Table Of Contents
Cisco Virtual Network Management Center 2.0 Release Notes
Configuring Chrome for Use with VNMC
NTP Requirements for Deploying and Operating VNMC
Support for ASA 1000V in HA Configurations
User Interface Enhancements and Changes
Policy Management Profiles and Policies
VNMC VM Manager and VMware vCenter Server Connections
Upgrading vCenter to a New Version
Characters in Names Retrieved from vCenter
Value Displayed in Parent App or Resource Pool Field
Cisco Virtual Network Management Center Documentation
Cisco Virtual Security Gateway Documentation
Cisco Nexus 1000V Series Switch Documentation
Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request
Cisco Virtual Network Management Center 2.0 Release Notes
August 21, 2012This document describes the features, bugs, and limitations for the Cisco Virtual Network Management Center (VNMC) 2.0 release.
Use this document in combination with the documents listed in the "Related Documentation" section.
Contents
This document includes the following sections:
•NTP Requirements for Deploying and Operating VNMC
•Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request
Introduction
VNMC is a virtual appliance, based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux, that provides centralized device and security policy management of Cisco virtual services. Designed for multiple-tenant operation, VNMC provides seamless, scalable, and automation-centric management for virtualized data center and cloud environments. With both a built-in UI and an XML API, VNMC enables centralized management of Cisco virtual services by an administrator or through an API.
VNMC is built on an information model-driven architecture in which each managed device is represented by its subcomponents (or objects), which are parametrically defined. This model-centric approach enables VNMC to provide a secure, multiple-tenant virtualized infrastructure with Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance 1000V (ASA 1000V) and Cisco Virtual Security Gateway (VSG) virtual services.
Table 1 describes the primary features of VNMC.
System Requirements
Table 2 identifies VNMC system requirements.
Table 2 VNMC System Requirements
Requirement Description Virtual ApplianceOne virtual CPU
1.5 GHz
Memory
3 GB RAM
Disk space
25 GB on a shared network file storage (NFS) or a storage area network (SAN) if VNMC is deployed in a high availability (HA) cluster
Management interface
One management network interface
Processor
x86 Intel or AMD server with 64-bit processor listed in the VMware compatibility matrix
VMwareVMware vSphere
Release 4.1 or 5.0 with VMware ESX or ESXi (American English)
VMware vCenter
Release 4.1 or 5.0 (American English)
Interfaces and ProtocolsHTTP/HTTPS
—
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)
—
PortsIf the VNMC server is protected by a firewall, the following ports must be enabled.
80
HTTP
443
HTTPS
843
Adobe Flash
Intel VTIntel Virtualization Technology (VT)
Enabled in the BIOS
Web-Based UI ClientOperating System
Either of the following:
•Windows
•Apple Mac OS
Browser
Any of the following:
•Internet Explorer 9.0
•Mozilla Firefox 11.01
•Chrome 18.02
Flash Player
•For Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, the supported Adobe Flash Player plugin version is 11.2.
•For Chrome, the supported Adobe Flash Player plugin version is 11.3.300.265.
1 We recommend Mozilla Firefox 11.0 with Adobe Flash Player 11.2.
2 You must disable Pepper Flash in Chrome before using Chrome with VNMC 2.0. For more information, see Configuring Chrome for Use with VNMC.
Configuring Chrome for Use with VNMC
To use Chrome with VNMC 2.0, you must disable the default Adobe flash players that are installed by default with Chrome.
Note You must perform this procedure each time your client machine reboots. Chrome automatically enables the Adobe flash players when the system on which it is running reboots.
To disable default Adobe flash players in Chrome:
Step 1 In the Chrome URL field, enter chrome://plugins.
Step 2 Click Details.
Step 3 Locate the Flash player plugins, and disable each one.
Step 4 Download and install Adobe Flash player version 11.3.300.265.
Step 5 Close and reopen Chrome before logging into VNMC 2.0.
Performance and Scalability
Table 3 lists the performance and scalability data for VNMC 2.0.
NTP Requirements for Deploying and Operating VNMC
You must do the following for proper VNMC operation with VMware, ASA 1000V, VSG, and VSM:
1. Before you deploy the VNMC OVA, configure Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers on all ESX and ESXi servers that run VNMC, ASA 1000V, VSG, and VSM to ensure proper operation.
