Chapter 1. Overview

About Cisco Extensible Network Controller

Cisco XNC GUI Overview

Using the Topology Diagram

Saving Configuration Changes

Chapter 2. Managing Devices

Adding a Node Name

Viewing Expanded Nodes Information

Viewing the Ports List

Adding onePK Devices

Removing onePK Devices

Adding a Node Group

Adding Nodes to a Node Group

Removing Nodes from a Node Group

Removing a Node Group

Adding a Static Route

Removing a Static Route

Adding a Gateway IP Address

Removing a Gateway IP Address

Adding Ports

Adding a SPAN Port

Removing a SPAN Port

Chapter 3. Managing Flows

About Flow Programming

Adding a Flow Entry

Viewing Flow Details

Chapter 4. Using TIF Manager

About TIF Manager

Creating a TIF Policy

Editing a TIF Policy

Removing TIF Policies

Creating a Custom Path

Viewing a Custom Path

Removing Custom Paths

Chapter 5. Troubleshooting

About Troubleshooting

Viewing Flow and Port Detail Statistics

Viewing Inconsistent Controller Flows or Inconsistent Node Flows

Exporting Inconsistent Flow Details

Fixing Inconsistent Flows

Policy Analyzer

Using the Policy Analyzer

SDN Analyzer

Using the SDN Analyzer

Changing the Default Values for the SDN Analyzer

Chapter 6. Managing Properties

About Network Properties

Adding a Link Property

Adding a Property Template

Changing Policy Names for a Custom Property Template

Adding Metrics to a Custom Property Template

Editing Custom Metrics

Creating a Manual Link

Chapter 7. Managing Slices

About Slice Manager

Adding a Slice

Adding Nodes and Ports to a Slice

Adding a Flow Specification

Chapter 8. Administrative Tasks

About AAA Servers

Adding an AAA Server

Configuring User Authentication for RADIUS Server

Viewing an AAA Server

Deleting an AAA Server

Users and Roles

Viewing User Information

Adding a User

Changing the Password for an Existing User

Deleting a User

Viewing Cluster Management Information

Viewing the OSGi Console

Viewing the Northbound API Content

Chapter 9. Port-to-Port Forwarding

About Port-to-Port Forwarding

Configuring EtherTypes for Ports

Logging in to the Cisco XNC Port-to-Port Forwarding GUI

Adding a Port-to-Port Forwarding Path

Editing a Port-to-Port Forwarding Path

Deleting a Port-to-Port Forwarding Path

Preface

Audience

Document Conventions

Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request

Copyright Page

The Java logo is a trademark or registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the U.S. or other countries.

Chapter 1. Overview

This preface contains the following sections:

- About Cisco Extensible Network Controller

- Cisco XNC GUI Overview

- Using the Topology Diagram

- Saving Configuration Changes

About Cisco Extensible Network Controller

Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) is a software platform that serves as an interface between the network elements (southbound) and third-party applications (northbound). Cisco XNC, which is a JVM-based application that runs on a Java Virtual Machine (JVM), is based on a highly available, scalable, and extensible architecture. Cisco XNC is built for extensibility using the Open Services Gateway initiative (OSGi) framework.

Cisco XNC can support multiple protocol plugins in the southbound direction. In Release 1.6, Cisco Plug-in for OpenFlow 1.0 and the Cisco One Platform Kit (onePK) are supported.

Cisco XNC provides the following:

- Multiprotocol capability with the Cisco Plug-in for OpenFlow.

- Functionality to support network visibility and programmability, such as network topology discovery, network device management, forwarding rules programming, and access to detailed network statistics.

- A Service Abstraction Layer (SAL) that enables modular southbound interface support, such as OpenFlow.

- Consistent management access through the GUI or through Java or Representational State Transfer (REST) northbound APIs.

- Security features, such as role-based access control (RBAC), and integration with an external Active Directory using RADIUS or TACACS for authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) functions.

- Troubleshooting tools, such as analytics gathering and diagnostic packet injection.

- Cisco advanced features such as Topology Independent Forwarding (TIF), which enables the administrator to customize the path a data flow takes through the network.

- Cisco network applications such as Network Slicing that allows logical partitioning of the network using flow specification, and Cisco Monitor Manager, which provides visibility into the network traffic.

- High-availability clustering to provide scalability and high availability.

- The Cisco Open Network Environment Platform Kit (Cisco onePK) version 1.1.0 is supported in Release 1.6 of Cisco XNC. The Cisco onePK plug-in communicates with the onePK agent.

- Support for onePK devices in the network and the ability to install TIF rules on onePK devices.

- A command line interface (CLI) framework for Cisco XNC.

- The Virtual Patch Panel Application (Port-to-Port Forwarding application) provides port-to-port traffic management within a switch or across the network without any need for physical connection changes or rewiring.

- Access to the Cisco XNC northbound API content from the application menu bar that enables you to view the API definitions and related calls.

Cisco XNC GUI Overview

The Cisco XNC GUI contains the following areas and panes:

- A menu bar across the top of the window that provides access to the main categories of information in Cisco XNC.

- A topology map on the right that displays a visual representation of your network.

- Several panes with additional views and information about the selected category.

Note

Depending on the Cisco XNC applications that you have installed, the items on the menu bar might vary.

The menu bar contains the following items:

- The Devices tab—Provides access to the Cisco XNC network elements.

- The Flows tab—Provides access to flow entries and flow details.

- The Troubleshoot tab—Provides information about flows, ports, and policies for troubleshooting purposes.

- The TIF Manager tab—Provides access to paths and policies for Topology Independent Forwarding (TIF).

- The Network Properties tab—Provides access to property templates.

- The Slicing list—Provides access to different slices, and lists the current slice that you are in. If no slices have been configured, or you have not selected a configured slice, the default drop-down list is displayed.

Note

You must have an administrative role to add, modify, or review the slices list.

- The Online help button—Provides access to the online help for the current page.

- A Save button—Enables you to save any additions or changes you make in the Cisco XNC application.

- A Northbound API button—Enables you to view northbound API content in a new browser tab, and displays the content and calls.

- The administrative management (Admin) drop-down list—Provides access to different administrative tasks, such as managing users, slices, network clusters, or viewing the OSGi components list.

Note

The Admin drop-down list—Displays the username that you used when you logged into Cisco XNC.

Topology Tools

The left side of the Topology pane contains a group of tools that allow you to manipulate the content of the topology pane. Hovering over a tool displays its function. From the top of the pane to the bottom, the tools are as follows:

- Select node mode—Enables you to select one or more elements in the topology diagram. To select one or more elements, click on the first element and then drag your mouse across the diagram. The elements selected are highlighted with a circle around each one.

- Move mode—Moves the entire topology diagram, a single topology element, or a node group. To move an element or a node group, click it and drag it.

- Zoom in—Increases the size of the topology diagram.

Note

You can also increase the size of the topology diagram by scrolling up with your mouse wheel.

- Zoom out—Decreases the size of the topology diagram.

Note

You can also decrease the size of the topology diagram by scrolling down with your mouse wheel.

- Zoom by selection—Zooms in on a specific topology element. To zoom by selection, click the tool, and then click and drag your mouse across the element that you want to zoom in on. The zoom element display resets after a few seconds.

- Fit stage—Resets the topology diagram in that pane.

