Editing IP Fabric for Media (IPFM) Fabric Settings

 
Updated August 14, 2025
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New and changed information

The following table provides an overview of the significant changes up to this current release. The table does not provide an exhaustive list of all changes or of the new features up to this release.

Release Version Feature Description

Nexus Dashboard 4.1.1

Improved navigation and workflow when editing IP Fabric for Media (IPFM) fabric settings

Beginning with Nexus Dashboard 4.1.1, Nexus Dashboard enhanced the navigation and workflow when editing IPFM fabric settings.

Nexus Dashboard 4.1.1

Support for creating a Data Center VXLAN and an IPFM fabric on the same Nexus Dashboard cluster

With this release, Nexus Dashboard added support for creating a Data Center VXLAN and an IPFM fabric on the same cluster. The fabrics do not share data. For more information, see the section "Create fabric groups" in Creating LAN and ACI Fabrics and Fabric Groups. For scale information, see the Cisco Nexus Dashboard Verified Scalability Guide.

Understanding IPFM fabrics

The IP Fabric for Media (IPFM) fabric type is part of a LAN fabric.

Choose the IP Fabric for Media fabric to automate the creation of IP-based broadcast production networks on Cisco Nexus (NX-OS) switches.

This article describes how to edit an IPFM fabric that you already created. For instructions on creating a new IPFM fabric, see Creating LAN and ACI Fabrics and Fabric Groups.

Editing an IPFM fabric

Follow these procedures to edit an IPFM fabric.

  1. Navigate to the main Fabrics page:

    Manage > Fabrics

  2. In the table showing all of the Nexus Dashboard fabrics that you have already created, locate the row with the IPFM fabric that you want to edit.

  3. Click the circle next to the appropriate fabric to choose it, then click Actions > Edit Fabric Settings.

    note.svg

    You can also access the Edit fabric-name settings page for a fabric by navigating to that fabric’s Overview page, then clicking Actions > Edit fabric settings.

  4. On the Edit fabric-name settings page, click the appropriate tab to edit fabric settings in these areas.

General

In the General tab, edit the fabric settings that you configured when you first created this fabric.

Fabric type Description

Name

The name for the fabric. Even though this field is shown, it is not editable.

Type

Displays the type of fabric. This field is not editable.

Location

Change the location for the fabric, if necessary.

License tier for fabric

Change the licensing tier for the fabric, if necessary:

  • Essentials

  • Advantage

  • Premier

Click on the information icon (i) next to License tier for fabric to see what functionality is enabled for each license tier.

Security domain

Change the security domain for the fabric, if necessary.

What’s next: Complete the configurations in another tab if necessary, or click Save when you have completed the necessary configurations for this fabric.

Fabric management

In the Fabric management tab, click the appropriate subtab to edit fabric settings in these areas.

General Parameters

The General Parameters tab is displayed by default. The fields in this tab are described in the following table.

Field Description

Fabric Interface Numbering

Supports only numbered, point-to-point, networks.

Fabric Subnet IP Mast

Specifies the subnet mask for the fabric interface IP addresses.

Fabric Routing Protocol

Specifies the Cisco Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (IGP) used in the fabric. Options are:

  • OSPF — Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) is an IGP designed for IP networks that supports IP subnetting and tagging of externally derived routing information. OSPF also allows packet authentication and uses IP multicast when sending and receiving packets.

  • IS-IS — Integrated Intermediate System-to-Intermediate Systems (IS-IS) is a link-state IGP for propagating information required to build a complete network connectivity map on each participating device. The map is then used to calculate the shortest path to destinations.

Fabric Routing Loopback Id

Specifies that the loopback interface ID is populated as 0 since loopback0 is usually used for fabric-underlay IGP peering purposes. The valid value ranges are from 0 to 1023.

Manual Fabric IP Address Allocation

Check this check box to disable dynamic allocation of the fabric IP address.

By default, Nexus Dashboard allocates the underlay IP address resources (for loopbacks, fabric interfaces, and so on) dynamically from the defined pools. If you check the check box, the allocation scheme switches to static, and some of the dynamic IP address range fields are disabled. For static allocation, the underlay IP address resources must be populated into the Resource Manager (RM) using REST APIs.

For more information, see the Cisco REST API Reference Guide, Release 12.0.1a. The REST APIs must be invoked after the switches are added to the fabric and before you use the Save & Deploy option.

Changing from static to dynamic allocation keeps the current IP resource usage intact. Only future IP address allocation requests are taken from dynamic pools.

Fabric Routing Loopback IP Range

Specifies the range of loopback IP addresses for protocol peering.

Fabric Subnet IP Range

Specifies the IP addresses for the underlay point-to-point routing traffic between the interfaces.

Enable Performance Monitoring

Check this check box to monitor the performance of the fabric.

Ensure that you do not clear interface counters from the command-line interface of the switches. Clearing interface counters can cause the Performance Monitor to display incorrect data for traffic utilization. If you must clear the counters and the switch has both clear counters and clear counters snmp commands (not all switches have the clear counters snmp command), ensure that you run both the main and the SNMP commands simultaneously. For example, you must run the clear counters interface ethernet slot/port command followed by the clear counters interface ethernet slot/port snmp command. This can lead to a one time spike.

What’s next: Complete the configurations in another tab if necessary, or click Save when you have completed the necessary configurations for this fabric.

Multicast

You can configure and monitor both Non-Blocking Multicast (NBM) active and passive VRFs. In NBM passive mode, Nexus Dashboard is involved only in the monitoring of the IPFM fabric and not configuration except in setting up VRF mode as NBM passive.

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  • You cannot deploy a VRF on a switch in read-only memory (ROM).

  • In NBM or regular multicast, both sender and receiver must be in the same fabric to display active flow.

The fields in this tab are described in the following table.

Field Description

Enable NBM Passive Mode

Check this check box to enable NBM mode to Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) passive mode. If you enable NBM passive mode, the switch ignores all rendezvous point (RP) and Multicast Source Discovery Protocol (MSDP) configurations. This is a mandatory check box.

If you check this check box, the remaining fields and check boxes are disabled. For more information, see the Configuring an NBM VRF for Static Flow Provisioning section of the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OS IP Fabric for Media Solution Guide, Release 10.2(x).

You must add the IP PIM Passive command when you add the VRF that is in passive mode to the interface.

