Troubleshooting DCNM

This chapter describes some common issues you may experience while using Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM), and provides solutions.

This chapter includes the following sections:

•Initial Troubleshooting Checklist

•Tips for Using DCNM

•Trouble with DCNM Server Installation

•Trouble with Starting the DCNM Server

•Trouble with the DCNM Client

•Trouble with Device Discovery or Device Status

•Trouble with Device Management

•Trouble with Event Browsing

Initial Troubleshooting Checklist

Begin troubleshooting DCNM issues by checking the following issues first:

Checklist
Checkoff

Verify that you have a compatible version of Java installed. Java 1.5.0 is recommended.

Verify that the necessary ports are open in your firewall if DCNM server is installed behind a firewall.

Verify that you have installed the same version of the DCNM client and the DCNM server.


Tips for Using DCNM

This section includes the following topics:

•Events Tabs Show Fewer Events than the Event Browser

•Event Browser Pie Chart May Be Inaccurate for Small Numbers

Events Tabs Show Fewer Events than the Event Browser

The Event Browser feature shows all messages received by DCNM, even if the message pertains to a feature that is not supported by DCNM.

An Events tab shows only those messages that reflect the status of the currently selected feature. For some features, this is a subset of the possible messages about the feature.

Event Browser Pie Chart May Be Inaccurate for Small Numbers

The Event Browser pie chart may sometimes show incorrect sizes for wedges that are less than 5 percent of the pie; however, the numbers shown are correct.

Trouble with DCNM Server Installation

This section includes the following topics:

•Postgres Database Installation Fails

•Previous Installation Found when No Previous Installation Exists

Postgres Database Installation Fails

Check Table 19-1 for symptoms related to installation failure of the Postgres database. For each symptom that describes your trouble, determine which possible causes apply and follow the corresponding solutions.

Table 19-1 Postgres Database Installation Fails 

Symptom
Possible Cause
Solution

Postgres database installation fails

Username specified to run the Postgres service already exists on the server.

Specify a different username or remove the existing username from the server.

Intrusion detection software, such as Cisco Security Agent, blocked the installation.

Temporarily disable the intrusion detection software and reinstall DCNM.


Previous Installation Found when No Previous Installation Exists

During installation, a message wrongly states that a previous installation exists.

This problem can occur when the following file is found on the server: 

C:\Program Files\Zero G Registry\.com.zerog.registry.xml

Delete the file and restart the DCNM installation.

Trouble with Starting the DCNM Server

This section includes the following topics:

•DCNM Server Fails to Start

DCNM Server Fails to Start

Check Table 19-2 for symptoms related to downloading the DCNM client. For each symptom that describes your trouble, determine which possible causes apply and follow the corresponding solutions.

Table 19-2 DCNM Server Fails to Start 

Symptom
Possible Cause
Solution

DCNM server fails to start.

Postgres database did not install.

See the "Postgres Database Installation Fails" section.

Postgres service is not running.

Start the Postgres service.

•In Windows Server 2003, choose Start > All Programs > Postgres 8.2 > Start Service.

•In RHEL 4 AS, use the following command:

/DCNM/db/bin/DB start

Postgres user credentials are incorrect.

Correct the Postgres user credentials and restart the DCNM server.

Ports used by the server are already in use.

1. Check the server log for messages such as "Port port-number already in use". The server log is the following file:

Installation_directory\jboss-4.2.2.GA\server\dcnm\
server.log

2. Determine which application is using the port and stop or reconfigure the application.

3. Restart the DCNM server.


Trouble with the DCNM Client

This section includes the following topics:

•Cannot Download the DCNM Client from the Server

•Cannot Start the DCNM Client

•Cannot Log into the DCNM Client

•Client Loses Connection to the DCNM Server

Cannot Download the DCNM Client from the Server

Check Table 19-3 for symptoms related to downloading the DCNM client. For each symptom that describes your trouble, determine which possible causes apply and follow the corresponding solutions.

Table 19-3 Cannot Download the DCNM Client from the Server 

Symptom
Possible Cause
Solution

Cannot download the DCNM client from the server.

Using wrong URL or web server port.

Verify that you are using the correct URL, including the port number.

TCP port blocked by gateway device.

Open TCP port in your firewall.

You are using an unsupported web browser.

To download the DCNM client from the DCNM server, use Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 or Mozilla Firefox 3.0.


Cannot Start the DCNM Client

Check Table 19-4 for symptoms related to starting the DCNM client. For each symptom that describes your trouble, determine which possible causes apply and follow the corresponding solutions.

Table 19-4 Cannot Start the DCNM Client 

Symptom
Possible Cause
Solution

Cannot start the DCNM client.

Appropriate version of Java may not be installed.

Install the supported version of the Java Runtime Environment. For up-to-date information about the supported Java version, see the Cisco DCNM Release Notes, Release 4.1.


Cannot Log into the DCNM Client

Check Table 19-5 for symptoms related to logging into the DCNM client. For each symptom that describes your trouble, determine which possible causes apply and follow the crresponding solutions.

Table 19-5 Cannot Log into the DCNM Client 

Symptom
Possible Cause
Solution

Cannot log into the DCNM client.

Forgot password.

Ask a DCNM administrator to reset your password.

If no one has administrative access to DCNM, perform the following steps:

1. Stop the DCNM server (see "Stopping the DCNM Server" section on page 2-14).

2. Clean the database (see "Cleaning a DCNM Database" section on page 18-5).

3. Start the DCNM server (see "Starting the DCNM Server" section on page 2-6).

4. Log into the DCNM client using the default administrator account.

DCNM server is down.

Restart the DCNM server. See the "Starting the DCNM Server" section on page 2-6.

