Using the Cisco Modeling Labs Client

Using the Cisco Modeling Labs Client Overview

The Cisco Modeling Labs client is a cross-platform, point-and-click GUI that simplifies topology creation, initial-device configurations, and permits access to the Cisco Modeling Labs server. You can interact directly with your running simulations from this GUI. Additionally, the Cisco Modeling Labs client provides the functionality to generate default router configurations before simulating your topology.

This chapter introduces the main areas and capabilities of the Cisco Modeling Labs client in the following section.

Navigating Within the Cisco Modeling Labs Client

This section describes the functionality of the Cisco Modeling Labs client, which comprises of a workbench containing a menu bar, a toolbar, multiple editors, multiple perspectives, and multiple views.

Figure 1. Workbench Components



Callout Description Callout Description
1 Menu Bar 5 Canvas
2 Toolbar 6 Palette
3 Perspectives 7 Views
4 Node Editor 5+6 combined Topology Editor
  • Workbench—Refers to the Cisco Modeling Labs client desktop environment. Each time the workbench is exited, it is automatically saved, including all the open perspectives, views, and editors. When the workbench is reopened, it appears exactly as it was when last closed.
  • Menu Bar—References all the actions that can be performed when using the Cisco Modeling Labs client.
  • Toolbar—Contains a set of icons representing commands. The Toolbar provides shortcuts to actions that are used most often from the Menu bar.
  • Cisco Modeling Labs Client Perspectives—Identifies the Design and Simulate perspectives, each of which is associated with an initial set of views and editors in your workbench.
    • From the Design perspective, you can design your network topology, build the node configurations, and check routing protocols. The Design perspective is the default perspective if you are launching the Cisco Modeling Labs client for the first time.
    • From the Simulate perspective, you can enable devices and modify configurations to run the simulations. When the nodes in your topology are fully initialized, you can connect to the consoles as you would connect to a router console.
  • Cisco Modeling Labs Client Editors—Provides alternative components within the Cisco Modeling Labs client from which you can create and edit topologies. Two editors are provided: Node Editor and Topology Editor.
    • The Node Editor shows the interface details for selected elements in the Topology Editor.
    • The Topology Editor is comprised of the Palette view and the canvas.
  • Cisco Modeling Labs Client Views—Provides alternative presentations of your topology, and methods for navigating the information in your workbench.
  • Cisco Modeling Labs Client Layout—Enables you to personalize your workbench, allowing you to rearrange, resize, reset, and move between views.

Menu Bar

The menu bar provides access to the complete list of actions that are possible in the Cisco Modeling Labs client.

Table 1 Menu Bar Items
Menu Action(s)
File Enables you to perform actions to a topology project, sub topology, or topology .virl file; set preferences for resources; and exit the Cisco Modeling Labs client.
  • New—Creates a new topology project folder, topology project, or topology .virl file. See Design a Topology Overview for more information.
  • Save—Saves the current Topology Editor contents.
  • Save As—Saves the current Topology Editor contents to a new file.
  • Print—Prints the current Topology Editor design.
  • Import—Imports a resource type (for example, a topology.virl file) into the Cisco Modeling Labs client. See Importing a Topology File for more information.
  • Export—Exports a resource type (for example, a topology.virl file) from the Cisco Modeling Labs client. See Exporting a Topology File for more information.
  • Close—Closes the current editor.
  • Close All—Closes all open editors.
  • Preferences—Opens the Preferences dialog box where you can update the settings for the Cisco Modeling Labs client. See Setting Preferences for the Cisco Modeling Labs Client for more information.
  • Switch Workspace—Allows you to select a workspace folder to use for your session.
  • Exit—Exits the Cisco Modeling Labs client.
Edit Enables you to manipulate resources on the canvas.
  • Undo—Cancels the most recent change.
  • Redo—Applies the most recent change that was removed.
  • Copy—Places a copy of the topology on the clipboard.
  • Paste—Pastes the topology from the clipboard to the canvas at the current cursor location.
  • Delete—Deletes the current topology.
  • Select All—Selects all objects in the current topology canvas.
  • Show Map Background—Displays a map background for the topology. (You must have Internet access to use this feature.)
  • Reset Note Subtype—Enables you to redefine a virtual node on the canvas. The node subtype installed with Cisco Modeling Labs is Cisco IOS. When Reset all interface names is selected, the interface IDs are reset sequentially, starting from the Minimum range.
  • Highlight Connection—Highlights all connections to and from the selected node.
  • Distribute Nodes—Aligns the nodes on the canvas evenly, either vertically or horizontally, or places them in a grid layout. (This feature is disabled when Show Map Background is chosen.)
  • Layout Nodes—Places nodes on the canvas in a tree layout or an F-R layout. (This feature is disabled when Show Map Background is selected.)
  • Alignment—Aligns the nodes on the canvas. Options are: left, center, right, top, middle, or bottom. (This feature is disabled when Show Map Background is selected.)
  • Group to Site—Groups two or more nodes within a site.
    Note    Sites are created within Cariden imports.
  • Ungroup to Site—Ungroups nodes from within a site, removing one layer of nesting.
View Enables you to see numerous perspectives within the Cisco Modeling Labs client.
  • Lists the view options for the selected perspective within the Cisco Modeling Labs client.
  • Allows you to filter your view results.
Zoom Provides zoom in and zoom out functionality from within the canvas.
Run Enables you to start and stop simulations, and to generate node configurations.
Search Enables you to perform topology searches and text searches within workspaces, topology projects, files, and working sets.
Help Displays the help topics for using the Cisco Modeling Labs client in a separate browser window.
  • Help Contents—Opens the Cisco Modeling Labs client support documentation.
  • Cheat Sheets—Helps you complete a task.
  • Generate Problem Report—Generates a detailed report of a problem, which can be submitted to Cisco Technical Assistance Center (Cisco TAC) for further investigation. See Generating Problem Reports for more information.
  • About Cisco Modeling Labs—Identifies version information and displays details pertaining to software installations.

Importing a Topology File

    Step 1   From the menu bar, choose File > Import. The Import dialog box appears.
    Step 2   From the drop-down list, choose Topology > Import Topology file from File System, and click Next.
    Step 3   Click Browse to locate the applicable .virl file.
    Step 4   In the right pane, check the check box for the applicable .virl file.
    Step 5   Click Finish to import the topology file.

    Exporting a Topology File

      Step 1   From the menu bar, choose File > Export.

      Note    To export a topology file, it must be open on the canvas of the Topology Editor.
      The Export dialog box appears.
      Step 2   From the drop-down list, choose Topology > Export Topology file to File System, and click Next.
      Step 3   Click Browse to select the directory to export the topology file to.
      Step 4   Click Finish to export the topology file.

      Generating Problem Reports

      The Cisco Modeling Labs client provides functionality that allows you to generate problem reports for any problems encountered in your topology. It is accessible from the menu bar under Help > Generate Problem Report.

      While all options are pre-selected, you can individually select the information you want to include in the report.


      Note

      When generating a problem report for your topology, you must have the topology containing the problem open on the canvas.

      Option Description
      Log File User interface .log file from the user's workspace.
      Consoles Content Current content from the Console view messages. These are messages from the server in response to AutoNetkit and simulation launch actions.
      Topology Editor Contents Contents of the currently open topology file in the Topology Editor canvas.
      Screenshot of the User Interface Screenshot showing the state of the user interface when the problem occurred.
      Web Services Setting Report of the Web Services details and errors.
      Additional Information Any additional information that users can provide to describe the problem.

