Table of Contents

Maintaining the Cisco Internet CDN Software

Maintaining the Cisco Internet CDN Software

This chapter contains information on maintaining and troubleshooting your Cisco Internet CDN software. Additional configuration and troubleshooting information can be found in the hardware documentation that shipped with your CDN devices.

This chapter contains the following sections:

• Adding and Removing SNMP Managers
  
  
• Changing System Passwords
  
  
• Modifying Playserver Configuration
  
  
• Monitoring DNS Server Configuration
  
  
• Setting Up Remote Logging
  
  
• Updating Cisco Internet CDN Software
  
  
• Modifying System Properties
  
  
• Troubleshooting
  
  

Adding and Removing SNMP Managers

The Cisco Internet CDN Software allows you to deploy one or more Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) managers for your CDN.

Note   Registering a new SNMP manager with your CDN, as well as modifying or removing a registered SNMP manager, causes all your CDN nodes to restart as they register the configuration change. Restarting your CDN devices results in a temporary interruption in service across your CDN for the time it takes your devices to come back online—usually a few minutes.

Creating an SNMP Manager

Each Cisco Internet CDN Software Version 2.0 device comes with the software necessary to communicate information about device configuration and activity using the SNMP protocol. However, before you can begin logging SNMP data, your organization needs to acquire and deploy an SNMP manager application for use with the CDN.

You can create your SNMP manager using the published CISCO-CONTENT-NETWORK-MIB, which is available from Cisco.com or through FTP from:

ftp://ftpeng.cisco.com/pub/mibs
 

Cisco Internet CDN devices also support the Internet standard HOST-RESOURCES-MIB (RFC 1514). Once you have configured an SNMP manager on your network, use the SNMP Configuration feature on the Content Distribution Manager to point to that device.

Registering an SNMP Manager with the CDN

To add an SNMP manager to your CDN:

Step 2   From the drop-down list, choose SNMP Configuration. The SNMP Configuration Tool page appears. (See Figure 4-1.)

Step 3   In the IP Address field, enter the address of your SNMP manager.

Step 4   Click Add. The manager is added to the list of registered SNMP Managers. Your CDN will temporarily go offline as each CDN node registers the new SNMP manager. This interruption should only last a few minutes.

Removing an SNMP Manager

To remove an SNMP manager from your CDN:

Step 2   From the drop-down list, choose SNMP Configuration.

Step 3   In the list of Registered SNMP Managers, check the check box adjacent to the IP address of your SNMP manager.

Tips To choose all SNMP Managers, check the box at the top of the column in the header area.

Step 4   Click Remove. You are prompted to confirm your decision to remove the manager.

Step 5   Click OK. The manager is removed from the list of registered SNMP managers.

Changing System Passwords

System passwords allow the system administrator to override any previously set passwords for a CDN device. For example, if you have a different password for each device on your CDN and the password for one of your Content Engines is forgotten or lost, you can use the system password feature to access the Modify Content Engine page on the Content Distribution Manager and override the password currently assigned to that device using the procedure outlined in the "Modifying Content Engine Passwords" section.

From the System Passwords page, you can change the passwords for:

• The Content Distribution Manager
  
  
• The entire CDN: the Content Distribution Manager, all Content Engines, and all Content Routers
  
  

For information about changing the root or HTTP password for individual Content Engines or Content Routers, see the "Modifying Content Engine Passwords" section and the "Modifying Content Router Passwords" section.

Changing Content Distribution Manager Passwords

To change the Content Distribution Manager HTTP or root passwords, follow these steps:

Step 2   From the System Tools drop-down list, choose System Passwords.

The System Passwords page appears. (See Figure 4-2.)

Step 3   Under the CDM Passwords heading, enter the old and the new passwords in the Old Password and New Password fields, and then reenter the new password in the Reenter New Password field.

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Note   All passwords must contain at least eight characters.

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Step 4   To change the password for login, enter the old and the new passwords in the Old Password and New Password fields, and then reenter the new password in the Reenter New Password field.

Step 5   Click OK.

Changing System Passwords for All Devices

You change the HTTP or root passwords for all devices in the system (the Content Distribution Manager, all Content Engines, and all Content Routers) in the same way that you change the passwords for the Content Distribution Manager, except that you make the changes in the System Passwords area of the System Passwords page. For information, see the "Changing Content Distribution Manager Passwords" section.

Modifying Playserver Configuration

Cisco Internet CDN devices support a wide variety of media types, including RealNetworks RealMedia and Apple QuickTime.

In order for your CDN devices (the Content Distribution Manager and Content Engines) to be able to serve these media types, however, you must tell the CDN that a particular playserver type is present.