- Topology Settings—Choose the preferred Display Icons as dots setting. Click the radio button for the preference that you desire.

- Tool tips–Displays information about each tool or about nodes in the topology. To display tool tip information, hover over a tool or over a node in the diagram to display node information.

Pane Resizing

You can resize the panes in the GUI display by clicking the pane resize grippers as follows:

- To increase or decrease the height of either of the left or right bottom pane, click the pane resize grippers at the top of the pane, and then drag up or down with your mouse.

- To collapse either the lower right or lower left pane, hover over the pane resize grippers at the top of the pane until a double-ended arrow is displayed, and then click your mouse once.

- To restore a collapsed pane, hover over the pane resize grippers at the bottom of the pane until a double-ended arrow is displayed, and then click your mouse once.

- To increase or decrease the width of the two left panes at the same time, click the pane resize grippers at the top of the pane, and then drag left or right with your mouse.

Using the Topology Diagram

The topology diagram displays a graphical view of your network. After a device or link has been recognized by Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC), it is visible in the topology diagram. On all tabs in Cisco XNC, you can perform the following tasks:

- Hover over a switch to view the node name, the source ports, and the destination ports.

- Hover over a link to view the source and destination ports of that link.

- Hover over a tool to view the tool tip.

- Use the + (zoom in) or - (zoom out) tools, or move your mouse wheel up or down to change the zoom level.

- Click and drag a switch to move it to a different location.

- Click and drag a node group to move it to a different location.

- Click and drag the background to move the entire topology to a different location.

Certain tabs also allow advanced tasks.

Saving Configuration Changes

You should periodically save the configuration changes that you make in Cisco XNC.

Note

Any unsaved configuration changes will be lost if you stop the Cisco XNC application.

On the Cisco XNC menu bar, click the Save button.

Chapter 2. Managing Devices

This chapter contains the following sections:

- Adding a Node Name

- Viewing Expanded Nodes Information

- Viewing the Ports List

- Adding onePK Devices

- Removing onePK Devices

- Adding a Node Group

- Adding Nodes to a Node Group

- Removing Nodes from a Node Group

- Removing a Node Group

- Adding a Static Route

- Removing a Static Route

- Adding a Gateway IP Address

- Removing a Gateway IP Address

- Adding Ports

- Adding a SPAN Port

- Removing a SPAN Port

Adding a Node Name

Adding user-friendly node names helps you to identify nodes in the topology diagram.

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Devices, and then click the Nodes Learned tab.

Step 2

Click the link for the node that you want to rename in the Node Name column.

Step 3

In the Update Node Information dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Node ID field

The unique identifier for a network element, such as an OpenFlow switch.

Node Name field

The name that you want to assign to the node.

The name can contain between 1 and 256 alphanumeric characters including the following special characters: underscore ("_"), hyphen ("-"), plus ("+"), equals ("="), open parenthesis ("("), closed parenthesis (")"), vertical bar ("|"), period ("."), or at sign ("@").

Tier drop-down list

Choose the tier property for the network element. This can be one of the following:

- Unknown

- Access

- Distribution

- Core

Operation Mode drop-down list

Choose how the traffic is handled based on the flows. This can be one of the following:

- Allow reactive forwarding—No default flows are programmed. How traffic that does not match a flow is treated depends upon the switch implementation.

- Proactive forwarding only—The following default flows are programmed on the switch:

- Punt Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) packets to Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC).

- Punt Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) packets to Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC).

- Drop all other traffic.

Step 4

Click Save.

Viewing Expanded Nodes Information

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Devices, and then click the Nodes Learned tab.

Step 2

Click the icon in the top right corner.

Step 3

The Nodes Learned dialog box displays these nonconfigurable fields:

Name

Description

Node Name field

The name assigned to the node.

Node ID field

The ID of the node.

Tier Name field

The tier that you selected for the node.

MAC Address field

The MAC address of the node.

Ports field

The ports accessible on the node.

Step 4

Click the X in the upper right corner of the dialog box to close it.

Viewing the Ports List

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Devices, and then click the Nodes Learned tab.

Step 2

Click the Ports link for a node.

Step 3

The Ports List dialog box displays all of the ports for the specified node.

Step 4

Click the X in the upper right corner of the dialog box to close it.

Adding onePK Devices

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Devices, and then click the onePK tab.

Step 2

Click Add onePK Device.

Step 3

In the Add onePK Device dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Address field

The IP address assigned to the Cisco onePK device.

Username field

The name of the user assigned to the device.

Note:
The username that the admin enters in order to connect to the Cisco onePK agent.

Password field

The password of the user assigned to the device.

Note:
This is the password that the admin enters in order to connect to the Cisco onePK agent.

Step 4

Click Add onePK Device. The node configuration is added. When is a physical device is associated with the address that you entered, a success message is displayed. The address is displayed in blue in the Network Element Address list of onePK Devices on the onePK tab.
When there is no physical device associated with the address that you entered, no connection is made, and a connection timed out error message is displayed. The address is grayed out in the Network Element Address list of onePK Devices on the onePK tab.

Removing onePK Devices

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Devices, and then click the onePK tab.

Step 2

In the onePK Devices list, check the check box next to each device that you want to remove, or check the top check box to remove all onePK Devices.

Step 3

Click Remove onePK Device.

Step 4

In the Remove onePK Device confirmation dialog box, click Remove onePK Device.

Adding a Node Group

A node group allows you to visually group nodes in the Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) topology diagram. Node groups do not create links between nodes.

Step 1

On the Menu bar, choose Devices, and then click the Device Groups tab.

Step 2

Click Add Group.

Step 3

In the Add Node Group dialog box, complete the following field:

Name

Description

Name field

The name that you want to give the node group.

The name can contain between 1 and 256 alphanumeric characters including the following special characters: underscore ("_"), hyphen ("-"), plus ("+"), equals ("="), open parenthesis ("("), closed parenthesis (")"), vertical bar ("|"), period ("."), or at sign ("@").

Step 4

Click Add Group. The name of the group displays in the list of node groups.

What to Do Next

Add nodes to the node group.

Adding Nodes to a Node Group

Adding nodes to a node group visually associates the nodes with the node group in the topology diagram. Node groups are highlighted in different colors in the diagram.

Note

If you add a node that already belongs to a node group to a new node group, it is automatically removed from the first node group and added to the new node group.

Before You Begin
Add a node group.

Step 1

On the Menu bar, choose Devices, and then click the Device Groups tab.

Step 2

Click the name of the node group to which to want to add nodes in the Node Groups list.

Step 3

Add nodes to the group by doing one of the following:

- Click one or more nodes in the topology diagram, and then click Add to group <group name> in the topology diagram.

- Click the Nodes in Group tab, and then do the following:

1. In the Add Nodes to Group - <group name> dialog box, choose one or more nodes from the drop-down list.

2. Click Add to group.

The nodes display in the Nodes in Group - <group name> list on the Nodes in Group tab, and in the node group in the topology diagram.

Removing Nodes from a Node Group

Before You Begin
Add nodes to a node group.

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Devices, and then click the Device Groups tab.

Step 2

Click the name of the node group from which to want to remove nodes in the Nodes Groups list.

Step 3

To remove nodes from the group, do one of the following:

- Click a node group in the topology diagram, and then:

1. Click the node you want to remove from the group.

2. Click Remove from group – <group-name> in the topology diagram.

- Click the Nodes in Group tab, and then:

1. Check the check box next to the node or nodes you want to remove in the list of Nodes in Group <group name>, or check the top check box in the list to select all nodes in the group for removal.

