Table Of Contents
Managing AVMs and VNEs
Creating AVMs
AVM Status
Admin and Oper Mode AVM Status
Viewing and Editing an AVM's Properties
Deleting an AVM
Starting and Stopping AVMs
Moving AVMs
Finding an AVM/VNE
VNEs Overview
VNE Status
Admin and Oper Mode VNE Status
Defining VNEs
General Tab
SNMP Tab
Telnet / SSH Tab
ICMP Tab
Polling Tab
Defining a Generic SNMP VNE
Viewing and Editing a VNE's Properties
Deleting a VNE
Changing the VNE's State
Moving Multiple and Single VNEs
Managing AVMs and VNEs
About this chapter:
This chapter describes defining and managing AVMs and VNEs.
Creating AVMs, describes how to define an AVM for a Cisco ANA Unit Server.
AVM Status, describes the status of AVMs when they are created and loaded.
Viewing and Editing an AVM's Properties, describes how to view and edit an AVM's properties.
Deleting an AVM, describes how to delete AVMs.
Starting and Stopping AVMs, describes how to stop and start AVMs, and the respective changes in AVM status.
Moving AVMs, describes how to manage AVM before you move them, and their status after a move.
Finding an AVM/VNE, describes how to locate Cisco ANA AVMs and VNEs among all Cisco ANA Servers.
VNEs Overview, provides an overview of assigning VNE IP addresses, the VNE relationship to an AVM, and how to add a VNE to an AVM.
Defining VNEs, describes how to open the New VNE dialog box and provides a description of property options you may define in each tab.
Viewing and Editing a VNE's Properties, describes how to view and edit the properties of a VNE.
Deleting a VNE, describes how to delete a VNE from an AVM.
Changing the VNE's State, describes how to start or stop a VNE or move a VNE to maintenance mode.
Moving Multiple and Single VNEs, describes how to move VNEs between AVMs.
Creating AVMs
Cisco ANA Manage enables the user to define AVMs for Cisco ANA Unit Servers. Every AVM (Autonomous Virtual Machine) in the Cisco ANA Fabric is by default managed by the watchdog protocol. Cisco ANA Manage enables the administrator to define AVMs for Cisco ANA Units and enable or disable the watchdog protocol on the AVM.
In order to define an AVM:
•
The Cisco ANA Unit must be installed.
•The Cisco ANA Unit must be connected to the transport network.
•The default AVMs, namely, AVM 0 (the switch AVM), AVM 99 (the management AVM) and AVM 100 (the trap management AVM) must be running.
Note For more information on the status of AVMs, for example, status Up when the AVM is running, see the AVM Status section.
•The new AVM must have a unique ID within the Cisco ANA Unit.
Note There are certain AVM ID numbers that are reserved, namely, AVM 0-100 and these cannot be used. In addition, there may be other reserved AVM ID numbers. The user will be unable to enter a reserved number.
To create an AVM:
Step 1 Select the ANA Servers branch in the Cisco ANA Manage window's Tree pane. The ANA Servers branch is displayed.
Step 2 Expand the ANA Servers branch and select the required ANA Servers Entity sub-branch.
Step 3 Right-click on the required Cisco ANA Unit to display the menu and select New AVM or in the toolbar click New AVM or from the File menu select New AVM. The New AVM dialog box is displayed.
The following fields are displayed in the New AVM dialog box:
•ANA Unit—The IP address of the selected Cisco ANA Unit.
Note The Cisco ANA Unit does not have to be Up to create a new AVM.
•ID—The name of the AVM as defined in Cisco ANA Manage, and unique to the Cisco ANA Unit, for example, AVM 18.
Note The AVM numbers 0-100 are reserved and cannot be used. The user will be unable to enter a reserved number. A message is displayed in the New AVM dialog box advising the user that the number is reserved.
•Key—The key is a string that uniquely identifies an AVM in the system (across all Cisco ANA Units) thus enabling a transparent failover scenario in the system. If the user does not enter a key the default key is used, namely, "ID + timestamp".
•Allocated Memory—The maximum memory allocated to the AVM.
The following checkboxes are displayed in the New AVM dialog box:
•Activate on creation—Select this option to load the AVM into the bootstrap of the Cisco ANA Unit. This changes the administrative status of the AVM to Up and ensures that the AVM is loaded on subsequent restarts of the Cisco ANA Unit. By default this option is unchecked and the newly created AVM has an administrative status of Down.
•Enable AVM Protection—By default this option is selected enabling the watchdog protocol on the AVM when high availability is enabled. For more information, refer to the Cisco Active Network Abstraction High Availability User's Guide.
Note It is highly recommended that the user does not disable this option if high availability is enabled.
If this option is selected or unchecked when the AVM is up then you will need to restart the AVM in order for this change to take affect.