Perform the steps below to add the IP PIM Passive command:

  1. On the Fabric Overview page, choose Links > Links.

  2. Select the appropriate fabric with the policy int_ipfm_intra_fabric_num_link and choose Actions > Edit.

    The Link Management - Edit Link page appears.

  3. On the General Parameters tab, enter the default VRF for the Interface VRF name.

  4. Click the Advanced tab, enter IP PIM Passive on the Source Interface Freeform Config and Destination Interface Freeform Config fields.

  5. Click Save.

    note.svg

    You cannot edit the existing fabric to change the NBM mode. You must delete and recreate the fabric to change the NBM mode from active to passive mode or vice versa.

Enable ASM

Check this check box to enable groups with receiver sending (*,G) joins.

If you check this check box, you enable the Any source multicast (ASM)-related section.

NBM Flow ASM Groups for default VRF (w/wo SPT-Threshold Infinity)

Specifies ASM-related information.

  1. Click the expander arrow next to the title of this section to collapse or expand the section.

  2. Use the Actions drop-down list to add, edit, or delete the ASM groups in the table.

    Add - Choose this option to open the Add Item dialog box.

  3. In the Add Item dialog box, perform the following steps:

    1. Enter the appropriate values in the fields and check or clear the check box as follows:

      • Group_Address — Specifies the IP address for the NBM flow ASM group subnet.

      • Prefix — Specifies the subnet mask length for the ASM group subnet.

        The valid value for the subnet mask length ranges from 4 to 32. For example, 239.1.1.0/25 is the group address with the prefix.

    2. Enable_SPT_Threshold-- Check this check box to enable the shortest path tree (SPT) threshold infinity.

  4. Click Save to add the configured NBM flow ASM groups to the table or click Cancel to discard the values.

  5. Edit - Check the check box next to the group address and then choose this option to open the Edit Item page.

  6. Open the edit item and edit the ASM group parameters.

  7. Click Save to update the values in the table or click Cancel to discard the values.

  8. Check the Delete check box next to the group address and then choose this option to delete the ASM group from the table.

The table displays the values for the group address, prefix, and the enabled-SPT threshold.

What’s next: Complete the configurations in another tab if necessary, or click Save when you have completed the necessary configurations for this fabric.

Protocols

The fields in this tab are shown below.

Field Description

Fabric Routing Protocol Tag

Specifies the routing process tag for the fabric.

OSPF Area Id

Specifies the OSPF area ID, if OSPF is used as the IGP within the fabric.

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The OSPF or IS-IS authentication fields are enabled based on your selection in the Fabric Routing Protocol field in the General Parameters tab.

Enable OSPF Authentication

Check the check box to enable OSPF authentication. Clear the check box to disable it.

If you enable this field, the OSPF Authentication Key ID and the OSPF Authentication Key fields get enabled.

OSPF Authentication Key ID

Indicates that the key ID is populated.

OSPF Authentication Key

Ensure that the OSPF authentication key is the Triple Data Encryption Standard (3DES) key from the switch.

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Plain-text passwords are not supported.

Log in to the switch, retrieve the encrypted key, and enter it in this field.

For more information, see the Retrieving the authentication key section for details.

IS-IS Level

Choose the IS-IS level.

Available options are:

  • level-1

  • level-2

Enable IS-IS Network Point-to-Point

Enables network point-to-point on numbered fabric interfaces.

Enable IS-IS Authentication

Check the check box to enable IS-IS authentication. Clear the check box to disable it.

If you enable this field, the IS-IS Key ID field is auto populated.

IS-IS Authentication Keychain Name

Specifies the name of the IS-IS key chain.

IS-IS Authentication Key ID

Specifies the IS-IS authentication key ID.

IS-IS Authentication Key

Specifies the encrypted IS-IS authentication key.

Log in to the switch, retrieve the encrypted key, and enter it in this field.

A plain-text password gets converted to a Cisco type 7 password.

For more information, see the Retrieve the encrypted IS-IS authentication key section for details.

Enable PIM Hello Authentication

Enables the PIM hello authentication.

PIM Hello Authentication Key

Specifies the PIM hello authentication key.

What’s next: Complete the configurations in another tab if necessary, or click Save when you have completed the necessary configurations for this fabric.

Advanced

The fields in this tab are shown below.

Field Description

Intra Fabric Interface MTU

Specifies the maximum transmission unit (MTU) for the intra fabric interface.

This value must be an even number.

The valid values range from 576 to 9216. This is a mandatory field.

Layer 2 Host Interface MTU

Specifies the MTU for the Layer 2 host interface.

This value must be an even number.

The valid values range from 1500 to 9216.

Power Supply Mode

Choose the appropriate power supply mode that will be the default mode for the fabric from the drop-down list.

This is a mandatory field.

Enable CDP for Bootstrapped Switch

Check this check box to enable the Cisco Discovery Protocol on the management (mgmt0) interface for a bootstrapped switch. By default, for bootstrapped switches, Cisco Discovery Protocol is disabled on the mgmt0 interface.

Enable AAA IP Authorization

Enables AAA IP authorization, when IP Authorization is enabled in the remote authentication server.

This is required to support Nexus Dashboard in scenarios where customers have strict control of which IP addresses can have access to the switches.

Enable NDFC as Trap Host

Check this check box to enable Nexus Dashboard as an SNMP trap destination. Typically, for a native HA Nexus Dashboard deployment, the eth1 VIP IP address will be configured as SNMP trap destination on the switches. By default, this check box is enabled.

Enable Precision Time Protocol (PTP)

Enables PTP across a fabric.

When you select this check box, PTP is enabled globally and on intra fabric interfaces. Additionally, the PTP Source Loopback Id and PTP Domain Id fields are editable. For more information, see Configuring PTP for IPFM fabrics.

PTP Source Loopback Id

Specifies the loopback interface ID loopback that is used as the source IP address for all PTP packets.

The valid values range from 0 to 1023.

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The PTP loopback ID cannot be the same as the RP loopback ID. Otherwise, an error appears. The PTP loopback ID can be the same as the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) loopback or user-defined loopback that is created from Nexus Dashboard. The PTP loopback will be created automatically if it is not created.

PTP Domain Id

Specifies the PTP domain ID on a single network. The valid values range from 0 to 127.