Conversely, if there is a particular media type that you do not want to serve through your CDN, you need to disable the corresponding playserver so that your CDN devices do not attempt to serve that media.

Using the playserver mappings in the manifest file, you can customize your content type mappings from MIME content types or file extensions to configured playservers. See the "Manifest File Structure and Syntax" section for more information on customizing content type mappings.

Note   Modifying the configuration of any playserver causes any CDN nodes running that playserver software to restart and register the configuration change. Depending on the number and location of devices that restart following a playserver configuration change, you may experience a temporary interruption in service for the time it takes your devices to come back online—usually a few minutes.

Use the following information to enable, disable, or modify the configuration of your CDN playservers.

Modifying RealServer Configuration

The Cisco Internet CDN Software supports RealServer for delivering static and live streamed content to users.

Note   Although the Activate RealServer option is enabled by default on the Content Distribution Manager, in order to use RealServer with your CDN, you must first obtain a valid license from RealNetworks.

Using the Content Distribution Manager RealServer Configuration page, you can make changes to a number of RealServer settings remotely, or disable RealServer altogether.

Note   For detailed instructions on managing your RealServer, refer to the RealNetworks documentation that came with your RealServer software, or visit the RealNetworks web page at http://www.realnetworks.com to access the RealServer documentation online.

Activating RealServer

To modify your RealServer configuration:

Step 2   From the drop-down list, choose Real Server Configuration.

Step 3   Check or uncheck the Activate Real Server box. When checked, this option instructs the CDN to serve RealMedia content using the RealServer installed on the serving Content Engine, as well as any other content types mapped to RealServer in the manifest file for each hosted domain.

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Note   Clicking Reset at any time before saving restores RealServer to its last configuration.

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Step 4   Click Save to save your configuration changes. Any CDN devices with RealServer installed will restart in order to integrate the new configuration change.

Configuring RealServer Multicasting

When enabled, this option enables the RealServer multicasting feature on your network, enabling Cisco Internet CDN installations to conserve bandwidth by sending a single media stream to multiple clients, rather than streaming media to each requesting client individually.

When enabled, multicasting streams content between the RealServer and clients while maintaining a simultaneous accounting control channel between each client and the RealServer. This extra control channel is used to transmit authentication information as well as client commands like "start" and "stop." Back-channel multicasting enables the RealServer to track client behavior and display statistics during viewing, including real-time data on the number of clients receiving a presentation. Data collected can be reviewed and analyzed using the Java Monitor or RealSystem Administrator. See the "Modifying the RealServer Java Monitor Configuration" section for more information on the Java Monitor.

Once enabled, back-channel multicasting is applied to all streams broadcast from your RealServer. Clients that have been preconfigured to use multicasting do so, maximizing the bandwidth available to multicasting and unicasting clients alike.

Although you typically use the built-in administrative features of RealServer to configure multicasting, it is possible to enable multicasting remotely from your Content Distribution Manager user interface using the Real Server configuration tool.

To modify your RealServer multicasting settings:

Step 2   From the drop-down list, choose Real Server Configuration.

Step 3   To enable multicasting, check the Enable Multicast check box. Additional configuration options appear.

Step 4   Enter the base address of the address range to which you will be sending multicast streams in the Address Base field.

RealServer uses the first available address in the range you specify. Refer to the "Calculating Addresses for Back-Channel Multicasts" section in the RealServer Version 8 Administration Guide for more information on determining the number of required addresses for multicasting.

Step 5   Enter the value by which multicast addresses will be incremented in the Address Step field.

For example, if the base address is 240.3.0.0 and the Address Step is 32, then the first multicast address used is 240.3.0.0, and the second address used is 240.3.0.32.

Step 6   Set the maximum distance that streamed packets can travel over a network, as measured in hops from one multicast-enabled router to another, by entering a Time To Live value in the TTL field provided.

Each time a multicast data packet passes through a multicast-enabled router, its Time To Live value is decreased by 1. Once the value reaches 0, the RealServer discards the packet.

For typical networks, a Time To Live value of 16 is adequate to keep packets within the network.

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Note   Clicking Reset at any time before saving restores RealServer to its last configuration.

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Step 7   Click Save to save your RealServer configuration changes. Any CDN nodes with RealServer installed restart to integrate the new multicasting configuration change.

Configuring RealServer Distributed Licensing

The RealServer distributed licensing feature enables you to purchase a single license to be used by multiple RealServers on your network that share a pool of streams.

The RealServers that share a license are called a license group. Each license group consists of a coordinating RealServer, referred to as the publisher RealServer, on which the license file is placed, and cooperating RealServers, referred to as subscriber RealServers that are configured to look for the publisher RealServer and determine whether there are streams available for use under the license.

It is also possible to configure a secondary publisher RealServer in the event that no connections are available for your primary publisher.

