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Catalyst SD-WAN
Use Cases

Use Cases for Catalyst SD-WAN

Step 1: Log In

  • Log in to Catalyst SD-WAN.
  • After logging in, access Cisco In-Product Support from the Help section among the header options.
  • Go to the TAC Support option and complete account authentication. After successful authentication, you can access and interact with all available in-product support functionalities.

Log In

After successful authentication, the embedded Cisco In-Product Support will take a short while to identify and load the relevant functionalities offered on the product.

A. Opening a Cisco Support Case

  1. Open Cisco In-Product Support: Click on the Help icon located in the SD-WAN header interface.

  2. Select 'Open Support Case': In the Cisco In-Product Support interface, choose the option to open a new support case, which will guide you through the necessary steps.

Open Support Case
  1. Submit Case: Fill in the required details, such as the case title, issue description, and upload diagnostics, and submit your support case through the Cisco In-Product Support interface.
Submit Case
  1. Upload Admin Tech Attachment: Allows users to upload an existing Admin Tech Bundle or generate a new one and attach it to the case.
Upload Admin Tech

Select either Upload Existing Admin Tech or Generate Admin Tech to be taken to the operational commands page within the product, where you can choose to upload an existing bundle or create a new one.

Admin Tech Options

  1. Include Session History: Enable this option to document pages visited in the product portal.

  2. Complete Case Creation: After submission, follow the on-screen instructions. You will be redirected to Support Case Manager, where you must complete all required details to successfully open the case.

Admin Tech Options

B. Recording Your Screen

  1. Start Recording: Click Record Screen, within the ? in Catalyst SD-WAN's header interface.

  2. Begin Recording: Follow the on-screen instructions to start the screen recording, capturing all relevant actions and information.

Begin Recording

  1. Microphone Permission: Optionally, allow the In-Product Support to access your microphone to provide an audio explanation of your issue, enhancing the clarity of your recording.

  2. Add Screenshots: During the recording, you can double-click any screen to add a screenshot, which will be included in the support case along with the video recording.

Add Screenshots
  1. Choose Recording Area: You will be prompted to select whether you want to record a specific Chrome tab, the entire browser window, or your entire desktop screen.
Choose Recording Area

  1. Stop Recording: To stop the recording, click the Stop option on your screen.

  2. Upload Recording: Once the recording is stopped, you will have the option to upload the video to an existing case by entering the nine-digit Cisco Support Case number or open a new case.

Upload Recording

Click the Upload button and wait for the file to upload successfully. Closing the dialog before the upload completes will stop the process.


Upload Progress

Once the file is uploaded, a successful upload message is displayed on the screen.


Upload Success

If you do not have permission to view or access case information, the upload will fail and an unsuccessful upload message will be shown.

C. Upload Local File to Case

  1. Upload File: Click Upload Files to Case in the embed interface.
Upload Success

  1. Choose File: In the modal that pops up, click Choose file and browse through your local files to upload the preferred file.

  2. Select Case: Enter an existing Cisco Support Case number or choose from the case dropdown. Otherwise, create a new case to upload your file.

Select Case

  1. Case Number Search: Conveniently, you can also enter a case number to search from a list of existing cases.

  2. Upload Confirmation: After clicking Upload, allow a moment for your file to be added to the case. You will receive a confirmation prompt once your file has been successfully uploaded. Additionally, you have the option to cancel the upload while it is in progress.

Allowed File Types: Allowed file extensions include jpg, png, mp4, and zip files. If .pkg or .exe files are uploaded, the pop-up will prompt an error message.

Custom Use Cases on Catalyst SD-WAN

A. Packet Capture and Upload in Supported Product


Packet Capture

  1. Navigate to Packet Capture:

    • Go to Monitor > Devices.
    • Select the device (e.g., host HUB-WEST) by clicking its name.
    • Click Troubleshooting > Packet Capture.

  2. Configure Capture:

    • Select the appropriate VPN from the VPN dropdown.
    • Choose the interface associated with that VPN.

  3. Start and Stop Capture:

    • Click Start to begin capturing packets.
    • After collecting sufficient data, click Stop.
    • Note that generating the log file may take some time.

  4. Download and Upload Capture File:

    • Once the capture file is ready, download it to your system.
    • Use the Upload button to submit the capture file.
    • You can upload it to an existing Cisco Support Case by entering the case number or open a new case with the file attached.
Upload Capture File
  • You can apply traffic filters such as source/destination IP, ports, and protocol to capture specific traffic.
  • Packet capture stops automatically after 5 minutes, when the file reaches 5 MB, or when manually stopped.
  • Avoid refreshing or navigating away from the packet capture page during capture.

D. Uploading Admin-Tech File via Tools > Operational Commands and Verifying Upload Functionality

Operational Commands

  1. Access Supported Product and Extension: Navigate to the supported product page and ensure you are logged into the Cisco In-Product Support Chrome extension.

  2. Navigate to Admin-Tech List: Go to Tools > Operational Commands in the product interface.

  3. Show Admin Tech List: Click on Show Admin Tech List to display the list of generated admin-tech files available for upload.

  4. Verify Upload Button Visibility: Confirm that the Upload button is visible next to the admin-tech files in the list.

  5. Upload Admin-Tech File: Select the desired admin-tech file and click the Upload button.

  6. Enter Case Details: Provide the Cisco Support Case number (SR Number) and upload token as required.

  7. Select VPN: Choose the appropriate VPN option (e.g., VPN 0 or VPN 512) for the upload.

  8. Submit Upload: Click Upload to submit the admin-tech file to the specified Cisco Support Case.

  9. Verify Case Open Functionality: Confirm that the upload completes successfully and that the file is attached to the case, enabling TAC to access the data for troubleshooting.

E. Smart Tooltips and Overlays Within the Product

Smart Tooltips: Smart tooltips dynamically attach to elements of the SD-WAN to provide helpful hints, links to YouTube videos, or information about programs like the Collecting Logs and Debug Bundle on Catalyst 9800 Wireless Controller.

Example: Info Tool Tip in Maintenance > Software Repository

  1. Navigate to Software Repository: Go to Maintenance > Software Repository within the product interface.

  2. Check Info Tool Tip Visibility: Verify that the info tool tip is visible on the Software Repository page.

  3. Validate Link Functionality: Click the "click here" text link within the tool tip and confirm that it redirects to the appropriate page on AI Infrastructure, Secure Networking, and Software Solutions (opens in a new tab).


Operational Commands
OverviewOverview