2. Click Remove Nodes from <group-name> .

Step 4

In the Remove Nodes confirmation dialog box, click Remove.

Removing a Node Group

Removing a node group disassociates the nodes added to it from the node group, and the node group is no longer displayed in the topology diagram.

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Devices, and then click the Device Groups tab.

Step 2

In the Node Groups list, check the check box next to the name of the node group you want to remove, or check the top check box to select all node groups for removal.

Step 3

Click Remove Group.

Step 4

In the Remove Group confirmation dialog box, click Remove Group. The node group is removed and no longer displays in the topology diagram.

Adding a Static Route

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Devices, and then click the Static Route Configuration tab.

Step 2

Click Add Static Route.

Step 3

In the Add Static Route dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Name field

The name that you want to assign to the static route.

The name can contain between 1 and 256 alphanumeric characters including the following special characters: underscore ("_"), hyphen ("-"), plus ("+"), equals ("="), open parenthesis ("("), closed parenthesis (")"), vertical bar ("|"), period ("."), or at sign ("@").

Static Route field

The IP address of the destination and subnet mask in the following format:

Destination_IP_Address/Subnet_Mask

Next Hop field

The IP address of the next-hop device.

Step 4

Click Save.

Removing a Static Route

Before You Begin
Add one or more static routes.

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Devices and then click the Static Route Configuration tab.

Step 2

Check the check box next to the name of each static route that you want to remove, or check the top check box to select all static routes for removal.

Step 3

Click Remove Static Route.

Step 4

In the Remove Static Route confirmation dialog box, click Remove Static Route.

Adding a Gateway IP Address

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Devices, and then click the Subnet Gateway Configuration tab.

Step 2

Click Add Gateway IP Address.

Step 3

In the Add Gateway IP Address dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Name field

The name that you want to assign to the gateway IP address.

The name can contain between 1 and 256 alphanumeric characters including the following special characters: underscore ("_"), hyphen ("-"), plus ("+"), equals ("="), open parenthesis ("("), closed parenthesis (")"), vertical bar ("|"), period ("."), or at sign ("@").

Gateway IP Address/Mask field

The IP address and subnet mask of the default gateway in the following format:

IP_Address/Subnet_Mask

Note:

- If your deployment includes only OpenFlow traffic, the gateway IP address can be set to the same IP address used as the default gateway for the host systems on that subnet.

- If your deployment includes OpenFlow and non-OpenFlow traffic, the gateway IP address must be set to an unused IP address on that subnet.

Step 4

Click Save.

Removing a Gateway IP Address

Before You Begin
Add one or more gateway IP addresses.

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Devices, and then click the Subnet Gateway Configuration tab.

Step 2

Check the check box next to the name of each gateway IP address you want to remove, or check the top check box to remove all gateway IP address entries.

Step 3

Click Remove Gateway IP Address.

Step 4

In the Remove Gateway IP Address confirmation dialog box, click Remove Gateway IP Address.

Adding Ports

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Devices, and then click the Subnet Gateway Configuration tab.

Step 2

Click Add Ports.

Step 3

In the Add Ports dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Gateway Name drop-down list

The name of the gateway address to which you want to bind the port.

Node ID drop-down list

The node that contains the port that you want to bind to the gateway address.

Select Port drop-down list

The port that you want to bind to the gateway address.

Step 4

Click Save.

Adding a SPAN Port

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Devices, then click the Span Port Configuration tab.

Step 2

Click Add SPAN Port.

Step 3

In the Add SPAN Port dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Node drop-down list

Choose the node where you want to create a SPAN port.

Input Port drop-down list

The input port to use for the SPAN port.

Step 4

Click Save.

Removing a SPAN Port

Before You Begin
Add one or more SPAN ports.

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Devices, and then click the Span Port Configuration tab.

Step 2

Check the check box next to each entry in the Node and SPAN Port list that you want to remove, or check the check box at the top of the list to choose all SPAN ports for removal.

Step 3

Click Remove SPAN Port.

Step 4

In the Remove SPAN Port confirmation dialog box, click Remove SPAN Port.

Chapter 3. Managing Flows

This chapter contains the following sections:

- About Flow Programming

- Adding a Flow Entry

- Viewing Flow Details

About Flow Programming

With Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC), you can configure individual flows in each network device. Flows are identified based on Layer 1 through Layer 4 criteria. After the flow is identified, you can specify the actions to be performed on the packets that match the flow specification. The criteria for matching and actions varies depending upon the switch. Possible actions are as follows:

- Dropping or forwarding the packet to one or more interfaces.

- Setting the VLAN ID and priority of the packets.

- Modifying the source and destination MAC addresses of the packets.

- Modifying the source and destination IP addresses of the packets.

All flows that you create are listed in the Flow Entries table on the Flows tab. Flows become active when you install them in the device.

Adding a Flow Entry

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Flows, and then click the Flow Entries tab.

Step 2

Click Add Flow Entry.

Step 3

In the Flow Description area of the Add Flow Entry dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Name field

The name that you want to assign to the flow.

The name can contain between 1 and 256 alphanumeric characters including the following special characters: underscore ("_"), hyphen ("-"), plus ("+"), equals ("="), open parenthesis ("("), closed parenthesis (")"), vertical bar ("|"), period ("."), or at sign ("@").

Node drop-down list

Choose the ID or node name for the device.

Input Port drop-down list

Choose the port on the node where traffic enters the flow.

Priority field

The priority that you want to apply to the flow. The default priority is 500. Flows with a higher priority are given precedence over flows with a lower priority.

Note:
The priority is considered only when all of the Layer 2, Layer 3, and Layer 4 match fields are equal.

Hard Timeout field

The amount of time in milliseconds for the flow to be installed before it is removed from the flow table.

Idle Timeout field

The amount of time in milliseconds that the flow can be idle before it is removed from the flow table.

Cookie field

An identifier added to the flow. Cookies are specified by the controller when the flow is installed and are returned as part of each flow status and flow expired message.

Step 4

In the Layer 2 area, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Ethernet Type field

The Ethernet type for the Layer 2 traffic. The Ethernet type for IPv4, in hexadecimal format, is displayed by default. Either accept the default value, or enter one of the following, in hexadecimal format:

- IPv6

- ARP

- LLDP

VLAN Identification Number field

The VLAN ID for the Layer 2 traffic.

VLAN Priority field

The VLAN priority for the Layer 2 traffic.

Source MAC Address field

The source MAC address for the Layer 2 traffic.

Destination MAC Address field

The destination MAC address for the Layer 2 traffic.

Step 5

In the Layer 3 area, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Source IP Address field

The source IP address of the Layer 3 traffic.

Note:
The format of the source IP address must match the Ethernet type that you entered in the Ethernet Type field for Layer 2.

Destination IP Address field

The destination IP address of the Layer 3 traffic.

Note:
The format of the destination IP address must match the Ethernet type that you entered in the Ethernet Type field for Layer 2.

ToS Bits field

The Type of Service (ToS) bits in the IP header of the Layer 3 traffic.

Note:
Only the DSCP bits are supported on Cisco Nexus 3000 Series switches.