For more information on distributed licensing, refer to the "Distributed Licensing" section in the RealServer Version 8 Administration Guide

To modify your Real Server configuration and enable distributed licensing:

Step 2   From the drop-down list, choose Real Server Configuration.

Step 3   Check the Enable Distributed Licensing check box. Options for configuring distributed licensing appear.

Step 4   Under the Distributed Licensing Url heading, enter the URL that points to the license file on the publisher RealServer.

Step 5   Under the Primary Publisher heading, enter the IP address of the publisher RealServer in the IP field and the admin port number for the RealServer in the Port field.

Step 6   If you are deploying a backup publisher RealServer that can be consulted if connections to the primary publisher server are not available, repeat Step 5 for the fields under the Secondary Publisher heading; otherwise, proceed to Step 7.

Step 7   Under the Authorization heading, in the appropriate fields, enter the username and password required to access the publisher RealServer.

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Note   Clicking Reset at any time before saving restores RealServer to its last configuration.

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Step 8   Click Save to save your configuration changes. Any CDN nodes with RealServer installed will restart to integrate the new license distribution change.

Modifying the RealServer Java Monitor Configuration

RealServer comes supplied with a real-time monitor that displays activity on your RealServer. You can use the Java Monitor to:

• Manage content and change the server configuration remotely
  
• Make more informed business decisions
  

You can also create other external Java Monitors if you need to track more than one RealServer or monitor multiple RealServers side by side.

To configure the RealServer Java Monitor:

Step 2   From the drop-down list, choose Real Server Configuration.

Step 3   To enable the Java Monitor, check the Enable Java Monitor check box.

Before using the RealServer Java Monitor, you must specify the port number that the monitor will use when connecting to your RealServer and, optionally, a password that can be used to access the monitor. The default value for the port is 9090.

Step 4   If necessary, in the Port field, change the default port number to the port your RealServer is using.

Step 5   If necessary, in the Password field, enter a new password for accessing the Java Monitor. Although it is not encrypted, this field does not display the password value once it has been saved, reading invalid instead.

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Note   Clicking Reset at any time before saving restores RealServer and the Java Monitor to their last configuration.

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Step 6   Click Save to change your settings to the Java Monitor configuration. Any CDN nodes with RealServer installed restart to integrate the new configuration change.

Modifying QuickTime Server Configuration

Your Cisco Internet CDN Content Distribution Manager and Content Engines come with the Apple Computer Darwin Streaming Server already installed. This server is used to stream QuickTime-format media to users.

By default, your Content Distribution Manager has the Darwin Streaming Server enabled. If you do not wish the Darwin Streaming Server to be enabled on your CDN, use the QuickTime Configuration page to disable this playserver.

To configure your QuickTime server:

Step 2   From the drop-down list, choose QuickTime Configuration. The QuickTime Configuration page appears.

Step 3   To disable your QuickTime server, clear the Activate QuickTime check box. QuickTime content will not be served from your CDN, or will be served by the playserver specified in the manifest of each of your hosted domains.

Step 4   Click Save to change your QuickTime configuration. Any CDN nodes with the QuickTime Darwin Streaming Server installed restart to integrate the new configuration change.

Monitoring DNS Server Configuration

As discussed in the Cisco Internet CDN Software Configuration Guide, it is necessary to configure your Domain Name System server before bringing your CDN devices online. Refer to the "Configuring DNS" section in Chapter 2 of the Cisco Internet CDN Software Configuration Guide.

In addition to your DNS server configuration, the CDN software uses a number of DNS-related configuration settings that are stored in the CDN policy database and can be viewed from the Content Distribution Manager user interface.

Note   The DNS properties displayed are read-only and can only be changed by modifying the Oracle policy database for your CDN. Before attempting to modify any of the DNS properties listed, first contact Cisco Technical Support.

To view DNS properties:

Step 2   From the drop-down list, choose DNS Properties. Read-only fields displaying the CDN-specific configuration settings used by your DNS server appear.

Setting the Responsible Person Address for the CDN

In addition to viewing DNS configuration information, you can set the responsible person (RP) contact information for the hosted domains on your CDN. The RP address is used to report problems to your domain administrator.

To configure the responsible person address:

Step 2   From the drop-down list, choose DNS Properties. Read-only fields displaying the CDN-specific configuration settings used by your DNS server appear.

Step 3   In the Email Address field, enter the full e-mail address for the RP account to which messages regarding the CDN domain can be sent.

Step 4   In the Name of host used as mail server field, enter the name of the mail server on which the RP e-mail account resides.

Step 5   Click Save to save changes to the RP e-mail account.