Step 4 Define the properties of the AVM.
Step 5 Click OK. The new AVM is added to the selected Cisco ANA Unit, is displayed in the Workspace, and is activated.
Creating the new AVM results in Cisco ANA providing the registry information of the new AVM in the specified Cisco ANA Unit, and the AVM can now host VNEs. For more information, see the Defining VNEs section.
AVM Status
The status of AVMs (and VNEs) is affected by Admin and Oper mode. Admin mode is the administrative instructions that are sent to the AVM. Oper mode is the actual status of the AVM, for example, Up. For more information about Admin and Oper modes, see the Admin and Oper Mode AVM Status section.
When moving an AVM (file), its status, for example, Up or Down, has a bearing on whether the file is reloaded (Up) or not (Down). For more information about moving AVMs, see the Moving AVMs section. For more information about starting and stopping AVMs, see the Starting and Stopping AVMs section.
An AVM can have only one of the following statuses at a time:
•Up—The file (process) is reachable and was loaded and started. When a Start (command) option is issued, and no problems are encountered, such as an overloaded server, the AVM is running (has been loaded and started), and its status is Up.
•Down—The file (process) is reachable and was stopped. When a Stop (command) option is issued, Cisco ANA issues instructions to shutdown all of the processes. When all of the processes have been stopped, the status of the AVM is Down.
•Starting Up—When a Start or upload (command) option is issued, and for example, the Server cannot execute it due to the fact that it is busy or overloaded, the status of the AVM is Starting Up.
•Shutting Down—When a Stop (command) option is issued, and while the command is being executed (some processes may still be running), the status of the AVM is Shutting Down.
Admin and Oper Mode AVM Status
The AVM status table describes the status of an AVM depending on the Admin and Oper modes, as displayed in the Status column of the AVMs table. The Admin mode is the administrative instructions that are sent to the VNE. The Oper mode is the actual status of the VNE, for example, Up.
Table 6-1 AVM Status
Status
|
Admin Mode
|
Oper Mode
|
Up
|
Up
|
Up
|
Shutting Down
|
Down
|
Up
|
Down
|
Down
|
Down
|
Starting Up
|
Up
|
Down
|
Viewing and Editing an AVM's Properties
Cisco ANA Manage enables the user to view and edit the properties of an AVM, for example, the key and the allocated memory.
To view and edit an AVM's properties:
Step 1 Select the ANA Servers branch in the Cisco ANA Manage window's Tree pane. The ANA Servers branch is displayed.
Step 2 Expand the ANA Servers branch and select the required AVM sub-branch in the Tree pane.
Step 3 Right-click to display the shortcut menu and select Properties, or from File menu, select Properties or in the toolbar click Properties.
The AVM Properties dialog box is displayed with the details of the selected AVM, including, the IP address/key of the Cisco ANA Unit.
The following field is displayed in the AVM Properties dialog box:
•Status—The status of the AVM, namely, Up, Down or Unreachable. For more information, see the Admin and Oper Mode AVM Status section.
Step 4 Edit the details of the AVM, as required.
Note For more information on the other fields displayed in the AVM Properties dialog box, see the Creating AVMs section.
Step 5 Click OK. The AVM's new properties are displayed in the Workspace.
Deleting an AVM
The user can remove an AVM. If the AVM is running it will be stopped before removal. This procedure deletes the registry information of the AVM in the specified Cisco ANA Unit. If there are VNEs running in the AVM then an error message will be displayed and the user will be unable to delete the AVM.
Warning You must remove all of the VNEs before removing their hosting AVM.
For more information, see the Deleting a VNE section.
Note Reserved AVMs 0-100 cannot be deleted.
To delete an AVM:
Step 1 Select the ANA Servers branch in the Cisco ANA Manage window's Tree pane. The ANA Servers branch is displayed.
Step 2 Expand the ANA Servers branch and select the required AVM sub-branch in the Tree pane.
Step 3 Right-click to display the menu and select Delete. A warning message is displayed.
Step 4 Click Yes. A confirmation message is displayed.
Step 5 Click OK. The selected AVM is deleted from the selected Cisco ANA Unit.
Note Multiple rows can be selected using the standard Microsoft® Windows selection keys.
Starting and Stopping AVMs
Cisco ANA Manage enables the user to start or stop an AVM.
Note Stopping the AVM process stops all of the VNEs in the AVM. You should be aware that any change in status of the AVMs, may take some time to be applied. For example, during execution of the Stop command it may take several minutes before the status changes from Shutting Down to Down.
To start or stop an AVM:
Step 1 Select the ANA Servers branch in the Cisco ANA Manage window's Tree pane. The ANA Servers branch is displayed.
