Cisco WAE 6.4 Platform Configuration Guide

Configuring Multi-Layer Network Collection

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Multi-layer (L1 and L3) network collection is an advanced collection configuration. This section describes how to configure inventory, topology, and traffic collection from a multi-layer network. After installing the multi-layer package, you are able to collect and model the following information:

• Topology from DWDM networks that support Generalized Multiprotocol Label Switching (GMPLS) with non-User Network Interface (UNI) circuits
• Dynamic L1 circuit paths
• Unprotected and restorable paths
• Actual L1 circuit path hops
• Feasibility metrics and limit
• Inactive L1 links

After collection, the network model (plan file) is placed in the Design Archive. You can open the plan file and view L1 and L3 topology in WAE Design. For more information, see “Layer 1 Simulation” in the Cisco WAE Design User Guide .

Prerequisites

• Obtain the YANG runtime software from your Cisco WAE representative before proceeding with multi-layer configuration. The YANG runtime software is required to collect data from the optical network.
• Confirm that all system requirements for multi-layer collection have been met with a Cisco WAE representative.
• Confirm that the redhat-lsb-core and perl-Params-Check packages are installed. If you do not have the packages, install them. For example, on CentOS:

• Confirm you have the seed node credentials for discovery.
• Create an authentication file by running the mate_auth_init CLI tool. After the authentication file (auth.enc) is created, add the following lines to the file (using tabs, not spaces):

For more information on using the mate_auth_init tool, see Network Authentication.

Multi-Layer Configuration Workflow

The following steps describe the high-level workflow of multi-layer collection configuration.

Step 1 Download and Install the Multi-Layer (ML) Package

This step only needs to be done once.

Step 2 Start Multi-Layer Services

Step 3 Configure Layer 1 Collection

Step 4 Configure L3 Collection and Merge L1 Information in Snapshot

Step 5 (Optional) Collect from Multiple Networks

This step can be repeated depending on the number of L1 networks that need collection.

Download and Install the Multi-Layer (ML) Package

Confirm you have met all the requirements documented in the Prerequisites section.

The package installs necessary components used for multi-layer collection. See Table 6-1 for a list of services and associated command options that are installed. See Table 6-2 to see where all the components are installed.

Step 1 Log into the Planning Server with the username and password used during the WAE Planning Software installation. The default user is wae and the password is ciscowae .

Step 2 Go to the software download center where you obtained the WAE Planning Software. From there, download the WAE Optical Plug-in package <wae-ml-collector-xxxxxx-x86_64.bin>.

Step 3 Run the following commands:

For example:

Start Multi-Layer Services

Step 1 Edit and save the $WAE_HOME/optical-plugin/config/ctc-connectors-domain.properties file with the following information:

• network.id —Optical network name. For example, cisco:network
• network.nodes.vendor —Node vendor.
• network.discovery.start.node —The IP address of the discovery seed node.
• network.discovery.start.node —The ID to log into the seed node.
• network.discovery.start.node.password —The password to access the seed node.
• network.discovery.inactivity.period —Time in milliseconds which the discovery will time out if there is no access to the network.

Step 2 Start the ML services:

Step 3 Confirm that the services are running:

Configure Layer 1 Collection

You can start and configure L1 collection using the CLI console.

Step 1 Start the console:

Step 2 Enter into configuration mode:

Step 3 Configure the auth.enc and cariden-home paths using the Network Service Module setting options:

For example:

Step 4 Configure the L1Server IP address and optical plug-in port for the network:

For example:

Note The default port is 9000 for the first optical plug-in instance. Default for the next additional optical plug-in instances are 9001, 9002, 9003, and so on. To configure the optical plug-in to connect to a different port, edit the line restconf.http.port=<port_number> in the $WAE_HOME/optical-plugin[-<instance_number>]/config/ctc-connectors-restconf.properties file.

Step 5 Schedule L1 collection:

For example:

Step 6 Commit the collection and exit the console:

Configure L3 Collection and Merge L1 Information in Snapshot

Step 1 Edit the $CARIDEN_HOME/etc/snapshot.txt file:

• Enter the appropriate snapshot information, including the following parameters:

– network

– unique

– seed_router

– igp

– home_dir

– cariden_home

• Uncomment the tools for L3 collection. To uncomment a task, remove the # sign. For examples on what type of information to collect, see Appendix A, “Snapshot Examples” .

Note To collect L1-L3 port mapping in non-UNI networks, contact your Cisco representative.

• Uncomment ACCESS_NETCONF. The access_netconf tool merges the L1 data with the L3 data.

Step 2 Run the snapshot collection:

Step 3 Open the plan files using WAE Design. Alternatively, you can collect multi-layer information from additional networks. For more information, see Collect from Multiple Networks.

Collect from Multiple Networks

The following procedure describes how to include additional L1 networks to the multi-layer collection. This procedure assumes that you have already performed a previous collection (as described earlier in this section) and the additional L1 networks are connected to a single L3 network.

Step 1 Create a new instance of an optical-plugin:

Step 2 Configure L1 collection.

Follow the same steps described in Configure Layer 1 Collection, but the network name, L1Server IP address, and port in the new network should refer to the network name IP Address and port of the new optical plug-in instance.

Step 3 Start the new instance of an optical plug-in:

For example:

Step 4 Run the access_netconf tool with the new network name and old output plan as the input.

For example:

# ./access_netconf –network NetworkB –authGroup ncs –action merge_l1_data  –input-plan-file post-NetworkA.txt –output-plan-file post-NetworksAB.txt

You can repeat this procedure to merge collections from additional networks.

Exclude Optical Amplifiers from Collection

By default, L1 collection includes amplifier link and node information. You may want to remove optical amplifier information to declutter the topology shown when opening a plan file in WAE Design. Figure 6-1 and Figure 6-2 show the differences in topology when amplifiers are included and when they are not.

To exclude optical amplifiers from collection, do the following:

Step 1 Start the ML CLI:

Step 2 Enter into configuration mode:

Step 3 From the Network Service Module setting options, set the retain-amplifiers option to false:

admin@ncs(config)# services NsmSettings network <network_name> options retain-amplifiers false

For example:

Step 4 Commit the collection and exit the console:

The next time L1 collection is scheduled, optical amplifier information is not included in the plan file.

Figure 6-1 Topology With Amplifiers

Figure 6-2 Topology Without Amplifiers

Set Feasibility Properties for L1 Circuits

The quality of an L1 circuit deteriorates as it passes through L1 links. Using feasibility properties, WAE Design enables you to simulate the weakening of L1 circuits to determine if they have degraded to the point of being unroutable. To set the feasibilty limit margin, do the following:

Step 1 Start the console:

Step 2 Enter into configuration mode:

Step 3 From the Network Service Module setting options, set the decimal value for the feasibility-limit-margin . The default value is 2.5.

admin@ncs(config)# services NsmSettings network <network_name> options feasibility-limit-margin <margin_decimal_value>

For example:

Step 4 Commit the collection:

The next time L1 collection is scheduled, the set margin is implemented in the plan file.

Collect Inactive or Failed L1 Circuit Objects

To collect failed L1 nodes or L1 links, do the following:

Step 1 Start the console:

Step 2 Enter into configuration mode:

Step 3 From the Network Service Module setting options, set the compute-inactive-links option to true:

For example:

Step 4 Commit the collection:

The next time L1 collection is scheduled, failed L1 links and L1 nodes are included in the plan file.