Setting Up Remote Logging

Each Content Engine logs the following information locally:

• HTTP requests that the device processes
  
• RealServer activity
  
  
• QuickTime server activity
  
  

You can specify that these log files be periodically deposited (in compressed form) on an FTP site. You can then use this information for billing content providers.

Note   Make sure that the FTP server is set to accept only ACTIVE-mode sessions from clients before configuring remote logging on the Content Distribution Manager. Only ACTIVE-mode transfers of the CDN logs will work.

If you choose not to enable remote logging, log files are stored locally for a time on the Content Engine but are eventually removed from the device to make room for more recent log files. Each Content Engine stores approximately 100 to 150 MB of archived log files. Log files are removed from the Content Engine based upon their age, with the oldest log files being deleted first.

To specify that Content Engines deposit log information about HTTP requests, follow these steps:

Step 2   From the drop-down list, choose Remote Logging.

The Remote Logging page appears. (See Figure 4-4.) The status of the Remote Logging feature appears at the top of the page. Verify that the status is disabled before proceeding.

Step 3   In the Host Name field, enter the DNS name or the IP address of the remote FTP site where you want the Content Engine usage information logs to be deposited. For example, enter:

ftp.mydomain.com

 

Step 4   In the Log Files Storage Path field, enter the path on the remote FTP server where you want the log files deposited. For example, enter:

/cenglog/path

 

Step 5   In the Update Interval field, enter the frequency (in hours) that the system checks for log files on the selected device to be transferred to the remote FTP server. If log files are not available for transfer, no action is taken.

Step 6   In the Size Limit field, enter the maximum allowed size for log files transferred to the remote server. Log files that are larger than the maximum allowed size are not transported to the remote FTP server, so be sure to use a conservative estimate when supplying this ceiling.

Step 7   In the Username and Password fields, enter a username and a password to access the remote FTP server.

Step 8   Click Start to begin remote logging on the selected device. Once you have started remote logging, clicking Stop cancels it.

Understanding Remote Logging Output

Once it is enabled, remote logging occurs from the selected device to the designated remote FTP server at the intervals you specified in the preceding section. Remote logging generates a compressed access log file with a filename in the following format:

IP address~access.logfiletype.lognumber.timestampMilliseconds.cdn.gz
 

where:

• IP address is the Internet address of the CDN device.
  
  
• logfiletype is an abbreviation that identifies the kind of log file generated. Three kinds of logs are supported on any Content Engine:
  
  • log—SQuID cache log
    
    
  • rmlog—RealServer access log
    
  • StreamingServerlog—Darwin Streaming Server access log
    
• lognumber is the sequence number of the file generated at a given time stamp.
  
  
• timestampMilliseconds is the time at which the log file was created in the format YYYYMMDDHHMMSS.
  
  

Log files are migrated a minimum of once per calendar day. In addition, log files are migrated to the remote logging server automatically when the log file size reaches 100 MB, or when the Content Engine is restarted for any reason.

In addition to the main compressed file containing access data, a second and corresponding log file is also placed on the remote host server. This file, which has an *.ok extension and the same filename as the compressed file to which it belongs, verifies that the compressed log file was transferred successfully from CDN device to the remote host server. For example:

IP address~access.logfiletype.log number.timestampMilliseconds.cdn.gz.ok
 

If no *.ok file was created for the compressed log file archive you transferred to the remote server, the log file archive may not have been properly uploaded to the server. Repeat the instructions in the "Setting Up Remote Logging" section.

SQuID Cache Log File Format

The SQuID cache log tracks the origin of HTTP requests to a given Content Engine, as well as the time of arrival of the request and how the Content Engine disposed of the request.

In response to any request for content, the Content Engine either:

• Serves content directly from its own cache, if that content is present
  
  
• Forwards the request on to the origin server to fulfill, if the requested content is not present in the Content Engine cache
  
  

SQuID cache log files use the following naming convention:

IP address~access.log.log number.timestampMilliseconds.cdn.gz

Each log is compressed with the UNIX gzip archiver, and must be decompressed before it can be read. SQuID cache log files contain an entry for each content item requested in the following format:

[TIME in sec].[TIME microsec] [milliseconds] [client ip] [REQUEST 
status] / [HTTP_CODE] [SIZE] [HTTP_METHOD] [HTTP_URL] [CACHE_IDENT]/ 
[HIER_HOST] / [CONTENT_TYPE] 
 

For example:

985794537.211    499 10.89.0.203 TCP_MISS/200 5538 GET 
http://good.niagara.sightpath.com/images/homepage/smb-jobs-npm.gif  - 
DIRECT/www.cisco.com image/gif
 
985796546.734      1 10.89.1.190 TCP_MEM_HIT/200 4553 GET 
http://good.niagara.sightpath.com/images/guest_navbar.gif  - NONE/- 
image/gif
 

Descriptions of the log record components follow.