Step 2 Expand the ANA Servers branch and select the required AVM sub-branch.
Step 3 Right-click to display the shortcut menu and select Actions | Start or Actions | Stop or in the toolbar click Start or Stop.
The AVM is started or stopped and the appropriate status is displayed as follows:
•When an AVM is started a Starting Up status is displayed in the Workspace.
•When the AVM has started an Up status is displayed in the Workspace.
•When the AVM is stopped a Shutting Down status is displayed in the Workspace.
•When the AVM has stopped the Down state is displayed in the Workspace.
Note When the AVM status is displayed as Down, the status remains Down and no-reload will take place.
Moving AVMs
Cisco ANA Manage enables the administrator to move an entire AVM between Cisco ANA Units.
Note Reserved AVMs 0-100 cannot be moved.
Cisco ANA Manage automatically checks the status of the AVM/VNE before it is moved. This information is maintained in the memory.
If the AVM is Up it is stopped and then it is moved to the target Cisco ANA Unit. After the move is completed, the AVM is reloaded according to its status prior to the move, namely, the status of the AVM as it was before the move is maintained. For example, if it was Up before the move it will remain Up, if it was Down it will remain Down.
To move an AVM:
Step 1 Select the ANA Servers branch in the Cisco ANA Manage window. The ANA Servers branch is displayed.
Step 2 Expand the ANA Servers branch and select the required AVM sub-branch.
Step 3 Right-click to display the menu and select Move AVM. The Move to dialog box is displayed.
The Move To dialog box displays a tree-and-branch representation of the selected Cisco ANA Server and its Units, excluding the Cisco ANA Unit in which the AVM is currently located. The highest level of the tree displays the Cisco ANA Server. The branches can be expanded and collapsed in order to display and hide information.
Step 4 Browse to and select the Cisco ANA Unit (branch) where you want to move the AVM(s).
Step 5 Click OK. The AVM(s) is moved and now appears beneath the selected Cisco ANA Unit.
For information about moving VNEs, see the Moving Multiple and Single VNEs section.
Finding an AVM/VNE
A single search in Cisco ANA Manage can locate Cisco ANA AVMs and VNEs among all Cisco ANA Servers according to specifically defined search criteria.
To find an AVM/VNE:
Step 1 In the Cisco ANA Manage window Tree pane, select the ANA Unit sub-branch or any sub-branch. The selected sub-branch is displayed.
Step 2 In the toolbar, click Find. The Find dialog box is displayed.
The Find field enables the user to enter specific search criteria in order to find the required AVM/VNE. For example, the user can search for an AVM using the ID number or search for a VNE using an IP address.
The Types dropdown list enables the user to specify whether the user is searching for an AVM/VNE by selecting an option from the list. When an option is selected from the list, then the Property area is enabled, displaying the properties for the selected option. For example, if AVM is selected from the Types dropdown list, then the AVM's properties are displayed in the Property area and the user can select a specific property according to which the user wants to conduct the search.
The Up and Down radio buttons enable the user to search up and down (you can also use the F3 key).
The following buttons are displayed in the Find dialog box:
•Find—Searches for the AVM/VNE from the selected point in the Tree pane, either up or down.
•Cancel—Cancels the search and clears the Find dialog box.
Step 3 Enter the search criteria in the Find field.
Step 4 From the Types dropdown list select AVM/VNE (optional).
Step 5 From the Property area select a specific property (optional).
Step 6 Select a direction, namely, Up or Down.
Step 7 Click Find. The AVM/VNE matching the search criteria is highlighted in Cisco ANA Manage.
Note Click F3 to view the next AVM/VNE matching the search criteria.
VNEs Overview
A Virtual Network Element (VNE) is designated by its leading IP address and corresponds to a single Network Element (NE). Typically a Network Element has only one IP address that is used for management. For such devices the leading IP address is the single IP address configured for this device.
In cases where a NE has multiple IP addresses, the operator must choose one of these IP addresses to be used as a leading IP address. The leading IP address serves as an identifier of the VNE that corresponds to the NE and is displayed wherever the IP address of the Network Element is required.
Note Two VNEs cannot monitor the same Network Element.
Cisco ANA Manage enables the user to create VNEs (replicas of devices), for example, by entering the IP address, SNMP and polling rate information and so on. This is called Element Management.
After Cisco ANA Manage installs and runs the process, samples the device and collects the data a VNE (Managed Element) is created. The VNE includes tables and physical inventory, and this Managed Element can be accessed using Cisco NetworkVision.
VNE Status
The status of VNEs is affected by Admin and Oper mode. Admin mode is the administrative instructions that are sent to the VNE. Oper mode is the actual status of the VNE, for example, Up. For more information about Admin and Oper modes, see the Admin and Oper Mode VNE Status section.
