Using the REX Accounting Script

This chapter describes how to use the REX Accounting Script (RAS). The RAS writes RADIUS Accounting requests to a local, flat file and is included as an option for Cisco Prime Access Registrar (Prime Access Registrar). It is designed to be attached to a Prime Access Registrar IncomingScript or OutgoingScript point. When used in conjunction with the Prime Access Registrar built-in proxy support, the server will concurrently store a local copy of an Accounting request and proxy another copy to another RADIUS server.

Note Unless you require log rotation at an exact time or when the accounting log reaches a specific file size, we recommend that you use service grouping to log and proxy accounting packets.

RAS can be attached to more than one Prime Access Registrar extension point. For example, in a dial-up resale scenario, you might configure Prime Access Registrar to proxy Accounting requests to many different Remote Servers (by realm). For some subset of those, you might want to keep a local copy of the Accounting requests. In this case, RAS could be installed as the IncomingScript on just the Services for which a local copy is desired.

Note Also included is the DropAcctOnOff Script. This script causes Prime Access Registrar to drop all Accounting-Requests with an Acct-Status-Type of Accounting-On or Accounting-Off.

This chapter contains the following sections:

•Building and Installing the REX Accounting Script

•Configuring the Rex Accounting Script

•Specifying REX Accounting Script Options

Building and Installing the REX Accounting Script

The RAS writes RADIUS Accounting requests to a local, flat file and is included as an option for Prime Access Registrar. It is designed to be attached to a Prime Access Registrar IncomingScript or OutgoingScript point.

Building and Installing the REX Accounting Script

To build and install RAS:

Step 1 Change directory to $INSTALL/examples/rexacctscript.

Step 2 Modify the Makefile to ensure the AR_INSTALL_DIR variable points to the directory where the Prime Access Registrar software was installed, and then choose a compiler (gcc or SUNPro CC).

Step 3 From the command line prompt, enter:

host% make

Step 4 Log in as user root.

Step 5 From the command line prompt, enter:

host# make install

Configuring the Rex Accounting Script

RAS can be attached to more than one Prime Access Registrar extension point. For example, in a dial-up resale scenario, you might configure Prime Access Registrar to proxy Accounting requests to many different Remote Servers (by realm).

Configuring the Rex Accounting Script

To configure RAS:

Step 1 Start the Prime Access Registrar aregcmd configuration utility and login:

> $INSTALL/usrbin/aregcmd -C localhost -N admin -P aicuser
Access Registrar Configuration Utility Version 1.3

Copyright (C) 1995-2012 by Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Logging in to localhost

[ //localhost ]

      LicenseKey = xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx
      Radius/
      Administrators/

Server `Radius' is Running, its health is 10 out of 10

-->

Step 2 Using aregcmd, create a new Prime Access Registrar Script object:

--> cd /Radius/Scripts
[ //localhost/Radius/Scripts ]
      Entries 1 to 20 from 39 total entries
      Current filter: <all>
      ACMEOutgoingScript/
      AscendIncomingScript/

<... other output deleted...>

--> add LocalAccounting
Added LocalAccounting

Step 3 Using aregcmd, fill in the details of the new Prime Access Registrar Script object. See Chapter 4 "Cisco Prime Access Registrar Server Objects," for more details.

--> cd LocalAccounting
[ //localhost/Radius/Scripts/LocalAccounting ]
      Name = LocalAccounting
      Description =
      Language =
      Filename =
      EntryPoint =
      InitEntryPoint =
      InitEntryPointArgs =

--> set Desc "Log Accounting requests to local file"
Set Description "Log Accounting requests to local file"

--> set lang REX
Set Language REX

--> set filename libRexAcctScript.so
Set Filename libRexAcctScript.so

--> set entry RexAccountingScript
Set EntryPoint RexAccountingScript

--> set initentrypoint InitRexAccountingScript
Set InitEntryPoint InitRexAccountingScript

--> set initentrypointargs "-f Accounting -t 1:15"
Set InitEntryPointArgs "-f Accounting -t 1:15"

--> ls
[ //localhost/Radius/Scripts/LocalAccounting ]
      Name = LocalAccounting
      Description = "Log Accounting requests to local file"
      Language = REX
      Filename = libRexAcctScript.so
      EntryPoint = RexAccountingScript
      InitEntryPoint = InitRexAccountingScript
      InitEntryPointArgs = "-f Accounting -t 1:15"

-->

Step 4 Using aregcmd, attach the new Prime Access Registrar Script object to the appropriate Prime Access Registrar Scripting point. See Chapter 4 "Cisco Prime Access Registrar Server Objects," for more details.

--> set /radius/IncomingScript LocalAccounting
Set /Radius/IncomingScript LocalAccounting

Step 5 Using aregcmd, save the configuration modifications:

--> save
Validating //localhost...
Saving //localhost...

Step 6 Using aregcmd, reload the server:

--> reload
Reloading Server 'Radius'...
Server 'Radius' is Running, its health is 10 out of 10

Specifying REX Accounting Script Options

The REX Accounting Script supports the options shown in Table 26-1.

Table 26-1 REX Accounting Script Supported Options 

Option
Description

-f <filename>

Required. Specify the name of the output file.

-t <HH:MM[:SS]>

Specify a time of day to roll the output file. Note, this is time on the 24-hour clock, for example, 00:05 = 12:05am, 13:30 = 1:30pm. This option can not be used with the -i option.

-i <seconds>

Specify the number of seconds between rolling the output file, beginning at start-up. This option can not be used with the -t option.

-s <size>[k|m|g]

Specify the maximum size for an output file. When the file reaches this size, it will be rolled.

When specifying the <size> option, a <unit> can be included. When a <unit> is not included, the <size> is in bytes. Note, do not use a space character between the <size> and <unit> options.

<unit> can be either:
k = 1K,
m = 1Meg,
g = 1Gig.

-g

Use GMT when writing the date/time in the Accounting output file for each record (default is local time).

-G

Use GMT when naming rolled output files (default is local time).

-A

Process all packets, not just Accounting-Requests.

-I

Ignore errors when processing packets, always return successfully.

-a <buffer-count>

Pre-allocate this many Accounting buffers to improve performance.

-T <trace-level>

Set the trace level. This trace info appears in the output file (as its written by the background thread which no longer has a packet to use for logging or tracing.)

-O <script-description>

Call another REX extension before calling the RexAcctScript.

-o <script-description>

Call another REX extension after calling the RexAcctScript.


Example Script Object

This is an example of what a Prime Access Registrar Script object using RAS might look like when viewed in the Prime Access Registrar configuration utility, aregcmd:

[ //localhost/Radius/Scripts/REX-Accounting-Script ]
      Name = REX-Accounting-Script
      Description =
      Language = REX
      Filename = librexacctscript.so
      EntryPoint = RexAccountingScript
      InitEntryPoint = InitRexAccountingScript
      InitEntryPointArgs = "-f Accounting -t 16:20 -s 100k -o
         libRexAcctScript.so:DropAcctOnOff"

This example causes RAS to write to a file called Accounting.log (in the logs directory of the installation tree). The file rolls every day at 4:20pm (local time), as well as whenever it grows larger than 100k in size. RAS also runs the DropAcctOnOff script against every packet, after it has processed the packet.