Integrate Cisco CMX for Wireless Maps

About Cisco Connected Mobile Experiences integration

Catalyst Center supports the integration of on-premises Cisco Connected Mobile Experiences (CMX) for wireless maps. With the CMX integration, you can get the exact location of your wireless clients, rogue access points and interferers on the floor map within the Catalyst Center user interface.

Depending on your requirements, you can create CMX settings either at the global level or at the site, building, or floor level. For a small enterprise, you can assign CMX at the global level, which is the parent node. All children inherit their settings from the parent node. For a medium enterprise, you can assign CMX at the building level, and for a large enterprise, you can assign CMX at the floor level.


Note

CMX should be anonymized for security purposes.

Add a user for the Cisco CMX API server

Before adding a Cisco CMX instance to Catalyst Center Network Settings, you must add a user for the Cisco CMX API server.

Procedure

Step 1

SSH to Cisco CMX using a cmxadmin account. Enter this command:

ssh -l cmxadmin (cmx-ip-address)

Step 2

Start the Cisco CMX API server. Enter this command:

# cmxos apiserver start
Example
The following example shows how to start the Cisco CMX API server: 
[root@server]# cmxos apiserver start
Starting CMX API Server...

Step 3

Add a user for the Cisco CMX API server. Enter this command:

cmxos apiserver user add

At the password prompt, use the same password as the Cisco CMX web admin user password.

Example
The following example shows how to add a user for the Cisco CMX API server: 
[root@server]# cmxos apiserver user add
Please enter the userid for the CMX API Server: user1
Please enter the password for the CMX API Server: Cisco_CMX_web_admin_password
Please re-enter the password for the CMX API Server: Cisco_CMX_web_admin_password
Restarting CMX API Server...
Stopping CMX API Server...
Starting CMX API Server...
Successfully updated userid/password and restarted the CMX API Server

What to do next

Create Cisco CMX settings in Catalyst Center. See Create Cisco CMX settings.

Create Cisco CMX settings

Before you begin

Procedure

Step 1

From the main menu, choose System > Settings.

Step 2

From the External Services section, click Cisco Spaces/CMX Servers.

The Cisco Spaces/CMX Servers window opens.

Step 3

From the CMX Servers table, click Add.

Step 4

Complete the fields in the Add CMX Server slide-in pane:

  • IP Address: Enter the valid IP address of the CMX web GUI.

  • Username: Enter the CMX web GUI username.

    Note

     

    To assign a CMX server to a site, building, or floor, you must have Write permission on Network Hierarchy. For more information, see the "Catalyst Center User Role and Permissions" section in the Cisco Catalyst Center Administrator Guide.

  • Password: Enter the password credentials.

Note

 
Ensure CMX is reachable.

Step 5

Click Add.

The connection status is shown in these three stages:

  • Initiating Connection: Verifies connectivity to the server.

  • Establishing Trust: Establishes trust to the CMX server. The CMX server must have a valid SSL/TLS certificate configured to establish trust. If the certificate is not yet stored in Catalyst Center Trusted Certificates, you will be prompted to Accept the certificate to continue.

  • Connecting CMX Server: Validates the user credentials provided.

Step 6

To assign a CMX server to a site, building, or a floor, click the menu icon and choose Design > Network Settings.

Step 7

Click the Wireless tab.

Step 8

From the left hierarchy tree, select either Global or the required area, building, or floor.

Step 9

Click Cisco Spaces/CMX Servers.

Step 10

In the Cisco Spaces/CMX Servers section, from the Location Settings drop-down list, select the CMX server.

Step 11

Click Save.

The Create CMX Settings window opens.

After the CMX is added, if you make any changes to the floor on the Network Hierarchy page, the changes are synchronized automatically with the CMX.

When the CMX is synced, Catalyst Center starts querying the CMX for the client location and displays the location on the floor map.

Step 12

From the floor map, you can do these tasks:

  • View the location of the client, which is shown as a blue dot.

  • Hover your cursor over an AP. A dialog box appears with Info, Rx Neighbor, and Clients tabs. Click each tab for more information. Click Device 360 to open the Device 360 window and view issues. Click an issue to see the location of the issue and the location of the client device.

  • Click an AP to open a side bar with details about the AP.

  • Do real-time client tracking when Intelligent Capture and CMX are integrated.

Step 13

If the CMX was down when you made changes, you must synchronize manually. To do so, on the Network Hierarchy window, hover your cursor over the ellipsis next to the building or floor on which you made the changes in the left hierarchy tree, and then select Sync: Cisco Spaces/CMX Servers to push the changes manually.

Step 14

To edit the CMX server details or delete a CMX server:

  1. From the main menu, choose System > Settings.

  2. From the External Services section, click Cisco Spaces/CMX Servers.

  3. Select the CMX server that you want to edit, make any changes, and click Update.

  4. Select the CMX server that you want to delete and click Delete.

  5. Click OK to confirm the deletion.

Troubleshoot Cisco CMX

CMX authentication failure

  • Check if you are able to log in to the CMX web UI with the credentials that you provided at the time of CMX settings creation on Catalyst Center.

  • Check if you are able to log in to the CMX console using SSH.

  • Check if you are able to exercise CMX REST APIs using the API documentation link on the CMX UI.

Clients do not appear on the floor map

  • Check if the Cisco Wireless Controller on the particular floor is configured with CMX and is active.

  • Check if the CMX UI shows clients on the floor map.

  • Use the Catalyst Center Maps API to list the clients on the floor: curl -k -u <user>:<password> -X GET /api/v1/dna-maps-service/domains/<floor group id>/clients?associated=true