Catalyst Center on ESXi Deployment Guide
Catalyst Center on ESXi
Catalyst Center on ESXi is a deployment model that
-
provides full functionality of Catalyst Center in a virtual format
-
allows rapid deployment of Catalyst Center in your network environment, and
-
allows you to evaluate Catalyst Center without purchasing a physical appliance.
This deployment guide provides information on:
-
The requirements for deploying a Catalyst Center on ESXi virtual appliance.
-
Procedures for creating a virtual machine on a VMware ESXi host, configuring a virtual appliance, executing the Quick Start workflow, and completing the necessary post-deployment tasks before using Catalyst Center on ESXi.
Deployment requirements
Performance Best Practices
Certain requirements must be met to successfully deploy a Catalyst Center on ESXi virtual appliance. See performance tips for the most important aspects of VMware vSphere:-
VMware vSphere Client 7.0: Performance Best Practices for VMware vSphere 7.0 (PDF)
-
VMware vSphere Client 8.0: Performance Best Practices for VMware vSphere 8.0 (PDF)
Virtual Machine Minimum Requirements
Feature | Description |
---|---|
Virtualization platform and hypervisor |
VMware vSphere (which includes ESXi and vCenter Server) 7.0.x or later, including all patches. |
Processors |
Intel Xeon Scalable server processor (Cascade Lake or newer) or AMD EPYC Gen2 with 2.1 GHz or better clock speed. 32 vCPUs with 64-GHz reservation must be dedicated to the VM. |
Memory |
256-GB DRAM with 256-GB reservation must be dedicated to the VM. |
Storage |
3-TB solid-state drive (SSD). Reserve additional datastore space if you plan to create backups of your virtual appliance. For information, see "Backup server requirements" in the Cisco Catalyst Center Administrator Guide. |
I/O Bandwidth |
180 MB/sec. |
Input/output operations per second (IOPS) rate |
2,000 to 2,500, with less than 5 ms of I/O completion latency. |
Latency |
Catalyst Center on ESXi to network device connectivity: 200 ms. |
![]() Caution |
Any changes to the resource allocation or reservation of the Catalyst Center VM may adversely affect its operations and could result in failure. |
Scale Numbers
The number of devices and site elements that Catalyst Center on ESXi supports:
Network Component | Maximum Number Supported |
---|---|
Access Points |
4000 |
Devices |
1000 |
Endpoints |
25,000 |
Site Elements |
2500 |
Network Component | Maximum Number Supported |
---|---|
Endpoints |
25,000 |
Devices |
2000 |
Access Points |
3000 |
Site Elements |
2500 |
Per-Fabric Site Scale |
|
Fabric Nodes |
500 |
VNs |
64 |
IP Pools |
100 |
For both nonfabric and fabric deployments, up to 10 concurrent user connections are supported for network admins to log in to Catalyst Center on ESXi.
Cisco Catalyst Assurance processes data using near real-time streaming analytics, which requires additional guarantees on resource availability. When operating Catalyst Center on ESXi close to maximum scale, the functionality may be impacted by uncontrolled external events, such as host resource oversubscriptions and edge use cases leading to a spike in resource usage. A number of things can indicate that these events are taking place, such as slow performance, data processing gaps, high I/O latency, and a CPU readiness percentage that's higher than normal.
![]() Note |
Catalyst Center VA Launcher Requirements
If you plan to use the CC VA Launcher to deploy and configure a virtual appliance, certain requirements must be met by the machine on which you'll run the app:
Feature | Description |
---|---|
RAM |
1 GB |
Storage |
|
Supported operating systems |
|
Sleep setting |
Configure the machine to not go to sleep. |
Additionally:
-
Ensure that the user who will run the CC VA Launcher has the privileges necessary to deploy the virtual appliance's OVA file and modify the appliance's virtual machine settings.
-
For the system you'll run the app on, configure its HTTP/network proxy settings (if applicable).
Supported Browsers
-
Mozilla Firefox, version 65 or later
-
Google Chrome, version 72 or later
Catalyst Center on ESXi packages
For a listing of the packages used by the virtual appliance, see "Package versions in Catalyst Center" in Cisco Catalyst Center Release Notes.
Deployment prerequisites
Complete these tasks to deploy a Catalyst Center on ESXi virtual appliance.
VMware vSphere installation
VMware vSphere includes several components.