      The generated problem report is saved to a .zip file where you can check the contents before sending it to the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (Cisco TAC) for investigation.

      Toolbar

      The toolbar is a compilation of icons representing commonly used actions. The toolbar is arranged below the menu bar and offers the same actions as the menu bar, in a single click. The following table outlines the actions that can be performed using the Cisco Modeling Labs client toolbar.

      Icon Function Description




      		New Topology Project Creates a new topology project. A topology project is a folder in which multiple topology files are stored. If you create many different topologies, you can set up different projects for the topologies you create.




      		New Topology File Creates a new topology file. A topology file is a .virl file where the network arrangement is designed.




      		Save Saves the current topology.




      		Print Prints the current topology.




      		Show Map Background Uses Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) coordinates to map a topology to precise geographic locations.
      Note    You must have Internet access to use this feature since it uses the map service from MapQuest to retrieve the latest map images.




      		Reset Node Subtype Resets the node subtypes. A node subtype defines the virtual machine running a particular operating system, for example, Cisco IOSv virtual software. You can also choose to reset all interface names.




      		Delete Deletes the currently selected element within the topology.




      		Undo Undoes the most recent action.




      		Redo Redoes the most recent undone action.




      		Zoom In Enlarges the topology view on the canvas.




      		Zoom Out Decreases the topology view on the canvas.




      		Distribute Nodes Aligns the nodes on the canvas either vertically or horizontally. Alternatively, arranges the nodes in a grid.




      		Layout Nodes Places the nodes on the canvas in a tree layout or an Fruchterman-Reingold (F-R) layout.
      • A basic tree layout allows you to choose a node as the root of the tree, and the nodes connected to the root become the children of that root node.
      • An F-R layout has connected nodes close to each other, while unconnected nodes are further apart from each other.




      		Alignment Aligns the nodes on the canvas either horizontally or vertically, and allows you to position them at various points on the canvas.




      		Group to Site Groups two or more nodes within a site. Sites can be nested, forming a hierarchical structure.




      		Ungroup Site Ungroups nodes from within a site, removing one layer of nesting.




      		Launch Simulation Launches a simulation.




      		Stop Simulations Stops a running simulation.




      		Update Router Configurations Generates configurations for the topology.

      Cisco Modeling Labs Client Components

      The three main components of the Cisco Modeling Labs client are described in the following sections:

      Cisco Modeling Labs Client Editors

      Editors are visual components within the Cisco Modeling Labs client. Currently, two editors are available:

      • Topology Editor—Shows the entire topology (or sites). The Topology Editor comprises the canvas and the Palette.
      • Node Editor—Shows the interface details for the currently selected elements in the Topology Editor.

      Note
      Selecting a connection in the Topology Editor shows the details of both the endpoints in the Node Editor.

      Topology Editor

      The Topology Editor allows you to:

      • Add, move, group, rename, and delete nodes and sites on the canvas, or change the properties.
      • Create or remove connections between nodes.
      • Use GPS coordinates to map your topology to precise geographic locations.
      Figure 2. Topology Editor



      Node Editor

      The Node Editor allows you to:

      • Add interfaces to a node.
      • Add connections to the interfaces on a node.
      • View nodes, their connections, and all the interfaces on the nodes.
      • Specify which interface the connection connects to on each node.
      • Update properties for interfaces.
      Figure 3. Node Editor



      Cisco Modeling Labs Client Perspectives

      A perspective defines the initial set and layout of views and editors in the workbench. The Cisco Modeling Labs client provides two perspectives. However, you can customize your own user-defined perspectives for use, which can be saved or deleted, as needed.

      The two perspectives provided in the Cisco Modeling Labs client are: Design and Simulation:
      • Design—Allows you to create and design your topologies, for example, adding devices and defining interfaces, and adding connections to devices within your network. If you are using the Cisco Modeling Labs client for the first time, the Design perspective opens by default.
      • Simulation—Allows you to simulate running configurations that are generated from virtual Cisco IOS versions.

      Note
      The Design and Simulation perspectives that are built into the Cisco Modeling Labs client cannot be deleted.

      One or more perspectives can exist in a single workspace. If multiple perspectives are opened at the same time, you can choose whether to layer them, or open them in a separate workspace.

      Working with Perspectives

      You can manage the various perspectives defined in the workbench under Perspectives preferences, choosing File > Preferences > General > Perspectives.

      Figure 4. Perspective Preferences



      The following table describes the Perspectives options:

      Table 2 Perspectives Options
      Option Description
      Open a new perspective Defines whether a new perspective opens in the current workbench, or opens in a new window. By default, a new perspective opens in the current workbench.
      Open a new view Defines whether a new view opens within the current perspective, or opens docked beside the current perspective (fast view). By default, a new view opens within the current perspective.
      New project options Defines perspective behavior when a new project is created. By default, a new project opens the perspective in the same workbench.

      The following table describes the Available Perspectives options:

      Table 3 Available Perspectives Options
      Option Description
      Make Default Sets the selected perspective as the default perspective.
      Revert Resets the definition of the selected perspective to the default configuration. This option is only applicable to system-defined perspectives.
      Delete Deletes the selected perspective. This option is only applicable to user-defined perspectives. (System-defined perspectives cannot be deleted.)

      Customizing Perspectives

      Cisco Modeling Labs 1.0 provides two perspectives for use in the workspace: the Design perspective and the Simulation perspective. These perspectives display various views and settings that cannot be changed, nor can they be deleted from the Cisco Modeling Labs 1.0 client. You can, however, customize additional Design and Simulation perspectives for your specific needs.

      From the View menu, you can open additional views and arrange them in your perspective. The views can be arranged by dragging them around the workspace. When finished, you can save the perspective.


      Note
      Right-click the applicable perspective tab to open the context menu, and then click Show Text. The Design perspective and the Simulation perspective buttons will be displayed as text labels instead of icons only.
        Step 1   Open the Design perspective or Simulation perspective in your workspace.

        Use this as an initial template from which to create a customized perspective.

        Step 2   To add new views, open the View menu to display the various views for use. Views already in use are shown as dimmed in the list.
        Step 3   To add node information, double-click a node to add a Node Editor in the perspective.
        Step 4   Click and drag the views and Node Editors to different positions within the workspace. For example, you can move each node's Console view so they are either side-by-side, or stacked in tabs.
        Step 5   When you are finished arranging the workspace, right-click the applicable perspective button, and then click Save As. You are prompted to name the new perspective.
        Step 6   Enter a name for the perspective and click OK.

        Design Perspective

        The Design perspective allows you to create and design your topologies. By default, the Design perspective incorporates the components listed here because they are the most widely used. However, you can customize a Design perspective to include a different set of components.

        • Palette view—Provides the node types, connection types, and sites used to design a topology.
        • Projects view—Lists topology projects, subfolders, and files defined from the workbench.
        • History view—Lists changes made to a file based on date and time stamp.
        • Properties view—Identifies node and interface properties.
        • Outline view—Lists structural elements of a topology.
        • Node Editor—Identifies nodes, node connections, and node interfaces.
        • Topology Editor—Develops a network topology.
        • Graph Overview—Provides methods for viewing a network topology.

        To customize a new Design perspective, choose the desired components from the View menu (for example, View > Other > Cisco Terminal), and then drag that component view to the desired location within the workbench. When you are done adding components to the workbench and the component views are laid out as desired, select Save As from the Design toolbar and enter a name for the new Design perspective.

