Installing the Cisco DCNM

This chapter contains the following sections:


Note

Beginning with Release 11.4(1), along with Computes, you can install Cisco DCNM in Standalone and Native HA mode on Cisco Applications Services Engine. For more information, see Cisco Application Services Engine Installation Guide For Cisco DCNM.

If you are installing Cisco DCNM on SE, install the DCNM ISO Virtual Appliance (.iso) installer.

Installing DCNM on Open Virtual Appliance

This chapter contains the following sections:

Downloading the Open Virtual Appliance File

The first step to install the Open Virtual Appliance is to download the dcnm.ova file. Point to that dcnm.ova file on your computer when deploying the OVF template.


Note
If you plan to use HA application functions, you must deploy the dcnm.ova file twice.

Procedure

Step 1

Go to the following site: http://software.cisco.com/download/http://software.cisco.com/download/.

A list of the latest release software for Cisco DCNM available for download is displayed.
Step 2

In the Select a Product search box, enter Cisco Data Center Network Manager.

Click Search icon.

Step 3

Click Data Center Network Manager from the search results.

A list of the latest release software for Cisco DCNM available for download is displayed.
Step 4

In the Latest Releases list, choose Release 11.4(1).

Step 5

Locate the DCNM Open Virtual Appliance Installer and click the Download icon.

Step 6

Save the dcnm.ova file to your directory that is easy to find when you start to deploy the OVF template.

Deploying the Open Virtual Appliance as an OVF Template

After you download the Open Virtual Appliance file, you must deploy the OVF template from the vSphere Client application or the vCenter Server.


Note
Deploy two OVAs for the HA setup.

Procedure

Step 1

Open the vCenter Server application and connect to the vCenter Server with your vCenter user credentials.

Note 
ESXi host must be added to the vCenter Server application.

Depending on the version of the VMware vsphere web HTML5 interface may not work properly when deploying Huge or Compute OVA, as it does not allow users to specify extra disk size. Therefore, we recommend that you use Flex interface for deploying VMs.

If you're deploying OVF template using the ESXi 6.7, the installation fails if you use Internet Explorer browser with HTML5. Ensure that you one of the following options to successfully deploy OVF template with ESXi and 6.7:

  • Mozilla Firefox browser, with HTML 5 support

    Use flex interface if HTML 5 is not supported

  • Mozilla Firefox browser, with flex\flash support

  • Google Chrome browser, with HTML 5 support

    Use flex interface if HTML 5 is not supported
Step 2

Navigate to Home > Inventory > Hosts and Clusters and choose the host on which the OVF template is deployed.

Step 3

On the correct Host, right-click and select Deploy OVF Template.

You can also choose Actions > Deploy OVF Template.

Deploy OVF Template Wizard opens.
Step 4

On the Select template screen, navigate to the location where you have downloaded the OVA image.

You can choose the OVA file by one of the following methods:

  • Select the URL radio button. Enter the path of the location of the image file.

  • Select Local File radio button. Click Browse. Navigate to the directory where the image is stored. Click OK.

Click Next.

Step 5

Verify the OVA template details and click Next.

Step 6

On the End User License Agreement screen, read the license agreement.

Click Accept and click Next.

Step 7

On the Select name and location screen, enter the following information:

  • In the Name field, enter an appropriate name for the OVF.

    Note 
    Ensure that the VM name is unique within the Inventory.

  • In the Browse tab, select Datacenter as the deployment location under the appropriate ESXi host.

Click Next.

Step 8

On the Select configuration screen, select the configuration from the drop-down list.

  • Choose Small (Lab or POC) to configure the virtual machine with 8 vCPUs, 24GB RAM.

    Choose Small for proof-of-concept and other small-scale environments with fewer than 50 switches that are not expected to grow with time.

  • Choose Large (Production) to configure the virtual machine with 16 vCPUs, 32GB RAM.

    We recommend that you use a Large deployment configuration when you are managing more than 50 devices to leverage better RAM, heap memory, and CPUs. For setups that could grow, choose Large.

  • Choose Compute to configure the virtual machine with 16 vCPUs, 64GB RAM.

    You must have DCNM deployed in Compute mode to use applications in your deployment.

  • Choose Huge to configure the virtual machine with 32 vCPUs, 128GB RAM.

    This configuration is recommended if you deploy DCNM for SAN Management and use SAN Insights feature.

  • Choose ComputeHuge to configure the virtual machine with 32vCPUs and 128GB RAM with 2TB disk.

    This configuration is recommended if you use Cisco Network Insights applications.

Click Next.

Step 9

On Select a resource screen, select the host on which you want to deploy the OVA template.

Click Next.

Step 10

On Select storage screen, based on the Datastore and Available space choose the disk format and the destination storage for the virtual machine file.

  1. Select the virtual disk format from the drop-down list.

    The available disk formats are:

    Note 
    Choose one of the thick provision types if you have enough storage capacity as required by the virtual appliance and want to set a specific allocation of space for the virtual disks.

    • Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed: The space that is required for the virtual disk is allocated when the virtual disk is created. The data that remains on the physical device is not erased when the virtual disk is created but is zeroed out on demand later on first write from the virtual disk.

    • Thin Provision: The disk space available is less than 100 GB. The initial disk consumption is 3GB and increases as the size of the database increases with the number of devices being managed.

    • Thick Provision Eager Zeroed: The space that is required for the virtual disk is allocated when the virtual disk is created. Unlike the Lazy Zeroed option, the data that remains on the physical device is erased when the virtual disk is created.

      Note 

      With 500G, the DCNM installation will appear to be stuck with option Thick Provision Eager Zeroed. However, it takes longer time to complete.

  2. Select the VM storage policy from the drop-down list.

    By default, no policy is selected.

  3. Check the Show datastores from Storage DRS clusters to view the clusters' datastores.

  4. Select the destination storage for the virtual machine, available in the datastore.

Click Next.

Step 11

On the Select Networks screen, map the networks that are used in the OVF template to networks in your inventory.

  • dcnm-mgmt network

    This network provides connectivity (SSH, SCP, HTTP, HTTPS) to the Cisco DCNM Open Virtual Appliance. Associate this network with the portgroup that corresponds to the subnet that is associated with the DCNM Management network.

  • enhanced-fabric-mgmt

    This network provides enhanced fabric management of Nexus switches. You must associate this network with the port group that corresponds to management network of leaf and spine switches.

  • enhanced-fabric-inband

    This network provides in-band connection to the fabric. You must associate this network with port group that corresponds to a fabric in-band connection.

    Note 

    If you do not configure enhanced-fabric-inband network, Endpoint Locator and Telemetry features are not operational.

However, you can edit the network properties after installation, if required, using the appmgr update network-properties command. For more information, see Editing Network Properties Post DCNM Installation.

From the Destination Network drop-down list, choose to associate the network mapping with the port group that corresponds to the subnet that is associated with the corresponding network.

If you are deploying more than one DCNM Open Virtual Appliance for HA functionality, you must meet the following criteria:

  • Both OVAs must have their management access (eth0), enhanced fabric management (eth1) and inband management (eth2) interfaces in the same subnet.

  • Each OVA must have their eth0-eth1 and eth2 interfaces in different subnets.

  • Both OVAs must be deployed with the same administrative password. This is to ensure that both OVAs are duplicates of each other for application access.

    All special characters, except %$^=;.*\'" <SPACE> is allowed in the password.

Click Next.

Step 12

On Customize template screen, enter the Management Properties information.

Enter the IP Address (for the outside management address for DCNM), Subnet Mask, and Default Gateway.

Note 
During Native HA installation and upgrade, ensure that you provide appropriate Management Properties for both Active and Standby appliances.

Ensure that add valid values for the Management Network properties. Properties with invalid values will not be assigned. The VM will not power on until you enter valid values.

From Release 11.3(1), for Huge and Compute configurations, you can add extra disk space on the VM. You can add from 32GB up to 1.5TB of disk space. In the Extra Disk Size field, enter the extra disk size that will be created on the VM.

Click Next.

Step 13

On Ready to Complete screen, review the deployment settings.

Click Back to go to the previous screens and modify the configuration.

Click Finish to deploy the OVF template.

You can see the deployment status in the Recent Tasks area on the vSphere Client.

Note 
If this deployment is a part of the upgrade process, do not Power on the VM. Edit and provide the 11.0(1) or 11.1(1) or 11.2(1) MAC address and power on the VM.
Step 14

After the installation is complete, right click on the installed VM and select Power > Power On.

Note 
Before you power on the VM, ensure that you have reserved appropriate resources for the VM, such as CPU and memory, based on the chosen deployment configuration.

You can see the status in the Recent Tasks area.
Step 15

Navigate to the Summary tab and click Settings icon and select Launch Web Console.

A message indicating that the DCNM appliance is configuring appears on the screen.

***************************************************************
Please point your web browser to
https://<IP-address>:<port-number>
to complete the application
***************************************************************

Copy and paste the URL to the browser to complete the installation, using the Web Installer.

What to do next

You can choose to install DCNM in Standalone mode or Native HA mode. For more information, see Installing the Cisco DCNM OVA in Standalone Mode or Installing the Cisco DCNM OVA in Native HA mode.

Installing the Cisco DCNM OVA in Standalone Mode

Paste the URL displayed on the Console tab and hit Enter key. A welcome message appears.

