Cisco Virtual Network Management Center GUI Configuration Guide, Release 2.1

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Cisco Virtual Network Management Center GUI Configuration Guide, Release 2.1

Chapter Title

Configuring Administrative Operations

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Chapter: Configuring Administrative Operations

Administrative Operation Conventions
Managing Backup Operations
Restoring a Backup Configuration
Managing Export Operations
Configuring Import Operations

Configuring Administrative Operations

This section includes the following topics:

Administrative Operation Conventions
Managing Backup Operations
Restoring a Backup Configuration
Managing Export Operations
Configuring Import Operations

Administrative Operation Conventions

The following conventions apply when performing the administrative operations described in this section:

The remote file location you specify must start with a slash (/) and include the full path and file name. Do not use relative paths.
The user name and password on the remote system must be correct, and the user specified must have read and write permissions on the remote system.
The file on the remote system must be a valid file, and the size cannot be zero.
For backup and export operations, if the Task tab contains a Remote Err Description of No such file, reboot the VNMC VM via vCenter.

Managing Backup Operations

We recommend that you use backup and restore operation as a disaster recovery mechanism. To migrate configuration data from one VNMC server to another, use export and import operations.

Creating a Backup Operation
Running a Backup Operation
Editing a Backup Operation
Deleting a Backup Operation

Creating a Backup Operation

Before You Begin

Obtain the backup server IP address or hostname and authentication credentials.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Administration > Operations > Backups.

Step 2

Click Create Backup Operation.

Step 3

In the Create Backup Operation dialog box, complete the following fields, then click OK:

Field

Description

Admin State

One of the following administrative states:

enabled—Backup is enabled. The system runs the backup operation when you click OK.
disabled—Backup is disabled. The system does not run the backup operation when you click OK. If you choose this option, all fields in the dialog box remain visible.

Type

Backup type.

The backup creates a copy of the whole database file. You can use this file for disaster recovery if you need to recreate every configuration on your system. This field is not editable.

Protocol

Protocol used when communicating with the remote server:

Note

Do not use TFTP for backup and restore operations.

FTP
SCP
SFTP
TFTP

Hostname/IP Address

Hostname or IP address of the device where the backup file is stored.

This entry cannot be changed when editing the operation.

Note

If you use a hostname instead of an IP address, you must configure a DNS server.

User

Username the system uses to log into the remote server.

This field is not displayed if you select TFTP in the Protocol field.

Password

Password the system uses to log into the remote server.

This field is displayed if you choose enabled in the Admin State field.

This field is not displayed if you choose TFTP in the Protocol field.

Note

VNMC does not store this password. You do not need to enter this password unless you intend to enable and run the backup operation immediately.

Absolute Path Remote File

Full path of the backup filename.

This entry must start with a slash (/) and must not contain a relative path.

Running a Backup Operation

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Administration > Operations > Backups > Backup-server where backup-server is the server on which the backup file is stored.

Step 2

In the General tab, enter the following information:

In the Admin State field, choose enabled.
For all protocols except TFTP, in the Password field, enter the password for the identified user.
(Optional) Change the content of the other available fields.

Step 3

Click Save.

VNMC takes a snapshot of the configuration type that you selected and uploads the file to the network location.

Step 4

(Optional) To view the progress of the backup operation, click the Task tab. The Task tab provides the information described in the following table. The operation continues to run until it is completed.

Field	Description
Description	Task description.
Status	Task status.
Stage Descriptor	Description of the current stage.
Tries	Number of times the task has been tried.
Previous Status	Previous task status.
Remote Err Code	Remote error code.
Remote Err Description	Description of the remote error.
Remote Inv Result	Remote error result.
Time Stamp	Date and time when the task completed.
Progress	Progress of the current task, indicated by the percent complete, a progress bar, or both.

Editing a Backup Operation

Before You Begin

Obtain the backup server IP address or hostname and authentication credentials.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Administration > Operations > Backups.

Step 2

Select the backup operation you want to edit, then click Edit.

Step 3

In the Edit Backup dialog box, modify the information as required, then click OK.