When moving a VNE, its status, for example, Up or Down, has a bearing on whether the VNE is reloaded (Up) or not (Down). For more information about moving VNEs, see Moving Multiple and Single VNEs. For more information about starting and stopping VNEs, see the Changing the VNE's State section.
A VNE can have only one of the following statuses at a time:
•Up—The VNE (process) is reachable and was loaded and started. When a Start (command) option is issued, and no problems are encountered, such as an overloaded server, the VNE is running (has been loaded and started), and its status is Up.
•Down—The VNE (process) is reachable and was stopped. When a Stop (command) option is issued, Cisco ANA issues instructions to shutdown all of the processes. When all of the processes have been stopped, the status of the VNE is Down.
•Unreachable—The VNE cannot be managed by Cisco ANA and its status is defined as Unreachable. When an option (command) is issued that cannot be executed by Cisco ANA, the status of the VNE is Unreachable.
•Starting Up—When a Start or upload (command) option is issued, and for example, the Server cannot execute it due to the fact that it is busy or overloaded, the status of the VNE is Starting Up.
•Shutting Down—When a Stop (command) option is issued, and while the command is being executed (some processes may still be running), the status of the VNE is Shutting Down.
In addition to the statuses described, the VNE can be placed in maintenance mode, for example, a VNE's status can be Up and in maintenance mode. NEs often undergo maintenance operations and planned outages. The Cisco ANA platform supports such maintenance operations without affecting the overall functionality of the active network.
While in maintenance mode (temporary state) a VNE:
•Does not change state on its own, unless the user explicitly (manually) switches the VNE back to active state.
•Never polls the device.
•Is capable of sending alarms, but it does not poll the device and therefore service alarms are not supposed to be sent, except for those that are negotiated between adjacent ports, for example, a "link down" alarm is still sent. Syslogs and traps are sent and the flows are active.
•Maintains any existing links.
•Does not fail on verification requests.
For more information about maintenance mode, see the Changing the VNE's State section.
Admin and Oper Mode VNE Status
The VNE status table describes the status of a VNE depending on the Admin and Oper modes, as displayed in the Status column of the VNEs table. The Admin mode is the administrative instructions that are sent to the VNE. The Oper mode is the actual status of the VNE, for example, Up.
Table 6-2 VNE Status
Status
|
Admin Mode
|
Oper Mode
|
Up
|
Up
|
Up
|
Shutting Down
|
Down
|
Up
|
Down
|
Down
|
Down
|
Starting Up
|
Up
|
Down
|
Unreachable
|
Up
|
Unreachable
|
For example, if the user starts the VNE, the Admin status is Up but the Oper status is Down and has not started yet (because the Server is busy), the status is Starting Up. If the VNE is Up and running and the user stops the VNE, the Admin status is Down but the process is not terminated immediately, the status is Shutting Down.
Defining VNEs
The user adds and defines a new VNE for the system using Cisco ANA Manage; this VNE corresponds to a Network Element (NE) and should only be added to the system once. As the VNE loads, Cisco ANA starts investigating the NE and automatically builds a live model of it, including its physical and logical inventory, its configuration, and its status.
When adding a new VNE, Cisco ANA creates the registry information of the new VNE in the Cisco ANA Unit. The newly created VNE has an administrative status of Down and uses the default community strings and polling rates. The VNE inherits these properties from the configuration record that corresponds to the device type.
A VNE must be loaded into the bootstrap of the Cisco ANA Unit before it starts monitoring its underlying NE. This changes the administrative status of the VNE to Up, and ensures that the VNE is loaded on subsequent restarts of the Cisco ANA Unit. Loading the VNE also starts the VNE immediately. For more information on the status of VNEs, see the Admin and Oper Mode VNE Status section.
Before adding a new VNE using Cisco ANA Manage, the user must first determine to which Cisco ANA Unit and AVM, the new VNE should be added.
The user can define and manage SNMP, Telnet/SHH, ICMP, and polling information for the appropriate VNEs in the New VNE dialog box.
Note A new VNE cannot be added to the reserved AVMs 0-100.
The user can create VNEs that perform reachability testing only through ICMP. This can be done by creating the VNE and selecting the type ICMP and then defining the details in the ICMP tab. For more information about the ICMP tab, see the ICMP Tab section.
For information on defining VNE properties in the respective VNE tabs, refer to the following sub-sections:
•General properties, see the General Tab section.
•SNMP properties, see the SNMP Tab section.
•Telnet/SSH properties, see the Telnet / SSH Tab section.
•ICMP properties, see the ICMP Tab section.
•Polling properties, see the Polling Tab section.
For details on viewing and editing VNE properties, see the Viewing and Editing a VNE's Properties section.