        From the Design perspective, right-click the Design icon. This displays the following menu options:

        Table 4 Design Perspective Context Menu Options
        Operation Description
        Save As Saves the customized workbench layout, views, and editors as a new Design perspective.
        Reset Resets the current perspective to display the workbench design that was used when the workbench was first opened.
        Note    Any open editors, for example, Node Editor, are not closed when a perspective is reset. You must close them manually.
        Close Closes the current perspective. You can reopen it using the Open Perspective tool, which is located at the upper right corner of the window.
        Show Text Shows perspective names in the toolbar instead of icons, when selected.

        When deselected, shows perspective icons in the toolbar instead of names.

        Simulation Perspective

        The Simulation perspective opens after you launch a simulation; you are prompted to switch to the Simulation perspective. Switching to the Simulation perspective means that you can now connect to your running nodes in the Simulations view. By default, it incorporates the Topology Editor, Projects view, Simulations view, Console view, and Terminal view.

        From the Simulation perspective, right-click the Simulation icon. This, displays the following menu options:

        Table 5 Simulation Perspective Context Menu Options
        Operation Description
        Save As Saves the current perspective.
        Reset Resets the current perspective to its original configuration (when the workbench opened initially).
        Note    Any open editors, for example, Topology Editor, are not closed when a perspective gets reset to its original configuration. They are stacked as tabs in the default editor area for that perspective.
        Close Closes the current perspective. (Reopen it using the Open Perspective tool.)
        Show Text Displays perspective icons only. (No text is displayed in the toolbar.)

        Cisco Modeling Labs Client Views

        Views provide alternative methods for presenting topology information and navigating within your workbench. You can drag the view windows and position them anywhere within the workbench. Some views have their own toolbars, and some of the tools on these toolbars are specific to the views being presented.

        The most commonly used views within the Cisco Modeling Labs client are listed in the following table:
        Table 6 Commonly Used Views in the Cisco Modeling Labs Client
        View Name Perspective Where Used Description
        Console view Design and Simulation Design—Displays messages from AutoNetkit when it is used to generate router configurations.

        Simulation—Displays message streams from the Cisco Modeling Labs server after a simulation is launched.

        For more information, see Console View

        Graph Overview Design Provides you with the ability to view a scaled-down version of your entire topology.

        For more information, see Graph Overview

        History view Design Provides a history of changes made to a file and enables you to select a previous file version from the list. For more information, see History View
        Outline view Design Shows a list of the nodes in the topology and their interface connections.

        For more information, see Outline View

        Palette view Design Allows you to add devices and interface connections to your topology.

        For more information, see Palette View

        Problems view Design Displays errors, warnings, and other information that was detected within the Topology Editor.

        For more information, see Problems View

        Projects view Design and Simulation Provides a hierarchical view of topology projects, folders, and topologies in the workbench.

        For more information, see Projects View

        Properties view Design Displays names and properties of nodes and interfaces.

        For more information, see Properties View

        Search view Design

        Displays the results of a search, which can be based on text strings, regular expressions, and patterns, whole words and case-sensitive characters.

        For more information, see Search View
        Simulations view Simulation Displays information on all running simulations.

        For more information, see Simulations View

        Terminal view Simulation Displays console information when you connect to a node using Telnet.

        For more information, see Terminal View

        Console View

        The Console view displays message streams from the Cisco Modeling Labs server after a simulation is launched. It also displays messages from AutoNetkit when it is used to generate router configurations.

        Figure 5. Console View



        The Console view toolbar contains the following tools:
        Figure 6. Console View Toolbar



        Table 7 Available Tools
        Icon Function Description




        		Clear Console Removes all the information from the Console view.




        		Scroll Lock Switches scrolling on and off.




        		Pin Console Pins the Console view to the workbench so that subsequent message streams are shown in another Console view. The pinned view remains unchanged.




        		Display Selected Console Displays the Console view for the selected simulation.




        		Open New Console Opens a new Console view.




        		Minimize Reduces the size of the Console view.




        		Maximize Increases the size of the Console view.

        Note
        When several simulations are running, use the toolbar button Display Selected Console to toggle between the Console views for the different simulations.

        Graph Overview

        Graph Overview enables you to view a scaled-down version of your entire topology. A blue rectangle (representing an overlay) is used to indicate a portion of the topology that is currently being displayed in the Topology Editor. Using this overlay, you can easily see where the displayed portion sits in relation to the entire topology.

        The Graph Overview also allows you to navigate around a large topology when it is either too large to fit into the canvas, or is zoomed in and not fully displayed on the canvas.

        Figure 7. Graph Overview



        From the Graph Overview, click and drag the overlay to pan around your topology. As you drag the overlay, the corresponding content is reflected in the Topology Editor.

        History View

        When you create or modify a file, a history of record is maintained and a copy of the modified file is stored locally. This allows you to replace the current file with a previous version, or restore a file that has been deleted. You can also use the History view to compare the changes that were made to the local files. Each file's history, which is stored locally, is uniquely represented by the date and time at which the file was saved.

        Note
        Only changes made to topology files (.virl) are retained locally, changes made to projects and folders are not.
        Figure 8. History View



        To view the change history of a file, in the Projects view, right-click the applicable file and choose Team > Show Local History.

        The History view displays a list of revision times, with the most recent one highlighted at the top of the list.


        Note

        If you have a .virl file opened in the workbench, click the History tab to view the list of changes made to the file.

        The History view toolbar contains the following tools:
        Figure 9. History View Toolbar



        Table 8 Available Tools
        Icon Function Description




        		Refresh Refreshes the contents of the view, retrieving the latest history information for a file from the system.




        		Link with Editor and Selection Toggles when the History view selection is linked to the active editor. When this option is selected, changing the active editor automatically updates the History view selection to the project, folder, and file being edited.




        		Pin this History View Pins the view to the workbench and captures a snapshot of the file history information. New requests for file history are opened in a new instance of the History view.




        		Group Revisions by Date Sorts all history items by date. Options are:
        • Today
        • Yesterday
        • This Month
        • Previous




        		Collapse All Collapses all the history items listed in the hierarchical view.




        		Compare Mode Opens the compare editor for file comparison.

        Outline View

        The Outline view shows a list of the nodes in the topology and their interface connections. Node connectivity is shown through their interface connections.

        Figure 10. Outline View



        The Outline view toolbar contains the following tools:

        Figure 11. Outline View Toolbar



        Table 9 Available Tools
        Icon Function Description




        		Change Display Mode of Connection Allows you to choose various options when displaying connections:
        • Hide Connections—No connections are shown. Show Selected Connections—Displays only the connections that are selected in the Topology Editor.
        • Show Intra-Topology Connections—Displays only the connections between the sites in the topology.
        • Show Inter-Topology Connections—Displays only the connections that are within a site.
        • Show All Connections—Displays all the connections for all the nodes in the topology.




        		Sort Alphabetically Sorts and lists the node names in alphabetical order.




        		Sort By Node Type Sorts and lists the node types in alphabetical order.




        		Expand All Expands nodes, interfaces, and connections in the hierarchical view.




        		Collapse All Collapses all of the items in the hierarchical view.

        Palette View

        The Palette view allows you to add devices and interface connections to your topology. Using the Palette view, you can:

        • Add nodes, multipoint connections, L3 external Secure Network Address Translation (SNAT) connections, and L2 external (Flat) connections to your topologies.
        • Select nodes and connections for repositioning on the canvas.
        • Create connections between node interfaces.
        • Group nodes into sites.
        Figure 12. Palette View



        The Palette view is divided into the following categories:

        • Tools—Contains the Select and Connect tools. The Select tool allows you to select nodes, multipoint connections, L3 external (SNAT) connections, and L2 external (Flat) connections on the Topology Editor canvas. The Connect tool creates connections between node interfaces.