Step 6

In the Layer 4 area, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Source Port field

The source port of the Layer 4 traffic.

Destination Port field

The destination port of the Layer 4 traffic.

Protocol field

The Internet protocol number of the Layer 4 traffic. Enter the IP protocol number in decimal, hexadecimal, or octal format.

Step 7

In the Actions area, select one or more actions:

- Drop

- Loopback

- Flood

- Software Path

- Hardware Path

- Controller

- Add Output Ports

- Set VLAN ID

- Set VLAN Priority

- Strip VLAN Header

- Modify Datalayer Source Address

- Modify Datalayer Destination Address

- Modify Network Source Address

- Modify Network Destination Address

- Modify ToS Bits

- Modify Transport Source Port

- Modify Transport Destination Port

- Flood All

- Enqueue

- Set VLAN CFI

- Push VLAN

- Set EtherType

Step 8

Click Install Flow to install the flow into the device.

Step 9

Click Save Flow to save the flow to the Flow Entries table but not to install the flow in the flow table of the device.

Viewing Flow Details

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Flows, and then click the Flow Entries tab.

Step 2

Locate the flow that you want to view.
Enter a value in the Search combo box and click the search icon to limit the number of entries that appear.

Step 3

In the Flow Overview area of the Flow Detail tab, perform one of the following tasks:

- Click Remove Flow to remove the flow from the Flow Entries table.

- Click Edit Flow to edit the flow in the flow table of the device.

- Click Uninstall Flow to remove the flow from the flow table of the device.

Chapter 4. Using TIF Manager

This chapter contains the following sections:

- About TIF Manager

- Creating a TIF Policy

- Editing a TIF Policy

- Removing TIF Policies

- Creating a Custom Path

- Viewing a Custom Path

- Removing Custom Paths

About TIF Manager

With the Topology Independent Forwarding (TIF) Manager, you can customize the path that a data flow takes through the network. TIF Manager can also be invoked by any network-aware business application that communicates with Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) using REST APIs.

Creating a TIF Policy

The Topology Independent Forwarding (TIF) Manager allows you to create paths between hosts and devices.

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose TIF Manager, and then click the TIF Policies tab.

Step 2

Click Create TIF Policy.

Step 3

In the Create TIF Policy dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Name field

The name that you want to assign to the TIF policy.

The name can contain between 1 and 256 alphanumeric characters including the following special characters: underscore ("_"), hyphen ("-"), plus ("+"), equals ("="), open parenthesis ("("), closed parenthesis (")"), vertical bar ("|"), period ("."), or at sign ("@").

Note:
The name cannot be changed after the TIF policy is saved.

Source IP field

The source IP address of the host.

Destination IP field

The destination IP address of the host.

Protocol drop-down list

Choose the protocol to be used for the policy. This can be one of the following:

- any—All protocols are used.

- ICMP—Only the ICMP protocol is used.

- TCP—Only the TCP protocol is used.

- UDP—Only the UDP protocol is used.

- IPv6-ICMP—Only the IPv6-ICMP protocol is used.

Source Port field

The transport layer port number. If no source port is specified, any ports can be used.

Destination Port field

The destination port number. If no destination port is specified, any ports can be used.

Path Type field

How the traffic will be routed between the source and destination IP.

Click Properties to choose a property from one of the following categories:

- Latency

- Number

- Bandwidth

- String

Note:
Any custom property templates created in the Network Properties area is also displayed in this list.

Click the Custom Path radio button to choose an existing path from the drop-down list.

Step 4

Click Create TIF Policy.

Editing a TIF Policy

Note

The name of the TIF policy cannot be changed.

Before You Begin
Create one or more TIF policies.

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose TIF Manager, and then click the TIF Policies tab.

Step 2

Click Edit next to the name of the TIF policy that you want to change.

Step 3

In the Edit TIF Policy dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Name field

The name that you want to assign to the TIF policy.

The name can contain between 1 and 256 alphanumeric characters including the following special characters: underscore ("_"), hyphen ("-"), plus ("+"), equals ("="), open parenthesis ("("), closed parenthesis (")"), vertical bar ("|"), period ("."), or at sign ("@").

Note:
The name cannot be changed after the TIF policy is saved.

Source IP field

The source IP address of the host.

Destination IP field

The destination IP address of the host.

Protocol drop-down list

Choose the protocol to be used for the policy. This can be one of the following:

- any—All protocols are used.

- ICMP—Only the ICMP protocol is used.

- TCP—Only the TCP protocol is used.

- UDP—Only the UDP protocol is used.

- IPv6-ICMP—Only the IPv6-ICMP protocol is used.

Source Port field

The transport layer port number. If no source port is specified, any ports can be used.

Destination Port field

The destination port number. If no destination port is specified, any ports can be used.

Path Type field

How the traffic will be routed between the source and destination IP.

Click Properties to choose a property from one of the following categories:

- Latency

- Number

- Bandwidth

- String

Note:
Any custom property templates created in the Network Properties area is also displayed in this list.

Click the Custom Path radio button to choose an existing path from the drop-down list.

Step 4

Click Save TIF Policy.

Removing TIF Policies

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose TIF Manager, and then click the TIF Policies tab.

Step 2

Check the check box next to the Name of each TIF policy that you want to remove, or check the top check box to select all TIF policies for removal.

Step 3

Click Remove TIF Policy.

Step 4

In the Remove TIF Policy confirmation dialog box, click Remove TIF Policy.

Creating a Custom Path

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose TIF Manager.

Step 2

At the top of the topology diagram, enter the name that you want to give the custom path in the field next to the Save Custom Path button.

Step 3

In the topology diagram, click the links that you want to include in the path.

Step 4

Click Save Custom Path to save the path to the Existing Custom Paths table.

Viewing a Custom Path

Before You Begin
Create a custom path.

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose TIF Manager.

Step 2

Click View/Edit Path in the Existing Custom Paths table next to the path that you want to display.
The custom path links are displayed in the topology diagram.

Step 3

In the Links Information tab, enter a node number in the Search box, and click the search icon to narrow the list of nodes displayed for the path.

Removing Custom Paths

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose TIF Manager.

Step 2

Check the check box next to the path name of each custom path that you want to remove in the Existing Custom Paths tab, or check the top check box to choose all custom paths for removal.

Step 3

Click Remove.

Step 4

In the Remove Path(s) confirmation dialog box, click Remove Path(s).

Chapter 5. Troubleshooting

This chapter contains the following sections:

- About Troubleshooting

- Viewing Flow and Port Detail Statistics

- Viewing Inconsistent Controller Flows or Inconsistent Node Flows

- Exporting Inconsistent Flow Details

- Fixing Inconsistent Flows

- Policy Analyzer

- Using the Policy Analyzer

- SDN Analyzer

- Using the SDN Analyzer

- Changing the Default Values for the SDN Analyzer

About Troubleshooting

Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) includes a variety of tools that you can use to troubleshoot your network connections. From the Troubleshoot tab, you can do the following:

- View all of the nodes in the network.

- View detailed information about the ports for each node in the network.

- View detailed information about the flows for each node in the network.

- View when the nodes were discovered by Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) in the Uptime tab.

- View detailed information about TIF policies in the Policy Analyzer tab.

- Run analytics on selected flows and TIF policies.

Viewing Flow and Port Detail Statistics

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Troubleshoot, and then click the Flow Check tab.