Field

Description

Admin State

One of the following administrative states:

enabled—Backup is enabled. The system runs the backup operation when you click OK.
disabled—Backup is disabled. The system does not run the backup operation when you click OK. If you choose this option, all fields in the dialog box remain visible.

Type

Backup type.

The backup creates a copy of the whole database file. You can use this file for disaster recovery if you need to recreate every configuration on your system. This field is not editable.

Protocol

Protocol used when communicating with the remote server:

Note

Do not use TFTP for backup and restore operations.

FTP
SCP
SFTP
TFTP

Hostname/IP Address

Hostname or IP address of the device where the backup file is stored.

This entry cannot be changed when editing the operation.

Note

If you use a hostname instead of an IP address, you must configure a DNS server.

User

Username the system uses to log into the remote server.

This field is not displayed if you select TFTP in the Protocol field.

Password

Password the system uses to log into the remote server.

This field is displayed if you choose enabled in the Admin State field.

This field is not displayed if you choose TFTP in the Protocol field.

Note

VNMC does not store this password. You do not need to enter this password unless you intend to enable and run the backup operation immediately.

Absolute Path Remote File

Full path of the backup filename.

This entry must start with a slash (/) and must not contain a relative path.

Deleting a Backup Operation

Procedure

Step 1	Choose Administration > Operations > Backups.
Step 2	Select the backup operation you want to delete, then click Delete.
Step 3	When prompted, confirm the deletion.

Restoring a Backup Configuration

Procedure

Step 1

Install the VNMC virtual machine. For information, see the Cisco Virtual Network Management Center 2.0 Quick Start Guide.

Step 2

Uninstall the VSG policy agents. Connect the Secure Shell to the VSG console for this task. This step does not cause a traffic disruption.

Example:

vsg# conf t
vsg (config)# vnmc-policy-agent
vsg (config-vnmc-policy-agent)# no policy-agent-image

Note

Perform this step for all VSGs that are associated with the VNMC that you are restoring.

Step 3

Disable the ASA 1000V policy agent.

Example:

ASA-154# conf t
ASA-154(config)# no vnmc policy-agent

Step 4

Uninstall the VSM policy agents. Connect the Secure Shell to the VSM console for this task. This step does not cause a traffic disruption.

Example:

vsm# conf t
vsm (config)# vnmc-policy-agent
vsm (config-vnmc-policy-agent)# no policy-agent-image

Note

Perform this step for all VSMs that are associated with the VNMC you are restoring.

Step 5

Restore the VNMC database. Connect the Secure Shell to the VNMC CLI for this task. Depending upon your VNMC backup location, restore using FTP, SCP, or SFTP.

Example:

vnmc# connect local-mgmt
vnmc(local-mgmt)# restore scp://username@server/path

Step 6

In the VNMC UI, choose Administration > Service Registry > Clients, and in the General tab, do the following:

Wait until each registered VSM displays the operational status as lost-visibility.
Choose each VSM, and click Delete Client.

Step 7

In the VNMC UI, choose Resource Management > Resources > Virtual Supervisor Modules, and verify that the deleted VSMs are not visible.

Step 8

Reregister the VSMs associated with VNMC by entering the following commands for each VSM:

Example:

VSM# conf t
VSM (config)# vnmc-policy-agent
VSM (config-vnmc-policy-agent)# registration-ip vsm-ip-address
VSM (config-vnmc-policy-agent)# shared-secret password

Step 9

Reinstall the VSM policy agents.

Note

If the VSM policy agents must be upgraded, install the new software now.

Example:

VSM# conf t
VSM (config)# vnmc-policy-agent
VSM (config-vnmc-policy-agent)# policy-agent-image bootflash:vnmc-vsmpa.1.0.1g.bin

Step 10

Wait until all the VSMs have registered in the Service Registry and are displayed under Resource Management > Resources > Virtual Supervisor Modules.

Step 11

Reregister the VSGs associated with VNMC by entering the following commands for each VSG:

Example:

VSG# conf t
VSG (config)# vnmc-policy-agent
VSG (config-vnmc-policy-agent)# registration-ip vsg-ip-address
VSG (config-vnmc-policy-agent)# shared-secret password

Step 12

Reinstall the VSG policy agents.