          Note
          The File > Preferences > Topology Editor setting affects how the nodes and connections are placed on the canvas. If you check the Revert back to the palette's default tool, check box, you must click a node, connection, or other object each time you place an object on the canvas. If the Revert back to the palette's default tool, check box is not checked, each time you click the canvas, an object is placed until you click the Select tool (the default palette tool).
        • Nodes—Contains the node types available for use in topologies. Currently, Cisco Modeling Labs 1.0 includes the Cisco IOSv virtual image. An Ubuntu 14.04 server has been tested with Cisco Modeling Labs 1.0. The Ubuntu server must be downloaded separately. To access the server, go to: http:/​/​cloud-images.ubuntu.com/​trusty/​current. From this page, download the clouding-amd64 RAW (img) image trusty-server-cloudimg-amd64-disk1.img.

          Note
          Additional node subtypes can be installed separately. See the Release Notes for Cisco Modeling Labs 1.0 for the most up-to-date list of supported virtual images.
        • General—Contains the different types of connection functions that are supported for nodes. Options are:
          • Multipoint connections
          • Layer 3 (L3) external connections
          • Layer 2 (L2) external connections
          You can also create sites.

        The Palette view toolbar contains the following tools:

        Figure 13. Palette View Toolbar



        Table 10 Available Tools
        Icon Tool Description




        		Minimize Reduces size of Palette view.




        		Maximize Increases size of Palette view.

        Problems View

        The Topology Editor automatically detects errors, warnings, or other information that are displayed on the topology elements in the Topology Editor and Node Editor. These markers can be viewed in the Problems view.

        Note
        By default, the Problems view displays all the errors and warnings for all the topologies in the Projects view, not just the currently open topology. From the Problems view toolbar, choose View Menu > Show > Errors/Warnings on Project to filter only those errors and warnings that are applicable to the current project. Alternatively, you can also use the Configure Contents dialog box, which is accessible from the View Menu option, to filter warnings and errors associated with a particular topology or topology project. See Problems View Toolbar for more information.
        Figure 14. Problems View



        The Problems view groups errors and warnings by severity, with the most critical issues listed first.

        Double-click the problem marker in the Problems view, which opens the appropriate editor in the Cisco Modeling Labs client. If the problem relates to an XML file, the XML file opens in a text editor. The problem is highlighted, allowing you to quickly identify the issue and correct it.

        Figure 15. Problem Example



        The Problems view toolbar contains the following tools:
        Figure 16. Problems View Toolbar



        Table 11 Available Tools
        Icon Function Description




        		View Menu The Problems view tool has the following options:
        • Show—Displays errors and warnings.
        • Group By—Groups problems under the headings Type, Severity, and None. The default is Severity.
        • Sort By—Sorts problems under the following headings:
          • Description—Details the problem encountered.
          • Resource—Displays the name of the .virl file where the problem has occurred.
          • Path—Displays the applicable project folder.
          • Location—Displays the location in the .virl file where the problem has occurred.
          • Type—Displays the type of problem, for example, XML problem.
        • New Problem View—Opens a new Problems view on the workbench.
        • Configure Contents—Opens the Configure Contents dialog box where you can add multiple filters to the Problems view and enable or disable them, as required. Filters can either be additive or exclusive. The All Errors/Warnings on Selection filter is provided by default.
        • Configure Columns—Opens the Configure Columns dialog box where you can choose to hide or show specific information about the problem encountered, as shown in the Sort By option. Options are:
          • Creation Time—Displays the time when the problem occurred.
          • Description, ID—Displays the system-generated ID for the problem, location, path, resource, and type.




        		Minimize Reduces the size of the Problems view.




        		Maximize Increases the size of the Problems view.
        The Quick Fix Option

        Problems displayed in the Problems view are provided with a Quick Fix option, if available. A Quick Fix is indicated by a light-bulb icon that is visible on the marker. When this option is selected, you are presented with one or more possible fixes.

        We recommend that you use Quick Fix to resolve the errors discovered, unless the errors have been deliberately created for testing purposes.

        Figure 17. Quick Fix



        To fix a problem:

        1. Right-click the line containing the problem, and select Quick Fix. The Quick Fix dialog box displays a list of possible solutions.
          Figure 18. Quick Fix Dialog Box



        2. Select a fix from the list, and then check the check box of any of the Resources listed in the Problems area. You can click Select All to apply the Quick Fix to all the Resources listed. Alternatively, you can click Deselect All to clear all selections.
        3. Click Finish.

        Note
        Once a problem has been fixed using the Quick Fix option, the action cannot be undone.

        Projects View

        The Projects view provides an hierarchical view of topology projects, folders, and topologies in the workbench. From here, you can open topologies for editing, or select resources for operations, such as exporting.

        Figure 19. Projects View



        Right-click any topology in the Projects view to open a context menu using which you can copy, move, and create new topology files, view comparison files, and so on.

        The Projects view toolbar contains the following tools:
        Figure 20. Projects View Toolbar



        Table 12 Available Tools
        Icon Function Description




        		Collapse All Collapses the hierarchy of all the resources in the Projects view.




        		Link with Editor Links the Projects view with an active editor. A change to an active editor automatically updates the Projects view and allows you to toggle between the two views.




        		View Provides options for customizing the content displayed in the Projects view. Options are:
        • Sort by filters
        • Sort by content




        		Minimize Reduces the size of the Projects view.




        		Maximize Increases the size of the Projects view.

        The Projects view displays several icons on the toolbar:

        Table 13 Project View Icons
        Icon Name Description




        		Topology Project Indicates an open topology project.




        		Folder Indicates an open folder. Folders are created within a Topology Project so that topology files can be organized into separate areas for greater accessibility.




        		Topology Indicates a topology file.

        Properties View

        The Properties view displays the names and properties of nodes and interfaces. If no specific node or interface is selected, the Properties settings apply globally to all the nodes and interfaces within a topology. If a specific node or interface is selected, the Properties settings apply to only that node or interface.

        Figure 21. Properties View



        The Properties view toolbar contains the following tools:
        Figure 22. Properties View Toolbar



        Table 14 Available Tools
        Icon Function Description




        		Show Categories Shows the available property categories.




        		Show Advanced Properties Shows all advanced properties.




        		Restore Default Value Restores the default value for the property.




        		Pin to Selection Pins this property view to the current selection.




        		View Menu Displays menu items that allow you to:
        • Open a new property view.
        • Pin the property view to the current selection.




        		Minimize Reduces the size of the Properties view.




        		Maximize Increases the size of the Properties view.

        The properties in the Properties view are discussed in the following sections:

        Node Properties

        When you select a node on the canvas, the properties for that node are displayed in the Properties view.

        Figure 23. Node Properties



        Under the Node tab, you can perform the following tasks:

        Table 15 Node Properties
        Property Description
        Name Specify a name for the node.
        Note    Use only alphanumeric characters for node names. Node names must be unique across the entire topology. Duplicate node names cause the build to fail when the configuration is autogenerated. If a duplicate node name is defined, a marker is shown in the Problems view. Unicode is not supported for node names. The use of a period in a node name may cause the node name to wrap when viewing the hierarchy from the Cisco Modeling Labs server. When you update a node name in the Node Properties view, the node name is not updated in the Node Editor.
        Subtype Specify a subtype from the list. Cisco Modeling Labs 1.0 includes a Cisco IOSv virtual image. Additional Cisco virtual images are available for use. However, they must be installed separately. For a list of supported subtypes, see the Release Notes for Cisco Modeling Labs 1.0.