PTP Profile

Select a PTP profile from the list.

The PTP profile is enabled only on Inter-Switch Links (ISL) links. The supported PTP profiles are IEEE-1588v2, SMPTE-2059-2, and AES67-2015.

Leaf Freeform Config

Adds CLIs that should be added to switches that have the Leaf, Border, and Border Gateway roles.

Spine Freeform Config

Adds CLIs that should be added to switches with a Spine, Border Spine, Border Gateway Spine, and Super Spine roles.

Intra-fabric Links Additional Config

Adds CLIs that should be added to the intra fabric links.

What’s next: Complete the configurations in another tab if necessary, or click Save when you have completed the necessary configurations for this fabric.

Freeform

The fields in this tab are shown below. For more information, see "Enabling Freeform Configurations on Fabric Switches" in Configuring Switches for LAN and IPFM Fabrics.

Field Description

Leaf Pre-Interfaces Freeform Config

Enter additional CLIs, added before interface configurations, for all Leafs and Tier2 Leafs as captured from Show Running Configuration.

Spine Pre-Interfaces Freeform Config

Enter additional CLIs, added before interface configurations, for all Spines as captured from Show Running Configuration.

Leaf Post-Interfaces Freeform Config

Enter additional CLIs, added after interface configurations, for all Leafs and Tier2 Leafs as captured from Show Running Configuration.

Spine Post-Interfaces Freeform Config

Enter additional CLIs, added after interface configurations, for all Spines as captured from Show Running Configuration.

Intra-fabric Links Additional Config

Add CLIs that should be added to the intra-fabric links.

Manageability

The fields in this tab are shown below.

Field Description

DNS Server IPs

Specifies the comma-separated list of IP addresses (IPv4 or IPv6) of the Domain Name System (DNS) servers.

DNS Server VRFs

Specifies one VRF for all DNS servers or a comma-separated list of VRFs, one per DNS server.

NTP Server IPs/Hostnames

Specifies a comma-separated list of IP addresses (IPv4/IPv6) or hostnames for the NTP server. Hostnames are limited to 80 characters in length and must not contain any whitespace or special characters, except for hyphens (-) and periods (.).

NTP Server VRFs

Specifies one VRF for all NTP servers or a comma-separated list of VRFs, one per NTP server.

Syslog Server IPs/Hostnames

Specifies a comma-separated list of IP addresses (IPv4/IPv6) or hostnames for the Syslog server. Hostnames are limited to 199 characters in length and should not contain any whitespace or special characters, except for hyphens (-) and periods (.).

Syslog Server Severity

Specifies a comma-separated list of syslog severity values, one per syslog server.

The minimum value is 0 and the maximum value is 7.

To specify a higher severity, enter a higher number.

Syslog Server VRFs

Specifies one VRF for all syslog servers or a comma-separated list of VRFs, one per syslog server.

AAA Freeform Config

Specifies the AAA freeform Configurations.

If AAA configurations are specified in the fabric settings, a switch_freeform Policy Template Instance (PTI) with a source as UNDERLAY_AAA and description as AAAConfigurations is created.

What’s next: Complete the configurations in another tab if necessary, or click Save when you have completed the necessary configurations for this fabric.

Bootstrap

The fields in this tab are shown below.

Field Description

Enable Bootstrap

Check this check box to enable the bootstrap feature.

Bootstrap functionality allows easy day-0 import and bring-up of new devices into an existing fabric.

Bootstrap functionality leverages the NX-OS PowerOn Auto Provisioning (POAP) functionality.

After you enable bootstrap functionality, you can enable the DHCP server for automatic IP address assignment for POAP using one of the following methods:

  • External DHCP Server

    Enter information about the external DHCP server in the Switch Mgmt Default Gateway and Switch Mgmt IP Subnet Prefix fields.

  • Local DHCP Server

    Enable the Local DHCP Server check box and enter details for the remaining mandatory fields.

Enable Local DHCP Server

Check this check box to initiate enabling of automatic IP address assignment through the local DHCP server.

When you check this check box, the DHCP Scope Start Address and DHCP Scope End Address fields become editable.

If you do not check this check box, Nexus Dashboard uses the remote or external DHCP server for automatic IP address assignment.

DHCP Version

Select DHCPv4 or DHCPv6 from this drop-down list.

When you select DHCPv4, the Switch Mgmt IPv6 Subnet Prefix field is disabled.

If you select DHCPv6, the Switch Mgmt IP Subnet Prefix field is disabled.

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Cisco Nexus 9000 and 3000 series switches support IPv6 POAP only when switches are either Layer 2 adjacent (eth1 or out-of-band subnet must be a /64) or they are Layer 3 adjacent residing in some IPv6 /64 subnet. Subnet prefixes except /64 are not supported.

DHCP Scope Start Address

Specifies the first IP address in the IP address range to be used for the switch out-of-band POAP.

DHCP Scope End Address-

Specifies the last IP address in the IP address range to be used for the switch out-of-band POAP.

Switch Mgmt Default Gateway

Specifies the default gateway for the management VRF on the switch.

Switch Mgmt IP Subnet Prefix

Specifies the prefix for the mgmt0 interface on the switch. The prefix should be between 8 and 30.

DHCP scope and management default gateway IP address specification

If you specify the management default gateway IP address 10.0.1.1 and subnet mask 24, ensure that the DHCP scope is within the specified subnet, between 10.0.1.2 and 10.0.1.254.

Switch Mgmt IPv6 Subnet Prefix

Specifies the IPv6 prefix for the mgmt0 interface on the switch. The prefix should be between 64 and 126. This field is editable if you enable IPv6 for DHCP.

Enable AAA Config

Check this check box to include an AAA configurations from the Manageability tab as part of the device startup configuration post bootstrap.

Bootstrap Freeform Config

(Optional) Enter additional commands as needed. For example, if you require some additional configurations to be pushed to the device and be available post device bootstrap, they can be captured in this field, to save the desired intent. After the devices boot up, they will contain the configuration defined in the Bootstrap Freeform Config field.

Copy-paste the running configuration to a freeform config field with the correct indentation, as seen in the running configuration on the NX-OS switches. The freeform config must match the running configuration.

For more information on resolving freeform configuration errors in switches, see the Working with Inventory in Your Nexus Dashboard LAN or IPFM Fabrics.

