Performing Post-Installation Tasks

This chapter describes several tasks that you must perform after successfully completing the installation and configuration of the Cisco APIC-EM.

Accessing Cisco APIC-EM Using a Web Browser

Cisco APIC-EM series appliances support a web interface using the following HTTPS-enabled browsers:

  • Google Chrome—version 50.0 or later

  • Mozilla Firefox—version 46.0 or later

Administrator Lockout Following Failed Login Attempts

If you enter an incorrect password for your specified administrator user ID enough times, the Cisco APIC-EM user interface “locks you out” of the system.

See the Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Enterprise Module Troubleshooting Guide for information about recovering from an administrator lockout.

Logging In to the Cisco APIC-EM GUI

When you log in to the Cisco APIC-EM web-based interface for the first time, you must use only the supported HTTPS-enabled browsers listed in the previous section. After you have installed Cisco APIC-EM as described in this guide, you can log in to the Cisco APIC-EM web-based interface.

    Step 1   After the Cisco APIC-EM appliance reboot has completed, launch your browser.
    Step 2   Enter the host IP address to access the Cisco APIC-EM GUI.

    You can use the displayed IP address of the Cisco APIC-EM GUI at the end of the configuration process.

    Step 3   After entering the IP address in the browser, a message stating that "Your connection is not private" appears.

    Ignore the message and click the Advanced link.

    Step 4   After clicking the Advanced link, a message stating that the site’s security certificate is not trusted appears.

    Ignore the message and click the link.

    Note   

    This message appears because the controller uses a self-signed certificate. You will have the option to upload a trusted certificate using the controller GUI after installation completes.

    Step 5   In the Login window, enter the administrator username and password that you configured above and click the Log In button.
    What to Do Next

    For a multi-host deployment, configure another host and join it with this host to create a cluster.

    For a single-host deployment, begin to use the Cisco APIC-EM to manage and configure your network.


    Note

    You can send feedback about the Cisco APIC-EM by clicking the Feedback icon ("I wish this page would....") at the lower right of each window in the GUI. Clicking on this icon opens a comments field. Use this field to make a comment on the current window or to make a request to the Cisco APIC-EM development team.

    Logging Out of the Cisco APIC-EM GUI

    To log out of the Cisco APIC-EM web-based interface, click Log Out on the Cisco APIC-EM main window toolbar. This ends your administrative session and logs you out.


    Note

    For security reasons, we recommend that you log out when you complete your administrative session. If you do not log out, the Cisco APIC-EM GUI interface logs you out after 30 minutes of inactivity.

    Installing a License

    See Appendix D, Cisco APIC-EM Licenses for information about Cisco APIC-EM and licenses.

    Installing Certificates

    See Chapter 5, Configuring the Cisco APIC-EM Settings, in the Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Enterprise Module Deployment Guide for information about installing certificates.

    Updating the Cisco APIC-EM Configuration Using the Wizard

    If you need to reconfigure your Cisco APIC-EM configuration, you must use the configuration wizard to do so. You cannot use the Linux CLI. Perform the steps in this procedure to change the Cisco APIC-EM configuration wizard settings, including the external network settings, NTP server address, and/or password for the Linux grapevine user. The external network settings that could be changed include:

    • Host IP address

    • Virtual IP address

    • DNS server

    • Default gateway

    • Static routes


    Note

    In order to change the external network settings, NTP server address, and/or the Linux grapevine user password in a multi-host deployment, you need to first break up the multi-host cluster. Therefore, when performing this procedure controller downtime occurs. For this reason, we recommend that you perform this procedure during a maintenance time period.

      Step 1   Using a Secure Shell (SSH) client, log into one of the hosts in your cluster.

      Log in using the IP address that you specified using the configuration wizard.

      Note   

      The IP address to enter for the SSH client is the IP address that you configured for the network adapter. This IP address connects the appliance to the external network.

      Step 2   When prompted, enter your Linux username ('grapevine') and password for SSH access.
      Step 3   Enter the following command to access the configuration wizard. 
      $ config_wizard
      Step 4   Review the Welcome to the APIC-EM Configuration Wizard! screen and choose the option to remove the host from the cluster:

      • Remove this host from its APIC-EM cluster

      Step 5   A message appears with the following options:

      • [cancel]—Exit the configuration wizard.

      • [proceed]—Begin the process to remove this host from its cluster.

      Choose proceed>> to begin. After choosing proceed>>, the configuration wizard begins to remove this host from its cluster.

      At the end of this process, this host is removed from the cluster.

      Step 6   Repeat the above steps (steps 1-5) on a second host in the cluster.
      Note   

      You must repeat the above steps on each host in your cluster, until you only have a single host remaining. You must make your configuration changes on this final remaining host.

      Step 7   Using a Secure Shell (SSH) client, log into that final host in your cluster and run the configuration wizard. 
      $ config_wizard

      After logging into the host, begin the configuration process.

      Step 8   Make any necessary changes to the configuration values for the external network settings, NTP server address, and/or password for the Linux grapevine user using the wizard.

      After making your configuration change(s), continue through the configuration process to the final message.

      Step 9   At the end of the configuration process, a final message appears stating that the wizard is now ready to proceed with applying the configuration.

      The following options are available:

      • [back]—Review and verify your configuration settings.

      • [cancel]—Discard your configuration settings and exit the configuration wizard.

      • [save & exit]—Save your configuration settings and exit the configuration wizard.

      • [proceed]—Save your configuration settings and begin applying them.

      Enter proceed>> to complete the installation. After entering proceed>>, the configuration wizard applies the configuration values that you entered above.

      Note   

      At the end of the configuration process, a CONFIGURATION SUCCEEDED! message appears.

      Step 10   Log into the other hosts in your multi-host cluster and use the configuration wizard to recreate the cluster.

      Refer to the procedure, Configuring Cisco APIC-EM as a Multi-Host Cluster Using the Wizard in the Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Enterprise Module Deployment Guide for information about this process.

      Configuring the Cisco APIC-EM

      By using the Cisco APIC-EM graphical user interface menus and options, you can configure the Cisco APIC-EM to suit your requirements:

      • For details on configuring the controller for your network devices (including configuring Discovery, Path Trace, and EasyQoS), as well as other features, menus, and options, see the Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Enterprise Module Configuration Guide.

      • For details on configuring the controller settings ( including discovery credentials, certificates, trust pools, and SNMP values), as well as other features, see the Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Enterprise Module Deployment Guide.

      • For the most current information about this release, see the Release Notes for the Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Enterprise Module.