For information, see Configuring Network Time Protocol (NTP) on ESX/ESXi 4.1 and ESXi 5.0 hosts using the vSphere Client at http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2012069.2. Before you perform any operation on VNMC after you deploy the OVA, configure NTP servers for VNMC, ASA 1000V, VSG, and VSM. If you do not do so, ASA 1000Vs, VSGs, and VSMs will not be able to register with VNMC. See Configuring NTP.
Configuring NTP
Before you perform any operation in VNMC, configure NTP on ASA 1000V, VSG, and VSM. If you do not do so, ASA 1000Vs, VSGs, and VSMs will not be able to register with VNMC.
To configure NTP in VNMC, ASA 1000V, VSG, and VSM:
3. Configuring NTP in ASA 1000V
Configuring NTP in VSM
To configure NTP, enter the following CLI command from the VSM console:
ntp server x.x.x.x
where x.x.x.x is the NTP server IP address.
Configuring NTP in VSG
To configure NTP, enter the following CLI command from the VSG console:
ntp server x.x.x.x
where x.x.x.x is the NTP server IP address.
Note The ntp server command will not be available in the VSG console if you have installed the VNMC policy agent. To configure NTP in VSG, you must uninstall the VNMC policy agent.
Configuring NTP in ASA 1000V
Before you install ASA 1000V in VNMC, ensure that you have configured NTP on all ESX and ESXi servers that run ASA 1000V. For information, see Configuring Network Time Protocol (NTP) on ESX/ESXi 4.1 and ESXi 5.0 hosts using the vSphere Client at http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=2012069.
After installation, ASA 1000V receives the Real Time Clock (RTC) value from the VMware ESX or ESXi host.
Configuring NTP in VNMC
To synchronize VNMC with the NTP Server:
Step 1 In your browser, enter https://vnmc-ip where vnmc-ip is the VNMC IP address.
Step 2 If you receive a certificate warning, choose to continue to the VNMC login window.
Step 3 In the VNMC login window, enter the username admin and the admin user password.
Step 4 From the VNMC GUI, to set the time zone:
a. Choose Administration > VNMC Profile > root > VNMC Profile > default.
b. In the General tab, select the time zone.
c. Click Save.
Step 5 From the VNMC GUI, to add an external NTP server as time source:
a. Choose Administration > VNMC Profile > root > VNMC Profile > default.
b. In the Policy tab, select Add NTP Server.
c. Enter the hostname or IP Address and click OK.
d. Click Save.
Caution We recommend that you do not set the time zone after you add the NTP server.
New Features in VNMC 2.0
The following sections describe the new features introduced in this VNMC 2.0 release:
•Support for ASA 1000V in HA Configurations
•User Interface Enhancements and Changes
For more information about these features, see the VNMC documentation, available on cisco.com at http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps11213/tsd_products_support_series_home.html.
Cisco ASA 1000V Management
VNMC 2.0 adds support for ASA 1000V instances, enabling you to:
•Add and configure edge firewalls.
•Configure AAA and syslog device policies.
•Configure the following service policies:
–ACL
–Connection timeout
–DHCP
–IP audit
–NAT and PAT
–Packet inspection
–Routing
–TCP intercept
–VPN
•Create and apply edge device profiles that contain the following policies:
–DHCP
–IP audit signature
–Routing
–VPN
•Create and apply edge security profiles that contain the following policies or policy sets:
–ACL policy sets (ingress and egress)
–Connection timeout
–IP audit
–NAT policy sets
–Packet inspection
–TCP intercept
–VPN interface policy sets
•Apply profiles to edge firewalls, edge firewall interfaces, and port profiles (by using the VSM CLI).
Support for ASA 1000V in HA Configurations
VNMC 2.0 supports virtual ASA 1000V instances in high availability (HA) configurations by verifying that the HA role and mode match. The supported HA configurations are those that result from pool associations, in which a logical edge firewall is assigned to a pool of firewall instances.
VNMC supports virtual ASA 1000V instances in HA configurations by:
•Enabling you to specify the HA mode (either HA or Standalone) when you add an edge firewall to VNMC.
•Detecting HA mode and role changes in the HA configurations and acting on those changes as follows:
–If an edge firewall HA mode changes, and the edge firewall is assigned to a pool but not yet associated, VNMC examines the resource pool for a matching resource. A matching resource must match the edge firewall HA mode and the virtual ASA 1000V instance HA role.