Note

If the VSG policy agents must be upgraded, install the new software now.

Example:

VSG# conf t
VSG (config)# vnmc-policy-agent
VSG (config-vnmc-policy-agent)# policy-agent-image bootflash:vnmc-vsgpa.1.0.1g.bin

Step 13

Re-enable the ASA 1000V policy agent.

Example:

ASA-154# conf t
ASA-154(config)# vnmc policy-agent
ASA-154(config-vnmc-policy-agent)# shared-secret password
ASA-154(config-vnmc-policy-agent)# registration host host-ip-address

Step 14

Verify the following states after the restore process is complete:

Note

The restore process could take a few minutes depending upon your setup environment.

Using the VSG CLI, verify that your configurations are restored to their earlier state.
Using the VNMC UI, verify that your objects and policies are restored to their earlier state.
Using the ASA 1000V CLI, verify that your configurations are restored to their earlier state.

Managing Export Operations

Use export and import operations to migrate data from one VNMC server to another. To back up and restore VNMC data (for example, as a disaster recovery mechanism), use backup and restore operations.

Creating an Export Operation
Editing an Export Operation
Deleting an Export Operation

Creating an Export Operation

Before You Begin

Obtain the remote file server IP address or hostname and authentication credentials before performing an export.

Note

The associations of compute and edge firewalls with VSGs and ASA 1000Vs, respectively, are not included in export or import data. Only firewall definitions are included, such as device profiles and policies. If an imported firewall did not exist in the system, it will not be associated to a VSG or ASA 1000V after the import operation. If an imported firewall already existed in the system, the association state remains the same.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Administration > Operations > Backups.

Step 2

Click Create Export Operation.

Step 3

In the Create Export Operation dialog box, provide the required information as described in the following table, then click OK:

Field

Description

Admin State

One of the following administrative states:

enabled—Export is enabled. The system runs the export operation when you click OK.
disabled—Export is disabled. The system does not run the export operation when you click OK. If you choose this option, all fields in the dialog box remain visible.

Type

One of the following export types:

config-all
config-logical
config-system

Protocol

Protocol used when communicating with the remote server:

FTP
SCP
SFTP
TFTP

Hostname/IP Address

Hostname or IP address of the device where the export file is stored.

This entry cannot be changed when editing the operation.

Note

If you use a hostname instead of an IP address, you must configure a DNS server.

User

Username the system uses to log into the remote server.

This field is not displayed if you choose TFTP in the Protocol field.

Password

The password the system uses to log into the remote server.

This field is displayed if you choose enabled in the Admin State field.

This field is not displayed if you choose TFTP in the Protocol field.

Note

VNMC does not store this password. You do not need to enter this password unless you intend to enable and run the export operation immediately.

Absolute Path Remote File (.tgz)

Full path of the .tgz filename.

This entry must start with a slash (/) and must not contain a relative path.

Editing an Export Operation

Note

Before You Begin

Obtain the remote file server IP address or hostname and authentication credentials before performing an export.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Administration > Operations > Backups.

Step 2

In the Backups table, select the export operation you want to edit, then click Edit.

Step 3

In the Edit Export dialog box, modify the fields as appropriate, then click OK.

Field

Description

Admin State

One of the following administrative states:

enabled—Export is enabled. The system runs the export operation when you click OK.
disabled—Export is disabled. The system does not run the export operation when you click OK. If you choose this option, all fields in the dialog box remain visible.

Type

One of the following export types:

config-all
config-logical
config-system

Protocol

Protocol used when communicating with the remote server:

FTP
SCP
SFTP
TFTP

Hostname/IP Address

Hostname or IP address of the device where the export file is stored.

This entry cannot be changed when editing the operation.

Note

If you use a hostname instead of an IP address, you must configure a DNS server.

User

Username the system uses to log into the remote server.

This field is not displayed if you choose TFTP in the Protocol field.

Password

The password the system uses to log into the remote server.

This field is displayed if you choose enabled in the Admin State field.

This field is not displayed if you choose TFTP in the Protocol field.