DHCPv4/DHCPv6 Multi Subnet Scope

Specifies the field to enter one subnet scope per line. This field is editable after you check the Enable Local DHCP Server check box.

The format of the scope should be defined as:

DHCP Scope Start Address, DHCP Scope End Address, Switch Management Default Gateway, Switch Management Subnet Prefix

For example, 10.6.0.2,10.6.0.9,10.6.0.1,24

What’s next: Complete the configurations in another tab if necessary, or click Save when you have completed the necessary configurations for this fabric.

Additional settings

The following sections provide information for additional settings that might be necessary when editing the settings for an IPFM fabric.

Retrieving the authentication key

Retrieve the 3DES encrypted OSPF authentication key

  1. SSH into the switch.

  2. On an unused switch interface, enable the following:

    config terminal
    feature ospf
    interface Ethernet1/1
       no switchport
       ip ospf message-digest-key 127 md5 ospfAuth

    In the example, ospfAuth is the unencrypted password.

    note.svg

    This Step 2 is needed when you want to configure a new key.

  3. Enter the show run interface Ethernet1/1 command to retrieve the password.

    Switch # show run interface Ethernet1/1
   interface Ethernet1/1
     no switchport
     ip ospf message-digest key 127 md5 3 sd8478f4fsw4f4w34sd8478fsdfw
     no shutdown

    The sequence of characters after md5 3 is the encrypted password.

  4. Update the encrypted password into the OSPF Authentication Key field.

Retrieve the encrypted IS-IS authentication key

To get the key, you must have access to the switch.

  1. SSH into the switch.

  2. Create a temporary keychain.

    config terminal
   key chain isis
   key 127
   key-string isisAuth

    In the example, isisAuth is the plaintext password. This will get converted to a Cisco type 7 password after the CLI is accepted.

  3. Enter the show run | section "key chain" command to retrieve the password.

    key chain isis
   key 127
       key-string 7 071b245f5a

    The sequence of characters after key-string 7 is the encrypted password. Save it.

  4. Update the encrypted password into the ISIS Authentication Key field.

  5. Remove any unwanted configuration made in Step 2.

Retrieve the 3DES encrypted BGP authentication key

  1. SSH into the switch and enable BGP configuration for a non-existent neighbor.

    note.svg

    Non-existent neighbor configuration is a temporary BGP neighbor configuration for retrieving the password.

    router bgp
   neighbor 10.2.0.2 remote-as 65000
   password bgpAuth

    In the example, bgpAuth is the unencrypted password.

  2. Enter the show run bgp command to retrieve the password. A sample output:

    neighbor 10.2.0.2
   remote-as 65000
   password 3 sd8478fswerdfw3434fsw4f4w34sdsd8478fswerdfw3434fsw4f4w3

    The sequence of characters after password 3 is the encrypted password.

  3. Update the encrypted password into the BGP Authentication Key field.

  4. Remove the BGP neighbor configuration.

Retrieve the encrypted BFD authentication key

  1. SSH into the switch.

  2. On an unused switch interface, enable the following:

    switch# config terminal
switch(config)# int e1/1
switch(config-if)# bfd authentication keyed-SHA1 key-id 100 key passwd

    In the example, passwd is the unencrypted password and the key ID is 100.

    note.svg

    This Step 2 is needed when you want to configure a new key.

  3. Enter the show running-config interface command to retrieve the key.

    switch# show running-config interface Ethernet1/1

interface Ethernet1/1
description connected-to- switch-Ethernet1/1
no switchport
mtu 9216
bfd authentication Keyed-SHA1 key-id 100 hex-key 636973636F313233
no ip redirects
ip address 10.4.0.6/30
no ipv6 redirects
ip ospf network point-to-point
ip router ospf 100 area 0.0.0.0
no shutdown

    The BFD key ID is 100 and the encrypted key is 636973636F313233.

  4. Update the key ID and key in the BFD Authentication Key ID and BFD Authentication Key fields.

Interface configuration for IPFM fabrics

Nexus Dashboard allows you to configure IPFM external links for each switch in your fabric. The external device can connect to the network through this interface by marking it an IPFM external link.

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A user with the network operator role in Nexus Dashboard cannot save, deploy, undeploy, or edit interface configurations.

Interfaces in IPFM fabrics are managed by Nexus Dashboard interface manager. The default interface policy for IPFM is int_ipfm_l3_port.

The following issues are seen when an NBM VRF is deleted from Nexus Dashboard after an an interface is enabled with an NBM external link and unicast BW setting. When this occurs, the affected interfaces continue to show the external link and ucast BW as set.

Perform the following steps to resolve interface issues:

  1. Choose all the switches that have these interface issues under the Configuration > Policies tab using Add policy.

  2. Choose the host_port_resync template and click Save.

  3. Select Recalculate & Deploy.

    This syncs switch configuration with Nexus Dashboard.

  4. Select Resync All.

The following are non-fabric ethernet interface policy templates for IPFM fabrics:

  • int_ipfm_l3_port

  • int_ipfm_access_host

  • int_ipfm_trunk_host

The following are the port-channel interface policy templates for IPFM fabrics:

  • int_ipfm_port_channel_access_host

  • int_ipfm_port_channel_trunk_host

  • int_ipfm_port_channel_access_member

  • int_ipfm_port_channel_trunk_member

The Switch Virtual Interface (SVI) template for IPFM fabrics is int_ipfm_vlan.

Supported templates for configuring interfaces

Template Description

GigabitEthernet

Interface template for creating a GigabitEthernet interface on an IOS XE switch.

GigabitEthernet_freeform

Interface template for a GigabitEthernet interface using a freeform config on a Cisco Catalyst 9000 series switch.

GigabitEthernet_mgmt

Interface template for a GigabitEthernet interface using a freeform config on a Cisco Catalyst 9000 series switch.

ios_xe_int_access_host

Interface template for creating an access switch port on a Cisco Catalyst 9000 series switch.

ios_xe_int_monitor_ethernet

Interface template for putting an ethernet interface into monitor mode.

ios_xe_int_routed_host

Interface template for creating a Layer 3 routed port on a Cisco Catalyst 9000 series switch.

ios_xe_int_stackwise_dual_active

Interface template for a stackwise virtual dual-active detection.

ios_xe_int_stackwise_link

Interface template for a stackwise virtual link.

ios_xe_int_trunk_host

Interface template for creating a trunk switchport on a Cisco Catalyst 9000 series switch.

ios_xe_ptp_telemetry_template

Interface template for configuring PTP monitoring on a Cisco Catalyst 9000 series switch.