Step 2

In the Existing Nodes tab, locate the node for which you want to view statistics.
Enter a value in the Search combo box and click the search icon to limit the number of entries that appear.

Step 3

Perform one of the following tasks:

- Click Flows to view detailed information about all flows programmed on the node.

- Click Ports to view detailed information about all ports of the node.

Note:
The statistics are updated every 120 seconds.

Viewing Inconsistent Controller Flows or Inconsistent Node Flows

Step 1

In the menu bar, choose Troubleshoot, and then click the Flow Check tab.

Step 2

From the Select a node drop-down list, choose a node.
The node is displayed, with the number of Inconsistent Controller Flows and Inconsistent Node Flows, if any, next to each type.

Step 3

Click either Inconsistent Controller Flows or Inconsistent Node Flows to view details for any inconsistent flows. Details are displayed in the Statistics tab.

What to Do Next

Fix inconsistent controller flows or inconsistent node flows.

Exporting Inconsistent Flow Details

In order to view and save inconsistent controller or inconsistent node flow details for reference, you can export them to a comma-delimited file.

Step 1

In the menu bar, choose Troubleshoot, and then click the Flow Check tab.

Step 2

Choose a node from the Select a node drop-down list.
The node is displayed, with the number of Inconsistent Controller Flows and Inconsistent Node Flows next to each type.

Step 3

Choose either Inconsistent Controller Flows or Inconsistent Node Flows.
The list of Inconsistent Controller Flows or Inconsistent Node Flows is displayed in the Statistics tab.

Step 4

Check the check box next to one or more inconsistent flows, or check the check box at the top of the list to choose all flows in the list.

Step 5

Click Export All, and then click Export Flow Details.

Step 6

Save the inconsistent flow detail information as a .csv file that you can open later for analysis.

Fixing Inconsistent Flows

Note

When you fix an inconsistent controller flow, the flow is installed on the switch. When you fix an inconsistent node flow, the flow is removed from the switch, because the controller is the authoritative source of flow information.

Step 1

In the menu bar, chooseTroubleshoot, and then click the Flow Check tab.

Step 2

Choose a node from the Select a node drop-down list.
The node is displayed, with the number of Inconsistent Controller Flows and Inconsistent Node Flows next to each type.

Step 3

Click either Inconsistent Controller Flows or Inconsistent Node Flows.
The list of Inconsistent Controller Flows or Inconsistent Node Flows is displayed in the Statistics tab.

Step 4

Check the check box next to one or more inconsistent flows, or check the check box at the top of the list to choose all flows in the list.

Step 5

Click Fix Inconsistent Flows.

Step 6

In the Fix Flows confirmation dialog box, click Fix Inconsistent Flows. The Flow Check tab redisplays Inconsistent Controller Flows and Inconsistent Node Flows with the updated number of each type.

Note:   If you chose all inconsistent flows in Step 4, the number displayed is 0.

Policy Analyzer

The Policy Analyzer allows you to view detailed information about TIF policies. You can use the Policy Analyzer to perform the following tasks:

- Monitor selected flows.

- Run a software-defined networking (SDN) trace against a flow.

- View the status of the last SDN trace.

- View aggregated statistics for the TIF policy.

Using the Policy Analyzer

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Troubleshoot, and then click the Policies tab.

Step 2

Choose the TIF policy that you want to analyze.
Enter a value in the Search combo box and click the search icon to limit the number of entries that appear.

Step 3

Monitor the TIF policy flows as follows:

1. Check the check box for one or more flows.

2. Click Start Monitor.

3. When you have finished collecting flow data, click Stop Monitor.

Step 4

Run an SDN trace on a TIF policy flow as follows:

1. Check the check box for the flow that you want to trace.

2. Click SDN Trace.

Step 5

Click SDN Trace Status to view the information from the last SDN trace that was run.

Step 6

Click Policy Statistics to view statistics for the selected TIF policy.

SDN Analyzer

The SDN Analyzer downloads packet capture (pcap) files for the interface that you select. The individual pcap files are consolidated into one zip file.

By default, the SDN Analyzer captures 5 pcap files with 100 MB of network data each. If more than the set amount of data is captured, the earlier data is overwritten. You can change the amount of data collected in the config.ini file.

Using the SDN Analyzer

The SDN Analyzer captures packets that come to Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) and outputs the results to a zip file. The location of the zip file depends upon your browser settings.

Before You Begin
You must have root privileges on the server that is running Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) to run the SDN Analyzer.

Step 1

On the menu bar, click Troubleshoot, and then click the SDN Analyzer tab.

Step 2

Click the interface that you want to view, and then click Start Analyzer.

Step 3

When you have finished collecting data, click Stop Analyzer.

Changing the Default Values for the SDN Analyzer

Step 1

Navigate to the xnc/configuration directory that was created when you installed the software.

Step 2

Use any text editor to open the config.ini file.

Step 3

Locate the following parameters:

- troubleshoot.fileSize = 100

- troubleshoot.number = 5

Step 4

Change the files as appropriate. We recommend that you use a file size of no more than 100mb, and increase the number of pcap files.

Step 5

Save the file and exit the editor.

Step 6

Restart Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC).

Chapter 6. Managing Properties

This chapter contains the following sections:

- About Network Properties

- Adding a Link Property

- Adding a Property Template

- Changing Policy Names for a Custom Property Template

- Adding Metrics to a Custom Property Template

- Editing Custom Metrics

- Creating a Manual Link

About Network Properties

The Network Properties tab allows you to create your own properties that you can use to configure your TIF policies.

Default Properties

Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) provides the following properties by default:

- Latency

- Number

- Bandwidth

- String

Each property contains one or more policies. For example, the number property contains policies that are related to numbers, such as weighted least cost path, or hop count based shortest path. The bandwidth policy contains policies related to bandwidth, such as including or avoiding links with a specific bandwidth.

Many of the policies also contain metrics that further define the property. The latency property, for example, includes time-based metrics. You could use a latency property with a policy to include only those links that have latency less than 1 nanosecond.

Custom Properties

You can create custom property templates based on an existing template. After you have created a custom property template, you can rename the policies that are associated with that template, create metrics for the template, and use that template as a parent to create additional templates. The custom properties can be used when you create TIF policies.

Manual Links

Create manual links if you have links that have not been discovered by Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC).

Adding a Link Property

Link properties use the values of both custom and default property templates.

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Topology.

Step 2

In the topology diagram, click the link for which you want to set properties.

Step 3

In the Properties tab, click Add Property.

Step 4

In the Add Property dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Property drop-down list

Choose the property that you want to add to the link.

Metric drop-down list

Choose the metric that you want to add to the link.

Value field

The value for the metric that you want to use for the link.

Step 5

Click Add Property.

Adding a Property Template

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Topology, and then click the Templates tab.

Step 2

Click Add Template.

Step 3

In the Add Property Template dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Name field

The name that you want to assign to the property template

The name can contain between 1 and 256 alphanumeric characters including the following special characters: underscore ("_"), hyphen ("-"), plus ("+"), equals ("="), open parenthesis ("("), closed parenthesis (")"), vertical bar ("|"), period ("."), or at sign ("@").

Parent drop-down list

Choose the parent template to use for the custom template.

Step 4

Click Add Template.

Changing Policy Names for a Custom Property Template

You can change the policy names for custom property templates. Policies that belong to default property templates cannot be changed.