Use VMware vSphere 7.0.x or later, including all patches, for running Catalyst Center on ESXi. To access the overview of the VMware vSphere installation and setup process, see VMware Installation and Setup.
After installing VMware vSphere, verify that it can be reached from the computer you will use to deploy the virtual appliance's OVA file.
Enterprise interface reservations
An enterprise interface reservation is a network configuration requirement that
-
dedicates an interface on the virtual appliance for enterprise network connectivity,
-
requires recording the assigned IP address for later use during appliance setup, and
-
may support management interfaces and additional network interfaces for appliance administration.
Before setting up the virtual appliance:
-
Reserve at least one 1-Gbps or 10-Gbps Enterprise interface to connect to your enterprise network.
-
Note the IP address for this interface. You will enter it later during appliance configuration.
-
Optionally, reserve a 1-Gbps or 10-Gbps Management interface for accessing the Catalyst Center on ESXi GUI. Note its IP address if you plan to configure it.
Note these points:
-
The IP address of the intracluster interface is predefined. You do not need to enter it when you complete either the Maglev Configuration wizard with default mode selected or the browser-based Install Configuration wizard.
-
Catalyst Center on ESXi supports configuring one additional interface for use by the virtual appliance. If you do so, choose VMXNET from the Adapter Type drop-down list. If you select a different type, the appliance configuration will not complete successfully. For more information, see the Add a Network Adapter to a Virtual Machine topic in vSphere Virtual Machine Administration.
Import the IdenTrust certificate chain
The Catalyst Center on ESXi OVA file is signed with an IdenTrust CA certificate. This certificate is not included in the default VMware truststore.
If the certificate is invalid, the Deploy OVF Template wizard's Review details page displays a warning. To resolve this issue, you can import the IdenTrust certificate chain to the host or cluster on which you want to deploy the OVA file.
Procedure
Step 1 |
On the VMware ESXi host or cluster where your virtual appliance will reside, download trustidevcodesigning5.pem from the same location as the Catalyst Center on ESXi OVA file. |
Step 2 |
Extract the downloaded file to a local directory. |
Step 3 |
Log in to the vSphere Web Client. |
Step 4 |
Choose . |
Step 5 |
Click Add in the Trusted Root Certificates field. |
Step 6 |
Click Browse in the Add Trusted Root dialog box. |
Step 7 |
Navigate to and select the certificate chain that you downloaded in Step 1 (trustidevcodesigning5.pem), then click Open. |
Step 8 |
Check the Start Root certificate push to vCenter Hosts check box, then click Add. A message confirms that the certificate chain is imported successfully. After you complete the Deploy OVF Template wizard, the Publisher field in the Review details page shows that you are using a trusted certificate. |
DNS, NTP, and proxy server settings
While configuring your virtual appliance, you must prepare the DNS, NTP, and proxy servers that your virtual appliance will use.
You will be prompted to specify three items:
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The Domain Name System (DNS) server that Catalyst Center on ESXi will use to convert domain names to IP addresses.
-
The Network Time Protocol (NTP) server that Catalyst Center on ESXi will use for clock synchronization.
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(Optional) The proxy server that Catalyst Center on ESXi will use to access internet-bound URLs.
Before you configure your virtual appliance, do the following:
-
Ensure that the servers you want to use are available and running.
-
For an NTP server, obtain its IP address or hostname. For a proxy server, collect either its URL or hostname and its login credentials.
Access to required internet URLs and fully qualified domain names
Provide the appliance secure access to the URLs and Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs) listed in the table.
The table describes the features that use each URL and FQDN. You must configure either your network firewall or a proxy server so that IP traffic can travel to and from the appliance and these resources. If access to any required URL or FQDN is unavailable, the corresponding features will not function properly.
For more information about the requirements for proxy access to the internet, see the "Provide Secure Access to the Internet" topic in the Cisco Catalyst Center Third-Generation Installation Guide.