Supported interface types for creating interfaces

You can create the following types of interfaces on a Cisco Catalyst 9000 series switch in a Classic IPFM fabric:

  • Port Channel

  • Virtual Port Channel (VPC)

  • Straight-through (ST) FEX

  • Active-Active (AA) FEX

  • Loopback

  • Tunnel

  • Ethernet

  • Switch Virtual Interface (SVI)

For more information on creating interfaces, see Add Interfaces for LAN Operational Mode.

Create an interface for IPFM fabrics

This section describes the procedure to create a new interface for an IPFM fabric based on the template that you have selected from the available IPFM fabric interface templates.

note.svg

IPFM fabrics do not support an IPv6 underlay.

To create an interface for IPFM fabrics, perform these steps:

  1. Navigate to the Fabric Overview page for your fabric and click the Connectivity > Interfaces tab.

  2. Choose Create new interface from the Actions drop-down list.

    The Create new interface page appears.

  3. Choose either Port Channel, Loopback, or SVI as the interface type for IPFM.

  4. Choose a device from the drop-down list. The switches (spine and leaf) that are a part of the fabric are displayed in the drop-down list.

  5. Enter the Port Channel ID, Loopback ID, or VLAN ID, based on your choice of the interface type.

  6. Click the No Policy Selected link to select a policy that is specific to IPFM. In the Select Attached Policy Template dialog box, choose the required interface policy template and click Save.

  7. Enter the appropriate values in the Policy Options area. Note that the appropriate Policy Options fields are displayed based on the policy.

    Field Description

    Type - Port Channel

    Following are the supported types:

    • Port Channel Member Interfaces — Specify a list of member interfaces, for example, e1/5, eth1/7-9.

    • Port Channel Mode — Choose one of the following channel mode options: on, active, or passive.

    • Enable BPDU Guard — Choose one of the following options for a spanning-tree Bridge Protocol Data Unit (BPDU) guard:

      • true — enables bdpuguard

      • false — disables bpduguard

      • no — returns to default settings

    Enable Port Type Fast

    Check this check box to enable spanning-tree edge port behavior.

    MTU

    Specify the maximum transmission unit (MTU) for the port channel or the MTU for the interface. The valid value range for MTU for the interface is from 576 to 9216.

    SPEED

    Specify the port channel speed or the interface speed.

    Access VLAN

    Specify the VLAN for the access port.

    Trunk Allowed VLANS

    Enter one of the following values:

    • none

    • all

    • VLAN ranges, for example, 1-200, 500-2000, 3000

    Enable PTP

    Check this check box to enable Precision Time Protocol (PTP) for the host interface for the IPFM fabric. For more information about PTP, see Configuring PTP for IPFM fabrics.

    PTP Profile

    Choose a PTP profile from the drop-down list: IEEE-1588v2, SMPTE-2059-2, or AES67-2015.

    PTP VLAN

    Specifies the PTP VLAN for a member interface when PTP is enabled.

    Port Channel Description

    Enter description for the port channel.

    Freeform Config

    Enter an additional CLI for the port channel if required.

    Enable Port Channel

    Check this check box to enable the port channel.

    Type - Loopback

    Following are the available types:

    • Interface VRF — Enter the name of the interface VRF. Enter default for default VRF.

    • Loopback IP-- Enter an IPv4 address for the loopback interface.

    • Loopback IPv6 address — Enter an IPv6 address for the loopback interface if the VRF is the non-default VRF. For the default VRF, add the IPv6 address in the freeform configuration.

    • Route-Map TAG — Enter the route-map tag associated with the interface IP.

    • Interface Description-- Enter description for the interface. The maximum size limit is 254 characters.

    • Freeform Config — Enter an additional CLI for the loopback interface if required.

    • Enable Interface — Check this check box to enable the interface.

    Type - SVI

    Following are the available options:

    • Interface VRF-- Enter the name of the interface VRF. Enter default for the default VRF.

    • VLAN Interface IP-- Enter IP address of the VLAN interface.

    • IP Netmask Length — Specify the IP netmask length used with the IP address. The valid value range is from 1 to 31.

    • Routing TAG — Enter the routing tag associated with the interface IP.

    • MTU — Specify the maximum transmission unit (MTU) for the Port Channel or the MTU for the interface. The valid value range for MTU for the interface is from 576 to 9216.

    • Disable IP redirects — Check this check box to disable both IPv4 and IPv6 redirects on the interface.

    • IPFM External-Link-- Check this check box to specify that the interface is connected to an external router.

    • Interface Description-- Enter description for the interface. The maximum size limit is 254 characters.

    • Freeform Config-- Enter an additional CLI for the VLAN interface if required.

    • Interface Admin State-- Check this check box to enable admin state for the interface.

  8. Based on your requirements, click one of the following buttons:

    • Save - Click Save to save the configuration changes.

    • Preview - Click Preview to open the Preview interfaces configuration page and view the details.

    • Deploy - Click Deploy to configure the interfaces.

What to do next:

If you want to edit the interface, see Edit an interface for IPFM fabrics.

If your interface is ready, add a policy for configuring the IPFM fabric. For more information, see Add a policy for configuring an IPFM fabric

Create a sub-interface for IPFM fabrics

This section describes the procedure to create a new sub-interface for an IPFM fabric.

  1. Navigate to the Fabric Overview page for your fabric and click the Connectivity > Interfaces tab.

  2. Select a leaf or a spine switch from the list of devices and choose Actions > Configuration > Create Subinterface.

    The Create Subinterface page appears.

  3. Click the No Policy Selected link to select a policy that is specific to IPFM.

  4. In the Select Attached Policy Template dialog box, choose the int_ipfm_subif policy template and click Select.

  5. Enter the appropriate values in the Policy Options area. Note that the appropriate Policy Options fields are displayed based on the policy.

    Field Description

    Type - Port Channel

    Following are the supported types:

    • Port Channel Member Interfaces — Specify a list of member interfaces, for example, e1/5, eth1/7-9.

    • Port Channel Mode — Choose one of the following channel mode options: on, active, or passive.