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Topology, and then click the Templates tab.

Step 2

In the Property Templates table, click the Parent column for the custom property for which you want to change policy names.

Step 3

In the Policies tab, click the policy name that you want to change.

Step 4

In the Change Policy Name dialog box, enter the new policy name.

Step 5

Click Submit.

Adding Metrics to a Custom Property Template

You can add metrics to any custom property template.

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Topology, and then click the Templates tab.

Step 2

In the Property Templates table, click the Parent column for the custom property for which you want to add metrics.

Step 3

In the Properties tab, click Add Metric.

Step 4

In the Add Metrics dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Metric Name field

The name to be used for the metric.

The name can contain between 1 and 256 alphanumeric characters including the following special characters: underscore ("_"), hyphen ("-"), plus ("+"), equals ("="), open parenthesis ("("), closed parenthesis (")"), vertical bar ("|"), period ("."), or at sign ("@").

Factor field

The factor to be used for the metric.

Default Value field

The optional default value to be used for the metric.

Step 5

Click Add Metric.

Editing Custom Metrics

You can edit metrics that belong to a custom property template. You cannot edit default metrics.

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Topology, and then click the Templates tab.

Step 2

In the Property Templates table, click the Parent column for the custom property for which you want to edit the metrics.

Step 3

In the Properties tab, click the metric that you want to edit.

Step 4

In the Add Metrics dialog box, you can do the following:

- Enter a default value and click Set Default Value.

- Click Remove Metric to delete the metric.

- Click Cancel to close the dialog box without making any changes.

Creating a Manual Link

Note

You should create manual links only if there are undiscovered links in the topology.

Step 1

On the menu bar, choose Network Properties, and then click the Manual Links tab.

Step 2

Click Create Link.

Step 3

In the Create Link dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Name field

The name that you want to assign to the link.

The name can contain between 1 and 256 alphanumeric characters including the following special characters: underscore ("_"), hyphen ("-"), plus ("+"), equals ("="), open parenthesis ("("), closed parenthesis (")"), vertical bar ("|"), period ("."), or at sign ("@").

Source Node drop-down list

Choose the source node for the link.

Source Port drop-down list

Choose the source port on the selected node.

Destination Node drop-down list

Choose the destination node for the link.

Destination Port drop-down list

Choose the destination port on the selected node.

Step 4

Click Create Link.

Chapter 7. Managing Slices

This chapter contains the following sections:

- About Slice Manager

- Adding a Slice

- Adding Nodes and Ports to a Slice

- Adding a Flow Specification

About Slice Manager

The Slice Manager provides a way for you, as a network administrator, to partition networks into many logical networks. This feature allows you to create multiple disjoint networks and assign different roles and access levels to each one. Each logical network can be assigned to departments, groups of individuals, or applications. Multiple disjoint networks can be managed using the Cisco Monitor Manager application. The Slice Manager creates slices based on the following criteria:

- Network devices—The devices that can be used in the slice. Network devices can be shared between slices.

- Network device interfaces—The device interfaces that can be used in the slice. Network device interfaces can be shared between slices.

- Flow Specification—A combination of source and destination IP, protocol, and source and destination transport ports used to identify the traffic that belongs to the slice. Flow specifications can be assigned to different slices if the associated network devices and interfaces are disjointed.

Note

You can also use VLAN IDs to segregate the slice traffic.

Slices must be created by a Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) user with the Network Administrator role. After creation, the slices can be managed by a user with the Slice Administrator role.

Slices can overlap if each slice has at least one unique attribute. For example, a slice can share the same physical switches and ports, but be differentiated by the type of traffic it receives.

Adding a Slice

Step 1

From the Admin drop-down list, choose Slices.

Step 2

On the Slices tab, click Add Slice.

Step 3

In the Add Slice dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Slice Name field

The name that you want to assign to the slice.

The name may contain between 1 and 256 alphanumeric characters including the following special characters: underscore (_), hyphen (-), plus (+), equals (=), vertical bar (|), or at sign (@).

Note:
The slice name cannot be changed once it is saved.

Static VLAN field

The static VLAN that you want to assign to the slice.

Step 4

Click Add Slice.

Adding Nodes and Ports to a Slice

Before You Begin
You must have created a slice before you can add nodes and ports.

Step 1

From the Admin drop-down list, choose Slices.

Step 2

On the Slices tab, choose the slice for which you want to add entries.
Enter a value in the Search combo box and click the search icon to limit the number of entries that appear.

Step 3

In the topology diagram, click a node that you want to add to the slice.

Step 4

In the Add Slice Entry dialog box, choose the port or ports that you want to add to the slice.

Step 5

Click Add Entry.

Step 6

Repeat Step 3 through Step 5 for each node and port that you want to add to the slice.

Adding a Flow Specification

Before You Begin
Create a slice before you add a flow specification.

Note

Be default, a flow specification is bidirectional.

Step 1

From the Admin drop-down list, choose Slices.

Step 2

On the Flow Spec tab, choose the slice for which you want to add a flow specification.
Enter a value in the Search combo box and click the search icon to limit the number of entries that appear.

Step 3

On the Detail tab, click Add Flow Spec.

Step 4

In the Add Flow Spec dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Name field

The name that you want to use for the flow specification.

The name can contain between 1 and 256 alphanumeric characters including the following special characters: underscore ("_"), hyphen ("-"), plus ("+"), equals ("="), open parenthesis ("("), closed parenthesis (")"), vertical bar ("|"), period ("."), or at sign ("@").

VLAN field

The VLAN ID or the range of VLAN IDs that you want to use for the flow specification.

Source IP field

The source IP address that you want to use for the flow specification.

Destination IP field

The destination IP address that you want to use for the flow specification.

Protocol field

The IP protocol number in decimal format that you want to use for the flow specification.

Source Port field

The source port that you want to use for the flow specification.

Destination Port field

The destination port that you want to use for the flow specification.

Step 5

Click Add Flow Spec.

Chapter 8. Administrative Tasks

This chapter contains the following sections:

- About AAA Servers

- Users and Roles

- Viewing Cluster Management Information

- Viewing the OSGi Console

- Viewing the Northbound API Content

About AAA Servers

AAA enables the security appliance to determine who the user is (authentication), what the user can do (authorization), and what the user did (accounting). Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) uses Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) or Terminal Access Controller Access-Control System Plus (TACACS+) to communicate with an AAA server.

Remote authentication and authorization is supported using the AAA server. To authenticate each user, Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) uses both the login credentials and an attribute-value (AV) pair that assigns the authorized role for the user as part of the user administration. After successful authentication, the Cisco AV pair is returned to Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) for resource access authorization.

- Adding an AAA Server

- Configuring User Authentication for RADIUS Server

- Viewing an AAA Server

- Deleting an AAA Server

Adding an AAA Server

Step 1

From the Admin drop-down list, choose AAA.

Step 2

In the AAA Configuration dialog box, click Add Server.

Step 3

In the Add AAA Server dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Server Address field

The IP address of the AAA server.

Server Secret field

The shared secret configured on the AAA server.

Protocol drop-down list

Choose the protocol for the AAA server. This can be one of the following:

- Radius+

- TACACS+

Step 4

Click Save.

What to Do Next

If you chose RADIUS as the protocol for the AAA server, you need to configure user authentication for RADIUS.