        An Ubuntu 14.04 server has been tested with Cisco Modeling Labs 1.0. The Ubuntu server must be downloaded separately. To access the server, go to:

        http:/​/​cloud-images.ubuntu.com/​trusty/​current.

        From this page, download the clouding-amd64 RAW (img) image trusty-server-cloudimg-amd64-disk1.img.

        Use the Manage Subtypes tool to add or remove node subtypes from the list.

        Note    When changing a node subtype after it is initially configured using AutoNetkit, for example, changing it from Cisco IOSv to Cisco IOS XRv, you need to re-validate the AutoNetkit properties for the new node subtype.
        IPv4 Specify an IPv4 loopback address. The loopback address is added to the router as interface loopback0. Enter a valid IP address in the correct format.
        IPv6 Specify an IPv6 loopback address. The loopback address is added to the router as interface loopback0. Enter a valid IP address in the correct format.
        VM Image Specify a virtual machine (VM) image other than the default. Click Browse to choose a valid VM image from the Select VM Image dialog box.
        VM Flavor Specify a VM flavor other than the default. Click Browse to choose a valid VM flavor from the Select VM Flavor dialog box.
        Under the AutoNetkit tab, when you check the Auto-generate the configuration based on these attributes check box, the AutoNetkit generates the configuration for your topology when you click the Update Router Configurations icon on the toolbar.

        Note
        Any pre-existing configuration for a node is overwritten when you choose Update Router Configurations from the toolbar. Uncheck this Auto-generate check box if you do not want router configuration for a node updated by AutoNetkit.

        Using the properties listed, you can perform the following tasks:
        Table 16 AutoNetkit Properties
        Property Fields Description
        General ASN Specify the autonomous system number, which is used to infer IGP and BGP and should be any valid integer.
        IGP OSPF Configure an OSPF area. The default value is 0.
        iBGP iBGP Role Specify an iBGP role from the list and use it to create an iBGP topology. Options are:
        • Not specified
        • Disabled
        • Peer
        • Route Reflector (RR)
        • Hierarchical Route Reflector (HRR)
        • Route Reflector Client (RRC)
        The default value is Peer.
        RR Cluster Specify the RRC as a name or number. Should be an alphanumeric string.
        HRR Cluster Specify the HRR Cluster. Should be an alphanumeric string.
        MPLS VRF Name Specify an MPLS VPN name for VRF Lite.
        Enable MPLS TE Configure MPLS Traffic Engineering. Options are:
        • Unspecified
        • True
        • False
        The default value is False.
        Server Server Username Specify a username for the server.
        SSH Key Specify a secure shell key for the server.
        Note   

        An SSH key is required only if you want to connect to the VM server within the topology using an external application. Using the VNC option does not require an SSH key to be specified.

        Information displayed under the Configuration tab, depends on whether or not the Auto-generate the configuration based on these attributes check box under the AutoNetkit tab is checked.
        • When checked, AutoNetkit generates the configuration and displays it under the node's Configuration tab.
        • When unchecked, no configuration information is created for the node. You must configure the node manually, or cut and paste the existing configuration information into this area.

        Under the Extensions tab, all the extensions used to generate the configuration are listed along with Key, Value, and Type attributes.

        Topology Properties

        When you select an area on the canvas other than a node, the properties for that topology are displayed in the Properties view.

        Figure 24. Topology Properties



        Under the Topology tab, you can perform the following tasks:

        Table 17 Topology Properties
        Property Description
        Validation Rules Specify the rule type with which the topology is validated. Options are:
        • Not specified
        • VXR
        • VIRL
        For Cisco Modeling Labs 1.0, we recommend you accept the default value, Not specified.
        Management Networks Specify the type of Out of Band (OOB) external network access. Options are:
        • Not specified—No OOB external network access
        • Shared Flat Network—Enables OOB external network access to all the devices in the topology
        • Private User Network—Enables OOB external network access using Network Address Translation (NAT)
        The Nodes, Multipoint Connections, and Simple Connections properties are for information purposes only and are useful when monitoring the size of the topology to your current user quotas or licensing limits or both.

        Note
        Nodes in this instance includes node subtypes, Flat, and SNAT port groups.

        Under the AutoNetkit tab, you can perform the following tasks:

        Table 18 AutoNetkit Properties
        Property Fields Description
        General Enable CDP Configure the Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP). Options are:
        • True
        • False
        The default value is False.
        Enable onePK Configure the Cisco One Platform Kit (onePK). Options are:
        • True
        • False
        The default value is False.
        Addressing IP Address Family Configure a routing session to use IPv4 address prefixes, IPv6 address prefixes, dual stack (includes both native IPv4 and IPv6), or none. Options are:
        • Not specified
        • None
        • v4
        • v6
        • dual_stack
        IPv4 Infrastructure Subnet Specify the address to use for IPv4 infrastructure address allocations. This is the address assigned to the interface created on the router. The default value is 10.0.0.0. Enter a valid IP address in the correct format.
        IPv4 Infrastructure Prefix Specify the prefix to use for IPv4 infrastructure address allocations. The default value is 8. Enter a valid IP address in the correct format.
        IPv4 Loopback Subnet Specify the address to use for IPv4 loopback address allocations. The default value is 192.168.0.0. Enter a valid IP address in the correct format.
        IPv4 Loopback Pool Specify the prefix size to use for IPv4 loopback address allocations. The default value is 22. Enter a valid IP address in the correct format.
        IPv4 VRF Subnet Specify the address to use for IPv4 VRF address allocations, when specifying the address range for MPLS VRF. The default value is 172.16.0.0. Enter a valid IP address in the correct format.
        IPv4 VRF Prefix Specify the prefix to use for IPv4 VRF address allocations. The default value is 24.
        Routing Enable Routing Protocols Configure routing protocols (BGP and IGP). Options are:
        • Not specified
        • True
        • False
        The default value is True. If you specify False, there will be no router configuration for any of the routing protocols.
        IGP Configure the Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP). Options are:
        • OSPF
        • ISIS
        • EIGRP
        MPLS Enable MPLS OAM Configure MPLS OAM for all routes on the topology. Options are:
        • Not specified
        • True
        • False
        The default value is False.

        The following table shows the default IP Address values used by Cisco Modeling Labs. You can update these values as required.

        Table 19 IP Address Default Values
        Viewed from Option Default Value Optional Value(s)
        Topology > AutoNetkit > Addressing IP Address Family v4 None, v6, dual_stack
        IPv4 Infrastructure Subnet 10.0.0.0
        IPv4 Infrastructure Prefix 8
        IPv4 Loopback Subnet 192.168.0.0
        IPv4 Loopback Pool Prefix 22
        IPv4 VRF Subnet 172.16.0.0
        IPv4 VRF Prefix 24
        In Cisco Modeling Labs 1.0, AutoNetkit IPv6 handling code does not support the following:
        • The ability to manually specify IPs.
        • The ability for users to specify the IPv6 range in the Cisco Modeling Labs client.
        • The ability to divide out the allocation logic to permit both infrastructure and loopback to be automatically or manually created for either combination.

        The following table shows the default routing protocols used by Cisco Modeling Labs. You can update these values as required.