    • Enable BPDU Guard — Choose one of the following options for a spanning-tree Bridge Protocol Data Unit (BPDU) guard:

      • true — enables bdpuguard

      • false — disables bpduguard

      • no — returns to default settings

    Enable Port Type Fast

    Check this check box to enable spanning-tree edge port behavior.

    MTU

    Specify the maximum transmission unit (MTU) for the port channel or the MTU for the interface. The valid value range for MTU for the interface is from 576 to 9216.

    SPEED

    Specify the port channel speed or the interface speed.

    Access Vlan

    Specify the VLAN for the access port.

    Trunk Allowed Vlans

    Enter one of the following values:

    • none

    • all

    • VLAN ranges, for example, 1-200, 500-2000, 3000

    Enable PTP

    Check this check box to enable Precision Time Protocol (PTP) for the host interface for the IPFM fabric. For more information about PTP, see Configuring PTP for IPFM fabrics.

    PTP Profile

    Choose a PTP profile from the drop-down list: IEEE-1588v2, SMPTE-2059-2, or AES67-2015.

    PTP VLAN

    Specifies the PTP VLAN for a member interface when PTP is enabled.

    Port Channel Description

    Enter description for the port channel.

    Freeform Config

    Enter an additional CLI for the port channel if required.

    Enable Port Channel

    Check this check box to enable the port channel.

    Type - Loopback

    Following are the available types:

    • Interface VRF — Enter the name of the interface VRF. Enter default for default VRF.

    • Loopback IP-- Enter an IPv4 address for the loopback interface.

    • Loopback IPv6 address — Enter an IPv6 address for the loopback interface if the VRF is the non-default VRF. For the default VRF, add the IPv6 address in the freeform configuration.

    • Route-Map TAG — Enter the route-map tag associated with the interface IP.

    • Interface Description-- Enter description for the interface. The maximum size limit is 254 characters.

    • Freeform Config — Enter an additional CLI for the loopback interface if required.

    • Enable Interface — Check this check box to enable the interface.

    Type - SVI

    Following are the available options:

    • Interface VRF-- Enter the name of the interface VRF. Enter default for the default VRF.

    • VLAN Interface IP-- Enter IP address of the VLAN interface.

    • IP Netmask Length — Specify the IP netmask length used with the IP address. The valid value range is from 1 to 31.

    • Routing TAG — Enter the routing tag associated with the interface IP.

    • MTU — Specify the maximum transmission unit (MTU) for the Port Channel or the MTU for the interface. The valid value range for MTU for the interface is from 576 to 9216.

    • Disable IP redirects — Check this check box to disable both IPv4 and IPv6 redirects on the interface.

    • IPFM External-Link-- Check this check box to specify that the interface is connected to an external router.

    • Interface Description-- Enter description for the interface. The maximum size limit is 254 characters.

    • Freeform Config-- Enter an additional CLI for the VLAN interface if required.

    • Interface Admin State-- Check this check box to enable admin state for the interface.

    IPFM Unicast Bandwidth Percentage

    Specifies the dedicated percentage of bandwidth for unicast traffic. The remaining percentage is automatically reserved for multicast traffic.

    If you leave this field blank, IPFM uses a global unicast bandwidth reservation.

    IPFM Bandwidth Capacity Percentage

    Specifies the dedicated percentage of bandwidth for this interface.

    If you leave this field blank, Nexus Dashboard IPFM uses a global unicast bandwidth reservation.

  6. Based on your requirements, click one of the following buttons:

    • Save — Click Save to save the configuration changes.

    • Preview — Click Preview to open the Preview interfaces configuration page and view the details.

    • Deploy — Click Deploy to configure the interfaces.

What to do next:

If you want to edit the interface, see Edit an interface for IPFM fabrics.

If your interface is ready, add a policy for configuring the IPFM fabric. For more information, see Add a policy for configuring an IPFM fabric

Edit an interface for IPFM fabrics

This section describes the procedure to edit an existing IPFM fabric interface template. You can either change a template or edit the values for any of the editable parameters in the Policy Options area.

  1. Navigate to the Manage > Fabrics page.

  2. Double-click on a fabric to open Fabric Overview.

  3. Click on the Connectivity > Interfaces tab.

  4. Choose an easyFabric_IPFM fabric with an int_ipfm_13_port policy and an Up operational status.

  5. Choose Edit from the Actions drop-down list.

    The Edit interface(s) page appears.

  6. To change a policy in the Policy field, click the policy link and select a policy that is specific to an IPFM fabric.

  7. In the Select Attached Policy Template dialog box, choose the required interface policy template and click Save.

  8. Edit the required values in the Policy Options area.

    Note that the appropriate Policy Options fields are displayed based on the policy. For more information about the parameters, see Create an interface for IPFM fabrics.

    The following fields are specific to the int_ipfm_l3_port policy and the subinterface int_ipfm_subif policy:

    Field Description

    IPFM Unicast Bandwidth Percentage

    Specifies the dedicated percentage of bandwidth for unicast traffic. The remaining percentage is automatically reserved for multicast traffic.

    If you leave this field blank, IPFM uses a global unicast bandwidth reservation.

    IPFM Bandwidth Capacity Percentage

    Specifies the dedicated percentage of bandwidth for this interface.

    If you leave this field blank, Nexus Dashboard IPFM uses a global unicast bandwidth reservation.

    IPFM External-Link

    Check this check box to specify that the interface is connected to an external router.

    Border Router

    Check this check box to enable the border router configuration on the interface. The interface is a boundary of a Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) domain.

    Interface Description

    Enter a description for the interface. The maximum size limit is 254 characters.

    Enable Host Source Group Proxy

    Check this check box to enable an IGMP host proxy on the interface. The IGMP host proxy connects a PIM-enabled multicast network to a domain different from the PIM domain.

    For more information on configuring an IGMP source group proxy, see the Cisco Nexus 9000 Series NX-OX Multicast Routing Configuration Guide.

    IGMP Host Source Group Proxy

    You can filter by proxy groups, or you can add a new proxy group.

    From the Actions drop-down list, choose Add, Edit, Delete, or Insert Above for adding IGMP proxy groups.

    note.svg

    When policy groups are associated with an IGMP source group proxy, Nexus Dashboard creates a route map for the corresponding interface. Use the switch-level Deploy option to provision the route map on a switch.