Configuring User Authentication for RADIUS Server

User authorization on a RADIUS server must conform to the Cisco Attribute-Value (av-pair) format.

In the RADIUS server, configure the Cisco av-pair attribute for a user as follows:
shell:roles="Network-Admin Slice-Admin"

Viewing an AAA Server

Step 1

From the Admin drop-down list, choose AAA.

Step 2

In the AAA Configuration dialog box, click a server address.

Step 3

After viewing the server information in the Remove AAA Configuration dialog box, click Close.

Step 4

In the AAA Configuration dialog box, click Close.

Deleting an AAA Server

Step 1

From the Admin drop-down list, choose AAA.

Step 2

In the AAA Configuration dialog box, click a server address.

Step 3

In the Remove AAA Configuration dialog box, click Remove.

Step 4

In the AAA Configuration dialog box, click Close.

Users and Roles

Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) uses users and roles to manage user access. You can assign more than one role to a user. This can be one of the following:

- Network Administrator—Provides full administrative privileges to all Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) applications.

- Network Operator—Provides read-only privileges to the specified Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) applications.

- Application User—Provides privileges that are defined in the specified application.

- Slice User—Provides access to a specified slice.

Each user is assigned a role, which determines the permissions that they have. Slice users are assigned to both a role and a slice. The Admin user with the Network Administrator role is created by default when you install Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC).

- Viewing User Information

- Adding a User

- Changing the Password for an Existing User

- Deleting a User

Viewing User Information

Step 1

From the Admin drop-down list, choose Users.

Step 2

In the User Management dialog box, you can do the following:

- View a list of usernames and the roles assigned to each user.

- Click an existing user to delete the user or change the password for the user.

- Click Add User to create a new user.

Step 3

When you are finished, click Close.

Adding a User

After creating a user, you can change the password, but you cannot change the roles assigned to the user.

Step 1

From the Admin drop-down list, choose Users.

Step 2

In the User Management dialog box, click Add User.

Step 3

In the Add User dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Username field

The name that you want to assign to the user.

A username can be between 1 and 32 alphanumeric characters and contain any special character except a period ("."), forward slash ("/"), pound sign ("#"), percent sign ("%"), semicolon (";"), question mark ("?"), or backslash ("\").

Password field

The password for the user.

Passwords must be between 8 and 256 characters long, contain uppercase and lowercase characters, have at least one numeric character, and have at least one nonalphanumeric character.

Choose Role(s) drop-down list

Choose the role that you want to assign to the user. You can assign more than one role. This can be one of the following:

- Network Administrator—Provides full administrative privileges to all Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) applications.

- Network Operator—Provides read-only privileges to the specified Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) applications.

- Application User—Provides privileges that are defined in the specified application.

- Slice User—Provides access to a specified slice.

Role Name field

If you chose Application User, enter the name that you want to assign to the role.

Slices drop-down list

If you chose Slice User, choose the slice that you want to assign to the user.

Slice Role drop-down list

If you chose Slice User, choose the role that you want to assign to the user. This can be one of the following:

- Administrator—Provides full administrative privileges to the specified slice.

- Operator—Provides read-only privileges to the specified slice.

Assign button

Assigns a role to the user.

Step 4

Click Add User.

Step 5

In the User Management dialog box, click Close.

Changing the Password for an Existing User

Step 1

From the Admin drop-down list, choose Users.

Step 2

In the User Management dialog box, click the user that you want to modify.

Step 3

In the Edit User dialog box, click Change Password.

Step 4

In the Change Password dialog box, enter the new password and then enter it a second time to verify.

Step 5

Click Submit.

Step 6

In the User Management dialog box, click Close.

Deleting a User

If you are signed in as a particular user, you cannot delete that user.

Step 1

From the Admin drop-down list, choose Users.

Step 2

In the User Management dialog box, click the user that you want to modify.

Step 3

In the Edit User dialog box, click Remove User.

Step 4

In the User Management dialog box, click Close.

Viewing Cluster Management Information

Note

The cluster management dialog boxes are read-only.

Before You Begin
You must have configured high availability clustering in order to view the cluster management information. See the Cisco Extensible Network Controller Deployment Guide.

Step 1

From the Admin drop-down list, choose Clusters.
The Cluster Management dialog box lists the IP addresses of all of the Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) instances in the cluster. Clusters can be denoted by one of the following icons:

- The * icon indicates the cluster node that is currently being viewed.

- The C icon indicates that the cluster node is the coordinator.

Step 2

In the Cluster Management dialog box, choose a cluster.
The Connected Nodes dialog box lists all of the nodes in the selected cluster.

Step 3

In the Connected Nodes dialog box, click Close.

Step 4

In the Cluster Management dialog box, click Close.

Viewing the OSGi Console

You can view all of Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) bundles that comprise the application by viewing the OSGi Web Console.

Note

This procedure does not provide a step-by-step guide to everything you can do in the OSGi Web Console for Cisco XNC Bundles list. It guides you in opening the OSGi Web Console and viewing Cisco XNC bundle information.

Step 1

From the Admin drop-down list, choose OSGi. A new browser tab opens.

Step 2

Enter your username and password, and then press Enter. The Cisco – XNC Bundles list is displayed. In this page you can view all of the active packages, filter on the package name to specify bundle names, and complete other tasks.

Step 3

When you are finished viewing the Cisco XNC Bundles list, close the Cisco XNC – Bundles browser tab.

Viewing the Northbound API Content

You can view all of Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) northbound API content for the application by opening a browser tab using the Northbound API tool (book icon) in the menu bar.

Step 1

From the menu bar, click the Northbound API button.
A new browser tab (Swagger UI) is opened and the complete list of northbound API content used in Cisco XNC is displayed.

From this tab, you can do the following:

- Show or hide the operations for an API.

- List the operations for an API.

- Expand the operations for an API.

Step 2

When you are finished viewing northbound API content, close the browser tab.

Chapter 9. Port-to-Port Forwarding

This chapter contains the following sections:

- About Port-to-Port Forwarding

About Port-to-Port Forwarding

The Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) Virtual Patch Panel (port-to-port forwarding) application allows you to manage port-to-port (P2P) traffic within a switch or across the network without any need for physical connection changes or rewiring. Port-to-port forwarding reduces the time-consuming, manual process of interconnecting two ports, either within a switch or between switches, across the network to forward traffic. With the Cisco XNC port-to-port forwarding application, you can programmatically create a virtual patch panel.

The principal benefits of the Cisco XNC port-to-port forwarding application are as follows:

- The ability to automate a P2P path

- Automatic VLAN assignment and tagging for traffic that originates in the port

- No need to take the device offline

- Capability to scale the process across the data center network

- Configuring EtherTypes for Ports

- Logging in to the Cisco XNC Port-to-Port Forwarding GUI

- Adding a Port-to-Port Forwarding Path

- Editing a Port-to-Port Forwarding Path

- Deleting a Port-to-Port Forwarding Path

Configuring EtherTypes for Ports

The config.ini file for Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC) is pre-provisioned with some parameters for the P2P feature to work properly on Cisco supported switches. There are two parameters:

- p2p.nonConventionalNodes—This parameter should not be modified without first contacting Cisco support.

- p2p.nonConventionalNodesEthertypes—This parameter specifies the comma-separated list of frames for which the P2P paths are applicable. The default frame type is IPv4, which means that each P2P path is only applicable for IPv4 packets.