QuickTime Server Log File Format

In addition to the SQuID cache log, Content Engines running the Apple Computer Darwin Streaming Server for QuickTime generate and migrate separate log files detailing Darwin Server activity on the device.

As with all other log files, Darwin Server logs are migrated a minimum of once per calendar day and are automatically migrated to the remote logging server when the log file size reaches 100 MB, or when the Content Engine is restarted.

Darwin Streaming Server access log files use the following naming convention:

IP address~access.StreamingServerlog.log number.timestampMilliseconds.cdn.gz
 

Darwin Server log files generated on the Content Engine follow the access log format, documented in the supporting materials for Darwin Streaming Server 2. This document is available online at:

http://www.publicsource.apple.com/projects/streaming/StreamingServerHelp/

Descriptions of the purpose of these and other logging configuration elements can also be found in the online help for the Darwin Streaming Server, available on the Internet at:

http://www.publicsource.apple.com/projects/streaming/StreamingServerHelp/

RealServer Log File Format

In addition to the SQuID cache log, Content Engines running RealServer will generate and migrate separate log files detailing RealServer activity. As with all other log files, RealServer logs will be migrated a minimum of one time per calendar day, and will automatically be migrated to the remote logging server when the log file size reaches 100MB, or when the Content Engine is restarted.

RealServer access log files use the following naming convention:

IP address~access.rmlog.log number.timestampMilliseconds.cdn.gz

RealServer log files generated on the Content Engine follow the RealServer Access Log format, documented in the chapter "Reporting RealServer Activity" in the RealServer Administration Guide for RealServer Version 8.0. This document is available online at:

http://service.real.com/help/library/guides/server8/realsrvr.htm

When generating RealServer log files, Internet CDN Content Engines use the following logging configuration settings:

Descriptions of the purpose of these and other logging configuration elements can also be found in the RealServer Administration Guide.

Updating Cisco Internet CDN Software

From the Software Update page, you can:

• Import software updates from remote locations, such as Cisco.com
  
  
• Update Cisco Internet CDN Software on the devices you specify
  
  
• Delete obsolete software updates
  
  
• Determine the current version of Cisco Internet CDN software
  

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  Note   Contact your Cisco sales representative for information about obtaining the latest software upgrades.

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Adding a New Update File

Before you can update your Internet CDN software, you must first acquire the appropriate software update file from Cisco.

In order to acquire the software update from Cisco, you must first:

• Access the Cisco.com website and locate the software update files.
  
  
• Download the software update files to a web server within your own organization or copy the location (URL) for the files (see the "Adding a New Update File Directly from Cisco.com" section).
  
  
• Add the update to the CDN by copying the URL for the update files (pointing either to your web server or Cisco.com) to the Content Distribution Manager.
  
  
• Use the Software Update feature to import the update file pointed to by the link.
  
  

You must have a Cisco.com username and password before attempting to download a software update from Cisco.com. In order to acquire a Cisco.com login, go to http://www.cisco.com and click the Register link.

Note   You need a service contract number, Cisco.com registration number and verification key, Partner Initiated Customer Access (PICA) registration number and verification key, or packaged service registration number in order to obtain a Cisco.com username and password.

To add an update file for the Cisco Internet CDN Software:

http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/cdn-sp  

 

Step 2   If prompted, log in to Cisco.com using your designated username and password.

The Cisco Internet CDN Software download page appears, listing the available software updates for the Cisco Internet CDN Software product.

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Note   Each software update consists of two files: a binary-format update file (*.upg) and a smaller meta file (*.meta). Both files must be downloaded in order to successfully complete a CDN software update.

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Step 3   Locate the files you wish to download by referring to the Release column for the proper release version of the software.

Step 4   Click the link for the software update file you wish to download. The order in which you download the update files does not matter. The Software License Agreement page appears.

Step 5   After you have read the license agreement, click the Yes link at the bottom of the agreement to go to the software download page.

Step 6   Click the Site 1 (San Jose, CA) link. You are prompted to open the file or save it to your local hard drive.

Step 7   Click Save to file and then choose a location on your workstation to temporarily store the update file.

Step 8   Post the file you downloaded (*.meta or *.upg) to a designated area on your organization's web server and make note of the URL required to access this file. You will need it later.

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Note   It is imperative that the upgrade (*.upg) file be placed in the same directory as its corresponding meta file, or in a location that is relative to the location of the meta file.

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Step 9   Repeat Step 3 through Step 8 for the other software update file.

Step 10   Launch the Cisco Internet CDN Software Content Distribution Manager and log in using an administrative username and password.

Step 11   Click tools.