In order to... | Required URLs and FQDNs for Access | ||
---|---|---|---|
Download updates to the system and application package software; submit user feedback to the product team. |
Recommended: *.ciscoconnectdna.com:4431 Customers who prefer not to use wildcards can specify these URLs instead:
|
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Catalyst Center on ESXi update package. |
|
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Smart Account and SWIM software downloads. |
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Authenticate with the cloud domain. |
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Integrate with ThousandEyes. |
|
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Manage Cisco Enterprise Network Function Virtualization Infrastructure Software (NFVIS) devices. |
*.amazonaws.com |
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Collect product telemetry. |
https://data.pendo.io |
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Allow API calls to enable access to Cisco CX Cloud Success Tracks. Without API calls, the enhancements made to extended configuration-based scanning for the Security Advisories, Bug Identifier, and EOX features supported by the Machine Reasoning Engine (MRE) will not work as intended. |
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Integrate with Webex. |
|
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User feedback. |
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Integrate with Cisco Meraki. |
Recommended: *.meraki.com:443 Customers who want to avoid wildcards can specify these URLs instead:
|
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Check SSL/TLS certificate revocation status using OCSP/CRL. |
|
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Allow Cisco authorized specialists to collect troubleshooting data when Catalyst Center on ESXi Remote Support functionality is enabled. |
wss://prod.radkit-cloud.cisco.com:443 |
||
Integrate with cisco.com and Cisco Smart Licensing. |
*.cisco.com:443 Customers who want to avoid wildcards can specify these URLs instead:
|
||
Connect to the Network-Based Application Recognition (NBAR) cloud. |
prod.sdavc-cloud-api.com:443 |
||
Render accurate information in site and location maps. |
|
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For Cisco AI Network Analytics data collection, configure your network or HTTP proxy to allow outbound HTTPS (TCP 443) access to the cloud hosts. |
|
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Access a menu of interactive help flows that let you complete specific tasks from the GUI. |
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Access the licensing service. |
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Integrate with Cisco Spaces. |
Enable Storage Input/Output Control
For the datastore in which you are planning to deploy a virtual appliance, complete the following procedure so the appliance's virtual machine input/out (I/O) is prioritized over other virtual machines when the network is experiencing I/O congestion.
Procedure
Step 1 |
In the vSphere Client, navigate to and click the datastore in which you plan to deploy a virtual appliance. |
Step 2 |
Click the Configure tab, then click General. |
Step 3 |
In the Datastore Capabilities area, click Edit. |
Step 4 |
In the Configure Storage I/O Control window, do the following: |
Step 5 |
Click OK. |
HA admission control settings
You cannot create three-node clusters by connecting Catalyst Center on ESXi VMs. To enable high availability (HA), use the HA functionality in VMware vSphere. Enable strict admission control to ensure that:
-
The system does not power on a virtual machine if that action would violate availability constraints.
-
The system enforces configured failover capacity limits.
-
HA operates as expected during a failover.
For more information, in the Cisco Catalyst Center Administrator Guide, see "Activate high availability" in the "Configure System Settings" chapter.
Quick Start Workflow preparations
After you create a virtual machine on an ESXi host and configure a Catalyst Center on ESXi virtual appliance, you'll be prompted to complete the Quick Start workflow. By completing this workflow, you will discover the devices that Catalyst Center on ESXi will manage. You will also enable the collection of telemetry from those devices. Complete these tasks to finish the workflow:
-
Decide on the username and password for the new admin user you will create. The default admin username and password (admin/P@ssword9) should be used only the first time you log in to Catalyst Center on ESXi.
Important
Changing this password is critical to network security, especially when the people who set up a Catalyst Center on ESXi virtual appliance are not the same people who will serve as its administrators.
-
Obtain the credentials you use to log in to Cisco.com.
-
Identify the users who need access to your system. For these users, define their roles, unique passwords, and privilege settings.
You have the option to use an IPAM server and Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) with your virtual appliance. If you choose to use one or both of them, you'll also need to obtain the relevant URL and login information.
Virtual Appliance deployment
To set up a Catalyst Center on ESXi virtual appliance, complete these tasks:
If you want to set up your virtual appliance using the Cisco Catalyst Virtual Appliance Launcher (CC VA Launcher), first complete the steps described in one of these topics.
Create a Virtual Machine
Complete the following procedure to create a virtual machine on the VMware ESXi host or cluster where your virtual appliance will reside.
Procedure
Step 1 |
Download the Catalyst Center on ESXi OVA file from the location specified by Cisco. |
Step 2 |
Log in to the vSphere Web Client. |
Step 3 |
In the navigation pane, right-click the IP address of host or cluster on which you want to deploy the OVA file and then click Deploy OVF Template. |
Step 4 |
Complete the Deploy OVF Template wizard: |
Configure an additional network adapter
Complete the following procedure in order to configure an additional network adapter for your virtual appliance. The Management interface will reside on the adapter.
