Cisco Catalyst SD-WAN Onboarding Guide, Releases 26.x and Later

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Add Cisco SD-WAN Controller to the overlay network

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Guides you through adding an SD-WAN controller to the overlay network using SD-WAN Manager workflows, including steps for certificate generation, signing, authentication, and handling both manual and automatic certificate renewal options.


After you create a minimal configuration for SD-WAN Controller, you must add it to overlay network by making SD-WAN Manager aware of the controller. When you add SD-WAN Controller, a signed certificate is generated and is used to validate and authenticate the orchestrator.

Procedure

1.

From the Cisco SD-WAN Manager menu, choose Workflows > Workflow Library.

2.

Launch the Add Controller and Validator Components workflow.

3.

Choose Controller, and proceed according to the instructions in the workflow.

For the authentication certificate assigned to the new SD-WAN Control Component, you can do one of these:

  • Handle certificate signing within the workflow:

    • Renewal type: Manual

      Choose the option to generate a certificate signing request (CSR). This facilitates getting the certificate signed and ready for use during the workflow. This option provides you with a CSR to download, to get the certificate signed. After getting the certificate signed, you upload the certificate within this workflow.

    • Renewal type: Automatic

      This option is available if two conditions are met:

      • Administration > Settings > Certificate setttings > Control Components set to Cisco, and

      • Smart Account credentials (Administration > Settings > Smart Account Credentials) are configured.

  • Handle certificate signing later:

    You can leave the Generate CSR… option unselected, and get the certificate signed later. Until the certificate is signed, the new SD-WAN Control Component cannot establish control connections in the network.