To complete the installation of Cisco DCNM from the web installer, perform the following procedure.

Procedure

Step 1

On the Welcome to Cisco DCNM screen, click Get Started.

Caution 

If the system configuration does not meet minimum resource requirements, SYSTEM RESOURCE ERROR is displayed on the Web Installer, and the installation will be aborted. Modify the system requirements, and launch the Web Installer to complete the installation.

Step 2

On the Cisco DCNM Installer tab, select Fresh Installation – Standalone radio button.

Click Next.

Step 3

On the Install Mode tab, choose your DCNM deployment type.

From the Installation mode drop-down list, choose LAN Fabric installation mode for the DCNM Appliance.

Check the Enable Clustered Mode check box, if you want to deploy Cisco DCNM in Cluster mode. The Compute nodes will be displayed on the Cisco DCNM Web UI > Applications > Compute. The applications will run on the Compute nodes. You can add the compute nodes to a Cluster, later.

Note 

If Enable Clustered Mode is selected, applications such as, Config Compliance, EPL, and NIA, and NIR won’t work until you install the compute nodes.

Click Next.

Step 4

On the Administration tab, enter information about passwords.

  • In the Administrator Password field, enter the password that is used to connect to the applications in the Cisco DCNM.

    All special characters, except %$^=;.*\'" <SPACE> is allowed in the password.

    Enter the password again in the Repeat Administrator Password field.

  • In the Database Password field, enter the password for the PostgreSQL database.

    All special characters, except %$^=;.*\'" <SPACE> is allowed in the password.

    Enter the password again in the Repeat Database Password field.

    Note 

    If Database Password field is left blank, it shall consider the Administrator password as the PostgreSQL password.

Select the Show passwords in clear text check box to view the password that you have entered.

Click Next.

Step 5

On the System Settings, configure the settings for the DCNM Appliance.

  • In the Fully Qualified Hostname field, enter the hostname that is a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) as per RFC1123, section 2.1. Hostnames with only digits is not supported.

  • In the DNS Server Address List field, enter the DNS IP address.

    You can also configure the DNS server using an IPv6 address.

    From Release 11.3(1), you can configure more than one DNS server.

    Note 
    If you’re using Network Insights applications, ensure that the DNS server is valid and reachable.

  • In the NTP Server Address List field, enter the IP address of the NTP server.

    The value must be an IP or IPv6 address or RFC 1123 compliant name.

    From Release 11.3(1), you can configure more than one NTP server.

  • From the Timezone drop-down list, select the timezone in which you are deploying the DCNM.

Click Next.

Step 6

On the Network Settings tab, configure the network parameters used to reach the DCNM Web UI.

Figure 1. Cisco DCNM Management Network Interfaces

  1. In the Management Network area, verify if the auto-populated addresses for Management IPv4 Address and Management Network Default IPv4 Gateway are correct. Modify, if necessary.

    Note 
    Beginning with Cisco DCNM Release 11.2(1), you can also use an IPv6 address for the Management Network.

    (Optional) Enter a valid IPv6 address along with the prefix to configure the Management IPv6 Address and the Management Network Default IPv6 Gateway.

  2. In the Out-of-Band Network area, enter the IPv4 address and Gateway IPv4 Address.

    If DCNM is on the IPv6 network, configure the network by entering relevant IPv6 Address for IPv6 address and Gateway IPv6 Address.

    Out-of-band management provides a connection to the device management ports (Typically mgmt0).

    Note 

    If the out-of-band network is not configured, you cannot configure Cisco DCNM in Cluster mode.

  3. (Optional) In the In-Band Network area, enter the IPv4 address and Gateway IPv4 Address for the in-band network.

    This field is mandatory if you have selected the Enable Cluster mode in Step Step 3.

    If DCNM is on the IPv6 network, configure the network by entering relevant IPv6 Address for IPv6 address and Gateway IPv6 Address.

    The In-Band Network provides reachability to the devices via the front-panel ports.

    Note 

    If you do not configure in-band network, Endpoint Locator and Telemetry features are not operational.

However, you can edit the network properties after installation, if required, using the appmgr update network-properties command. For more information, see Editing Network Properties Post DCNM Installation.

Click Next.

Step 7

On the Applications tab, configure the Device Connector and Internal Applications Services Network, and Cluster mode settings.

Note 

Device Connector is enabled by default.

The Device connector is an embedded management controller that enables the capabilities of Cisco Intersight, a cloud-based management platform.

  1. (Optional) In the Proxy Server field, enter the IP address for the proxy server.

    The proxy server must be of RFC1123-compliant name.

    Note 

    By default, port 80 is used for proxy server. Use <proxy-server-ip>:<port> to use proxy server is a different port.

    If the proxy server must require authentication, enter relevant username and password in the Proxy Server Username and Proxy Server Password fields.

  2. In the Internal Application Services Network area, in the IPv4 Subnet field, enter the IP subnet to access the applications that run internally to DCNM.

    All the applications use the IP Address from this subnet.

  3. In the Clustered mode configuration area, configure the network settings to deploy the DCNM instance in Clustered mode. In Clustered mode, applications run on separate compute nodes.

    The Cluster Mode configuration area appears only if you have selected the Enable Clustered Mode check box in Step Step 3.

    Note 

    In Clustered mode, the Cisco DCNM Applications run on separate DCNM Compute Nodes.

    • In the Out-of-Band IPv4 Network Address Pool, enter the address pool from the Out-of-Band IPv4 network to be used in the Clustered Mode.

      Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 address pool in the Out-of-Band IPv6 Network Address Pool field.

    • In the In-Band IPv4 Network Address Pool, enter the address pool from the In-Band IPv4 network to be used in the Clustered Mode.

      Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 address pool in the In-Band IPv6 Network Address Pool field.

    The address must be a smaller prefix of available IP addresses from the eth1 subnet. For example: Use 10.1.1.240/28 if the eth1 subnet was configured as 10.1.1.0/24 during installation. This subnet must be a minimum of /28 (16 addresses) and maximum of /24 (256 addresses). It should also be longer than the east-west pool. This subnet is assigned to containers, to communicate with the switches.

Click Next.

Step 8

On the Summary tab, review the configuration details.

Click Previous to go to the previous tabs and modify the configuration. Click Start Installation to complete the Cisco DCNM Installation for the chosen deployment mode.

A progress bar appears showing the completed percentage, description of the operation, and the elapsed time during the installation. After the progress bar shows 100%, click Continue.

A success message appears with the URL to access DCNM Web UI. 

***************************************************************
Your Cisco Data Center Network Manager software has been installed.
DCNM Web UI is available at
https://<<IP Address>>
You will be redirected there in 60 seconds.
Thank you
***************************************************************
Note 

If the Cisco DCNM is running behind a firewall, ensure that you open the port 2443 to launch Cisco DCNM Web UI.

Note 

If you try to access the DCNM Web UI using the Management IP address while the installation is still in progress, an error message appears on the console. 

***************************************
*Preparing Appliance*

***************************************

What to do next

Log on to the DCNM Web UI with appropriate credentials.

Click the Settings icon and choose About DCNM. You can view and verify the Installation type that you have deployed.

If you have configured inband management (eth2) IP addresses for device management, login to standalone server and configure the inband network reachability from eth2 of the server to the switches by using the following commands:
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties add route ipv4 eth2 <ipv4-network-ip-address/prefix>
For example: If you have four switches with all fabric links connected through 10.0.0.x/30 subnet, and if all switches are configured with the loopback interface for inband reachability in subnet 40.1.1.0/24, use the following commands:
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties session start
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties add route ipv4 eth2 10.0.0.0/24
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties add route ipv4 eth2 40.1.1.0/24
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties session apply

Installing the Cisco DCNM OVA in Native HA mode

The native HA is supported on DCNM appliances with ISO or OVA installation only.

By default, an embedded PostgreSQL database engine with the Cisco DCNM. The native HA feature allows two Cisco DCNM appliances to run as active and standby applications, with their embedded databases synchronized in real time. Therefore, when the active DCNM is not functioning, the standby DCNM takes over with the same database data and resume the operation.

Perform the following task to set up Native HA for DCNM.

Procedure

Step 1

Deploy two DCNM Virtual Appliances (either OVA or ISO).

For example, let us indicate them as dcnm1 and dcnm2.

Step 2

Configure dcnm1 as the Primary node. Paste the URL displayed on the Console tab of dcnm1 and press Enter key.

A welcome message appears.

  1. On the Welcome to Cisco DCNM screen, click Get Started.

    Caution 

    If the system configuration does not meet minimum resource requirements, SYSTEM RESOURCE ERROR is displayed on the Web Installer, and the installation will be aborted. Modify the system requirements, and launch the Web Installer to complete the installation.

  2. On the Cisco DCNM Installer tab, select Fresh Installation - HA Primary radio button, to install dcnm1 as Primary node.

    Click Next.

  3. On the Install Mode tab, choose your DCNM deployment type.

    From the Installation mode drop-down list, choose LAN Fabric installation mode for the DCNM Appliance.

    Check the Enable Clustered Mode check box, if you want to deploy Cisco DCNM in Cluster mode. The Compute nodes will be displayed on the Cisco DCNM Web UI > Applications > Compute. The applications will run on the Compute nodes. You can add the compute nodes to a Cluster, later.