To define the properties of a new VNE:
Step 1 Select the ANA Servers branch in the Cisco ANA Manage window's Tree pane. The ANA Servers branch is displayed.
Step 2 Expand the ANA Unit branch and select the required AVM sub-branch in the Tree pane.
Step 3 Right-click in the Tree pane to display the shortcut menu and select New VNE, or from File menu select New VNE or in the toolbar, click New VNE. The New VNE dialog box is displayed.
Figure 6-1 New VNE Dialog Box
The New VNE dialog box contains the following tabs:
•General tab, see the General Tab section, enables the user to manage VNE information in the connected Cisco ANA (Mandatory Name and IP fields).
•SNMP tab, see the SNMP Tab section, enables the user to support polling and accessing devices using SNMPv1, SNMPv2c and SNMPv3.
•Telnet / SSH tab, see the Telnet / SSH Tab section, enables the user to choose Telnet or SSH for device access and configure the login sequence.
•ICMP tab, see the ICMP Tab section, enable the user to verify that devices are reachable by sending repetitive ICMP request packets, and testing reachability by defining the polling rate.
•Polling tab, see the Polling Tab section, enables the user to associate a VNE in the Cisco ANA with a polling group or define an instance.
Note The OK button in the New VNE dialog box is enabled only when the user has typed in the VNE name and IP address in the General tab (Mandatory Fields).
General Tab
The General tab enables the user to manage VNE information in the connected Cisco ANA.
The following VNE identification fields are displayed in the Identification area:
•VNE Name—The name of the VNE that is used as a unique key throughout the system (Cisco ANANetworkVision, Cisco ANA Manage, Cisco ANA EventVision).
Note This name is also used for VNE manipulation commands.
•IP Address—The IP address of the device.
•Type—Select the VNE Type from the dropdown list:
–Auto Detect—Automatically detects the device type and loads the relevant VNE.
Note SNMP cannot be disabled if the AutoDetect option is selected (see the SNMP Tab section).
–Generic SNMP—Loads a generic VNE. For more information about defining a generic VNE, see the Defining a Generic SNMP VNE section.
–Cloud—Loads an unmanaged network segment. Specific cloud configuration is provided on a per project basis.
–ICMP—The VNE uses this ICMP-based reachability test to validate communication with the managed device by continuously sending ICMP packets.
Note When this option is selected the ICMP tab is enabled (the SNMP, Telnet / SSH and Polling tabs are disabled).
•Scheme—Defines the VNE modeling components investigated during the discovery process. This enables the administrator to define different behavior for some devices, for example, for some devices poll only with SNMP and for other devices also poll with Telnet. Soft properties and activation scripts are also attached to a specific scheme. By default, the VNE inherits the VNE Scheme from the Default scheme. Select the VNE Scheme from the dropdown list. Where more than one scheme exists in the network, the VNE loads the selected scheme.
The following VNE state fields are displayed in the Initial State area:
•State—The initial state of the VNE, namely, Start, Stop or Maintenance. By default, this option is set to Stop.
–Stop—The VNE is not loaded.
–Start—The VNE is loaded and starts collecting data.
–Maintenance—The VNE is started and moved to maintenance mode. For more information, see the VNE Status section.
The following fields are displayed in the Location area of the General tab:
•ANA Unit—The IP address of the Cisco ANA Unit that hosts the VNE's AVM.
•AVM—The AVM on the Cisco ANA Unit that hosts the VNE.
SNMP Tab
The SNMP tab enables the user to support polling and accessing devices using SNMPv1, SNMPv2 and SNMPv3. Selecting the SNMP tab displays the following dialog box:
Figure 6-2 SNMP Tab
The following checkbox and radio buttons are displayed in the SNMP tab of the New VNE dialog box:
•Enable SNMP—Check this option to enable the SNMP communication protocol so that the user can work with it.
Note A VNE can be SNMP enabled or disabled at any time, however, when the Auto Detect option is selected in the General tab, it cannot be disabled. (For more information, see the General Tab section).
•SNMP V1—Select SNMP version 1.
•SNMP V2—Select SNMP version 2.
•SNMP V3—Select SNMP version 3.
Note The SNMP V3 Settings area is only enabled when SNMP Version 3 is selected.
The following fields are displayed in the SNMP V1/V2 Settings area:
•Read—The SNMP Read Community status, namely, Public or Private, as defined by the user.
•Write—The SNMP Write Community status, namely, Public or Private, as defined by the user.
Note The SNMP V3 Settings area is only enabled when SNMP V3 is selected.
The following fields are displayed in the SNMP V3 Settings area:
•Authentication—Select one of the following:
–No—No authentication is required.
–md5
–sha
If MD5 or SHA is selected, enter the required information in the following fields:
–User
–Password
•Encryption—Select one of the following:
–No—No encryption is required.