        Table 20 Routing Protocols Default Values
        Viewed from Option Default Value Optional Value(s)
        Topology > AutoNetkit > General Enable CDP false true
        Enable OnePK false true
        Topology > AutoNetkit > Routing Enable Routing Protocols true false
        IGP ospf isis, eigrp
        Topology > AutoNetkit > MPLS Enable MPLS OAM false true
        Node > AutoNetkit > General ASN 1 None or any valid integer
        Node > AutoNetkit > IGP OSPF Area 0 None or valid OSPF area number
        Node > AutoNetkit > iBGP iBGP Role Peer Disabled, RRC, HRR, RR
        RR Cluster (none) None or alphanumeric string
        HRR Cluster (none) None or alphanumeric string
        Node > AutoNetkit > MPLS VRF Name (none) None or alphanumeric string
        Enable MPLS TE false true
        Node > AutoNetkit > Server Server Username (none) Valid username
        Server SSH Key (none) (none)

        Note
        Only one IGP protocol is supported per simulation. Even though you can create multiple BGP ASs, the choice of IGP applies to all router devices in the simulation.

        Under the Extensions tab, all the extensions used to generate the configuration are listed, along with the Key, Value, and Type attributes.

        Interface Properties

        In the Node Editor, selecting an interface on the canvas displays properties for the interface in the Properties view.

        Under the Interface tab, you can perform the following tasks:

        Table 21 Interface Properties
        Property Description
        Name Specify a name for the interface.
        IPv4 Specify an IPv4 interface address and an IPv4 subnet prefix length.
        IPv6 Specify an IPv6 interface address and an IPv6 subnet prefix length.

        Note
        To delete an interface from the Node Editor canvas, select the interface, right-click and choose Delete from the context menu.

        Under the Extensions tab, all the extensions used to generate the configuration are listed, along with the Key, Value, and Type attributes.

        Connection Properties

        When you select a connection on the canvas, the properties of that connection are displayed in the Properties view.

        From Connection properties, you can associate a line style design with a connection between nodes. Line styles are visual aids that help you identify the connections used in your topology design.

        Search View

        To search for text string and files, click Search on the toolbar. The Search view displays the results of a search. A file search can be based on text strings, regular expressions, and patterns, in addition to whole words and case-sensitive characters. The scope of a file search can encompass a workspace, selected resources, or projects.


        Note
        Text searches are only performed on expressions contained in files with the extension .virl.

        The Search view also displays the results of a Git search that can be based on the same criteria as noted in a File search. However, the scope of a Git search can encompass a particular message, resource, or identification number in the code.

        Search criteria can be based on either a file or Git. The scope of a search can be general to all the topologies that are defined on Cisco Modeling Labs client, or specific to a particular project or file.

        Figure 25. Search View



        To use the search functionality, perform the following tasks:
        1. From the Cisco Modeling Labs client toolbar, click Search > File. The Search dialog box appears.
        2. In the Containing text field, enter the text string to search for. The Containing text field displays a list of recently performed searches to select from. Leave this field empty if you want to search for files only. Check or uncheck the Case sensitive check box depending on whether or not a case-sensitive search is to be performed. You can also check the Regular expression check box to enable more powerful searching capabilities. Check the Whole word check box if you want to search for whole words that are identical to the text string. Specify the types of files to include in the search in the File name patterns field.
        3. Click Choose to open the Select Types dialog box. This dialog box provides a quick way to select from a list of valid extensions.
        4. In the Scope area, specify the files and folders to include in the search. Valid options are:
          • The entire workspace
          • The currently selected resources in the workspace
          • A named working set
          • A customized group of files and folders. Use the Customize option to define the type of available searches from the Search Page Selection dialog box.
        5. Click Search to begin your search. The Search view appears with the results of the search listed. You can click the Cancel tool in the Search view to cancel your search while it is still in progress.

        The Search view toolbar contains the following tools:

        Figure 26. Search View Toolbar



        Table 22 Available Tools
        Icon Function Description




        		Remove Selected Matches Deletes all the highlighted matches from the search results.




        		Remove All Matches Deletes all the matches from the search results.




        		Expand All Expands each item in the Search view.




        		Collapse All Collapses each item in the Search view.




        		Run the Current Search Again Reruns the current search to retrieve previous search results or to reflect recent changes.




        		Cancel Current Search Cancels the search currently running.




        		Show Previous Searches Browses previously conducted searches to repeat a previous search, by selecting a previous search from the drop-down menu. You can also clear the search history.




        		Pin the Search View Pins the Search view so that subsequent search results are displayed in a separate Search view with the pinned view unchanged, in order to compare results.




        		View Menu Displays the search results as a tree or a list, filters the results using the Filters option, and sets the overall preferences for search using the Preferences option.




        		Minimize Reduces the size of the Search view.




        		Maximize Increases the size of the Search view.

        Simulations View

        The Simulations view displays information about all the running simulations, including:

        • Name of the user running the simulation
        • Name of the topology
        • Number of nodes in the running simulation
        • Current state of each node
        Figure 27. Simulations View



        Possible simulation states are:

        Table 23 Simulation States
        State Description
        ACTIVE Indicates that the launch worker process has successfully made all requests to OpenStack to deploy all simulation nodes.
        DONE Indicates that a simulation has been successfully stopped and no longer exists in the STD database.
        FAIL Indicates that the launch worker process failed.
        INIT Indicates that the simulation has just been created and is being launched.
        LAUNCHING This is a two-phase state: i) Necessary DB entries are created in the middleware and ii) Required networks are deployed.

        Failure in this phase results in the removal of the simulation; success results in the start of a launch worker process.

        STOP Indicates that a stop simulation request has been received.

        Possible node states are:

        Table 24 Node States
        State Description
        ACTIVE Indicates that the virtual machine process is successful. It may take a few minutes for the node to boot up and configure.
        BUILD Indicates that the virtual machine is starting, but the router image has not yet loaded.
        DELETED Indicates that the node has been requested for BUILD, but OpenStack has no information on the node at this time. Possibly, it was deleted. The node can be started when the simulation itself is ACTIVE.
        ERROR Indicates that the virtual machine process failed.
        IDLE Indicates that the virtual machine is in an unused state.
        PAUSED and SUSPENDED These two states can occur when:
        • The host environment is rebooted.
        • The node itself shuts down.
        • The operating system of the node crashes .
        • The virtualization process running the node crashes.
        In such instances, the appropriate action is to stop the nodes and then start the nodes again.
        Note    All configuration changes to the nodes are lost .
        SHUTOFF Indicates that the virtual machine is deployed but not actually running. This state can occur when:
        • The host environment is rebooted.
        • The node itself shuts down.
        • The operating system of the node crashes .
        • The virtualization process running the node crashes.
        In such instances, the appropriate action is to stop the nodes and then start the nodes again.
        Note    All configuration changes to the nodes are lost.
        UNDEPLOYED Indicates that the node has never requested to be deployed in OpenStack (started) or the request failed. This only occurs when the launch worker process is active but has not reached that specific node yet, or if the simulation is in the FAIL state.

        The Simulations view toolbar contains the following tools:

        Figure 28. Simulations View Toolbar



        Table 25 Available Tools
        Icon Function Description




        		Refresh the List Refreshes the list of simulations displayed in theSimulations view.




        		Minimize Reduces the size of the Simulations view.