Step 12   From the drop-down list, choose Software Update.

The Software Update page appears listing available software updates. (See Figure 4-5.) If there is currently no update available, a message appears.

Step 13   Click Add New Update File.

A page appears with a field for entering the URL of your software update.

Step 14   Paste the URL for the update meta file on your web server into the field provided. For example, a valid URL might look like this:

http://internal.mysite.com/cdn/internet-CDN-version.meta  

 

where internet-CDN-version is the version number of the software update.

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Note   Do not attempt to link directly to the .upg file. The relative location of the update file is provided by the meta file.

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Step 15   Click OK.

The version and URL for the update file appear, for example:

1.0.3 http://internal.mysite.com/cdnsw.upg  
 

Adding a New Update File Directly from Cisco.com

It is also possible to add a software update to the CDN directly from Cisco.com, rather than posting it on a web server within your organization first.

To add the software update directly from Cisco.com:

http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/tablebuild.pl/cdn-sp  

 

Step 2   If prompted, log in to Cisco.com using your designated username and password.

The Cisco Internet CDN Software (Cisco CDN Service Provider Software) download page appears, listing the available software updates for the Cisco Internet CDN Software product. Note that each software update consists of two files: a binary-format upgrade file (*.upg) and a smaller meta file (*.meta).

Locate the software update you wish to install by consulting the Release column for the proper release version of the software.

Step 3   Click the link for the meta (*.meta) file. The Software License Agreement page appears.

Step 4   After you have read the license agreement, click the Yes link at the bottom of the agreement to go to the software download page.

Step 5   Right-click Site 1 (San Jose, CA) and copy the URL by selecting the Copy Shortcut (Internet Explorer) or Copy Link Location (Netscape) option from the shortcut menu that appears.

Step 6   Point your browser to the address of your Cisco Internet CDN Software Content Distribution Manager and log in using an administrative username and password.

Step 7   Click tools.

Step 8   From the drop-down list, choose Software Update.

Step 9   The Software Update page appears (see Figure 4-5), listing available software updates. If there is currently no update available, a message appears.

Step 10   Click Add New Update File.

A page appears for specifying the URL for the update location.

Step 11   Paste the URL for the update meta file on your web server into the field provided. The URL should begin with:

http://www.cisco.com/pcgi-bin/Software/Tablebuild/download.cgi/  

If the URL does not begin with http://www.cisco.com, return to Step 5 and verify that you copied the link from Site 1 (San Jose, CA).

Step 12   Click OK.

The version and URL for the update file appear, for example:

1.0.3 http://internal.mysite.com/cdnsw.upg  
 

Updating the Software on Your Devices

You can update software on your devices as needed using the Software Update feature. When upgrading, begin with Content Engines and Content Routers before upgrading the Content Distribution Manager.

The Content Distribution Manager reboots at the conclusion of the upgrade procedure, causing you to temporarily lose contact with the device and the graphical user interface.

Once the Content Distribution Manager has updated its software and rebooted, it may be unable to communicate with devices running different versions of the Cisco Internet CDN Software.

To update the Cisco Internet CDN Software on your devices, follow these steps:

Step 2   From the drop-down list, choose Software Update.

Step 3   On the Software Update page, (see Figure 4-5), click the radio button next to the available update file you want to use.

Step 4   Click the tab corresponding to the type of device that you want to upgrade, for example, Content Routers. The window refreshes, listing the devices of the selected type on your CDN.

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Note   Always update Content Engines and Content Routers before the associated Content Distribution Manager.

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Step 5   Refer to the column labeled Version to verify that the devices you are choosing are not already running the version you wish to upgrade to, or that the current version has an upgrade path to the version that you will upgrade to.

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Note   If you have questions regarding upgrade paths, contact Cisco Technical Support.

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Step 6   Check the check boxes next to the name of the device you will be upgrading, or check the box in the column header to choose all devices.

Step 7   Click OK. The selected devices begin the update process and go offline temporarily.

Step 8   Repeat Step 4 through Step 7 for each device that you wish to upgrade.

Step 9   Click the Refresh button to see the status of your upgrade. When devices come back online, they will be recognized by the Content Distribution Manager.

Your CDN is now restored, and you are ready to begin serving user requests using the updated CDN software.

Deleting an Update File

To delete a Cisco Internet CDN Software update file, follow these steps:

Step 2   Click Delete Update File. You are prompted to confirm your decision to delete the software update file.

Step 3   Click OK. You are returned to the Software Update page with the selected software update removed from the CDN.

Determining the Current Software Version

The Software Update page shows the current version of Cisco Internet CDN Software you are using.

To determine the current Cisco Internet CDN Software version:

Step 2   From the drop-down list, choose Software Update. The Software Update page appears. (See Figure 4-5.)