    Note 

    If Enable Clustered Mode is selected, applications such as, Config Compliance, EPL, and NIA, and NIR won’t work until you install the compute nodes.

    Click Next.

  4. On the Administration tab, enter information about passwords.

    • In the Administrator Password field, enter the password that is used to connect to the applications in the Cisco DCNM.

      All special characters, except %$^=;.*\'" <SPACE> is allowed in the password.

      Enter the password again in the Repeat Administrator Password field.

    • In the Database Password field, enter the password for the PostgreSQL database.

      All special characters, except %$^=;.*\'" <SPACE> is allowed in the password.

      Enter the password again in the Repeat Database Password field.

      Note 
      If the Database Password field is left blank, it shall consider the Administrator password as the PostgreSQL password.

    Select the Show passwords in clear text check box to view the password that you have entered.

    Click Next.

  5. On the System Settings, configure the settings for the DCNM Appliance.

    • In the Fully Qualified Hostname field, enter the hostname that is a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) as per RFC1123, section 2.1. Hostnames with only digits is not supported.

    • In the DNS Server Address List field, enter the DNS IP address.

      Beginning with Release 11.2(1), you can also configure the DNS server using an IPv6 address.

      From Release 11.3(1), you can configure more than one DNS server.

      Note 
      If you’re using Network Insights applications, ensure that the DNS server is valid and reachable.

    • In the NTP Server Address List field, enter the IP address of the NTP server.

      The value must be an IP or IPv6 address or RFC 1123 compliant name.

      From Release 11.3(1), you can configure more than one NTP server.

    • From the Timezone drop-down list, select the timezone in which you are deploying the DCNM.

    Click Next.

  6. On the Network Settings tab, configure the network parameters used to reach the DCNM Web UI.

    Figure 2. Cisco DCNM Management Network Interfaces

    1. In the Management Network area, verify if the auto-populated addresses for Management IPv4 Address and Management Network Default IPv4 Gateway are correct. Modify, if necessary.

      Note 
      Beginning with Cisco DCNM Release 11.2(1), you can also use an IPv6 address for the Management Network.

      (Optionally) Enter a valid IPv6 address along with the prefix to configure the Management IPv6 Address and the Management Network Default IPv6 Gateway.

    2. In the Out-of-Band Network area, enter the IPv4 address and Gateway IPv4 Address.

      If DCNM is on the IPv6 network, configure the network by entering relevant IPv6 Address for IPv6 address and Gateway IPv6 Address.

      Out-of-band management provides a connection to the device management ports (Typically mgmt0).

      Note 

      If the out-of-band network is not configured, you cannot configure Cisco DCNM in Cluster mode.

    3. In the In-Band Network area, enter the IPv4 address and Gateway IPv4 Address for the in-band network.

      This field is mandatory if you have selected the Enable Cluster mode..

      If DCNM is on the IPv6 network, configure the network by entering relevant IPv6 Address for IPv6 address and Gateway IPv6 Address.

      The In-Band Network provides reachability to the devices via the front-panel ports.

      Note 

      If you do not configure in-band network, Endpoint Locator and Telemetry features are not operational.

    However, you can edit the network properties after installation, if required, using the appmgr update network-properties command. For more information, see Editing Network Properties Post DCNM Installation.

    Click Next.

  7. On the Applications tab, configure the Device Connector and Internal Applications Services Network.

    Note 

    Device Connector is enabled by default.

    The Device connector is an embedded management controller that enables the capabilities of Cisco Intersight, a cloud-based management platform.

    1. In the Proxy Server field, enter the IP address for the proxy server.

      The proxy server must be of RFC1123-compliant name.

      Note 

      By default, port 80 is used for proxy server. Use <proxy-server-ip>:<port> to use proxy server is a different port.

      If the proxy server must require authentication, enter relevant username and password in the Proxy Server Username and Proxy Server Password fields.

    2. In the Internal Application Services Network area, in the IPv4 Subnet field, enter the IP subnet to access the applications that run internally to DCNM.

      All the applications use the IP Address from this subnet. By default, the

      The Cluster Mode configuration area appears only if you have selected the Enable Clustered Mode check box in Step 2.c.

      Note 

      In Clustered mode, the Cisco DCNM Applications run on separate DCNM Compute Nodes.

    3. In the Clustered mode configuration area, configure the network settings to deploy the DCNM instance in Clustered mode. In Clustered mode, applications run on separate compute nodes.

      • In the Out-of-Band IPv4 Network Address Pool, enter the address pool from the Out-of-Band IPv4 network to be used in the Clustered Mode.

        Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 address pool in the Out-of-Band IPv6 Network Address Pool field.

      • In the In-Band IPv4 Network Address Pool, enter the address pool from the In-Band IPv4 network to be used in the Clustered Mode.

        Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 address pool in the In-Band IPv6 Network Address Pool field.

      The address must be a smaller prefix of available IP addresses from the eth1 subnet. For example: Use 10.1.1.240/28 if the eth1 subnet was configured as 10.1.1.0/24 during installation. This subnet must be a minimum of /28 (16 addresses) and maximum of /24 (256 addresses). It should also be longer than the east-west pool. This subnet is assigned to containers, to communicate with the switches.

  8. On the HA Settings tab, a confirmation message appears. 

    You are installing the primary DCNM HA node.
Please note that HA setup information will need to
be provided when the secondary DCNM HA node is
installed.

    Click Next.

  9. On the Summary tab, review the configuration details.

    Click Previous to go to the previous tabs and modify the configuration. Click Start Installation to complete the Cisco DCNM Installation for the chosen deployment mode.

    A progress bar appears to show the completed percentage, description of the operation, and the elapsed time during the installation. After the progress bar shows 100%, click Continue.

    A warning message appears stating that the setup is not complete until you install the Secondary node. 

    WARNING: DCNM HA SETUP IS NOT COMPLETE!
Your Cisco Data Center Network Manager software has been installed on
this HA primary node.
However, the system will be ready to be used only after installation
of the secondary node has been completed.
Thank you.
Step 3

Configure dcnm2 as the Secondary node. Paste the URL displayed on the Console tab of dcnm2 and hit Enter.

A welcome message appears.

  1. On the Welcome to Cisco DCNM screen, click Get Started.

    Caution 

    If the system configuration does not meet minimum resource requirements, SYSTEM RESOURCE ERROR is displayed on the Web Installer, and the installation will be aborted. Modify the system requirements, and launch the Web Installer to complete the installation.

  2. On the Cisco DCNM Installer screen, select Fresh Installation - HA Secondary radio button, to install dcnm2 as Secondary node.

    Click Continue.

  3. On the Install Mode tab, from the drop-down list, choose the same installation mode that you selected for the Primary node.

    Note 
    The HA installation fails if you do not choose the same installation mode as Primary node.

    Check the Enable Clustered Mode check box, if you have configured the Cisco DCNM Primary in Clustered mode.

    Click Next.

  4. On the Administration tab, enter information about passwords.

    Note 

    All the passwords must be same as the passwords that you provided while configuring the Primary node.

  5. On the System Settings, configure the settings for the DCNM Appliance.

    • In the Fully Qualified Hostname field, enter the hostname that is a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) as per RFC1123, section 2.1. Hostnames with only digits is not supported.

    • In the DNS Server Address List field, enter the DNS IP address.

      Beginning with Release 11.2(1), you can also configure the DNS server using an IPv6 address.

      From Release 11.3(1), you can configure more than one DNS server.

      Note 
      If you’re using Network Insights applications, ensure that the DNS server is valid and reachable.

    • In the NTP Server Address List field, enter the IP address of the NTP server.

      The value must be an IP or IPv6 address or RFC 1123 compliant name.

      From Release 11.3(1), you can configure more than one NTP server.

    • From the Timezone drop-down list, select the timezone in which you are deploying the DCNM.

    Click Next.

  6. On the Network Settings tab, configure the network parameters used to reach the DCNM Web UI.

    Figure 3. Cisco DCNM Management Network Interfaces

    1. In the Management Network area, verify if the auto-populated addresses for Management IPv4 Address and Management Network Default IPv4 Gateway are correct. Modify, if necessary.

      Note 
      Ensure that the IP address belongs to the same Management Network configured on the Primary node.

      (Optionally) Enter a valid IPv6 address along with the prefix to configure the Management IPv6 Address and the Management Network Default IPv6 Gateway.

    2. In the Out-of-Band Network area, enter the IPv4 address and Gateway IPv4 Address.

      If DCNM is on the IPv6 network, configure the network by entering relevant IPv6 Address for IPv6 address and Gateway IPv6 Address.

      Note 
      Ensure that the IP addresses belong to the same Out-of-Band network configured on the Primary node.

      Out-of-band management provides a connection to the device management ports (Typically mgmt0).

      Note 

      If the out-of-band network is not configured, you cannot configure Cisco DCNM in Cluster mode.

    3. In the In-Band Network area, enter the IPv4 address and Gateway IPv4 Address for the in-band network.

      If DCNM is on the IPv6 network, configure the network by entering relevant IPv6 Address for IPv6 address and Gateway IPv6 Address.

      Note 
      Ensure that the IP addresses belong to the same In-Band network configured on the Primary node.