Procedure
Step 1 |
Log in to the vSphere Web Client. |
Step 2 |
In the navigation pane, right-click the virtual machine you've created, then choose . |
Step 3 |
Right-click the virtual machine and then choose . |
Step 4 |
Select the Virtual Hardware tab. Click Add New Device, and then choose Network Adapter. |
Step 5 |
In the drop-down list for the New Network field, click Browse. |
Step 6 |
In the Select Network dialog box, choose the network to connect to your virtual appliance's Management interface, and then click OK. |
Step 7 |
In the Adapter Type field's drop-down list, choose VMXNET3 and then click OK. |
Step 8 |
In the navigation pane, right-click the virtual machine, and then choose . |
Step 9 |
Do one of the following:
|
Step 10 |
After Catalyst Center on ESXi comes up, run the Configuration wizard to configure the settings for the Management interface: |
Configure a Catalyst Center on ESXi virtual appliance
Choose one procedure to configure a Catalyst Center on ESXi virtual appliance on a VMware ESXi host:
-
Configure a Virtual Appliance Using the Maglev Configuration Wizard: Default Mode
-
Configure a Virtual Appliance Using the Maglev Configuration Wizard: Advanced Mode
-
Configure a Virtual Appliance Using the Install Configuration Wizard
-
Configure a Virtual Appliance Using the Advanced Install Configuration Wizard
-
Configure a Virtual Appliance Using the Interactive CC VA Launcher
-
Configure a Virtual Appliance Using the CC VA Launcher in Silent Mode
Configure a Virtual Appliance Using the Maglev Configuration Wizard: Default Mode
If you want to configure a virtual appliance as quickly as possible using the Maglev Configuration wizard and are okay with using preset appliance settings, complete the following procedure.
![]() Note |
The Intracluster interface is preconfigured when using this wizard. If you don't want to use the default settings for this interface, you'll need to complete the Maglev Configuration wizard with advanced mode selected. |
Before you begin
Gather the following information for the virtual appliance before you start this procedure:
-
Static IP address
-
Subnet mask
-
Default gateway
-
DNS address
-
NTP server details
-
Proxy server details
![]() Important |
If you plan to configure the appliance's Management interface, also configure an additional network adapter for this interface to reside on before you start this wizard. |
Procedure
Step 1 |
After deployment completes, power on the newly-created virtual machine:
It takes around 45 minutes for the virtual machine to become operational. The actual time will depend on things like available bandwidth, RAM, hard disk space, and the number of vCPUs. You can monitor the progress in the VMware VM Console. |
Step 2 |
Launch either the remote console or web console by clicking the appropriate link. |
Step 3 |
Configure the virtual machine by completing the Maglev Configuration Wizard: |
Step 4 |
Configure a Virtual Appliance Using the Maglev Configuration Wizard: Advanced Mode
If you want to configure a virtual appliance using the Maglev Configuration wizard and need to specify settings that are different from the preset appliance settings, complete the following procedure.
Before you begin
Gather the following information for the virtual appliance before you start this procedure:
-
Static IP address
-
Subnet mask
-
Default gateway
-
DNS address
-
NTP server details
-
Proxy server details
![]() Important |
If you plan to configure the appliance's Management interface, also configure an additional network adapter for this interface to reside on before you start this wizard. |
Procedure
Step 1 |
After deployment completes, power on the newly-created virtual machine:
It takes around 45 minutes for the virtual machine to become operational. The actual time will depend on things like available bandwidth, RAM, hard disk space, and the number of vCPUs. You can monitor the progress in the vSphere Client's Recent Tasks tab. |
Step 2 |
Launch either the remote console or web console by clicking the appropriate link. |
Step 3 |
Configure the virtual machine by completing the Maglev Configuration Wizard: |
Step 4 |
Configure a Virtual Appliance Using the Install Configuration Wizard
If you want to configure a virtual appliance as quickly as possible using the browser-based Install configuration wizard and are okay with using preset appliance settings, complete the following procedure.
![]() Important |
Ensure that all of the IP addresses you enter while completing this procedure are valid IPv4 addresses with valid IPv4 netmasks. Also make sure that the addresses and their corresponding subnets do not overlap. Service communication issues can result if they do. |
Before you begin
Ensure that you collected the following information:
-
Static IP address
-
Subnet mask
-
Default gateway
-
DNS address
-
NTP server details
-
Proxy server details
Ensure that you are using a supported browser. See Deployment requirements.