Note

VNMC does not store this password. You do not need to enter this password unless you intend to enable and run the export operation immediately.

Absolute Path Remote File (.tgz)

Full path of the .tgz filename.

This entry must start with a slash (/) and must not contain a relative path.

Deleting an Export Operation

Procedure

Step 1	In the Navigation pane, choose Administration > Operation > Backups.
Step 2	In the Work pane, click the export operation you want to delete.
Step 3	In the Confirm dialog box, click Yes.

Configuring Import Operations

Creating an Import Operation

Before You Begin

Obtain the remote file server IP address or hostname and authentication credentials.

Note

The association of compute and edge firewalls with VSGs and ASA 1000Vs, respectively, are not included in the export or import data. Only the compute and edge firewall definitions are included, such as device profiles and policies. Therefore, if an imported firewall did not exist in the system, it will not be associated to a VSG or ASA 1000V after the import operation. If an imported firewall already existed in the system, the association state remains the same.

Caution

When the configuration data is imported into the VNMC server, you might see an error message and get logged out, followed by the display of a new VNMC certificate. This error occurs because the VNMC hostname, domain name, or both have changed. The VM Manager Extension needs to be exported again and installed on vCenter. To continue with the import, accept the VNMC certificate and log into VNMC again.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Administration > Operations > Backups.

Step 2

Click Create Import Operation.

Step 3

In the Create Import Operation dialog box, provide the following information as required, then click OK:

Field

Description

Admin State

One of the following administrative states:

enabled—Import is enabled. The system runs the import operation as soon as you click OK.
disabled—Import is disabled. The system does not run the import operation when you click OK. If you choose this option, all fields in the dialog box remain visible.

Action

Action to be taken on a file: merge.

Protocol

Protocol used when communicating with the remote server:

FTP
SCP
SFTP
TFTP

Hostname/IP Address

Hostname or IP address of the device where the import file is stored.

This entry cannot be changed when editing the operation.

Note

If you use a hostname instead of an IP address, you must configure a DNS server.

User

Username the system uses to log into the remote server.

This field is displayed if you choose enabled in the Admin State field.

This field does not appear if you choose TFTP in the Protocol field.

Password

Password the system uses to log into the remote server.

This field does not appear if you choose TFTP in the Protocol field.

Note

VNMC does not store this password. You do not need to enter this password unless you intend to enable and run the import operation immediately.

Absolute Path Remote File (.tgz)

Full path of the .tgz filename.

This entry must start with a slash (/) and must not contain a relative path.

Editing an Import Operation

Before You Begin

Obtain the remote file server IP address or hostname and authentication credentials.

Procedure

Step 1

Choose Administration > Operations > Backups.

Step 2

Select the import operation that you want to edit, then click Edit.

Step 3

In the Edit dialog box, modify the fields as required, then click OK.

Field

Description

Admin State

One of the following administrative states:

enabled—Import is enabled. The system runs the import operation as soon as you click OK.
disabled—Import is disabled. The system does not run the import operation when you click OK. If you choose this option, all fields in the dialog box remain visible.

Action

Action to be taken on a file: merge.

Protocol

Protocol used when communicating with the remote server:

FTP
SCP
SFTP
TFTP

Hostname/IP Address

Hostname or IP address of the device where the import file is stored.

This entry cannot be changed when editing the operation.

Note

If you use a hostname instead of an IP address, you must configure a DNS server.

User

Username the system uses to log into the remote server.

This field is displayed if you choose enabled in the Admin State field.

This field does not appear if you choose TFTP in the Protocol field.

Password

Password the system uses to log into the remote server.

This field does not appear if you choose TFTP in the Protocol field.

Note

VNMC does not store this password. You do not need to enter this password unless you intend to enable and run the import operation immediately.

Absolute Path Remote File (.tgz)

Full path of the .tgz filename.

This entry must start with a slash (/) and must not contain a relative path.

Deleting an Import Operation

Procedure

Step 1	Choose Administration > Operations > Backups.
Step 2	Select the import operation that you want to delete, then click Delete.
Step 3	When prompted, confirm the deletion.

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