      The In-Band Network provides reachability to the devices via the front-panel ports.

      Note 

      If you do not configure in-band network, Endpoint Locator and Telemetry features are not operational.

    Click Next.

  7. On the Applications tab, configure the Internal Applications Services Network, and Cluster mode settings.

    1. In the Internal Application Services Network area, in the IPv4 Subnet field, enter the IP subnet to access the applications that run internally to DCNM.

    2. In the Clustered mode configuration area, configure the network settings to deploy the DCNM instance in Clustered mode. In Clustered mode, applications run on separate compute nodes.

      • In the Out-of-Band IPv4 Network Address Pool, enter the address pool from the Out-of-Band IPv4 network to be used in the Clustered Mode.

        Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 address pool in the Out-of-Band IPv6 Network Address Pool field.

      • In the In-Band IPv4 Network Address Pool, enter the address pool from the In-Band IPv4 network to be used in the Clustered Mode.

        Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 address pool in the In-Band IPv6 Network Address Pool field.

      Ensure that the IP addresses belong to the same pool as configured on the Primary node.

  8. On the HA Settings tab, configure the system settings for the Secondary node.

    • In the Management IPv4 Address of Primary DCNM node field, enter the appropriate IP Address to access the DCNM UI.

    • In the VIP Fully qualified Host Name field, enter hostname that is a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) as per RFC1123, section 2.1. Host names with only digits is not supported.

    • In the Management Network VIP address field, enter the IP address used as VIP in the management network.

      Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 VIP address in the Management Network VIPv6 address field.

      Note 
      If you have configured the Management network using IPv6 address, ensure that you configure the Management Network VIPv6 Address.

    • In the Out-of-Band Network VIP Address field, enter the IP address used as VIP in the Out-of-Band network.

      Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 VIP address in the Out-of-Band Network VIPv6 Address field.

    • In the In-Band Network VIP Address field, enter the IP address used as VIP in the Out-of-Band network.

      Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 VIP address in the In-Band Network VIPv6 Address field.

      Note 

      This field is mandatory if you have provided an IP address for In-Band network in the Network Settings tab.

    • In the HA Ping Feature IPv4 Address field, enter the HA ping IP address and enable this feature, if necessary.

      Note 

      The configured IPv4 address must respond to the ICMP echo pings.

      HA_PING_ADDRESS, must be different from the DCNM Active and Standby addresses.

      You must configure the HA ping IPv4 Address to avoid the Split Brain scenario. This IP address must belong to Enhanced Fabric management network.

    Click Next.

  9. On the Summary tab, review the configuration details.

    Click Previous to go to the previous tabs and modify the configuration. Click Start Installation to complete the Cisco DCNM OVA Installation for the chosen deployment mode.

    A progress bar appears to show the completed percentage, description of the operation, and the elapsed time during the installation. After the progress bar shows 100%, click Continue.

    A success message appears with the URL to access DCNM Web UI.

    ***************************************************************
Your Cisco Data Center Network Manager software has been installed.
DCNM Web UI is available at
https://<<IP Address>>
You will be redirected there in 60 seconds.
Thank you
***************************************************************
    Note 

    If the Cisco DCNM is running behind a firewall, ensure that you open the port 2443 to launch Cisco DCNM Web UI.

What to do next

Log on to the DCNM Web UI with appropriate credentials.

Click the Settings icon and choose About DCNM. You can view and verify the Installation type that you have deployed.

If you have configured inband management (eth2) IP addresses for device management, login to standalone server and configure the inband network reachability from eth2 of the server to the switches by using the following commands:
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties add route ipv4 eth2 <ipv4-network-ip-address/prefix>

For example: If you have four switches with all fabric links connected through 10.0.0.x/30 subnet, and if all switches are configured with the loopback interface for inband reachability in subnet 40.1.1.0/24, use the following commands: 

dcnm# appmgr update network-properties session start
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties add route ipv4 eth2 10.0.0.0/24
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties add route ipv4 eth2 40.1.1.0/24
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties session apply

Installing DCNM on ISO Virtual Appliance

This chapter contains the following sections:


Note

The screenshots in this section may change in your setup based on how you are booting the ISO; you will either see the blue (BIOS) screen or the black (UEFI) screen.

If you are installing Cisco DCNM on SE, install the DCNM ISO Virtual Appliance (.iso) installer.

Downloading the ISO Virtual Appliance File

The first step to installing the ISO Virtual Appliance is to download the dcnm.iso file. You must point to that dcnm.iso file on your computer when preparing the server for installing DCNM.


Note
If you plan to use HA application functions, you must deploy the dcnm.iso file twice.

Procedure

Step 1

Go to the following site: http://software.cisco.com/download/http://software.cisco.com/download/.

A list of the latest release software for Cisco DCNM available for download is displayed.
Step 2

In the Select a Product search box, enter Cisco Data Center Network Manager.

Click on Search icon.
Step 3

Click on Data Center Network Manager from the search results.

A list of the latest release software for Cisco DCNM available for download is displayed.
Step 4

In the Latest Releases list, choose Release 11.4(1).

Step 5

Locate the DCNM ISO Virtual Appliance Installer and click the Download icon.

Step 6

Locate the DCNM VM templates at DCNM Virtual Appliance definition files for VMWare (.ovf) and KVM (domain XMLs) environment and click Download.

Step 7

Save the dcnm.iso file to your directory that will be easy to find when you being the installation.

What to do next

You can choose to install DCNM On KVM or Baremetal servers. Refer to Installing the DCNM ISO Virtual Appliance on KVM or Installing the DCNM ISO Virtual Appliance on UCS (Bare Metal) for more information.

Installing the DCNM ISO Virtual Appliance on UCS (Bare Metal)

From Release 11.3(1), you can install Cisco DCNM ISO using an additional mode where the physical interfaces are bound together for a port channel or ethernet channel configured as a trunk with the management traffic, out-of-band traffic, and in-band traffic separated in different VLANs.

Ensure that the switch is configured correctly for bundled interface mode. The following shows a sample switch configuration for bundled interface mode: 

vlan 100
vlan 101
vlan 102
interface port-channel1
  switchport
  switchport mode trunk

interface Ethernet101/1/1
  switchport mode trunk
  channel-group 1
  no shutdown

interface Ethernet101/1/2
  switchport mode trunk
  channel-group 1
  no shutdown

interface Ethernet101/1/3
  switchport mode trunk
  channel-group 1
  no shutdown

interface Ethernet101/1/4
  switchport mode trunk
  channel-group 1
  no shutdown

Perform the following tasks to install the DCNM ISO virtual appliance on UCS.

Procedure

Step 1

Launch Cisco Integrated Management Controller (CIMC).

Step 2

Click the Launch KVM button.

You can either launch Java-based KVM or HTML-based KVM.
Step 3

Click the URL displayed on the window to continue loading the KVM client application.
Step 4

On the Menu bar, click Virtual Media > Activate Virtual Devices.

Step 5

Click Virtual Media and choose one of the following mediums to browse and upload DCNM ISO images from the following:

  • Map CD/DVD

  • Map Removable Disk

  • Map Floppy Disk

Navigate to the location where the ISO image is located and load the ISO image.
Step 6

Select Power > Reset System (warm boot) and Ok to continue and restart the UCS box.

Step 7

Press F6 interrupt the reboot process when the server starts to select a boot device. The boot selection menu appears.

For more information about using the UCS KVM Console window, see the Cisco UCS Server Configuration Utility, Release 3.1 User Guide at the following URL:

https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/unified_computing/ucs/sw/ucsscu/user/guide/31/UCS_SCU/booting.html#wp1078073
Step 8

Use the arrow keys to select Cisco Virtual CD/DVD and press Enter. The server boots with the DCNM ISO image from the mapped location.

Note 

The following image highlights UEFI installation. However, you can also choose Cisco vKVM-Mapped vDVD1.22 for BIOS installation. ISO can be booted in both modes, BIOS, and UEFI.

UEFI is mandatory for a system with minimum of 2TB disks.

For Cisco UCS with the disk size of 2TB or higher and with 4K sector size drivers, the UEFI boot option is required. For more information, see UEFI Boot Mode.

Step 9

Select Install Cisco Data Center Network Manager using the up or down arrow keys. Press Enter.

The option shown in the following image appears when the ISO image is booted with UEFI.

Step 10

On the Cisco Management Network Management screen, select the mode to configure the network.

Enter 1 to configure the Cisco DCNM network interfaces from the available physical interfaces.

Enter 2 to configure the Cisco DCNM network interfaces from the available physical interfaces that are bundled together to form a single port-channel, configured as a trunk.

Step 11

If you entered 1, to install Cisco DCNM ISO in un-bundled interface mode, select the interface for the networks. The list of available interfaces is displayed on the screen.

Choose the Management Interface (eth0) and Out-of-Band interface (eth1) from the Network Interface List. You can also configure the in-band interface (eth2) if necessary.

Note 

If you do not configure In-Band interface, Endpoint Locator and Telemetry features are not operational.

However, you can edit the network properties after installation, if required, using the appmgr update network-properties command. For more information, see Editing Network Properties Post DCNM Installation.

Step 12

If you entered 2, to install Cisco DCNM ISO in bundled interface mode, perform the following tasks:

  1. Select interface from the list to form a bundle.

    Note 

    A minimum of one physical interface must be a part of the bundle.