Step 3   Click the tab corresponding to the type of device for which you wish to check the software version. The screen refreshes, listing the selected type of devices on your CDN.

Step 4   Locate the device and refer to the Version column for the device, where the number of the software version being used by the device is displayed.

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Note   The Version column is not updated until a software update has been successfully completed. If a software update is in progress, the Version column displays the base version, not the update version number.

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Modifying System Properties

You may need to modify one or more of the configuration settings used by a device, or even by your entire CDN—disabling a playserver, for example, or changing one of the runtime settings used by a particular server or device.

Using the System Configuration tool, available from the Tools area of the Content Distribution Manager user interface, you can modify a wide variety of system properties.

Changes made using the System Configuration tool cause any CDN nodes affected by those changes to restart once the change has been saved. Depending on the number and location of affected devices that restart, you may experience a temporary interruption in your CDN after using the System Configuration tool, as affected devices restart to integrate configuration changes.

Note   Modifying system properties using the System Configuration tool can adversely affect your network. Use the System Configuration tool only under the direct supervision of a Cisco Technical Support representative.

Troubleshooting

The following sections provide information on the wide range of troubleshooting tools accessible from the Content Distribution Manager user interface.

Viewing System Event Logs

Using the System Logs feature of the Cisco Internet CDN Content Distribution Manager, you can view information about events that have occurred in your CDNs. The following event logs are accessible from the System Logs page:

• System events—This log captures a variety of administrative messages regarding system activity. For example, if you add a new Content Engine to a CDN, change passwords, stop and restart a Content Router or a Content Engine, or perform a software upgrade, these events are logged in the system events log.
  
  
• Software update—This log captures information regarding software updates taking place on your CDN. Information about the name and type of device being upgraded, the software version being applied, and the status of the update are all displayed.
  
  
• Trace—This log captures the output of the DNS Trace feature on a device. When enabled, the DNS Trace feature instructs all Content Engines and Content Routers on a hosted domain to log DNS requests and replies for the hosted domain, and to log the messages on the Content Distribution Manager. See the "Enabling and Disabling DNS Trace" section for more information.
  
  

To view logged information for your CDN, follow these steps:

Step 2   From the drop-down list, choose System Logs.

The System Logs page appears, displaying the system events log by default. (See Figure 4-6.)

Step 3   If you wish, scroll through the messages written to the system events log. Alternatively, click the tab corresponding to the log you wish to view: Software Update or Trace.

Step 4   If you have many event messages, you may need to view multiple pages to view the activity that you are interested in. Alternatively, increase the number of records displayed per page using the field provided on the System Log page, and click Refresh.

Enabling and Disabling the Debug Logging Option

The Cisco Internet CDN allows administrators to enable or disable debug logging for Cisco Internet CDN devices using the Content Distribution Manager user interface. When enabled, debug logging records a range of events in the Cisco Internet CDN Software log file, merlot.log, that would otherwise be omitted.

With the additional logged information provided by debug logging, CDN administrators, working with the Cisco Technical Assistance Center, can more quickly isolate and resolve problems with Internet CDN devices.

Enabling Debug Logging on Internet CDN Devices

To enable debug logging on an Internet CDN device:

Step 2   From the System Tools drop-down list, choose Software Update.

Step 3   Click the tab corresponding to the type of device on which you wish to enable debug logging.

Step 4   From the list of devices that appears,click the icon next to the name of the device you wish to edit. A second browser window opens with the System Tools dialog box displayed.

Step 5   From the drop-down list, choose the Enable Debugging option, and then click Go. A message is displayed indicating that the debugging feature has been enabled.

Step 6   Close the System Tools dialog box.

Step 7   Repeat Step 3 through Step 6 for each device on which you wish to enable debug logging.

Disabling Debug Logging on Internet CDN Devices

To disable debug logging on an Internet CDN device:

Step 2   From the drop-down list, choose Disable Debugging, and then click Go. A message indicating that the debugging feature has been disabled is displayed.

Step 3   Close the System Tools dialog box.

Step 4   Repeat these steps for each device on which you wish to disable debug logging.

Enabling and Disabling Telnet

The Cisco Internet CDN includes both SSH and Telnet software, which allow administrators to connect and issue commands to CDN devices remotely. The ability to remotely connect to your CDN devices is an integral part of maintenance and troubleshooting activities.

Because the information sent back and forth to CDN devices using SSH is encrypted, we recommend using SSH for all remote interaction with CDN devices.

If your organization does not use SSH or an SSH client is unavailable, you can use Telnet to communicate with your CDN devices. By default, all Cisco Internet CDN Version 2.0 devices have Telnet enabled. If you will be using SSH and not Telnet to communicate with your CDN devices, we recommend disabling the Telnet feature by following the instructions in this section.