Ensure that you enabled ICMP on the firewall between Catalyst Center on ESXi and the DNS servers you will specify in the following procedure. This wizard uses Ping to verify the DNS server you specify. This ping can be blocked if there is a firewall between Catalyst Center on ESXi and the DNS server and ICMP is not enabled on that firewall. When this happens, you will not be able to complete the wizard.
![]() Note |
The Intracluster interface is preconfigured when using this wizard. If you don't want to use the default settings for this interface, you'll need to complete the browser-based Advanced Install configuration wizard. |
Procedure
Step 1 |
After deployment completes, power on the newly-created virtual machine:
It takes around 45 minutes for the virtual machine to become operational. The actual time will depend on things like available bandwidth, RAM, hard disk space, and the number of vCPUs. You can monitor the progress in the vSphere Client's Recent Tasks tab. |
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Step 2 |
Launch either the remote console or web console by clicking the appropriate link. |
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Step 3 |
Open the Install Configuration wizard: |
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Step 4 |
Configure your virtual appliance by completing the Install Configuration wizard: |
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Step 5 |
After appliance configuration completes, click the copy icon to copy the default admin superuser password.
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Configure a Virtual Appliance Using the Advanced Install Configuration Wizard
If you want to configure a virtual appliance using the browser-based Advanced Install configuration wizard and need to specify settings that are different from the preset appliance settings, complete the following procedure.
![]() Important |
Ensure that all of the IP addresses you enter while completing this procedure are valid IPv4 addresses with valid IPv4 netmasks. Also make sure that the addresses and their corresponding subnets do not overlap. Service communication issues can result if they do. |
Before you begin
Ensure that you collected the following information:
-
Static IP address
-
Subnet mask
-
Default gateway
-
DNS address
-
NTP server details
-
Proxy server details
Ensure you are using a supported browser. See Deployment requirements.
Ensure you enabled ICMP on the firewall between Catalyst Center on ESXi and both the default gateway and the DNS server you specify in the following procedure. The wizard uses ping to verify the gateway and DNS server you specify. This ping might get blocked if a firewall is in place and ICMP is not enabled on that firewall. When this happens, you will not be able to complete the wizard.
Procedure
Step 1 |
After deployment completes, power on the newly-created virtual machine:
It takes around 90 to 120 minutes for the virtual machine to become operational. The actual time will depend on things like available bandwidth, RAM, hard disk space, and the number of vCPUs. You can monitor the progress in the vSphere Client's Recent Tasks tab. |
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Step 2 |
Launch either the remote console or web console by clicking the appropriate link. |
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Step 3 |
Open the Advanced Install Configuration wizard: |
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Step 4 |
Configure your virtual appliance by completing the Advanced Install Configuration wizard: |
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Step 5 |
After appliance configuration completes, click the copy icon to copy the default admin superuser password. It can take from 15-30 mins for services to be stabilized before you can login to the UI.
|
Configure a Virtual Appliance Using the Interactive CC VA Launcher
To configure a Catalyst Center on ESXi virtual appliance using the CC VA Launcher, complete the following procedure.
![]() Note |
The CC VA Launcher provisions all VM deployments within the default root directory and doesn't support deploying VMs to user-defined folders. |
Procedure
Step 1 |
Go to the Cisco Software Download site and download the Catalyst Center on ESXi OVA file. |
Step 2 |
From the same location, download the CC VA Launcher bundle (CatC-SW-Launcher-<release number>-VA.tar.gz) and extract it. The bundle contains these files:
|
Step 3 |
Start the CC VA Launcher in interactive mode by entering the command that's specific to your operating system:
|
Step 4 |
Complete the CC VA Launcher: |
Step 5 |
After the Catalyst Center on ESXi virtual appliance powers on, log in to the host/vCenter server you deployed and open the virtual appliance's VMware console. A terminal shell opens after the virtual appliance boots up, which can take up to 60 minutes. |
Step 6 |
Log in, using the same Maglev password you entered in Step 4v. The default username is maglev. |
Step 7 |
When all of the Catalyst Center on ESXi services are up, open a supported browser and type in the IP address you entered for the Enterprise interface in Step 4k. If you configured the Management interface, enter the IP address you entered for it in Step 4m. |
Step 8 |
When prompted by the Catalyst Center on ESXi GUI, enter the default credentials (admin/P@ssword9) to log in. |
Configure a Virtual Appliance Using the CC VA Launcher in Silent Mode
The CC VA Launcher's Silent mode allows you to deploy a Catalyst Center on ESXi virtual appliance using the settings specified in the config.json configuration file. This mode is useful when you want to integrate the launcher in your deployment automation workflow. To configure a virtual appliance using the launcher's silent mode, complete the following procedure.