    Enter q after you enter all the interface that must be added to the bundle.

  2. Enter the VLAN IDs to be used for Management Network, Out-Of-Band Network and In-band Network Select interface from the list to form a bundle.

    Verify and confirm if the correct VLAN IDs are assigned.

    Note 

    The VLAN IDs for Management Network and Out-Of-Band Network can be the same when Management Network and Out-Of-Band Network use the same subnet (that is, when eth0/eth1 are in the same subnet)

Step 13

Review the selected interfaces. Press y to confirm and continue with the installation.

Step 14

Configure the Management Network for Cisco DCNM. Enter the IP address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway. Press y to continue with the installation.

After the installation is complete, the system reboots and a message indicating that the DCNM appliance is configuring appears on the screen. 

***************************************************************
Please point your web browser to
http://<IP-address>:<port-number>
to complete the application
***************************************************************

Copy and paste the URL to the browser to complete the installation using the Web Installer.

What to do next

You can choose to install DCNM in Standalone mode or Native HA mode. Refer to Installing Cisco DCNM ISO in Standalone Mode or Installing Cisco DCNM ISO in Native HA Mode sections for more information.

Installing the DCNM ISO Virtual Appliance on KVM

Perform the following tasks to install the ISO virtual appliance on KVM.

Procedure

Step 1

Unzip and extract and locate the dcnm-kvm-vm.xml file.

Step 2

Upload this file on the RHEL server that is running KVM to the same location as the ISO.
Step 3

Connect to the RHEL server running KVM via SCP File transfer terminal.
Step 4

Upload the and dcnm-kvm-vm.xml to the RHEL server.

Step 5

Close the file transfer session.
Step 6

Connect to the RHEL server running KVM via SSH terminal.
Step 7

Navigate to the location where both the ISO and domain XMLs is downloaded.
Step 8

Create the VM (or Domains, as they are known in the KVM terminology) using the virsh command.

need info on dcnm-kvm-vm-huge.xml

sudo virsh define [dcnm-kvm-vm-huge.xml | dcnm-kvm-vm-compute.xml | dcnm-kvm-vm-large.xml | dcnm-kvm-vm-small.xml]
Step 9

Enable a VNC server and open the required firewall ports.
Step 10

Close the SSH session.
Step 11

Connect to the RHEL server running KVM via a VNC terminal.
Step 12

Navigate to Applications > System Tools > Virtual Machine Manager (VMM).

A VM is created in the Virtual Machine Manager.
Step 13

From Virtual Machine Manager, edit the VM by selecting the VM in the listing. Click Edit > Virtual Machine Details > Show virtual hardware details.

Step 14

In the Virtual Hardware Details, navigate to Add Hardware > Storage.

Step 15

Create a hard disk with Device type withe the following specifications:

  • device type: IDE disk

  • cache-mode: default

  • storage format: raw

We recommend that you use storage size of 500GB.
Step 16

Select IDE CDROM on the edit window of the Virtual Machine and click Connect.

Step 17

Navigate to dcnm-va.iso and click OK.

Step 18

Select both the NICs and assign appropriate networks that are created.

Step 19

Power on the Virtual Machine.

Note 
Before you power on the VM, ensure that you have reserved appropriate resources for the VM, such as CPU and memory, based on the chosen deployment configuration.

The operating system is installed.
Step 20

On the Cisco Management Network Management screen, select the interface for the networks. The list of available interfaces is displayed on the screen.

Choose the Management Interface (eth0) and Out-of-Band interface (eth1) from the Network Interface List. You can also configure in-band interface (eth2) if necessary.

Note 

If you do not configure in-band interface (eth2), Endpoint Locator and Telemetry features are not operational.

However, you can edit the network properties after installation, if required, using the appmgr update network-properties command. For more information, see Editing Network Properties Post DCNM Installation.

Step 21

Press y to confirm and continue with the installation.

Step 22

Configure the Management Network. Enter the IP address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway. Press y to continue with the installation.

After the installation is complete, the system reboots and a message indicating that the DCNM appliance is configuring appears on the screen. 

***************************************************************
Please point your web browser to
http://<IP-address>:<port-number>
to complete the application
***************************************************************

Copy and paste the URL to the browser to complete the installation using the Web Installer.

What to do next

You can choose to install DCNM in Standalone mode or Native HA mode. Refer to Installing Cisco DCNM ISO in Standalone Mode or Installing Cisco DCNM ISO in Native HA Mode sections for more information.

Installing the DCNM ISO Virtual Appliance on Windows Hyper-V

Hyper-V Manager provides management access to your virtualization platform. You can install DCNM ISO virtual appliance using Hyper-V manager.

Launch the Windows Server Manager using appropriate credentials. To launch the Hyper-V Manager, from the Menu bar, choose Tools > Hyper-V Manager.


Note

DCNM ISO Virtual Appliance on Windows Hyper-V doesn’t support Clustered mode.

To install Cisco DCNM ISO Virtual Appliance on Windows Hyper-V, perform the following tasks:

Creating Virtual Switches

Cisco DCNM requires three virtual switches for network interfaces:

  • dcnm-mgmt network (eth0) interface

  • enhanced-fabric-mgmt (eth1) interface

  • enhanced-fabric-inband (eth2) interface

To create Virtual Switches on the Hyper-V Manager, perform the following steps:

Procedure
Step 1

On the Action pane, click Virtual Switch Manager.

The Virtual Switch Manager for the Windows Hyper-V window appears.
Step 2

On the left pane, under Virtual Switches, click New virtual network switch to create a virtual switch.

Step 3

Create the virtual switch for DCNM Management network.

  1. Select External and click Create Virtual Switch.

  2. In the Name field, enter the enter an appropriate name for the eth0 interface.

    Note 

    Ensure that the virtual switch name is unique within the Inventory.

  3. From the External network drop-down list, select the appropriate physical interface available on the server.

  4. Click Apply.

Step 4

Create the virtual switch for Enhanced Fabric Management interface.

  1. Select External and click Create Virtual Switch.

  2. In the Name field, enter the enter an appropriate name for the eth1 interface.

    Note 

    Ensure that the virtual switch name is unique within the Inventory.

  3. From the External network drop-down list, select the appropriate physical interface available on the server.

  4. Click Apply.

Step 5

Create the virtual switch for Enhanced Fabric Inband interface.

  1. Select External and click Create Virtual Switch.

  2. In the Name field, enter the enter an appropriate name for the eth2 interface.

    Note 

    Ensure that the virtual switch name is unique within the Inventory.

  3. From the External network drop-down list, select the appropriate physical interface available on the server.

  4. Click Apply.

All the interfaces appear under the Virtual Switches in the left pane, as shown in the following figure.
What to do next
Create the Virtual Machines to mount the ISO. Refer to Creating Virtual Machines for more information.

Creating Virtual Machines

To create virtual machines for either Standalone, or Primary and Secondary nodes for Native HA setup, perform the following procedure:
Before you begin
If you’re installing Cisco DCNM in Native HA Mode, you must create two virtual machines; one for Primary node, and one for Secondary node.
Procedure
Step 1

In the Actions pane, from the New drop-down list, select Virtual Machine.

The New Virtual Machine Wizard appears.
Step 2

In the Before You Begin screen, click Next.

Step 3

In the Specify Name and Location screen, enter the name for the Active DCNM node.

Click Next.

Step 4

In the Specify Generation screen, select Generation 2.

This virtual machine supports new virtualization features, has UEFI-based firmware, and requires 64-bit operating system.

Click Next.

Step 5

In the Assign Memory screen, in the Startup memory field, enter 32768 MB to configure the virtual machine with 32GB memory.

Step 6

In the Configuration Networking screen, from the Connection drop-down list, select the interface for this VM. Select eth0 (Management Network interface).

Click Next.

Step 7

In the Connect Virtual Hard Disk screen, create a virtual hard disk.

  1. Select Create a virtual hard disk.

  2. Enter appropriate Name, Location, and Size of the hard disk.

    Note 

    The default name for the virtual hard disk is derived from the virtual machine name that you provided in the Specify Name and Location screen.

    The size of the hard disk must be minimum of 500GB.

Click Next.

Step 8

In the Installation Options screen, select Install as operating system from a bootable image file.

In the Image file (.iso) field, click Browse. Navigate to the directory and select the DCNM 11.4(1) ISO image.

Click Next.

Step 9

In the Summary screen, review the configuration details.

Click Finish to create the DCNM Active node.

The newly created virtual machine appears in the Virtual Machines block on the Hyper-V Manager.
Step 10

Right click on the virtual machine and select Settings.

The Settings screen for DCNM node appears.
Step 11

On the left pane, in the Hardware block, click Add Hardware.

Step 12

In the main pane, select Network Adapter and click Add.

Step 13

In the Network Adapter screen, create network adapter for the virtual switch.

  • From the Virtual Switch drop-down list, select the eth1 virtual switch. Click Apply.

  • From the Virtual Switch drop-down list, select the eth2 virtual switch. Click Apply.

All the three Network Adapters are displayed in the left pane, under the Hardware section.

Step 14

In the left pane, select Security.

In the main pane, from the template drop-down list, select Microsoft UEFI Certificate Authority.