To enable or disable Telnet on a CDN device:

Step 2   From the System Tools drop-down list, choose Software Update.

Step 3   Click the tab corresponding to the type of device for which you wish to enable Telnet.

Step 4   From the list of devices that appears, click the icon next to the name of the device you wish to edit.

Step 5   If you are prompted, click Yes to proceed and then enter your administrative login information a second time. A second browser window opens with the System Tools dialog box displayed.

Step 6   From the Features drop-down list, choose Enable Telnet or Disable Telnet, and then click Go. A message is displayed, indicating that the Telnet feature has been enabled or disabled.

Step 7   Close the System Tools dialog box and return to the Content Distribution Manager.

Step 8   Repeat Step 3 through Step 7 for each device for which you wish to enable or disable Telnet.

Generating a Debug File Package

The Cisco Internet CDN enables users or administrators to generate a tape archive (or "tar" file) containing configuration and log files that can help troubleshoot problems that may be occurring on a CDN device.

Debug file packages are generated as TGZ-format archives on the device that is experiencing problems. They are then downloaded to the local drive of the CDN user or administrator's workstation. Debug packages can be unpacked using any archive program, such as WinZip for the Windows operating system.

To generate a debug file package for an Internet CDN device:

Step 2   From the System Tools drop-down list, choose Software Update.

Step 3   Click the tab corresponding to the type of device for which you wish to generate a debug file package.

Step 4   From the list of devices that appears, click the icon next to the name of the device you wish to use to generate a debug file package.

A second browser window opens with the System Tools dialog displayed.

Step 5   From the drop-down list, choose Create Debug Package and then click Go to generate a debug file package for the selected device. A message is displayed, indicating that the debug file package is being generated.

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Note   It may take several minutes for the debug file package to be generated. Be patient.

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Step 6   Click the link provided to download the debug file package from the remote device. You are prompted to choose a location on your local hard drive for the downloaded debug tar file (.tgz file extension).

Step 7   Use the dialog box to choose a directory on your workstation to hold the tar file, and then click OK to generate the tar file and deposit it on your local hard drive.

Step 8   Close the System Tools dialog box and return to the Software Update page on the Content Distribution Manager.

Step 9   Repeat Step 3 through Step 8 for each device for which you wish to generate a debug file package.

Step 10   Using Winzip or another file decompression application capable of handling .tgz files, decompress the debug file package and view its contents.

Enabling and Disabling DNS Trace

Use the DNS Trace feature to help troubleshoot routing problems that may arise with your hosted domain. When enabled, the DNS Trace feature instructs all Content Engines and Content Routers on a hosted domain to log DNS requests and replies for the hosted domain, and to log these messages on the Content Distribution Manager. Administrators can access the DNS Trace logs through the System Logs feature.

To enable DNS Trace:

From the drop-down list, choose Hosted Domains. The browser refreshes, listing the hosted domains on your CDN.

Step 2   Click the edit icon next to the name of the hosted domain you wish to edit. The browser window refreshes, displaying fields for editing the selected hosted domain.

Step 3   In the Enable DNS Trace field, enter the number of minutes that you want to log DNS request and reply messages. DNS Trace can be enabled for up to 99 minutes.

Step 4   Click Save.

Accessing Logged DNS Trace Information

Once DNS Trace has been enabled, you will want to access the information recorded by the feature.

To access logged DNS information:

Step 2   From the drop-down list, choose System Logs. The browser refreshes, listing the logged messages on your CDN sorted by time stamp.

Step 3   Click the DNS Trace link. The browser window refreshes, displaying a list of messages logged for the hosted domain while DNS Trace was enabled.

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Note   If you are viewing the log while the DNS Trace feature is activated, you can update the list of logged messages by clicking Refresh.

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Mapping Out Failed or Damaged Content Engine Drives

If one or more nonsystem drives on a Content Engine have failed, the device should continue to function. However, replacing or repairing the damaged drive is critical.

A diagnostic script called cache-repair identifies Content Engines with failed drives for the Content Distribution Manager, and provides tools that you can use to bring these Content Engines back online.

If you have a Content Engine with a damaged or failed drive, contact Cisco Technical Support for instructions on using the cache-repair script to repair the drive. See the "Obtaining Technical Assistance" section for instructions on contacting Cisco Technical Support.

Recovering from Catastrophic Failure

If any of your CDN devices fail as a result of a catastrophic event (for example, power failure or power surge, media failure, and so on), the affected device attempts to restart itself as soon as its operating environment is restored.

CDN devices continue to try to recover until they are successful. If the device is unable to restart, it automatically reboots itself at 30-minute intervals until the restart operation succeeds.