![]() Note |
The CC VA Launcher provisions all VM deployments within the default root directory and doesn't support deploying VMs to user-defined folders. |
Procedure
Step 1 |
Go to the Cisco Software Download site and download the Catalyst Center on ESXi OVA file. |
||
Step 2 |
From the same location, download the launcher bundle (CatC-SW-Launcher-<release number>-VA.tar.gz) and extract it. The bundle contains these files:
|
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Step 3 |
Navigate to the directory where the CC VA Launcher bundle files were extracted and open the configuration file in a text editor.
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Step 4 |
For the parameters provided in the configuration file, enter the values specific to your deployment. See Configuration File Parameters for more information.
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Step 5 |
Run the CC VA Launcher using the values you specified in the configuration file:
The CC VA Launcher completes the following tasks after it starts:
The deployment time will vary, depending on the available network bandwidth and target datastore's throughput. |
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Step 6 |
After the virtual appliance powers on, enter the host/vCenter server's credentials to open the appliance's VMware console. It can take up to an hour for the a terminal shell to open. |
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Step 7 |
Log in, using maglev as the username and the password you specified in Step 5. |
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Step 8 |
After all of the Catalyst Center on ESXi services come up, use a supported browser to open the IP address you specified for the Enterprise interface in the configuration file. |
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Step 9 |
Log in, using admin as the username and P@ssword9 as the password. |
Configuration File Parameters
The following table describes the parameters you need to enter values for in the config.json file.
![]() Note |
For optional parameters you are not using, enter an empty string (""). For example, if you don't want to specify an FQDN for
the virtual appliance, its entry would look like this: |
Category | Configuration Parameter | Description | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Host/vCenter information (host_info) |
ip (ip)2 |
IP address or FQDN of the vCenter or standalone ESXi host that the OVA will be imported to.
|
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SSL Port (ssl_port)1 |
Port that HTTPS is configured for on the vCenter or ESXi host. The default port is 443. |
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Import configuration (import_info) |
OVA file path (ova_path) 1 |
Directory where the Catalyst Center on ESXi OVA file was downloaded to.
|
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VM Name (vm_name) 1 |
Name of the VM. |
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Datacenter (data_center) 3 |
Name of the datacenter the virtual appliance OVA file will be imported to. This parameter is not applicable to standalone ESXi host deployments. |
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Cluster Name (cluster) 4 |
Name of the cluster where the virtual machine will reside. |
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Resource Pool (resource_pool)3 |
Resource pool in which the imported VM should be placed. This parameter is not applicable to ESXi host deployments. |
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Host Name (host_name)2 |
The ESXi host (managed by vCenter) in which the VM should be placed. This parameter is not applicable to standalone ESXi host deployments. |
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Datastore (datastore)1 |
Name of the datastore where the VMDK and other supporting files should be placed. |
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Disk Provision (disk_provision)1 |
The virtual disk's provisioning format. The thick provisioned format is set by default, but both thin and thick provisioning formats are supported. |
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Enterprise Network (network: enterprise_network)1 |
Name of the host network that will be mapped to the virtual machine's Enterprise network. |
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Management Network (network: management_network)5 |
Name of the host network that will be mapped to the virtual machine's Management network, which is used to access Catalyst Center on ESXi's GUI. |
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Catalyst Center on ESXi configuration information (dnac_info) |
IP Address (address)1 |
IP address of the virtual appliance's Enterprise network interface. |
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Subnet mask (netmask) 1 |
Subnet mask for the virtual appliance's Enterprise network interface. |
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Gateway (gateway)1,6 |
IP address of the Enterprise network interface's gateway. |
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Routes (routes)5 |
Static routes for the Enterprise interface. Enter routes in the following format: <network-IP-address>/<netmask>/<gateway-IP-address>. If you're specifying multiple routes, separate them with a comma (,). |
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IP Address (address)4 |
IP address of the virtual appliance's Management interface. |
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Subnet mask (netmask) 4 |
Subnet mask for the virtual appliance's Management network interface. |
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Gateway (gateway)1,5 |
IP address of the Management network interface's gateway. |
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Routes (routes)5 |
Static routes for the Management interface. Enter routes in the following format: <network-IP-address>/<netmask>/<gateway-IP-address>. If you're specifying multiple routes, separate them with a comma (,). |
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DNS servers (dns_servers)1 |
DNS servers used by the virtual appliance. Specify at least one server. You can specify a maximum of three servers, separated by commas. |
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HTTP Proxy (http_proxy)7 |
HTTP proxy the virtual appliance will use. When specifying the proxy, use the following format: http://IP-address-or-FQDN:port-number
|
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NTP server (ntp)1 |
NTP servers used by the virtual appliance. Specify at least one server. You can specify a maximum of three servers, separated by commas. |
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FQDN (fqdn)6 |
Fully qualified domain name to be configured for the virtual appliance. Aside from hyphens, this name should not contain any special characters. |
View CC VA Launcher Appliance Configuration Progress
During a silent mode configuration of a Catalyst Center on ESXi virtual appliance, you can monitor the configuration process by viewing the progress.json file. Located in the same directory where the CC VA Launcher resides, this file provides the following information.