–If the HA role of a virtual ASA 1000V instance changes, VNMC triggers reassociation for the logical edge firewall and looks for a match between the edge firewall HA mode and the virtual ASA 1000V instance HA role.
This behavior occurs under the following conditions:
—The ASA 1000V instance is in a pool.
—The pool is assigned to a logical edge firewall.
—No matching resources for the edge firewall were available before the HA role change.
Note VNMC does not verify that the HA role and mode match if a virtual ASA 1000V instance is directly associated with a logical edge firewall.
Site-to-Site VPNs
VNMC 2.0 adds support for site-to-site IPSec VPNs, enabling you to:
•Create and configure the following policies and policy sets:
–Crypto map
–IKE
–IPSec
–Peer authentication
–VPN device
•Create interface policy sets that include the policies you specify.
•Include interface policy sets in edge profiles.
•Apply interface policy sets to edge firewall interfaces via the edge profiles.
NTP Support
VNMC enables you to configure NTP for compute firewalls, edge firewalls, and VNMC itself. You can configure three or more NTP servers for VNMC.
The default time zone value for the VNMC profile is UTC, and is selected in the UI when VNMC starts.
Security Policy View
VNMC enables you to verify and examine the resolved policies that have been applied to compute and edge firewalls. With this feature, you can:
•Verify the active policies for compute and edge firewalls.
•Examine the policies at a detailed level.
•Create, modify, and delete related policy objects.
Policy Administrative Status
VNMC allows you to enable or disable the administrative status for the following types of policies:
•AAA authentication
•Connection timeout
•Crypto map
•Interface policy set
•IP audit
•NAT
•NAT policy set
•Packet inspection
•Syslog (buffer)
•TCP intercept
Fault Detail View
The VNMC interface provides links to browser windows that enable you to:
•Examine the policy and configuration errors that prevent the successful application of a policy.
•Review the faults and events associated with successfully applied policies and configurations.
•Examine the faults associated with compute and edge firewalls.
ASDM Cross-Launch from VNMC
VNMC 2.0 enables you to launch the Cisco Adaptive Security Device Manager (ASDM) GUI from the UI.
After you deploy a virtual ASA 1000V instance and register the ASA 1000V instance to VNMC, you only need to navigate to the virtual ASA 1000V instance and click Launch ASDM for the ASDM GUI to open in a separate window.
System Enhancements
In addition to system upgrades, VNMC 2.0 provides system backup and restore operations.
User Interface Enhancements and Changes
The following topics describe new and changed features in the VNMC 2.0 UI:
•Policy Management Profiles and Policies
Policy Management Profiles and Policies
The following changes have been implemented in the VNMC interface to improve ease-of-use:
•Policy Management:
–DHCP and Routing policies, previously under Device Configuration, are now under Service Policies.
–A new Service Profiles tab holds all service profiles.
–A new Service Policies tab holds all service policies.
•In Resource Management, Security Profile is now Compute Security Profile.
Field Aids
The VNMC interface includes the following new field aids:
•An arrow indicates whether the administrative status of a policy is enabled or disabled, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1 Administrative Status Indicator
•An "i" icon provides additional information about a field, as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2 Information Icon
•A "c" icon identifies product compatibility for the field, as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3 Compatibility Icon
•Fault icons provide current fault status, and links provide quick access to fault information, as shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4 Fault Information and Links
Event Log Option Removed
The Event Log option has been removed from the following locations in the UI:
•Resource Management > Diagnostics
•Policy Management > Diagnostics
•Administration > Diagnostics
Limitations
The following topics describe the limitations in VNMC 2.0:
•VNMC VM Manager and VMware vCenter Server Connections
•Upgrading vCenter to a New Version
•Characters in Names Retrieved from vCenter
•Value Displayed in Parent App or Resource Pool Field
VNMC VM Manager and VMware vCenter Server Connections
VNMC VM Manager automatically connects to the VMware vCenter server on HTTP port 80. A vCenter extension file is required to establish a connection between VM Manager and vCenter. The extension file is exported from VNMC and linked on the VM Managers tab. You install it as a plugin on all vCenter servers to which you want to connect.