DCNM server is unreachable.

Ensure that the computer that runs the DCNM client meets the network requirements for using the DCNM client remotely. Any gateway network devices between the DCNM client and server must allow connections to the DCNM web server and to the DCNM server. By default, the DCNM web server listens to port 8080 and the DCNM server listens to port 1099; however, you can configure these ports during DCNM server installation. If you need to change either port, reinstall the server and choose the Full Reinstall option. See the "Reinstalling the DCNM Server" section on page 2-10.

DCNM server IP address changed after you installed the server.

1. Ensure that the IP address of the DCNM server is statically assigned.

2. Reinstall the DCNM server and choose the Full Reinstall option, which allows you to specify the server IP address. See the "Reinstalling the DCNM Server" section on page 2-10.

3. Log into the DCNM client and specify the new IP address of the DCNM server in the DCNM Server field of the login dialog box.

Wrong DCNM server port number used in login attempt.

In the DCNM client login window, click More and, in the Port field, change the port number that your DCNM server uses. See the "Restarting the DCNM Client" section on page 3-3.

If you want to change the port that the DCNM server listens to, reinstall the DCNM server and choose the Full Reinstall option, which allows you to specify the DCNM server port. See the "Reinstalling the DCNM Server" section on page 2-10.

When you try to log into the DCNM client, you receive the error message "Can not resolve DCNM server hostname via DNS. Make sure that DCNM server has a valid DNS entry".

You used a hostname to specify the DCNM server during login and DNS does not have an entry for the DCNM server.

Ensure that DNS on your network has an entry for the DCNM server hostname.


Client Loses Connection to the DCNM Server

Check Table 19-6 for symptoms related to the DCNM client losing its connection with the server. For each symptom that describes your trouble, determine which possible causes apply and follow the corresponding solutions.

Table 19-6 Client Loses Connection to the DCNM Server 

Symptoms
Possible Cause
Solution

•Client loses connection to the server.

•The DCNM client window is pink.

Client failure.

Restart the DCNM client.

DCNM server is down.

Restart the DCNM server. See the "Starting the DCNM Server" section on page 2-6.

DCNM server is unreachable.

Investigate your network to determine if it meets the network requirements for using the DCNM client remotely.


Trouble with Device Discovery or Device Status

Check Table 19-7 for symptoms related to issues with device discovery or the device status. For each symptom that describes your trouble, determine which possible causes apply and follow the corresponding solutions.

Table 19-7 Trouble with Device Discovery or Management

Symptoms
Possible Cause
Solution

•A device discovery task fails.

•A device status changes to Unmanaged or Unreachable.

Incorrect device credentials provided.

Reenter the username and password, and try discovering the device again.

If you are attempting to discover CDP neighbors of the seed device, ensure that the credentials that you provide are valid on all devices that you want to discover.

The SSH server is disabled on the device.

Reenable the SSH server on the device and try discovering the device again.

The maximum number of SSH sessions that the device can support has been reached.

Check the number of user sessions on the device. Free at least one connection and try discovering the device again.

CDP is disabled on the device or on the device interface that the DCNM server connects to.

Ensure that CDP is enabled on the device globally and that it is enabled on the specific interface the DCNM server connects to.

The device interface that the DCNM server connects to is shut down.

Ensure that the device interface that the DCNM server connects to is up.

The device restarted or shut down before discovery could complete.

Ensure that the device is running and try discovering the device again.

The DCNM server cannot reach the device.

Ensure that the network requirements for device management are met. See the "Cisco NX-OS Device Configuration Requirements" section on page 1-5.


Trouble with Device Management

Check Table 19-4 for symptoms related to device management. For each symptom that describes your trouble, determine which possible causes apply and follow the corresponding solutions.

Table 19-8 Trouble with Device Management

Symptom
Possible Cause
Solution

The DCNM client shows device configuration information that is out of date.

The DCNM server was down.

You can do either of the following:

•Rediscover the device. For more information, see the "Discovering a Device" section on page 7-5.

•Restart the DCNM server with a clean database (see "Cleaning a DCNM Database" section on page 18-5). If the server was down for a long time, this is the recommended solution.


Trouble with Event Browsing

Check Table 19-9 for symptoms related to event browsing issues. For each symptom that describes your trouble, determine which possible causes apply and follow the corresponding solutions.

Table 19-9 Trouble with Event Browsing

Symptom
Possible Cause
Solution

•Events available on the device command line do not appear in the DCNM client.

•Too few events shown in Event Browser or an Events tab.

Logging levels on managed devices are set incorrectly.

Check the logging level configuration on managed devices. See the "Cisco NX-OS System-Message Logging Requirements" section on page 1-6.

The DCNM client fetches events that are not old enough.

Check the events-related setting in the DCNM client preferences. For more information, see the "Configuring the Maximum Age of Events Fetched from the Server" section on page 4-15.

Too many events shown in Event Browser or an Events tab.

A managed device has an issue that is generating many system log messages.

Temporarily unmanage the device until you resolve the issdues on the device. For more information, see the "Unmanaging a Device" section on page 7-5.

Logging levels on managed devices are set incorrectly.

Check the logging level configuration on managed devices. See the "Cisco NX-OS System-Message Logging Requirements" section on page 1-6.

A feature Events tab does not show events that appear in the Event Browser.

By design, an Events tab shows only messages that apply to the currently selected feature and may show only a subset of the possible messages for the feature. For more information, see the "Events Tabs Show Fewer Events than the Event Browser" section.

Use the Event Browser to see status-related system messages received by DCNM. For more information, see the "Viewing the Event Browser" section on page 10-3.