Field | Description |
---|---|
stage |
Stage that the appliance configuration process is currently in:
|
status |
Status of the configuration process' current stage:
|
percentage |
Percentage of the Catalyst Center on ESXi OVA file that's been imported. |
error_code |
The error code associated with an operation that failed. Refer to the following table for a description of these codes. |
error_desc |
Description of an error. |
Error Code | Description |
---|---|
0 |
Success |
101 |
Manually terminated |
102 |
Configuration file not found |
103 |
Incorrect configuration file entry |
104 |
Failed to connect to vCenter/ESXi host |
105 |
Import operation failed |
106 |
Specified OVA file path is invalid |
107 |
Datastore field is empty |
108 |
Invalid import information |
109 |
Invalid datastore |
110 |
Invalid datacenter |
111 |
Datastore does not have the required amount of free space |
112 |
Invalid disk provisioning |
113 |
Invalid cluster |
114 |
Virtual machine not found |
115 |
Power on operation failed |
116 |
Chose "No" in the deployment confirmation message |
117 |
Incorrect command line arguments |
118 |
Failed to add Management interface |
119 |
Invalid json file |
120 |
Mandatory silent mode fields are missing information |
121 |
Specified OVA file is a different file type |
122 |
Virtual machine name filed is empty |
123 |
Enterprise network name field is empty |
124 |
Invalid resource pool |
125 |
Invalid management network |
126 |
Virtual name exceeds character limit |
127 |
Maglev password does not meet password requirements |
129 |
Invalid ESXi host |
130 |
Empty datacenter provided for vCenter-based import |
131 |
Empty hostname provided for vCenter-based import |
132 |
Invalid network was specified for the vCenter/ESXi host |
133 |
Virtual machine has insufficient CPU or memory |
134 |
Incorrect Catalyst Center on ESXi information was provided |
135 |
No suitable datacenter was found during discovery |
136 |
Empty OVA file path was provided |
Complete the Quick Start Workflow
After you have deployed and configured a Catalyst Center on ESXi virtual appliance, you can log in to its GUI. Use a compatible, HTTPS-enabled browser when accessing Catalyst Center on ESXi.
When you log in for the first time as the admin superuser (with the username admin and the SUPER-ADMIN-ROLE assigned), the Quick Start workflow automatically starts. Complete this workflow to discover the devices that Catalyst Center on ESXi will manage and enable the collection of telemetry from those devices.
Before you begin
To log in to Catalyst Center on ESXi and complete the Quick Start workflow, you will need:
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If you completed the Advanced Install configuration wizard, the admin superuser username and password that you specified.
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The information described in the Cisco Catalyst Center Second-Generation Appliance Installation Guide's "Required First-Time Setup Information" topic.
Procedure
Step 1 |
Do one of the following:
One of these messages appears (depending on the browser that you are using):
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Step 2 |
Ignore the message and click Advanced. One of these messages appears (depending on the browser that you are using):
These messages appear because the controller uses a self-signed certificate. For information on how Catalyst Center on ESXi uses certificates, see the "Certificate and private key support" section in the Cisco Catalyst Center Administrator Guide. |
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Step 3 |
Ignore the message and do one of the following:
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Step 4 |
Click Log In. The Catalyst Center on ESXi login screen appears. |
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Step 5 |
Do one of the following and then click Login:
In the next screen, you are prompted to configure a new admin user (as the default credentials used to log in for the first time will be deleted). |
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Step 6 |
Do the following in the resulting dialog box, then click Submit.
