This chapter describes deployment designs and how to install and configure the SteelHead Interceptor.

You can use multiple SteelHead Interceptors to ensure that optimization occurs even when there are multiple, physically separated paths to the WAN, or to ensure that optimization continues during a planned or unplanned SteelHead Interceptor outage. Use multiple SteelHeads to ensure redundancy or to specify that certain applications, subnets, and hosts are optimized by different SteelHeads.

For details on deployment scenarios, see the SteelHead Interceptor Deployment Guide.

You connect SteelHeads to the local network on either the LAN side or WAN side of the SteelHead Interceptor. For most deployments, LAN-side SteelHead placement minimizes the amount of traffic that traverses the SteelHead Interceptor. LAN-side SteelHead placement is, therefore, the recommended choice. You can’t cable the SteelHead directly to the SteelHead Interceptor.

For details, see the SteelHead Interceptor Deployment Guide.

The SteelHead and SteelHead Interceptor in-path IP addresses can be on the same, or different subnets. The actions taken to redirect traffic are the same during autodiscovery and optimization. Unlike when you use WCCP to redirect traffic to a SteelHead, there is no resource use or MTU concerns from having the SteelHead and SteelHead Interceptor in-path IP addresses on different subnets.

For details, see the SteelHead Interceptor Deployment Guide.

A SteelHead can have multiple in-path interfaces configured so that SteelHead Interceptor can use multiple IP addresses to reach the same SteelHead. The SteelHead Interceptor only redirects traffic to one interface on the SteelHead at any time.

For details, see the SteelHead Interceptor Deployment Guide.

Using the steelhead communication commands, the clustered SteelHeads configure each clustered SteelHead Interceptor as a connection forwarding neighbor. Each clustered SteelHead typically has one SteelHead Interceptor in-path interface (for example, inpath0_0, but this varies by model) configured as the clustered SteelHead main interface, and the other SteelHead Interceptor interfaces configured as additional choices. Don’t configure a connection between the clustered SteelHeads.

You can use the RiOS data store synchronization between any local pair of SteelHeads, including SteelHead pairs in a SteelHead Interceptor cluster. You typically perform data synchronization when the load-balance configuration on the SteelHead Interceptor causes similar traffic to be sent to the pair of SteelHeads.

For details, see the SteelHead Interceptor Deployment Guide.

The SteelHead Interceptor is shipped completely assembled, with all the equipment parts in place and securely fastened. The SteelHead Interceptor is ready for installation with no further assembly required. You need a Phillips-head screwdriver to secure the SteelHead Interceptor to the rack.

Before you install the SteelHead Interceptor, make sure that your site meets these requirements:

If you have SteelCentral Controller for SteelHead (SCC) installed in your network to centrally manage and monitor SteelHeads, you can use a subset of SCC features to centrally manage and monitor SteelHead Interceptors. From the SCC, you can define SteelHead Interceptor groups and policies that you use to perform administrative tasks on managed SteelHead Interceptors.

Use the SCC to perform these administrative tasks on managed SteelHead Interceptors:

SCC features not supported on the SteelHead Interceptor include these items:

For information about SCC features, see the SteelCentral Controller for SteelHead User Guide.

Before you can centrally manage and monitor a SteelHead Interceptor from an SCC, the SteelHead Interceptor must be registered with the SCC. Registration provides the SCC with the information necessary to establish a management connection to the SteelHead Interceptor. You can register new appliances with the SCC before you deploy them. You can also allow new appliances to automatically register with the SCC running on the default-named host.

Before you can deploy the SteelHead Interceptor, you have to register the new SteelHead Interceptor with the SCC. Use the Appliances page of the SCC to manually register the appliance. You specify the serial number, IP address, and administrative username and password for the SteelHead Interceptor. After you deploy the appliance, the SCC uses the appliance registration information to establish a management connection to the appliance.

In a new SteelHead Interceptor, default settings in the configuration specify that the appliance is to automatically register itself with the SCC reachable by the hostname riverbedcmc. The SteelHead Interceptor initiates a short-lived connection to add its IP address to an appliance registration entry on the SCC.

If your network runs the SCC software on a host that is reachable by the name riverbedcmc, new SteelHead Interceptors automatically register with the SCC as soon as you connect the appliances to your network.

If your network runs the SCC software on a host that is reachable by the specified hostname, new SteelHead Interceptors automatically register with the SCC as soon as you connect the appliances to your network provided that both the specified hostname and the default hostname riverbedcmc are resolvable to the same SCC IP address.

If your network runs the SCC software on a host that is reachable by the specified hostname but you are unable to make the default hostname riverbedcmc resolvable to the SCC IP address, the SteelHead Interceptors won’t automatically register as soon as you connect the appliances to your network. However, you can modify newly deployed SteelHead Interceptors so that they automatically register with the SCC software on a host that is reachable by the specified hostname. These steps summarize the sequence of events for each new SteelHead Interceptor.

Before you begin, consult the Rack Installation Guide for detailed information about how to install your model to a rack.

This checklist displays the parameters you specify to complete the initial configuration of the SteelHead. Be prepared to provide values for these parameters.

This section describes how to connect and power on the SteelHead Interceptor.

To access the configuration wizard and the Interceptor CLI, you establish a serial connection using a terminal emulator program.

The SteelHead Interceptor manages connections to LAN-side SteelHeads. You can connect them as in-path appliances.

Figure: Basic deployment: cable connections between network devices shows the basic cable connections between network devices.

Figure: Basic deployment: cable connections between network devices when you use bypass cards shows the basic cable connections between network devices when you deploy a SteelHead Interceptor with bypass cards.

For specifications on supported bypass cards, see the Network and Storage Card Installation Guide.

Figure: Serial deployment to provide failover support shows the cable connections between network devices deployed to support failover. Use a cross-over cable to connect the SteelHead Interceptors to each other.

Figure: Parallel deployment in asymmetric networks shows the cable connections between network devices deployed to support networks with asymmetric routes.

Figure: Parallel deployment in asymmetric networks shows a serial and parallel deployment designed to provide failover and handle asymmetric routes.

This section describes how to verify that you have properly connected the SteelHead Interceptor.

After you have installed and initially configured the SteelHead Interceptor, refer to the SteelHead Interceptor User Guide to complete the next steps.