–DES
If DES is selected, enter the required information in the following field:
–Password
Telnet / SSH Tab
The Telnet / SSH tab enables the user to define the Telnet command sequence and support SSH for device access (reachability) and investigation. Selecting the Telnet / SSH tab displays the following tabbed dialog box:
Figure 6-3 Telnet/SSH Tab
The following checkbox is displayed in the Telnet / SSH tab of the New VNE dialog box:
•Enable—Check this option to enable the Telnet/SSH1 communication protocol to be used by the VNE to investigate the reachability of the device by activating the Prompt and Run fields, and the Add/Remove command buttons.
Note A VNE can be Telnet / SSH enabled or disabled at any time.
The following fields are displayed in the Telnet / SSH tab of the New VNE dialog box:
•Protocol—A dropdown list of the available protocols, namely:
–Telnet—By default this option is set to Telnet. When Telnet is selected the Port field automatically displays 23.
–SSH1—When SSH1 is selected the Port field automatically displays 22. In addition, the SSH information fields are enabled in the tabbed dialog box.
•Port—When Telnet is selected this field automatically displays 23. When SSH1 is selected this field automatically displays 22. The user can edit the port number displayed.
•Prompt—The expected Telnet/SSH string. This information is displayed in the table (in the relevant column) after clicking Add.
•Run—The Telnet/SSH string to be sent to the device when the expected prompt is detected. This information is displayed in the table (in the relevant column) after clicking Add.
The following buttons are displayed in the Telnet / SSH tab of the New VNE dialog box:
•Add—Adds the Prompt and the Run fields to the list in the table.
•Remove—Removes the selected row from the list in the table.
Use the Up and Down arrows to change the order of the commands in the list.
Note The Telnet sequence (the order of the commands) must end with a line that includes only the prompt field.
Figure 6-4 Telnet Sequence Ending with Prompt Field
If the SSH1 protocol is selected, enter the required information/properties in the following fields:
•User Name
•Password
•Cipher—Cisco ANA supports polling devices using the SSH protocol, which defines a set of ciphers, namely, encryption algorithms, that may be used to encrypt data. This field provides a dropdown list of the available cipher options, namely, 3DES (default), DES and Blowfish.
•Authentication—Displays the option Password.
ICMP Tab
The ICMP tab enables repetitive sending of packets to a device to verify that the device is reachable. The user can define the polling rate (in seconds) for the VNE. Selecting the ICMP tab displays the ICMP tab in the New VNE dialog box.
Figure 6-5 ICMP Tab
The following checkbox is displayed in the ICMP tab of the New VNE dialog box:
•Enable—Check this option to enable the use of the ICMP communication protocol to verify that the device is reachable.
Note The ICMP enable option can be enabled or disabled at any time. If this option is enabled, the user must type in a polling rate (in seconds).
Polling Tab
When customizing polling rates, special consideration should be given to the following:
•Fast polling rates (30 sec) provide high data accuracy
•Fast change tracking (VC table, profile changes) and accurate flows
|
vs.
|
•Constant polling generating high NE CPU utilization, high network traffic, polling overlaps, and starvation for scheduled polling
•Slow polling rates (30 min) will affect data accuracy
•Slow change tracking, stuck flows, invalid information
|
vs.
|
•Low NE and network utilization, complete polling cycles
|
Warning Changing polling rates may result in excess traffic and Network Element crashes.
The Polling tab enables the administrator to:
•Associate a VNE with a previously created polling group.
•Customize polling intervals for a VNE. Different polling intervals can be defined, namely:
–Status—Typically, would be the most frequently polled information reflecting the current operational state of the element and its components.
–Configuration—Reflects more dynamic element configuration such as forwarding, routing and switching tables.
–System—Reflects element configuration that is less dynamic in nature.
–Topology—Reflects topology connections at different layers.
In addition, a polling interval can be configured for a class of devices, for example, for all Cisco routers.
Selecting the Polling tab displays the following dialog box:
Figure 6-6 Polling Tab
The following radio buttons are displayed in the Polling Method area:
•Group—The VNE inherits the polling rates from the polling group selected in the dropdown list. By default, the VNE inherits the polling rates from the Default polling group.
For more information about creating customized polling groups, see the Managing Global Settings section.
Note The Polling Intervals and Topology areas are disabled when Group is selected.
•Instance—Enables the user to change the polling rates of any one of the built-in polling intervals currently displayed in the dialog box tab.
Note A polling rate that is not changed inherits its settings from the group specified in the Group dropdown list.
Note The Polling Intervals and Topology areas are enabled when Instance is selected.