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Step 7 |
Click Log In. The Catalyst Center on ESXi login screen appears. |
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Step 8 |
Enter the username and password you configured for the new admin user, then click Login. |
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Step 9 |
Enter your cisco.com username and password (which are used to register software downloads and receive system communications) and then click Next.
The Terms & Conditions screen opens, providing links to the software End User License Agreement (EULA) and any supplemental terms that are currently available. |
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Step 10 |
After reviewing these documents, click Next to accept the EULA. The Quick Start Overview slider opens. Click > to view a description of the tasks that the Quick Start workflow will help you complete in order to start using Catalyst Center on ESXi. |
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Step 11 |
Complete the Quick Start workflow: |
Postdeployment Configurations
After deploying a virtual appliance, you'll need to complete the following postdeployment tasks to run the appliance.
Enable VM Restart Priority
If VMware vSphere HA is enabled in your environment, complete the following procedure to ensure that the virtual appliance's VM is prioritized to power on first during an HA failover.
Procedure
Step 1 |
In the vSphere Client's navigation pane, click the HA cluster. |
Step 2 |
Click the Configure tab. |
Step 3 |
Choose Add. and then click |
Step 4 |
Click the virtual machine you want to apply overrides to and then click OK. |
Step 5 |
In the vSphere HA area's VM Restart Priority field, do the following:
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Step 6 |
Click Finish. |
Configure a Reservation for the Recovery Site's VM
If you enable disaster recovery for Catalyst Center on ESXi using vSphere's Site Recovery Manager (SRM), ensure that the required resources are reserved during failover by completing the following procedure. When you configure vSphere replication on the virtual appliance, the recovery site’s VM (also referred to as the placeholder VM) will not have a reservation configured on the main site. You'll need to configure the reservation manually after replication takes place.
Procedure
Step 1 |
In the vSphere Client's navigation pane, click the secondary site's placeholder VM. |
Step 2 |
Click Actions, then choose Edit Settings. |
Step 3 |
With the Virtual Hardware tab selected, configure a 64-GHz reservation for the CPU parameter and a 256-GB reservation for the Memory parameter. |
Step 4 |
Click OK. |
Configure a Reservation for the Recovery Site VM's Resource Pool
If you have deployed a virtual appliance in a resource pool and mapped its primary site resource pool to a secondary site resource pool using vSphere's Site Recovery Manager (SRM), ensure that the secondary site's resource pool reserves the resources required by the virtual appliance.
Enable an Air-Gapped Deployment
An air gap is a security measure that involves isolating a network and preventing it from establishing external connections. The only way data can be transferred into an air-gapped network is by physically inserting removable media (such as a USB drive) or connecting a laptop. If you need to enable an air gap for your Catalyst Center on ESXi deployment, complete the following steps.
Procedure
Step 1 |
Deploy a virtual appliance, ensuring that you don't configure a proxy server. |
Step 2 |
Contact the Cisco TAC, who will enable an air gap for your network. |
Upgrade to Catalyst Center 3.1.3 on ESXi
Before you begin
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Create a backup of your Catalyst Center on ESXi database.
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If your deployment uses a firewall, allow Catalyst Center on ESXi to access the following location on each cluster node for system and package downloads: https://www.ciscoconnectdna.com:443.
![]() Note |
Only SUPER-ADMIN-ROLE users can complete this procedure. |
Procedure
Step 1 |
In the top-right corner, a pop-up window opens, indicating that a new version of Catalyst Center on ESXi is available. Click the Go to Software Management link.
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Step 2 |
In the Software Management page, click Upgrade. |
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Step 3 |
In the Upgrade Release dialog box, click Install. |
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Step 4 |
In the Schedule Upgrade dialog box, specify when you want to start the upgrade, then click Download. You can track the upgrade progress from the Activities page. |
Upgrade to Catalyst Center 3.1.3 on ESXi in an Air-Gapped Deployment
Procedure
Step 1 |
Download the *.tar.gz file from the location specified by Cisco. |
Step 2 |
Enter the following command to copy the file to the virtual appliance's /airgap folder:
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Step 3 |
Log in to the Catalyst Center on ESXi GUI. |
Step 4 |
From the main menu, choose . |
Step 5 |
From the top-right corner, click Scan. |
Step 6 |
After Catalyst Center on ESXi locates the files required to complete the upgrade, choose one of the following options:
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