    Choose a group from the drop-down list to filter by IGMP proxy groups.

  9. Ensure that you check the Enable Interface check box.

  10. Choose from one of the following options depending on your configuration:

    • Click Save to save the configuration changes.

    • Click Preview to open the Preview interfaces configuration page and view the details.

    • Click Deploy to configure the interfaces.

What to do next:

Add a policy for configuring the IPFM fabric. For more information, see Add a policy for configuring an IPFM fabric.

Configuring PTP for IPFM fabrics

The Precision Time Protocol (PTP) is a protocol used to synchronize clocks throughout a computer network. When creating an interface, if you enable the Enable PTP check box, PTP is enabled across the fabric and on all the intra-fabric interfaces. The supported PTP profiles for IPFM fabrics are IEEE-1588v2, SMPTE-2059-2, and AES67-2015.

A few things to note about the per-interface PTP profile for nonfabric ethernet interfaces are:

  • You must enable PTP and select the PTP profile on each nonfabric ethernet interface.

  • A PTP profile can be different from the fabric-level PTP profile.

  • You must enable PTP in the fabric settings before you can configure PTP on a nonfabric ethernet interface.

note.svg

If you disable PTP from the fabric settings, Nexus Dashboard removes the PTP configuration from all the interfaces, that is, both the fabric and nonfabric interfaces.

For more information about PTP monitoring for IPFM fabrics, see the section "PTP monitoring" in Working with Inventory in Your Nexus Dashboard LAN or IPFM Fabrics.

With this release, Nexus Dashboard 4.1.1 added support for PTP telemetry monitoring on Cisco Catalyst 9000 series switches. PTP monitoring uses telemetry and the configuration is similar to PTP monitoring for Cisco Catalyst 9000 series switches. You can retrieve statistics from a Cisco Catalyst 9000 series switch using PTP telemetry monitoring.

Nexus Dashboard added a ios_xe_ptp_telemetry policy for configuring PTP telemetry monitoring on Cisco Catalyst 9000 series switches. For more information, see Supported templates for configuring interfaces.

Guidelines for configuring PTP telemetry monitoring on Cisco Catalyst 9000 switches

  • Cisco Catalyst 9000 telemetry configuration requires a user-supplied IP address as the source address for telemetry.

  • The polling interval on a Cisco Catalyst 9000 series switch is 100th of a second, whereas it is a 1000th of a second (millisecond) on a Cisco Nexus 9000 series switch. The PTP template uses the same sampling interval for sensors.

  • You can view PTP telemetry sync status on the Switch Overview > PTP page. The Switch Overview > Telemetry Collection or Fabric Overview > Telemetry Status is not applicable for PTP telemetry.

Add the PTP telemetry policy to a Cisco Catalyst 9000 switch

  1. Navigate to Manage > Fabrics and click on the fabric for which you want to configure PTP telemetry monitoring.

    Fabric Overview displays.

  2. Click Configuration Polices.

    Configuration Policies > Policies displays.

  3. Click Actions > Add policy.

    Create Policy displays.

  4. Choose the Cisco Catalyst 9000 switch or switches for which you would like to configure PTP monitoring.

  5. Click Next.

    The Cisco Catalyst 9000 switch or switches appear in Switch List.

  6. In the Description field, enter telemetry.

    The Select Policy Template dialog box displays.

  7. In the search field, enter telemetry.

    The ios_xe_ptp_telemetry policy displays.

  8. Click Select.

  9. If you are configuring a single Cisco Catalyst 9000 switch, enter the switch management IP address in the Telemetry Source IP Address field. If you are configuring multiple Cisco Catalyst 9000 switches, leave the Telemetry Source IP Address field empty.

  10. In the Telemetry VRF field, specify Mgmt-vrf as the source VRF.

  11. In the Telemetry Receiver IP Address field, use the same IP address as you used for importing the Cisco Catalyst 9000 series switch in Nexus Dashboard.

  12. In the PTP Monitoring Interval field, specify a period in units of 100ths of a second.

  13. Click Save.

  14. Navigate to Manage > Fabrics > Configuration Policies > Policies.

  15. Click Actions > Recalculate and deploy in the toolbar to push the configuration to the Cisco Catalyst 9000 switch or switches.

    Deploy Configuration displays the progress of the deploy operation and the pending configurations.

  16. On Deploy Configuration, if you click the hyperlink in Pending Config, you can view the pending configuration, which configures the PTP telemetry template.

  17. Click Deploy All to deploy the pending configurations.

  18. Once the deployment is successful, click Close.

Verify the PTP telemetry policy configuration

  1. Navigate to Manage > Inventory > Switches to verify that the Cisco Catalyst 9000 switch or switches you added are included in the list of switches.

  2. Click on a Cisco Catalyst 9000 switch on which you configured PTP monitoring.

    Switch Overview displays.

  3. Click PTP for viewing the port status, corrections, and clock status for the telemetry policy pushed to the switch. For more information, see the "PTP monitoring" section in Working with Inventory in Your Nexus Dashboard LAN or IPFM Fabrics.

Edit a PTP telemetry policy configuration

  1. Navigate to Manage > Fabrics and click on the IPFM fabric for which you want to edit your PTP configuration.

    The Fabric Overview page displays.

  2. Click Configuration Polices.

  3. Choose the PTP telemetry policy you want to edit and click Edit policy from the Actions drop-down list.

    The Edit policy page appears.

  4. Edit the necessary fields.

  5. Click Save to save your edits.

  6. Click Recalculate and deploy.

View the PTP telemetry policy configuration on Topology

  1. Navigate to Manage > Fabrics and click on the IPFM fabric for which you want to view your PTP configuration.

    The Fabric Overview page displays.

  2. Click View in topology to view a visual representation of the Cisco Catalyst 9000 switch or switches you added for PTP monitoring.

Creating an IPFM fabric group

A Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE 2022-7)-enabled transmitter duplicates an input stream and sends the input stream using two different paths to a destination receiver, which is also SMPTE 2022-7 enabled. The receiver combines the streams from both paths and reconstructs the original stream. If a packet is lost on path 1, the packet is taken from path 2. This involves two active IPFM fabrics named as red and blue fabrics. You can choose to name the IPFM fabrics other than red and blue fabrics.