Note 

This template is a mandatory if you’ve selected the Generation 2 hyper-V virtual machines.

Click Apply.

Step 15

In the Settings screen, click Processor.

In the main pane, in the Number of virtual processors field, enter 32, to choose 32vCPUs. Click Apply.

Click OK to confirm the settings for the DCNM node.

What to do next
Install the Cisco DCNM ISO on the Windows Hyper-V. Refer to Installing DCNM ISO Virtual Appliance for more information.

Installing DCNM ISO Virtual Appliance

To configure the DCNM ISO virtual appliance for either Standalone, or Primary and Secondary nodes for Native HA setup, perform the following procedure:
Before you begin
Ensure that the Virtual Machine is configured correctly with proper security settings.
Procedure
Step 1

From the Virtual Machines block, right click n the Active node and select Connect.

Step 2

In the Virtual Machine Connection screen, from the Menu bar, select Media > DVD Drive to verify the image selected.

Click Start. The DCNM Server boots.

Step 3

Select Install Cisco Data Center Network Manager using the up or down arrow keys. Press Enter to install the Cisco DCNM Active node.

Step 4

On the Cisco Management Network Management screen, select the interface for the networks. The list of available interfaces is displayed on the screen.

Choose the Management Interface (eth0) and Out-of-Band interface (eth1) from the Network Interface List. You can also configure the In-band interface (eth2) if necessary.

Review the selected interfaces. Press y to confirm and continue with the installation.

Step 5

Configure the Management Network for Cisco DCNM. Enter the IP address, Subnet Mask, and Gateway.

Verify the values and press y to continue with the installation.

After the installation is complete, the system reboots and a message indicating that the DCNM appliance is configuring appears on the screen. 

***************************************************************
Please point your web browser to
http://<IP-address>:<port-number>
to complete the application
***************************************************************

Copy and paste the URL to the browser to complete the installation using the Web Installer.
What to do next

You can choose to install DCNM in Standalone mode or Native HA mode. For more information, see Installing Cisco DCNM ISO in Standalone Mode or Installing the Cisco DCNM ISO in Native HA mode.

Installing Cisco DCNM ISO in Standalone Mode

Paste the URL displayed on the Console tab and hit Enter key. A welcome message appears.

To complete the installation of Cisco DCNM from the web installer, perform the following procedure.

Procedure

Step 1

On the Welcome to Cisco DCNM screen, click Get Started.

Caution 

If the system configuration does not meet minimum resource requirements, SYSTEM RESOURCE ERROR is displayed on the Web Installer, and the installation will be aborted. Modify the system requirements, and launch the Web Installer to complete the installation.

Step 2

On the Cisco DCNM Installer tab, select Fresh Installation – Standalone radio button.

Click Next.

Step 3

On the Install Mode tab, choose your DCNM deployment type.

From the Installation mode drop-down list, choose LAN Fabric installation mode for the DCNM Appliance.

Check the Enable Clustered Mode check box, if you want to deploy Cisco DCNM in Cluster mode. The Compute nodes will be displayed on the Cisco DCNM Web UI > Applications > Compute. The applications will run on the Compute nodes. You can add the compute nodes to a Cluster, later.

Note 

If Enable Clustered Mode is selected, applications such as, Config Compliance, EPL, and NIA, and NIR won’t work until you install the compute nodes.

Click Next.

Step 4

On the Administration tab, enter information about passwords.

  • In the Administrator Password field, enter the password that is used to connect to the applications in the Cisco DCNM.

    All special characters, except %$^=;.*\'" <SPACE> is allowed in the password.

    Enter the password again in the Repeat Administrator Password field.

  • In the Database Password field, enter the password for the PostgreSQL database.

    All special characters, except %$^=;.*\'" <SPACE> is allowed in the password.

    Enter the password again in the Repeat Database Password field.

    Note 

    If Database Password field is left blank, it shall consider the Administrator password as the PostgreSQL password.

Select the Show passwords in clear text check box to view the password that you have entered.

Click Next.

Step 5

On the System Settings, configure the settings for the DCNM Appliance.

  • In the Fully Qualified Hostname field, enter the hostname that is a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) as per RFC1123, section 2.1. Hostnames with only digits is not supported.

  • In the DNS Server Address List field, enter the DNS IP address.

    You can also configure the DNS server using an IPv6 address.

    From Release 11.3(1), you can configure more than one DNS server.

    Note 
    If you’re using Network Insights applications, ensure that the DNS server is valid and reachable.

  • In the NTP Server Address List field, enter the IP address of the NTP server.

    The value must be an IP or IPv6 address or RFC 1123 compliant name.

    From Release 11.3(1), you can configure more than one NTP server.

  • From the Timezone drop-down list, select the timezone in which you are deploying the DCNM.

Click Next.

Step 6

On the Network Settings tab, configure the network parameters used to reach the DCNM Web UI.

Figure 4. Cisco DCNM Management Network Interfaces

  1. In the Management Network area, verify if the auto-populated addresses for Management IPv4 Address and Management Network Default IPv4 Gateway are correct. Modify, if necessary.

    Note 
    Beginning with Cisco DCNM Release 11.2(1), you can also use an IPv6 address for the Management Network.

    (Optional) Enter a valid IPv6 address along with the prefix to configure the Management IPv6 Address and the Management Network Default IPv6 Gateway.

  2. In the Out-of-Band Network area, enter the IPv4 address and Gateway IPv4 Address.

    If DCNM is on the IPv6 network, configure the network by entering relevant IPv6 Address for IPv6 address and Gateway IPv6 Address.

    Out-of-band management provides a connection to the device management ports (Typically mgmt0).

    Note 

    If the out-of-band network is not configured, you cannot configure Cisco DCNM in Cluster mode.

  3. (Optional) In the In-Band Network area, enter the IPv4 address and Gateway IPv4 Address for the in-band network.

    This field is mandatory if you have selected the Enable Cluster mode in Step Step 3.

    If DCNM is on the IPv6 network, configure the network by entering relevant IPv6 Address for IPv6 address and Gateway IPv6 Address.

    The In-Band Network provides reachability to the devices via the front-panel ports.

    Note 

    If you do not configure in-band network, Endpoint Locator and Telemetry features are not operational.

However, you can edit the network properties after installation, if required, using the appmgr update network-properties command. For more information, see Editing Network Properties Post DCNM Installation.

Click Next.

Step 7

On the Applications tab, configure the Device Connector and Internal Applications Services Network, and Cluster mode settings.

Note 

Device Connector is enabled by default.

The Device connector is an embedded management controller that enables the capabilities of Cisco Intersight, a cloud-based management platform.

  1. (Optional) In the Proxy Server field, enter the IP address for the proxy server.

    The proxy server must be of RFC1123-compliant name.

    Note 

    By default, port 80 is used for proxy server. Use <proxy-server-ip>:<port> to use proxy server is a different port.

    If the proxy server must require authentication, enter relevant username and password in the Proxy Server Username and Proxy Server Password fields.

  2. In the Internal Application Services Network area, in the IPv4 Subnet field, enter the IP subnet to access the applications that run internally to DCNM.

    All the applications use the IP Address from this subnet.

  3. In the Clustered mode configuration area, configure the network settings to deploy the DCNM instance in Clustered mode. In Clustered mode, applications run on separate compute nodes.

    The Cluster Mode configuration area appears only if you have selected the Enable Clustered Mode check box in Step Step 3.

    Note 

    In Clustered mode, the Cisco DCNM Applications run on separate DCNM Compute Nodes.

    • In the Out-of-Band IPv4 Network Address Pool, enter the address pool from the Out-of-Band IPv4 network to be used in the Clustered Mode.

      Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 address pool in the Out-of-Band IPv6 Network Address Pool field.

    • In the In-Band IPv4 Network Address Pool, enter the address pool from the In-Band IPv4 network to be used in the Clustered Mode.

      Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 address pool in the In-Band IPv6 Network Address Pool field.

    The address must be a smaller prefix of available IP addresses from the eth1 subnet. For example: Use 10.1.1.240/28 if the eth1 subnet was configured as 10.1.1.0/24 during installation. This subnet must be a minimum of /28 (16 addresses) and maximum of /24 (256 addresses). It should also be longer than the east-west pool. This subnet is assigned to containers, to communicate with the switches.

Click Next.

Step 8

On the Summary tab, review the configuration details.

Click Previous to go to the previous tabs and modify the configuration. Click Start Installation to complete the Cisco DCNM Installation for the chosen deployment mode.

A progress bar appears showing the completed percentage, description of the operation, and the elapsed time during the installation. After the progress bar shows 100%, click Continue.

A success message appears with the URL to access DCNM Web UI. 

***************************************************************
Your Cisco Data Center Network Manager software has been installed.
DCNM Web UI is available at
https://<<IP Address>>
You will be redirected there in 60 seconds.
Thank you
***************************************************************
Note 

If the Cisco DCNM is running behind a firewall, ensure that you open the port 2443 to launch Cisco DCNM Web UI.

Note 

If you try to access the DCNM Web UI using the Management IP address while the installation is still in progress, an error message appears on the console. 

***************************************
*Preparing Appliance*

***************************************

What to do next

Log on to the DCNM Web UI with appropriate credentials.

Click the Settings icon and choose About DCNM. You can view and verify the Installation type that you have deployed.