The following polling interval fields are displayed in the Polling Intervals area:
•Status—Sets the polling rate for status-related information, such as device status (up/down), port status, admin status and so on. The information is related to the operational and administrative status of the Network Element. The default setting is 60 seconds.
•Configuration—Sets the polling rate for configuration-related information, such as VC tables, scrambling and so on. The default setting is 360 seconds.
•System—Sets the polling rate for system-related information, such as device name, device location and so on. The default setting is 900 seconds.
The following fields are displayed in the Topology area:
•Layer 1—Sets the polling rate of the topology process as an interval for the Layer 1 counter. This is an ongoing process. The default setting is 60 seconds.
•Layer 2—Sets the polling rate of the topology process as an interval for the Layer 2 counter. This process is available on demand. The default setting is 60 seconds.
Defining a Generic SNMP VNE
This section describes generic SNMP VNE support. The Generic SNMP VNE is a VNE, that is not related to any vendor and therefore it can represent any vendor (with certain limitations) and provide lightweight management support for network devices.
The Generic VNE provides basic management capabilities for a device with the following technologies:
•IP
•Ethernet Switching
•802.q
Note IP support is restricted to basic IP only. It does not does include modeling of IPsec, MPLS and routing protocols.
The generic SNMP VNE supports the following inventory items:
•Physical Inventory (specific port types only)
•Routing Table
•ARP Table
•Default Bridge
•IP Interfaces
There are two different scenarios that can occur when loading the generic SNMP VNE:
1. The VNE is loaded as a generic SNMP VNE (the user defines the VNE type).
Cisco ANA Manage enables the user to load a VNE as a generic SNMP VNE. The user does this by simply selecting the Generic SNMP option in the Type field of the New VNE dialog box. For more information about how to define a generic SNMP VNE, see the Defining VNEs section.
2. The VNE is loaded as a generic SNMP VNE when its type is not supported (the device type is not recognized).
If the device is not found in the "deviceTypes" list, this means that the device is currently unsupported, and the user can load the VNE as:
–An unsupported VNE
–A generic SNMP VNE
Every VNE in "agentdefaults/da" has the entry "load generic agent for unsupported device type", where the user can set the value as "true" or "false" (the default is "false"). If the value is "true", it sets "1.3.999.3" as the property. It looks for this property in "agentdefaults/da/deviceTypes" and finds "sheer/genericda". It then skips the investigation of the device's software versions and builds the VNE (generic SNMP) from the default version.
Viewing and Editing a VNE's Properties
Cisco ANA Manage enables the user to view and edit the properties of a VNE in a Cisco ANA Unit, for example, the status and Telnet settings. For more information about VNEs, see the Defining VNEs section.
To edit a VNE's properties:
Step 1 Select the ANA Servers branch in the Cisco ANA Manage tabbed dialog box. The ANA Servers branch is displayed.
Step 2 Expand the ANA Servers branch and select the required AVM sub-branch in the Tree pane.
Step 3 Right-click on the required VNE in the VNEs Properties table in the Workspace to display the shortcut menu, and select Properties or from File menu, select Properties or in the toolbar click Properties. The VNE Properties dialog box is displayed with the details of the selected VNE.
For more details about the fields displayed in the VNE Properties dialog box, see the Defining VNEs section. In addition to the fields displayed when adding a new VNE, the following fields and buttons are displayed:
•VNE Status—The operational status, namely, Up, Down, Shutting Down, Starting Up, or Unreachable. For more information on the status of VNEs, see the VNE Status section.
•Start—Click this button to start the VNE if it is has been stopped or is in maintenance mode. For more information, see the Changing the VNE's State section.
•Stop—Click this button to stop the VNE if it is running or is in maintenance mode.
•Maintenance—Click this button to move the VNE to maintenance mode. If this is done when the VNE has been stopped this has no meaning for the VNE.
•ANA Unit—The current Cisco ANA Unit that hosts the VNE.
•AVM—The current AVM number, which changes according to the Cisco ANA Unit selected to show one of the available AVMs on that Cisco ANA Unit.
Step 4 Edit the details of the VNE, as required.
Step 5 Click Apply.
Step 6 Click OK. The VNE's properties are edited accordingly.
Deleting a VNE
Cisco ANA Manage enables the user to delete a VNE(s) from a Cisco ANA Unit and AVM. This process stops the VNE if it is running and deletes all VNE references from the system and Golden Source. This includes the registry information of the VNE in the specified Cisco ANA Unit. A VNE that has been removed no longer appears in any future system reports.
Since all VNE information is deleted, adding the VNE again requires the user to reinsert all the VNE information.
Note A VNE that has static links configured cannot be deleted without first removing all of the static links configured for the VNE. Dynamic links are automatically removed.
To delete a VNE:
Step 1 Select the ANA Servers branch in the Cisco ANA Manage window. The ANA Servers branch is displayed.