        		Maximize Increases the size of the Simulations view.
        Topology Options

        The following operations are available, when you right-click the topology name in the Simulations view:
        Figure 29. Topology Options

        Table 26 Topology Options
        Operation Description
        Open messages console Opens the Console view, showing the message stream from Cisco Modeling Labs server for the selected topology. Message streams contain information on the topology launch, such as, the name of the launched topology, the date and time of the launch, and the current status of each node in the topology.
        Extract configurations Extracts router configurations for all the routers to a file saved locally.
        Note    All active console connections are automatically disconnected by Cisco Modeling Labs. All external Telnet connections to the console ports must be closed manually. The Stop simulation operation cannot be selected prior to the Extract configurations operation.
        Stop simulation Stops the running simulation. See the chapter Simulate the Topology Overview for more information on stopping and starting simulations.
        Node Options

        The following operations are available, when you right-click the node name in the Simulations view:
        Figure 30. Node Options



        Table 27 Node Options
        Operation Description
        Telnet Allows you to connect using Telnet to ports on a node.
        Telnet over Web Socket Allows you to connect using Telnet over a web socket to ports on a node. Web sockets provide full-duplex communications channels over a single connection.
        Attach to its VNC Displays a server Virtual Network Computing (VNC) login page.
        Note    This operation applies to the server only.
        Stop this node Stops the selected node.
        Start this node Starts the selected node. See the section Start a Single Node for more information.

        Terminal View

        The Terminal view is displayed when you connect via Telnet to a node. Using the Terminal view, you can communicate with and control the operating system running on the node.

        Figure 31. Terminal View



        The Terminal view toolbar contains the following tools:

        Figure 32. Terminal View Toolbar



        Table 28 Available Tools
        Icon Function Description




        		Disconnect Disconnects the terminal connection to the node.




        		Scroll Lock Sets scrolling on and off.




        		Display Selected Connections Allows you to select a connection from the list of active terminal connections.




        		Remove Terminal Closes the Terminal view.




        		Set Terminal Font Allows you to set the font to be used in the terminal, from the Colors and Fonts dialog box.
        Note    You can also access the Colors and Fonts dialog box by choosing File > Preferences > General > Appearance > Colors and Fonts.

        Setting Preferences for the Cisco Modeling Labs Client

        For the Cisco Modeling Labs client to operate, you must first identify certain setting preferences. These preferences are available from the menu bar under File > Preferences:

        These are discussed in the following sections.

        Node Subtypes Setting

        A node subtype defines a virtual machine running a particular operating system. For example, Cisco IOSv is installed with Cisco Modeling Labs, while others such as Cisco IOS XRv and Cisco CSR1000v can be installed separately. This setting allows you to add and remove node subtypes for use with the Cisco Modeling Labs client.

        Refer to the chapter User Workspace Management in the Cisco Modeling Labs Corporate Edition System Administrator Installation Guide for information on installing virtual machine images on the Cisco Modeling Labs server.

        Figure 33. Node Subtypes Setting



        The available operations for this setting are:
        Table 29 Node Subtypes Setting Operations
        Icon Operation Description




        		Add new Subtype Adds a new subtype to the list. To ensure that the new subtype is visible in the Palette view, set the value in the Show in Palette column to true. See Adding a New Node Subtype to the List.




        		Remove Subtype Removes a subtype from the list.
        Fetch from Server Updates the local subtypes based on the currently configured Cisco Modeling Labs server. All the subtypes supported on Cisco Modeling Labs server are available with this operation. See Fetching Node Subtypes from the Cisco Modeling Labs Server.
        Restore Defaults Reverts to the original list of subtypes.
        Apply Applies changes.

        Adding a New Node Subtype to the List

        To add a new node subtype to the node subtype list, perform the following tasks:

          Step 1   Click File > Preferences > Node Subtypes.
          Step 2   Click the Add new subtype button.
          1. In the Name column, enter a name for the new node subtype, for example, Server_Block1.
          2. In the Icon column, select an icon type from the drop-down list, for example app_server.
          3. In the Show in Palette column, click to select True to display the node subtype in the Palette view, else select False.
          4. In the Interface name format column, enter a name for the interface format, for example eth{0}.
          5. In the Min interface column, enter the minimum number of interfaces permissible for the node subtype, for example, 1.
          6. In the Max interface column, enter the maximum number of interfaces permissible for the node subtype, for example, 25.
          Figure 34. New Node Subtype Added



          Step 3   Click Apply and OK to save the updates.

          The newly added node subtype is available for use in the Palette view.

          Figure 35. New Node Subtype Visible in the Palette View



          Fetching Node Subtypes from the Cisco Modeling Labs Server

          To fetch new node subtypes from the Cisco Modeling Labs server, perform the following tasks:

            Step 1   Click File > Preferences > Node Subtypes.
            Step 2   Click the Fetch from Server button. The Confirm dialog box is displayed.
            Step 3   Click OK to update the list of node subtypes.
            Figure 36. Fetch Nodes Subtypes from Server



            Step 4   Click OK to finish.

            The updated list of node subtypes is available for use in the Palette view.

            Figure 37. Updated List of Node Subtypes Visible in the Palette View



            Contact your system administrator if a specific node subtype is missing from the list, as the system administrator is responsible for adding new node subtypes to the Cisco Modeling Labs server.

            Terminal Setting

            This setting allows you to launch an external terminal application, such as, SecureCRT or PuTTY, or use the internal Cisco Modeling Labs client Terminal view in a separate window.


            Note
            • If you are using the internal Cisco Modeling Labs Terminal view, the views are visible from both the Design or Simulation perspective. However, a detached view is only visible from the perspective in which it was detached.
            • If you are using an external terminal application, you must specify both Telnet and SSH run commands. You must also ensure that the title format includes the percentage (%) character. Omission of either of these requirements will impede your ability to save your setting preferences.
            • When you specify to use an external terminal via File > Preferences > Terminal > Cisco Terminal and then Telnet over Web Socket to a virtual machine, the terminal opens internally, not externally as specified.
            Figure 38. Terminal Setting



            The available operations for this setting are:
            Table 30 Terminal Setting Operations
            Operation Description
            Detached internal Terminal view Launches the Terminal view in a separate window.
            Title format Allows you to add a Terminal view title using the required formatting characters.
            Use internal Terminal view Uses the Cisco Modeling Labs internal Terminal view.
            Use external terminal application Uses an external terminal application, such as SSH or PuTTY.
            Telnet command Specifies the Telnet command to run if you are using an external terminal application.
            SSH command Specifies the SSH command to run if you are using an external terminal application.
            Restore Defaults Removes settings specified for an external terminal application and restores terminal settings to the Cisco Modeling Labs internal Terminal view.
            Apply Applies changes.

            Topology Editor Setting

            This setting allows you to customize the Topology Editor in the Cisco Modeling Labs client.

            Figure 39. Topology Editor Setting



            The available operations for this setting are:

            Table 31 Topology Editor Setting Operations
            Operation Description
            Revert back to the palette's default tool Resets the definition of the Palette view tools, Select and Connect to their default configuration. This option is disabled by default.
            Associate new connection with interfaces silently Enables the following:
            • When selected, interfaces are automatically assigned to connections between nodes.
            • When deselected, you are presented with a list of available interfaces.
            Disable shortest path algorithm if connection amount > (greater than) Enables the following:
            • When the number of connections in the topology exceeds the value set in this field, the internal algorithm used to connect nodes will not be the shortest path algorithm.
            Restore Defaults Restores settings to the initial default state.
            Apply Applies changes.