For more information on installing and registering the vCenter extension file, see the Cisco Virtual Network Management Center 2.0 GUI Configuration Guide.
Upgrading vCenter to a New Version
If you upgrade vCenter to a new version and use the same IP address, vCenter attributes are not updated in VNMC. For example, the vCenter attributes for VMs and hosts on the upgraded vCenter are not updated.
To resolve this issue, add the vCenter to VNMC again by choosing Resource Management > Resources > Virtual Machines > VM Managers and clicking Add VM Manager.
Characters in Names Retrieved from vCenter
If you choose Resource Management > Resources > Virtual Machines, the following characters are not allowed in names that are retrieved from vCenter:
" ' ^ & ` < > ? = \ "
If a name that is retrieved from vCenter contains any of these characters, VNMC does not recognize the characters.
Names that can be affected include:
•VM name
•VM DNS name
•VM parent application name
•VM resource pool name
•Hypervisor cluster name
As a result of this behavior, VNMC attribute names do not display correctly in the UI and might be evaluated differently when these attributes are used in policy conditions.
Value Displayed in Parent App or Resource Pool Field
The VM Properties pane displays Parent App and Resource Pool fields, but only one field contains a value at any time. For example, if the parent application name is displayed, the resource pool name is not displayed. This situation occurs because a VM can be part of a parent application or part of a resource pool, but not both simultaneously.
You can view the VM Properties pane by choosing Resource Management > Resources > Virtual Machines > VM Managers > vm-manager > host-ip-address > vm where:
•vm-manager is a vCenter.
•host-ip-address is the ESX/ESXi host IP address in dotted-decimal format (x.x.x.x)
•vm is a specific VM.
Open Bugs
The open bugs for VNMC are available in the Cisco Bug Toolkit. The Cisco Bug Toolkit enables you to search for a bug by identifier or product and version, and can provide additional details about the bug, such as more information or that the bug has been fixed.
Table 4 identifies the bugs that are open in the VNMC 2.0 release.
Related Documentation
The following topics contain information about the documentation available for VNMC and related products:
•Cisco Virtual Network Management Center Documentation
•Cisco ASA 1000V Documentation
•Cisco Virtual Security Gateway Documentation
•Cisco Nexus 1000V Series Switch Documentation
Cisco Virtual Network Management Center Documentation
The following VNMC documentation is available on Cisco.com at the following URL:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps11213/tsd_products_support_series_home.html
•Cisco Virtual Network Management Center 2.0 Documentation Overview
•Cisco Virtual Network Management Center 2.0 Release Notes
•Cisco Virtual Network Management Center 2.0 Quick Start Guide
•Cisco Virtual Network Management Center 2.0 CLI Configuration Guide
•Cisco Virtual Network Management Center 2.0 GUI Configuration Guide
•Cisco Virtual Network Management Center 2.0 XML API Reference Guide
•Open Source Used in Cisco Virtual Network Management Center 2.0
Cisco ASA 1000V Documentation
The Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) documentation is available at the following URL:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps12233/tsd_products_support_series_home.html
Cisco Virtual Security Gateway Documentation
The Cisco VSG documentation is available on Cisco.com at the following URL:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps11208/tsd_products_support_model_home.html
Cisco Nexus 1000V Series Switch Documentation
The Cisco Nexus 1000V Series switch documentation is available on Cisco.com at the following URL:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps9902/tsd_products_support_series_home.html
Obtaining Documentation and Submitting a Service Request
For information on obtaining documentation, submitting a service request, and gathering additional information, see the monthly What's New in Cisco Product Documentation, which also lists all new and revised Cisco technical documentation, at:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/general/whatsnew/whatsnew.html
Subscribe to the What's New in Cisco Product Documentation as an RSS feed and set content to be delivered directly to your desktop using a reader application. The RSS feeds are a free service. Cisco currently supports RSS Version 2.0.
This document is to be used in conjunction with the documents listed in the "Related Documentation" section.
Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. To view a list of Cisco trademarks, go to this URL: www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (1110R)
Any Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and phone numbers used in this document are not intended to be actual addresses and phone numbers. Any examples, command display output, network topology diagrams, and other figures included in the document are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any use of actual IP addresses or phone numbers in illustrative content is unintentional and coincidental.
© 2012 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.