch office, these platforms provide a complete solution with voice, video, security, mobility and application services. Businesses enjoy the benefit of deploying a single device that meets all their needs, reducing capital and operational expenses.

Unified Communications, Collaboration, and Voice-Gateway Services

The Cisco 2900 Integrated Services Router is the foundation for collaboration in the small and midsize branch office, serving as a critical component of a Cisco's video architecture (Medianet) and enterprise Unified Communications solution. With embedded voice services and a wide range of supported telephony interfaces, the Cisco 2900 Series delivers maximum deployment flexibility for the distributed enterprise. Unified communications is enabled through a rich signaling and media-processing infrastructure, including a variety of protocols, media interworking, signal and media security, transcoding, conferencing, and QoS. Cisco Integrated Services Routers also feature a wide range of voice-gateway interfaces, supporting a broad array of signaling and physical network interfaces.

The Cisco 2900 Series enables a full range of existing and emerging video services, with scaling improvements to support Cisco TelePresence conferencing, security, and session control. The Cisco Unified Border Element extends these capabilities for business-to-business TelePresence communications. The Cisco 2900 Series adds support for the new Cisco High-Density Packet Voice Digital Signal Processor (DSP) Module (PVDM3), which has been optimized for voice and video support. The new PVDM3 modules support all voice-gateway functions of earlier generations of PVDMs and add higher density and more processing power to support emerging rich-media applications. The Cisco 2900 Series provides 2 or 3 onboard PVDM3 slots, depending on the platform.

Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express and Survivable Remote Site Telephony

The Cisco Integrated Services Routers natively provide optional unified communications services within the Cisco IOS Software, minimizing the IT hardware footprint and total cost of ownership at the branch office. Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express (CME) provides a broad range of IP private-branch-exchange (PBX) and key-system features integrated into the router for the small and midsize branch office. Cisco Survivable Remote Site Telephony (SRST), also inherently available in Cisco IOS Software, and an option on the Cisco 2900 Series, helps ensure that branch-office employees have uninterrupted telephony services and features, even if the connection to a centralized Cisco Unified Communications Manager is disrupted. Coupled with Cisco Unity® Express, the integrated solution for voicemail, Automated Attendant, and interactive voice response (IVR), the Cisco 2900 Series offers the branch office a complete range of unified communications services while delivering industry-leading security within a single platform.

VoiceXML Application Services

The Cisco 2900 Series also supports standards-certified VoiceXML browser services. VoiceXML is an open-standard markup language used to create voice-enabled web browsers and IVR applications. Just as HTML enables you to retrieve data with a PC, VoiceXML enables you to retrieve data using voice or dual-tone-multifrequency (DTMF) telephony input. The Cisco 2900 Series can deliver a much higher range of concurrent voice-gateway services combined with VoiceXML browser services, for up to 200 sessions on the Cisco 2951.

Cisco Unified Border Element

The Cisco Unified Border Element capabilities supported on the Cisco 2900 Series address the emerging requirements in an IP-centric interconnect for branch-office unified communications between enterprises and service provider networks. Cisco Unified Border Element provides intelligent border-element functions such as physical and logical ingress and egress demarcation points, signaling and media control, and consolidated security and management features. The Cisco 2900 Series supports higher scale than previously provided on the Cisco 2800 Series, up to 3 times the number of sessions.

Integrated Network Security for Data, Voice, Video, and Mobility

Security is essential to protect a business' intellectual property while also ensuring business continuity and providing the ability to extend the corporate workplace to employees who need anytime, anywhere access to company resources. As part of the Cisco' SAFE architectural framework that allows organizations to identify, prevent, and adapt to network security threats, the Cisco 2900 Series Integrated Services Routers facilitate secure business transactions and collaboration.

The Cisco IOS Software Security technology package for the Cisco 2900 Series offers a wide array of common security features such as advanced application inspection and control, threat protection, and encryption architectures for enabling more scalable and manageable VPN networks. The Cisco 2900 Series offers onboard hardware-based encryption acceleration to provide greater IPSec throughput with less overhead for the route processor when compared with software-based encryption solutions. Cisco Integrated Services Routers offer a comprehensive and adaptable security solution for branch offices that includes features such as:

• Secure connectivity: Secure collaborative communications with Group Encrypted Transport VPN, Dynamic Multipoint VPN (DMVPN), or Enhanced Easy VPN
• Integrated threat control: Responding to sophisticated network attacks and threats using Cisco IOS Firewall, Cisco IOS Zone-Based Firewall, Cisco IOS IPS, Cisco IOS Content Filtering, and Flexible Packet Matching (FPM)
• Identity management: Intelligently protecting endpoints using technologies such as authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) and public key infrastructure (PKI)

Wireless and Mobility Services

Wireless LAN/WAN

The Cisco Integrated Services Routers supporting the Cisco Unified Wireless Architecture enable deployment of secure, managb-sized businesses (SMBs) and enterprise branch offices to cost-effectively deploy and manage secure WLANs. Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers work in conjunction with Cisco lightweight access points and the Cisco Wireless Control System (WCS) to provide system-wide WLAN functions, managing up to 6, 12, and 25 access points.