            Web Services Setting

            This setting allows you to configure the Cisco Modeling Labs client to communicate with the Cisco Modeling Labs server. When you first launch the Cisco Modeling Labs client, the Active profile is not specified and the Web Services that are listed display an Unauthorized message in red. This message relates to the Master Credentials, which must be still be set before the Cisco Modeling Labs client can communicate with the Cisco Modeling Labs server.

            Figure 40. Web Services Setting



            The available operations for this setting are:

            Table 32 Web Services Setting Operations
            Operation Description
            Active profile Identifies an active profile that has been defined on the Cisco Modeling Labs client. You can define a new active profile, and edit or delete an existing active profile.
            Master Credentials Specifies a username and password for accessing the Cisco Modeling Labs server. These credentials are provided by the system administrator.
            Web Services
            Lists the Web Services needed for the Cisco Modeling Labs server and the Cisco Modeling Labs client to communicate with each other. The Web Services listed are:
            • Roster
            • Simulation Engine
            • OpenStack
            • AutoNetkit
            Note    After you have set up your profile with the correct Base URI, each of the Web Services will display a Compatible message in green, indicating that the Cisco Modeling Labs client can communicate with the Cisco Modeling Labs server.
            Store encrypted passwords in system's secure storage Encrypts passwords and stores them locally on the Cisco Modeling Labs client. To change the settings for managing the encrypted passwords, choose File > Preferences > General > Security > Secure Storage. See the Secure Storage Setting for more information.
            Restore Defaults Restores settings to the initial default state.
            Apply Applies changes.

            AutoNetkit Visualization Setting

            The AutoNetkit Visualization feature is available only when node configurations are built using the parameters defined in AutoNetkit. If AutoNetkit Visualization is turned off, you cannot get a true representation of your topology.

            AutoNetkit Visualization is used to determine how AutoNetkit presents graphical representations of topology-specific attributes, such as nodes, links, and interfaces, during the build phase. The graphical representations can be presented as a physical perspective of a network topology or based on a protocol perspective.

            For AutoNetkit Visualization to operate, the Cisco Modeling Labs client must be connected to the Cisco Modeling Labs server. The nodes in the network topology must be set to open AutoNetkit Visualization either automatically, or after receiving a prompt.

            To access this setting, choose File > Preferences > Web Services > AutoNetkit Visualization.

            Figure 41. AutoNetkit Visualization Setting



            The available operations for this setting are:
            Table 33 AutoNetkit Visualization Setting Operations
            Operation Description
            Preferred Web browser engine Specifies the external web browser to use when displaying AutoNetkit Visualization results. Options are:
            • Default—the default system browser
            • WebKit—based on the Safari web browser
            • Mozilla Firefox
            Note    You are required to use Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Apple Safari as your default web browser. Internet Explorer is not supported for AutoNetkit Visualization or for the User Workspace Management interface.
            Test all browser engines Tests the supported browsers that are available.
            View configuration changes Specifies whether to view configuration changes after a new build is generated. Options are:
            • Always
            • Never
            • Prompt
            The default value is Prompt.
            Open AutoNetkit Visualization Specifies when to open a browser window to display AutoNetkit Visualization. Options are:
            • Always
            • Never
            • Prompt
            The default value is Prompt.
            Visualization port Assigns a port value to the Web Service supporting AutoNetkit Visualization. The default port is 8000. However, the port might need to be changed depending on your network, for example, if a firewall is blocking that port. The port value should be provided by the system administrator.
            Note    If an incorrect port value is entered, you will be prompted with an error during the build stage.
            Restore Defaults Restores the default state for the preferred web browser engine and restores the default port value assigned to AutoNetkit Visualization.
            Apply Applies changes .

            Web Browser Setting

            This setting allows you to add, remove, or edit installed browsers. The selected browser is used by default when web pages are opened in the Cisco Modeling Labs client for AutoNetkit Visualization.

            Figure 42. Web Browser Setting



            The available operations for this setting are:
            Table 34 Web Browser Setting Operations
            Operation Description
            Use internal web browser Allows you to use an internal web browser built into the Cisco Modeling Labs client to view AutoNetkit Visualization.
            Use external web browser Allows you to use an external web browser. You can add new browsers, delete or edit existing browsers, or search for new browsers to use.
            Note    You are required to use Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Apple Safari as your default web browser. Internet Explorer is not supported for AutoNetkit Visualization or for the User Workspace Management interface.
            Restore Defaults Restores settings to the initial default state.
            Apply Applies changes.

            Secure Storage Setting

            This setting configures security preferences and encryption requirements for storing system passwords.

            Figure 43. Secure Storage Setting



            The Password tab pools functionality related to the master password life-cycle and password providers.

            The available options are:
            Table 35 Password Tab Options
            Option Description
            Clear Passwords Clears cached master passwords from memory.
            Master password providers Lists the currently available password providers. By default, the enabled provider with the highest priority is used to encrypt the data added to secure storage. The priority range is from 0 to 10, with 10 being the highest priority.
            Note    Data can only be decrypted by the same provider that encrypted the data. By default, all password providers are enabled. Each password provider that has been used at least once will have a master password associated with it. The Details text box provides information on the master password providers.
            Change Password Changes the master password of the selected password provider.
            Recover Password Opens the password recovery dialog box. Use this option if you have forgotten the master password and have configured password recovery questions. The button is disabled if the password recovery setup was cancelled when the master password was created.
            Note    The answers for the password recovery questions must be entered exactly as they were during the password recovery setup. Answers are case-sensitive, and white space inside answers are relevant.
            Restore Defaults Restores to the initial default state.
            Apply Applies changes.

            The Contents tab displays contents of the default secure storage. Secure storage is organized as a tree, where nodes represent the context of information and values associated with each node. Selecting a node in the tree displays a table of values associated with that node. Values stored in a nonencrypted form will be displayed; the encrypted values will be shown as *********. At the bottom of this tab, you will find the actual file location used to persist secure storage data. To force the changes to the contents of secure storage to be saved, click Save.

            To delete stored data in order to recover from an error or to reflect a change in the setup, click Delete. This deletes the contents of secure storage. In some cases, other parts of the application may depend on the contents of secure storage that you deleted.

            Caution
            To avoid unexpected errors, we recommend that you restart the application after secure storage has been deleted.

            The Advanced tab provides a list of algorithms to further configure secure storage. Changes in the encryption algorithm are applied only to the data stored after a change. If you have already created a secure storage, you must first delete it and then re-create it to use the newly selected encryption algorithm.

            Resetting the Secure Storage Password

            When the Secure Storage feature is used for the first time, it generates a master password that is used to encrypt the data. In the future, this same master password will be required to retrieve the data from secure storage. If the master password becomes unavailable, the Secure Storage feature provides optional support for password recovery.

            Two methods are used to reset the secure storage password.

            Method 1

            1. From within Cisco Modeling Labs client, choose File > Preferences > General > Security > Secure Storage.
            2. Click Change Password. The Secure Storage dialog box appears.
            3. Click Yes. The Password Recovery dialog box appears.
            4. Enter details for Question 1 and Question 2, along with answers for both. Take note of the answers you provide, as these are treated as secondary passwords.
            5. Click OK.

            Method 2

            If you are unable to access the Cisco Modeling Labs client due to a lost or forgotten secure storage password, complete the following steps:

            1. Move to the <user-home>/.eclipse/org.eclipse.equinox.security folder.
            2. Delete the file secure_storage.
            3. Open Cisco Modeling Labs client and provide details for the secure storage password, when prompted.