You can group 2022-7 redundant fabrics into a fabric group. This feature allows you to associate endpoints and multicast groups from both fabrics for a side-by-side topology view for individual flows.

note.svg

There is no change to the topology view compared to prior releases if there is no associated redundant flow or the IPFM fabrics are not grouped.

Benefits of creating an IPFM fabric group

  • Provides high availability with two switches in an IPFM fabric group

  • Provides a single entity for managing IPFM fabrics

  • Supports a side-by-side view of the red and blue fabrics for managing and monitoring both fabrics

  • Supports the SMPTE 2022-7 standard for sending digital video over an IP network

  • Provides endpoint group and multicast group associations

Guidelines and limitations for creating an IPFM fabric group

  • You cannot have more than two IPFM fabrics in a single fabric group. If you try to add a third IPFM fabric to a fabric group, you receive an error message.

Create an IPFM fabric group

An IPFM fabric group can contain individual IPFM, IPFM Classic, or Classic LAN fabrics. An IPFM fabric group allows for shared host and flow definitions.

For information on how to create an IPFM fabric group, see the section "Create fabric groups" in Creating LAN and ACI Fabrics and Fabric Groups.

Add a child IPFM fabric to an IPFM fabric group

For information on how to add a child IPFM fabric to an IPFM fabric group, see the section "Add child fabrics to the fabric group" in Creating LAN and ACI Fabrics and Fabric Groups.

Associate hosts from two fabrics in a host group

By adding two hosts to the host group, the hosts are associated together and are linked, so you can view the hosts in a side-by-side visual representation.

To associate hosts to a host group, perform the following steps:

  1. Click Manage > Fabrics > Fabric Groups.

  2. Choose a fabric group.

    The Overview page of the fabric group displays.

  3. Click Connectivity > Host Groups.

  4. Click Actions > Add Host Group.

    The Add Host Group page displays.

    To link hosts from two IPFM fabrics, you need to specify the VRF associated with the fabric where the host resides, as well as enter the IP address of the host for each fabric. Optionally, you can add an alias to each host for better recognition.

    Field

    Description

    VRF

    Specify the VRF associated with the fabric for where each host resides.

    IP Address

    Enter the host IP address of the red fabric.

    Host Alias

    (Optional) Enter the host alias for the red fabric.

    IP Address

    Enter the host IP address of the blue fabric.

    Host Alias

    (Optional) Enter the host alias for the ble fabric.

  5. Click Save.

    Nexus Dashboard adds the hosts to the host group view where you can view the hosts in a side-by-side visual representation.

Associate flows to a host group

To associate flows to a host group, perform the following steps:

  1. Click Manage > Fabrics > Fabric Groups.

  2. Choose a fabric group.

    The Overview page of the fabric group displays.

  3. Click Connectivity > Flow Groups.

  4. On the Flow Groups page, click Actions > Add Flow Group.

    To link flows from two IPFM fabrics in a flow group, you need to specify the VRF associated with the fabric where the flow resides, as well as enter the multicast destination IP address of the flows in each fabric. Optionally, you can add a flow alias and a description for better recognition. Nexus Dashboard adds the flows to the host group view in a side-by-side representation.

    Field

    Description

    VRF

    Specify the VRF associated with the fabric for where the flow resides.

    IP Address

    Enter the multicast IP address for the red fabric.

    Flow Alias

    (Optional) Enter the flow alias for the red fabric.

    Description

    (Optional) Enter the description for the red fabric.

    IP Address

    Enter the multicast IP address for the blue fabric.

    Flow Alias

    (Optional) Enter the flow alias for the ble fabric.

    Description

    (Optional) Enter the description for the blue fabric.

  5. Click Save and close the Fabric Overview page.

    Nexus Dashboard adds the flows to the flow group view where you can view a side-by-side representation of both flows.

View side-by-side associations of IPFM member fabrics

You can view side-by-side associations of IPFM member fabrics on the Flows > Flow Status page.

  1. Navigate to the Manage > Fabrics page, and click on a child member of an IPFM fabric group.

    The Fabric Overview page displays.

  2. Click on Connectivity > Flows.

  3. Click on Flow Status and under the Flow Link State column, click on the active link.

    Nexus Dashboard displays a side-by-side representation of the two fabrics and the grouped flows.

  4. To access the same page from the topology view, click View in topology.

  5. Right-click on the fabric group and click Detailed View.

    The Fabric Overview page displays.

  6. Right-click on a member of the fabric group.

    The Fabric Overview page displays.

Working with policies when configuring an IPFM fabric

For a configuration that is not uniform for all leafs or spines, Nexus Dashboard provides additional templates to help you complete the configuration of an IPFM fabric.

For example, if you enable NAT on a Cisco Catalyst 9300 switch, you can create an ipfm_tcam_nat_9300 policy to configure the required NAT TCAM for the switch.

Use the ipfm_telemetry policy for telemetry and ipfm_vrf policy for VRF configuration (routing, PIM, ASM).

Add a policy for configuring an IPFM fabric

  1. Navigate to the Fabric Overview page for your fabric and click Configuration Policies.

    Policies displays by default.

  2. Choose Add policy from the Actions drop-down list.

    The Create Policy page displays.

  3. Choose one or more switches and click Next.

  4. On the Create Policy page, click Select Template.

  5. In the Select Policy Template dialog box, choose the required template for an IPFM fabric, for example, ipfm_tcam_nat_9300.

  6. Click Select.

  7. Enter a priority for the template. The valid value ranges are from 1 to 1000.

  8. Enter the values in the TCAM-related fields. Make sure that you enter the TCAM size in increments of 256 and click Save.

  9. Navigate to Manage > Fabrics > Configuration Policies > Policies.

  10. Click Actions > Recalculate and deploy in the toolbar to push the configuration to the switch or switches.

Edit a policy for an IPFM fabric

You can edit a policy for any switch in the IPFM fabric.

  1. Navigate to the Fabric Overview page for your fabric and click the Configuration Policies tab.

    Policies displays by default.

  2. Filter for the policy template that you want to edit.

  3. Choose the policy and click Edit policy from the Actions drop-down list.

    The Edit policy page appears.

  4. Make the required changes and click Save.

  5. Click Recalculate and deploy.

First Published: 2025-01-31
Last Modified: 2025-01-31

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