Wireless WAN

Cisco third-generation (3G) wireless WAN (WWAN) modules combine traditional enterprise router functions, such as remote management, advanced IP services such as voice over IP (VoIP), and security, with mobility capabilities of 3G WAN access. Using high-speed 3G wireless networks, routers can replace or complement existing landline infrastructure, such as dialup, Frame Relay, and ISDN. Cisco 3G solutions support 3G standards High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) and Evolution Data Only/Evolution Data Optimized (EVDO) providing you with a true multipath WAN backup and the ability to rapidly deploy primary WAN connectivity.

Integrated LAN Switching

The Cisco 2900 Integrated Services Routers (Cisco 2911 through Cisco 2951) support the new Cisco Enhanced EtherSwitch Service Modules, which greatly expand router capabilities by integrating industry-leading Layer 2 or Layer 3 switching with feature sets identical to those found in the Cisco Catalyst 2960 and Catalyst 3650-E Series Switches performing local line-rate switching and routing.

The new Cisco Enhanced EtherSwitch Service Modules take advantage of the increased power capabilities on the Cisco 2900 ISRs. Additionally, the Cisco Enhanced EtherSwitch modules enable the newest Cisco power initiatives, Cisco EnergyWise, Cisco Enhanced Power over Ethernet (ePoE), per-port PoE power monitoring, and RPS-enabled PoE boost. These technologies allow you to meet increased endpoint power requirements without increasing the total power consumption of the branch.

Application Services

As organizations continue to centralize and consolidate their branch-office IT infrastructure in an effort to reduce cost and complexity, they are challenged to provide an excellent user experience, ensure continuous service availability, and deliver business-relevant applications when and where they are needed. To address these challenges, the Cisco 2900 Series provides the capability to host Cisco, third-party, and custom applications on a portfolio of high-performance Cisco Services Ready Engine (SRE) modules that transparently integrate into the router. The modules have their own processors, storage, network interfaces, and memory that operate independently of the host router resources, helping to ensure maximum concurrent routing and application performance while reducing physical space requirements, lowering power consumption, and consolidating management.

Application Acceleration

The Cisco 2900 Series seamlessly combines industry leading security, IOS based traffic control and visibility, with Cisco application acceleration solutions. Cisco IOS Software features such as NBAR, IP SLA, and Netflow provide visibility and monitoring of traffic patterns and application performance while IOS features such as QoS, ACLs, and PfR intelligently control the traffic to maximize the quality of the user experience and employee productivity. The user experience can be further enhanced through the addition of a Cisco WAAS Network Module which can be used to securely provide more advanced WAN optimization techniques such as TCP optimization, caching, compression, and application acceleration. Cisco Integrated Services Routers combined with Cisco WAAS Network Modules, provide optimal performance for applications delivered from a central data center to branch-office users. The solution allows you to consolidate costly server, storage, and backup infrastructure into data centers while maintaining LAN-like service levels for remote users.

Cisco Services Ready Engine

The Cisco Services Ready Engine solution is available in a Service Module (SM) and Internal Service Module (ISM) form factor. The Service Module hardware offers up to a seven times performance improvement over the previous generation Network Modules and provides a multi-core x86-64 processor. The SRE modules also support up to 1 terabyte of storage, RAID configurations, hardware-assisted virtualization and cryptography options. The Cisco SRE module enables on-demand provisioning of branch-office applications on the Cisco 2900 Series platforms so that you can deploy the right application, at the right time, in the right place. The hardware and software decoupling provided by the service-ready deployment model enables applications to be provisioned on the module at the time of its installation or remotely anytime thereafter. Supported solutions include Cisco Wide Area Application Services (WAAS), Cisco Unity Express, Cisco Application Extension Platform (AXP), Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC), Cisco Video Surveillance, and other applications under development. The Service Ready Engine enables organizations of various sizes to future-proof their network by allowing them to quickly deploy new branch-office applications without deploying new hardware, reducing the cost of rolling out branch-office services.

Managing Your Integrated Services Routers

Network management applications are instrumental in lowering operating expenses (OpEx) while improving network availability by simplifying and automating many of the day-to-day tasks associated with managing an end-to-end network. Day-one device support provides immediate manageability support for the Integrated Services Router, enabling quick and easy deployment, monitoring, and troubleshooting from Cisco and third-party applications.

Organizations rely on Cisco, third-party, and in-house developed network management applications to achieve their OpEx and productivity goals. Underpinning those applications are the embedded management features available in every Integrated Services Router. The new Integrated Services Routers continue a tradition of broad and deep manageability features such as IP service-level agreement (IP SLA), Cisco IOS Embedded Event Manager (EEM), and NetFlow which allow you to know the status of your network at all times. These features, along with Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and syslog, enable your organization's management applications.

As your business strives to lower the total cost of ownership in running your network and increase your overall employee productivity with more centralized and collaborative network applications, you will need more intelligent branch-office solutions. The Cisco 2900 Series offers these solutions by providing enhanced performance and increased modular density to support multiple services. The Cisco 2900 Series is designed to consolidate the functions of many separate devices into a single, compact system.

Technical Specifications:

Documentation:

Download the Cisco 2900 Series Integrated Services Routers Datasheet (PDF).