Step 1

Open the config.ini file for editing and locate the p2p.nonConventionalNodesEthertypes parameter.

Step 2

Modify the p2p.nonConventionalNodesEthertypes parameter to suit your needs. An example of a valid configuration follows:
p2p.nonConventionalNodesEthertypes=IPv4,IPv6,ARP

Step 3

Save your work and close the file.

Step 4

Restart Cisco Extensible Network Controller (XNC).

Logging in to the Cisco XNC Port-to-Port Forwarding GUI

You must log into the Cisco XNC port-to-port forwarding GUI using HTTPS.

The default HTTPS web link for the Cisco XNC port-to-port forwarding GUI is https://Controller_IP:8443/p2p

Note

Before you can use HTTPS, you must manually specify the https:// protocol in your web browser.

Step 1

In your web browser, enter the Cisco XNC port-to-port forwarding GUI web link.

Step 2

On the launch page, enter your username and password.
The default username and password is admin/admin.

Step 3

Click Log In.

Adding a Port-to-Port Forwarding Path

You can add P2P paths and view them in the topology diagram.

Step 1

On the Paths tab, click Add Path.

Step 2

In the Add P2P Path dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Description

Path Name field

The name that you want to give the forwarding path.

The name can contain between 1 and 256 alphanumeric characters including the following special characters: underscore ("_"), hyphen ("-"), plus ("+"), equals ("="), open parenthesis ("("), closed parenthesis (")"), vertical bar ("|"), period ("."), or at sign ("@").

Note:
The path name cannot be changed once it has been saved.

Source Node drop-down list

Choose the source node that you want to use in the forwarding path.

Source Port drop-down list

Choose the source port of the node that you want to use in the forwarding path.

Destination Node drop-down list

Choose the destination node that you want to use in the forwarding path.

Destination Port drop-down list

Choose the destination port of the node that you want to use in the forwarding path.

Source VLAN field

The source VLAN ID that you want to use in the forwarding path.

Note:
This field is optional.

Destination VLAN field

The destination VLAN ID that you want to use in the forwarding path.

Note:
This field is optional.

Step 3

Click Add Path. The path is installed.

Step 4

On the Paths tab, click any Path Name in the list. The path is highlighted in the topology diagram.

Editing a Port-to-Port Forwarding Path

You can edit an existing port-to-port forwarding path.

Step 1

On the Paths tab, click Edit next to the path you want to update.

Step 2

In the Edit P2P Path dialog box, complete the following fields:

Name

Definition

Path Name field

The name of the P2P path.

Note:
You cannot change the path name in this dialog box.

Source Node drop-down list

Choose the new source node that you want to use in the forwarding path.

Source Port drop-down list

Choose the new source port of the node that you want to use in the forwarding path.

Destination Node drop-down list

Choose the new destination node that you want to use in the forwarding path.

Destination Port drop-down list

Choose the new destination port of the node that you want to use in the forwarding path.

Source VLAN field

The new source VLAN ID that you want to use in the forwarding path.

Note:
This field is optional.

Destination VLAN field

The new destination VLAN ID that you want to use in the forwarding path.

Note:
This field is optional.

Step 3

Click Edit Path.

Deleting a Port-to-Port Forwarding Path

You can delete one or more existing port-to-port forwarding paths.

Step 1

On the Paths tab, check the check box next to the path or paths that you want to delete.

Step 2

Click Delete Path.

Step 3

In the Delete Path confirmation dialog box, click Remove Path.

Preface

This preface contains the following sections:

- Audience

- Document Conventions

- Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request

Audience

This guide is intended for site administrators who will manage Cisco Smart-enabled software installation and licensing.

Document Conventions

Command descriptions use the following conventions:

Convention

Description

bold

Bold text indicates the commands and keywords that you enter literally as shown.

Italic

Italic text indicates arguments for which the user supplies the values.

[x]

Square brackets enclose an optional element (keyword or argument).

[x | y]

Square brackets enclosing keywords or arguments separated by a vertical bar indicate an optional choice.

{x | y}

Braces enclosing keywords or arguments separated by a vertical bar indicate a required choice.

[x {y | z}]

Nested set of square brackets or braces indicate optional or required choices within optional or required elements. Braces and a vertical bar within square brackets indicate a required choice within an optional element.

variable

Indicates a variable for which you supply values, in context where italics cannot be used.

string

A nonquoted set of characters. Do not use quotation marks around the string or the string will include the quotation marks.

Examples use the following conventions:

Convention

Description

screen font

Terminal sessions and information the switch displays are in screen font.

boldface screen font

Information you must enter is in boldface screen font.

italic screen font

Arguments for which you supply values are in italic screen font.

< >

Nonprinting characters, such as passwords, are in angle brackets.

[ ]

Default responses to system prompts are in square brackets.

!, #

An exclamation point (!) or a pound sign (#) at the beginning of a line of code indicates a comment line.

This document uses the following conventions:

Note

Means reader take note. Notes contain helpful suggestions or references to material not covered in the manual.

Caution

Means reader be careful. In this situation, you might do something that could result in equipment damage or loss of data.

Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request

For information on obtaining documentation, using the Cisco Bug Search Tool (BST), submitting a service request, and gathering additional information, see What's New in Cisco Product Documentation, at: Click Here .

Subscribe to What's New in Cisco Product Documentation, which lists all new and revised Cisco technical documentation, as an RSS feed and deliver content directly to your desktop using a reader application. The RSS feeds are a free service.

THE SPECIFICATIONS AND INFORMATION REGARDING THE PRODUCTS IN THIS MANUAL ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. ALL STATEMENTS, INFORMATION, AND RECOMMENDATIONS IN THIS MANUAL ARE BELIEVED TO BE ACCURATE BUT ARE PRESENTED WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. USERS MUST TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR APPLICATION OF ANY PRODUCTS.

THE SOFTWARE LICENSE AND LIMITED WARRANTY FOR THE ACCOMPANYING PRODUCT ARE SET FORTH IN THE INFORMATION PACKET THAT SHIPPED WITH THE PRODUCT AND ARE INCORPORATED HEREIN BY THIS REFERENCE. IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE SOFTWARE LICENSE OR LIMITED WARRANTY, CONTACT YOUR CISCO REPRESENTATIVE FOR A COPY.

The Cisco implementation of TCP header compression is an adaptation of a program developed by the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) as part of UCB's public domain version of the UNIX operating system. All rights reserved. Copyright © 1981, Regents of the University of California.

NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER WARRANTY HEREIN, ALL DOCUMENT FILES AND SOFTWARE OF THESE SUPPLIERS ARE PROVIDED “AS IS" WITH ALL FAULTS. CISCO AND THE ABOVE-NAMED SUPPLIERS DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THOSE OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT OR ARISING FROM A COURSE OF DEALING, USAGE, OR TRADE PRACTICE.

IN NO EVENT SHALL CISCO OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, LOST PROFITS OR LOSS OR DAMAGE TO DATA ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS MANUAL, EVEN IF CISCO OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Any Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and phone numbers used in this document are not intended to be actual addresses and phone numbers. Any examples, command display output, network topology diagrams, and other figures included in the document are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any use of actual IP addresses or phone numbers in illustrative content is unintentional and coincidental.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. To view a list of Cisco trademarks, go to this URL: Click Here . Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (1110R)