1---2name: catalyst80003description: Comprehensive Cisco Catalyst 8000 SD-WAN engineering skill. Covers Catalyst 8000v (Cat8000v) edge router configuration, IOS XE SD-WAN CLI, vManage/vSmart/vBond orchestration, OMP, TLOC, BFD, IPsec, application-aware routing, QoS, security, zero-touch provisioning, telemetry, automation via REST APIs, Python SDK (catalystwan), Terraform provider, Ansible, Sastre, and DevNet sandbox environments. Use when configuring, troubleshooting, or designing Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN networks.4---56# Cisco Catalyst 8000 SD-WAN Engineering Skill78You are an expert Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN network engineer. Use this skill to configure, troubleshoot, and design Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN networks using Catalyst 8000v edge routers, vManage, vSmart, vBond, and the full SD-WAN fabric.910## How to Use This Skill11121. Read the relevant reference documents from `references/` based on the task132. Use the configuration templates and CLI/API patterns provided143. Always verify IOS XE SD-WAN version compatibility before applying configurations154. Follow the safety guidelines for production changes165. Reference DevNet sandbox environments for testing1718## Core Reference Documents1920| Document | When to Use |21|----------|-------------|22| `references/platform-overview.md` | Catalyst 8000 architecture, components, SD-WAN fabric topology |23| `references/cli-basics.md` | IOS XE SD-WAN CLI, configuration modes, show commands |24| `references/vmanage.md` | vManage configuration, templates, policies, monitoring |25| `references/vsmart-vbond.md` | vSmart controller, vBond orchestrator, OMP, TLOC |26| `references/transport-tunnels.md` | IPsec tunnels, BFD, TLOC extensions, DTLS, transport interface |27| `references/omp-routing.md` | OMP protocol, route advertisement, TLOC routes, service routes |28| `references/application-aware-routing.md` | Data policies, app-aware routing, SLA classes, forward classes |29| `references/qos-security.md` | QoS policies, zone-based firewall, IPS, URL filtering, TLS inspection |30| `references/ztp-onboarding.md` | Zero-touch provisioning, device onboarding, bootstrap |31| `references/automation-apis.md` | REST APIs, Python SDK (catalystwan), Terraform, Ansible, Sastre |32| `references/telemetry-monitoring.md` | Streaming telemetry, vManage monitoring, SNMP, syslog |33| `references/troubleshooting.md` | Diagnostic commands, debugging, common issues |34| `references/devnet-sandbox.md` | DevNet sandbox environments, Always-On labs, testing workflows |3536## Catalyst SD-WAN Architecture3738```39┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐40│ Cisco SD-WAN Fabric │41│ │42│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │43│ │ vManage │ │ vSmart │ │ vBond │ │ vAnalytics│ │44│ │ (NMS) │ │(Controller)│(Orchestrator)│(Analytics) │45│ └────┬─────┘ └────┬─────┘ └────┬─────┘ └──────────┘ │46│ │ │ │ │47│ ┌────┴──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────────┐ │48│ │ OMP / DTLS / IPsec │ │49│ └────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────────┘ │50│ │ │ │ │51│ ┌────┴─────┐ ┌────┴─────┐ ┌────┴─────┐ │52│ │ Cat8000v │ │ Cat8000v │ │ Cat8000v │ │53│ │ (Branch) │ │ (Branch) │ │ (Hub) │ │54│ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │55│ │56│ Transport Networks: MPLS, Internet, LTE, 5G │57└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘58```5960## Key Concepts6162| Term | Description |63|------|-------------|64| **OMP** | Overlay Management Protocol - distributes routes, TLOCs, and services |65| **TLOC** | Transport Locator - unique identifier for a WAN edge router's transport interface |66| **vManage** | Network management system - single pane of glass for the SD-WAN fabric |67| **vSmart** | SD-WAN controller - distributes policies and OMP routes |68| **vBond** | SD-WAN orchestrator - initial connectivity and NAT traversal |69| **BFD** | Bidirectional Forwarding Detection - fast failure detection |70| **Data Policy** | Application-aware routing policy based on SLA classes |71| **Control Policy** | Policy that affects OMP route advertisement |72| **vEdge** | Legacy Viptela edge router (replaced by Catalyst 8000v) |73| **cEdge** | IOS XE-based edge router (Catalyst 8000v) |7475## Safety Guidelines76771. **Always test in DevNet sandbox** before production782. **Use feature templates** rather than CLI for consistency793. **Validate templates** before attaching to devices804. **Use maintenance windows** for policy changes815. **Monitor BFD sessions** after any transport changes826. **Document rollback procedures** before making changes837. **Never change vBond/vSmart** without full fabric impact analysis8485## DevNet Sandbox Environments8687| Sandbox | Type | URL | Use Case |88|---------|------|-----|----------|89| **IOS XE on Cat8kv AlwaysOn** | Always-On | `https://devnetsandbox.cisco.com` | Cat8000v CLI, IOS XE SD-WAN features |90| **SD-WAN 20.10 AlwaysOn** | Always-On | `https://devnetsandbox.cisco.com` | Full SD-WAN fabric testing |91| **IOS XE on Cat8kv** | Reservable | `https://devnetsandbox.cisco.com` | Dedicated Cat8000v lab |92| **SD-WAN 20.10** | Reservable | `https://devnetsandbox.cisco.com` | Full SD-WAN lab with vManage |9394## Documentation Sources9596- **DevNet:** https://developer.cisco.com/97- **DevNet Sandboxes:** https://developer.cisco.com/site/sandbox/98- **DevNet Code Exchange:** https://developer.cisco.com/codeexchange/99- **SD-WAN Terraform Provider:** https://github.com/CiscoDevNet/terraform-provider-sdwan100- **Catalyst WAN SDK:** https://github.com/CiscoDevNet/catalystwan101- **Sastre:** https://github.com/CiscoDevNet/sastre102- **SD-WAN MCP Server:** https://github.com/CiscoDevNet/catalyst-sdwan-mcp-community103- **VIRL2 Client:** https://github.com/CiscoDevNet/virl2-client
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