If you have configured inband management (eth2) IP addresses for device management, login to standalone server and configure the inband network reachability from eth2 of the server to the switches by using the following commands:
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties add route ipv4 eth2 <ipv4-network-ip-address/prefix>
For example: If you have four switches with all fabric links connected through 10.0.0.x/30 subnet, and if all switches are configured with the loopback interface for inband reachability in subnet 40.1.1.0/24, use the following commands:
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties session start
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties add route ipv4 eth2 10.0.0.0/24
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties add route ipv4 eth2 40.1.1.0/24
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties session apply

Installing the Cisco DCNM ISO in Native HA mode

The native HA is supported on DCNM appliances with ISO or OVA installation only.

By default, an embedded PostgreSQL database engine with the Cisco DCNM. The native HA feature allows two Cisco DCNM appliances to run as active and standby applications, with their embedded databases synchronized in real time. Therefore, when the active DCNM is not functioning, the standby DCNM takes over with the same database data and resume the operation.

Perform the following task to set up Native HA for DCNM.

Procedure

Step 1

Deploy two DCNM Virtual Appliances (either OVA or ISO).

For example, let us indicate them as dcnm1 and dcnm2.

Step 2

Configure dcnm1 as the Primary node. Paste the URL displayed on the Console tab of dcnm1 and press Enter key.

A welcome message appears.

  1. On the Welcome to Cisco DCNM screen, click Get Started.

    Caution 

    If the system configuration does not meet minimum resource requirements, SYSTEM RESOURCE ERROR is displayed on the Web Installer, and the installation will be aborted. Modify the system requirements, and launch the Web Installer to complete the installation.

  2. On the Cisco DCNM Installer tab, select Fresh Installation - HA Primary radio button, to install dcnm1 as Primary node.

    Click Next.

  3. On the Install Mode tab, choose your DCNM deployment type.

    From the Installation mode drop-down list, choose LAN Fabric installation mode for the DCNM Appliance.

    Check the Enable Clustered Mode check box, if you want to deploy Cisco DCNM in Cluster mode. The Compute nodes will be displayed on the Cisco DCNM Web UI > Applications > Compute. The applications will run on the Compute nodes. You can add the compute nodes to a Cluster, later.

    Note 

    If Enable Clustered Mode is selected, applications such as, Config Compliance, EPL, and NIA, and NIR won’t work until you install the compute nodes.

    Click Next.

  4. On the Administration tab, enter information about passwords.

    • In the Administrator Password field, enter the password that is used to connect to the applications in the Cisco DCNM.

      All special characters, except %$^=;.*\'" <SPACE> is allowed in the password.

      Enter the password again in the Repeat Administrator Password field.

    • In the Database Password field, enter the password for the PostgreSQL database.

      All special characters, except %$^=;.*\'" <SPACE> is allowed in the password.

      Enter the password again in the Repeat Database Password field.

      Note 
      If the Database Password field is left blank, it shall consider the Administrator password as the PostgreSQL password.

    Select the Show passwords in clear text check box to view the password that you have entered.

    Click Next.

  5. On the System Settings, configure the settings for the DCNM Appliance.

    • In the Fully Qualified Hostname field, enter the hostname that is a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) as per RFC1123, section 2.1. Hostnames with only digits is not supported.

    • In the DNS Server Address List field, enter the DNS IP address.

      Beginning with Release 11.2(1), you can also configure the DNS server using an IPv6 address.

      From Release 11.3(1), you can configure more than one DNS server.

      Note 
      If you’re using Network Insights applications, ensure that the DNS server is valid and reachable.

    • In the NTP Server Address List field, enter the IP address of the NTP server.

      The value must be an IP or IPv6 address or RFC 1123 compliant name.

      From Release 11.3(1), you can configure more than one NTP server.

    • From the Timezone drop-down list, select the timezone in which you are deploying the DCNM.

    Click Next.

  6. On the Network Settings tab, configure the network parameters used to reach the DCNM Web UI.

    Figure 5. Cisco DCNM Management Network Interfaces

    1. In the Management Network area, verify if the auto-populated addresses for Management IPv4 Address and Management Network Default IPv4 Gateway are correct. Modify, if necessary.

      Note 
      Beginning with Cisco DCNM Release 11.2(1), you can also use an IPv6 address for the Management Network.

      (Optionally) Enter a valid IPv6 address along with the prefix to configure the Management IPv6 Address and the Management Network Default IPv6 Gateway.

    2. In the Out-of-Band Network area, enter the IPv4 address and Gateway IPv4 Address.

      If DCNM is on the IPv6 network, configure the network by entering relevant IPv6 Address for IPv6 address and Gateway IPv6 Address.

      Out-of-band management provides a connection to the device management ports (Typically mgmt0).

      Note 

      If the out-of-band network is not configured, you cannot configure Cisco DCNM in Cluster mode.

    3. In the In-Band Network area, enter the IPv4 address and Gateway IPv4 Address for the in-band network.

      This field is mandatory if you have selected the Enable Cluster mode..

      If DCNM is on the IPv6 network, configure the network by entering relevant IPv6 Address for IPv6 address and Gateway IPv6 Address.

      The In-Band Network provides reachability to the devices via the front-panel ports.

      Note 

      If you do not configure in-band network, Endpoint Locator and Telemetry features are not operational.

    However, you can edit the network properties after installation, if required, using the appmgr update network-properties command. For more information, see Editing Network Properties Post DCNM Installation.

    Click Next.

  7. On the Applications tab, configure the Device Connector and Internal Applications Services Network.

    Note 

    Device Connector is enabled by default.

    The Device connector is an embedded management controller that enables the capabilities of Cisco Intersight, a cloud-based management platform.

    1. In the Proxy Server field, enter the IP address for the proxy server.

      The proxy server must be of RFC1123-compliant name.

      Note 

      By default, port 80 is used for proxy server. Use <proxy-server-ip>:<port> to use proxy server is a different port.

      If the proxy server must require authentication, enter relevant username and password in the Proxy Server Username and Proxy Server Password fields.

    2. In the Internal Application Services Network area, in the IPv4 Subnet field, enter the IP subnet to access the applications that run internally to DCNM.

      All the applications use the IP Address from this subnet. By default, the

      The Cluster Mode configuration area appears only if you have selected the Enable Clustered Mode check box in Step 2.c.

      Note 

      In Clustered mode, the Cisco DCNM Applications run on separate DCNM Compute Nodes.

    3. In the Clustered mode configuration area, configure the network settings to deploy the DCNM instance in Clustered mode. In Clustered mode, applications run on separate compute nodes.

      • In the Out-of-Band IPv4 Network Address Pool, enter the address pool from the Out-of-Band IPv4 network to be used in the Clustered Mode.

        Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 address pool in the Out-of-Band IPv6 Network Address Pool field.

      • In the In-Band IPv4 Network Address Pool, enter the address pool from the In-Band IPv4 network to be used in the Clustered Mode.

        Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 address pool in the In-Band IPv6 Network Address Pool field.

      The address must be a smaller prefix of available IP addresses from the eth1 subnet. For example: Use 10.1.1.240/28 if the eth1 subnet was configured as 10.1.1.0/24 during installation. This subnet must be a minimum of /28 (16 addresses) and maximum of /24 (256 addresses). It should also be longer than the east-west pool. This subnet is assigned to containers, to communicate with the switches.

  8. On the HA Settings tab, a confirmation message appears. 

    You are installing the primary DCNM HA node.
Please note that HA setup information will need to
be provided when the secondary DCNM HA node is
installed.

    Click Next.

  9. On the Summary tab, review the configuration details.

    Click Previous to go to the previous tabs and modify the configuration. Click Start Installation to complete the Cisco DCNM Installation for the chosen deployment mode.

    A progress bar appears to show the completed percentage, description of the operation, and the elapsed time during the installation. After the progress bar shows 100%, click Continue.

    A warning message appears stating that the setup is not complete until you install the Secondary node. 

    WARNING: DCNM HA SETUP IS NOT COMPLETE!
Your Cisco Data Center Network Manager software has been installed on
this HA primary node.
However, the system will be ready to be used only after installation
of the secondary node has been completed.
Thank you.
Step 3

Configure dcnm2 as the Secondary node. Paste the URL displayed on the Console tab of dcnm2 and hit Enter.

A welcome message appears.

  1. On the Welcome to Cisco DCNM screen, click Get Started.

    Caution 

    If the system configuration does not meet minimum resource requirements, SYSTEM RESOURCE ERROR is displayed on the Web Installer, and the installation will be aborted. Modify the system requirements, and launch the Web Installer to complete the installation.

  2. On the Cisco DCNM Installer screen, select Fresh Installation - HA Secondary radio button, to install dcnm2 as Secondary node.

    Click Continue.

  3. On the Install Mode tab, from the drop-down list, choose the same installation mode that you selected for the Primary node.

    Note 
    The HA installation fails if you do not choose the same installation mode as Primary node.

    Check the Enable Clustered Mode check box, if you have configured the Cisco DCNM Primary in Clustered mode.

    Click Next.

  4. On the Administration tab, enter information about passwords.

    Note 

    All the passwords must be same as the passwords that you provided while configuring the Primary node.