Step 2 Expand the ANA Servers branch and select the required AVM sub-branch in the Tree pane.
Step 3 Right-click on the required VNE in the VNEs Properties table in the Workspace to display the shortcut menu, and select Delete. A warning message is displayed.
Step 4 Click Yes. A confirmation message is displayed.
Step 5 Click OK. The selected VNE is deleted from the AVM and is not displayed in the VNEs Properties table.
Note Multiple rows can be selected using the standard Microsoft® Windows selection keys.
Changing the VNE's State
Cisco ANA Manage enables the user to start or stop a VNE or move a VNE to maintenance mode. Starting the VNE adds the VNE to the server bootstrap. Stopping the VNE removes the VNE from the server bootstrap.
During normal operation, NEs often undergo maintenance operations and planned outages (software upgrades, hardware modifications, cold reboots and so on). The Cisco ANA platform supports such maintenance operations without affecting the overall functionality of the active network. Neighboring VNEs do not generate alarms that are related to links to or from the maintained VNE.
While in maintenance state (temporary state) a VNE:
•Does not change state on its own, unless the user explicitly (manually) switches the VNE back to active state.
•Never polls the device.
•Is capable of sending alarms, but it does not poll the device and therefore service alarms are not supposed to be sent, except for those that are negotiated between adjacent ports, for example, a "link down" alarm is still sent. Syslogs and traps are sent and the flows are active.
•Maintains any existing links.
•Does not fail on verification requests.
The VNE blocks all provisioning flows that run through the VNE. A device in maintenance state can be disconnected and/or restarted, and this does not result in link down alarms. Upon restart, the VNE receives only persistent information, and returns to its latest known configuration, the topology links are renewed automatically.
This icon indicates a VNE in maintenance state in Cisco NetworkVision.
To change the VNE's state:
Step 1 Select the ANA Servers branch in the Cisco ANA Manage window. The ANA Servers branch is displayed.
Step 2 Expand the ANA Servers branch and select the required AVM sub-branch in the Tree pane.
Step 3 Select the required VNE in the in the VNEs Properties table in the Workspace.
Step 4 Right-click to display the shortcut menu and select one of the following—
•Actions | Start or in the toolbar click Start.
•Actions | Stop or in the toolbar click Stop.
•Actions | Maintenance or in the toolbar click Maintenance.
Step 5 The state of the VNE changes based on your selection:
•If the VNE is started a confirmation message is displayed. Click OK. An Up status will eventually be displayed in the VNEs Properties table in the Workspace. In the interim, you may see a Starting Up status, when, for example, the Server is overloaded, or the VNE is still being loaded.
•If the VNE is stopped a confirmation message is displayed. Click OK. A Down status will eventually be displayed in the VNEs Properties table in the Workspace. In the interim, you may see a Shutting Down status while various processes are closing down.
•If the VNE is moved to maintenance mode a confirmation message is displayed. Click OK. A Maintenance status is displayed in the VNEs Properties table in the Workspace.
Moving Multiple and Single VNEs
Cisco ANA Manage enables the administrator to move single and/or multiple VNEs between AVMs. The VNEs that are moved are unloaded. The status of the VNEs is maintained after they are reloaded.
Note Use standard Microsoft Windows mouse and keyboard techniques for multiple selections in the appropriate Properties table displayed in the Workspace.
To move a single VNE or multiple VNEs:
Step 1 Select the ANA Servers branch in the Cisco ANA Manage window. The ANA Servers branch is displayed.
Step 2 Expand the ANA Servers branch and select the required AVM sub-branch in the Tree pane. The VNEs are displayed in the Workspace.
Step 3 Select a VNE or select multiple VNEs using the mouse and/or keyboard, then right-click on the required VNE(s) in the Tree pane to display the shortcut menu.
Step 4 Select Move VNEs from the shortcut menu. The Move To dialog box is displayed:
The Move To dialog box displays a tree-and-branch representation of the selected Cisco ANA Server, its Units and AVMs, excluding the AVM in which the VNE is currently located. The highest level of the tree displays the Cisco ANA Server. The branches can be expanded and collapsed in order to display and hide information.
Step 5 In the Move To dialog box, browse to and select the AVM (branch) where you want to move the VNE(s).
Step 6 Click OK. The VNE is moved to its new location, and now appears beneath the selected AVM (branch) in the VNEs Properties table in the Workspace.
Note The user can view the "moved" VNE by selecting the appropriate AVM in the Tree pane of the Cisco ANA Manage window (such as AVM 500-930000) and view the "moved" VNE in the VNEs Properties table displayed in the Workspace.
Note The VNE(s) that is moved is automatically unloaded and reloaded, and its status is maintained.
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