  5. On the System Settings, configure the settings for the DCNM Appliance.

    • In the Fully Qualified Hostname field, enter the hostname that is a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) as per RFC1123, section 2.1. Hostnames with only digits is not supported.

    • In the DNS Server Address List field, enter the DNS IP address.

      Beginning with Release 11.2(1), you can also configure the DNS server using an IPv6 address.

      From Release 11.3(1), you can configure more than one DNS server.

      Note 
      If you’re using Network Insights applications, ensure that the DNS server is valid and reachable.

    • In the NTP Server Address List field, enter the IP address of the NTP server.

      The value must be an IP or IPv6 address or RFC 1123 compliant name.

      From Release 11.3(1), you can configure more than one NTP server.

    • From the Timezone drop-down list, select the timezone in which you are deploying the DCNM.

    Click Next.

  6. On the Network Settings tab, configure the network parameters used to reach the DCNM Web UI.

    Figure 6. Cisco DCNM Management Network Interfaces

    1. In the Management Network area, verify if the auto-populated addresses for Management IPv4 Address and Management Network Default IPv4 Gateway are correct. Modify, if necessary.

      Note 
      Ensure that the IP address belongs to the same Management Network configured on the Primary node.

      (Optionally) Enter a valid IPv6 address along with the prefix to configure the Management IPv6 Address and the Management Network Default IPv6 Gateway.

    2. In the Out-of-Band Network area, enter the IPv4 address and Gateway IPv4 Address.

      If DCNM is on the IPv6 network, configure the network by entering relevant IPv6 Address for IPv6 address and Gateway IPv6 Address.

      Note 
      Ensure that the IP addresses belong to the same Out-of-Band network configured on the Primary node.

      Out-of-band management provides a connection to the device management ports (Typically mgmt0).

      Note 

      If the out-of-band network is not configured, you cannot configure Cisco DCNM in Cluster mode.

    3. In the In-Band Network area, enter the IPv4 address and Gateway IPv4 Address for the in-band network.

      If DCNM is on the IPv6 network, configure the network by entering relevant IPv6 Address for IPv6 address and Gateway IPv6 Address.

      Note 
      Ensure that the IP addresses belong to the same In-Band network configured on the Primary node.

      The In-Band Network provides reachability to the devices via the front-panel ports.

      Note 

      If you do not configure in-band network, Endpoint Locator and Telemetry features are not operational.

    Click Next.

  7. On the Applications tab, configure the Internal Applications Services Network, and Cluster mode settings.

    1. In the Internal Application Services Network area, in the IPv4 Subnet field, enter the IP subnet to access the applications that run internally to DCNM.

    2. In the Clustered mode configuration area, configure the network settings to deploy the DCNM instance in Clustered mode. In Clustered mode, applications run on separate compute nodes.

      • In the Out-of-Band IPv4 Network Address Pool, enter the address pool from the Out-of-Band IPv4 network to be used in the Clustered Mode.

        Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 address pool in the Out-of-Band IPv6 Network Address Pool field.

      • In the In-Band IPv4 Network Address Pool, enter the address pool from the In-Band IPv4 network to be used in the Clustered Mode.

        Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 address pool in the In-Band IPv6 Network Address Pool field.

      Ensure that the IP addresses belong to the same pool as configured on the Primary node.

  8. On the HA Settings tab, configure the system settings for the Secondary node.

    • In the Management IPv4 Address of Primary DCNM node field, enter the appropriate IP Address to access the DCNM UI.

    • In the VIP Fully qualified Host Name field, enter hostname that is a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) as per RFC1123, section 2.1. Host names with only digits is not supported.

    • In the Management Network VIP address field, enter the IP address used as VIP in the management network.

      Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 VIP address in the Management Network VIPv6 address field.

      Note 
      If you have configured the Management network using IPv6 address, ensure that you configure the Management Network VIPv6 Address.

    • In the Out-of-Band Network VIP Address field, enter the IP address used as VIP in the Out-of-Band network.

      Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 VIP address in the Out-of-Band Network VIPv6 Address field.

    • In the In-Band Network VIP Address field, enter the IP address used as VIP in the Out-of-Band network.

      Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 VIP address in the In-Band Network VIPv6 Address field.

      Note 

      This field is mandatory if you have provided an IP address for In-Band network in the Network Settings tab.

    • In the HA Ping Feature IPv4 Address field, enter the HA ping IP address and enable this feature, if necessary.

      Note 

      The configured IPv4 address must respond to the ICMP echo pings.

      HA_PING_ADDRESS, must be different from the DCNM Active and Standby addresses.

      You must configure the HA ping IPv4 Address to avoid the Split Brain scenario. This IP address must belong to Enhanced Fabric management network.

    Click Next.

  9. On the Summary tab, review the configuration details.

    Click Previous to go to the previous tabs and modify the configuration. Click Start Installation to complete the Cisco DCNM OVA Installation for the chosen deployment mode.

    A progress bar appears to show the completed percentage, description of the operation, and the elapsed time during the installation. After the progress bar shows 100%, click Continue.

    A success message appears with the URL to access DCNM Web UI.

    ***************************************************************
Your Cisco Data Center Network Manager software has been installed.
DCNM Web UI is available at
https://<<IP Address>>
You will be redirected there in 60 seconds.
Thank you
***************************************************************
    Note 

    If the Cisco DCNM is running behind a firewall, ensure that you open the port 2443 to launch Cisco DCNM Web UI.

What to do next

Log on to the DCNM Web UI with appropriate credentials.

Click the Settings icon and choose About DCNM. You can view and verify the Installation type that you have deployed.

If you have configured inband management (eth2) IP addresses for device management, login to standalone server and configure the inband network reachability from eth2 of the server to the switches by using the following commands:
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties add route ipv4 eth2 <ipv4-network-ip-address/prefix>

For example: If you have four switches with all fabric links connected through 10.0.0.x/30 subnet, and if all switches are configured with the loopback interface for inband reachability in subnet 40.1.1.0/24, use the following commands: 

dcnm# appmgr update network-properties session start
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties add route ipv4 eth2 10.0.0.0/24
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties add route ipv4 eth2 40.1.1.0/24
dcnm# appmgr update network-properties session apply

Installing Cisco DCNM SE ISO on Cisco APIC SE

You can install both DCNM and APIC on Cisco Application Services Engine. If you have ordered APIC ASE PID, and later choose to install Cisco DCNM Release 11.3(1) or 11.4(1) on the same ASE, the following error message appears.

To install Cisco DCNM 11.3(1) or 11.4(1) on an existing APIC ASE, perform the following steps:

Procedure

Step 1

At the prompt, press CTRL-ALT-F2 to move to a different console.

A shell prompt appears.
Step 2

Get the list of disks by using the lsblk -d command.

Step 3

For each disk, execute the following command:

Note 

Ensure that you do not run this command on the UNIGEN 16GB disk.

dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/<disk> bs=10M count=1 

root@se-appliance$ lsblk -d
NAME HCTL       TYPE VENDOR   MODEL             REV TRAN
sda  0:2:0:0    disk Cisco    UCSC-RAID12G-2GB 5.10
sdb  0:2:1:0    disk Cisco    UCSC-RAID12G-2GB 5.10
sdc  0:2:2:0    disk Cisco    UCSC-RAID12G-2GB 5.10
sdd  0:2:3:0    disk Cisco    UCSC-RAID12G-2GB 5.10
sde  0:2:4:0    disk Cisco    UCSC-RAID12G-2GB 5.10
sdf  2:0:0:0    disk ATA      Micron_5100_MTFD H072 sata
sdg  1:0:0:0    disk UNIGEN   PHF16H0CM1-ETG   PMAP usb
root@se-appliance$
Step 4

Reboot the Cisco Applications Service Engine.
Step 5

Install the Cisco DCNM ISO Release 11.3(1) or 11.4(1).

Refer the following URLs for more information.

Convert Standalone Setup to Native-HA Setup

To convert an existing Cisco DCNM Standalone setup to a Native HA setup, perform the following steps:

Before you begin

Ensure that the Standalone setup is active and operational, by using the appmgr show version command.
dcnm# appmgr show version

Cisco Data Center Network Manager
Version: 11.4(1)
Install mode: LAN Fabric
Standalone node. HA not enabled.
dcnm#

Procedure

Step 1

On the Standalone setup, launch SSH and enable root user access by using the appmgr root-access permit command: 

dcnm# appmgr root-access permit
Step 2

Deploy a new DCNM as secondary node. Choose Fresh installation - HA Secondary

For example, let us indicate the existing setup as dcnm1 and the new DCNM as secondary node as dcnm2.

Caution 

If the system configuration does not meet minimum resource requirements, SYSTEM RESOURCE ERROR is displayed on the Web Installer, and the installation will be aborted. Modify the system requirements, and launch the Web Installer to complete the installation.

Step 3

Configure dcnm2 as the Secondary node. Paste the URL displayed on the Console tab of dcnm2 and hit Enter.

A welcome message appears.

  1. On the Welcome to Cisco DCNM screen, click Get Started.

    Caution 

    If the system configuration does not meet minimum resource requirements, SYSTEM RESOURCE ERROR is displayed on the Web Installer, and the installation will be aborted. Modify the system requirements, and launch the Web Installer to complete the installation.

  2. On the Cisco DCNM Installer screen, select Fresh Installation - HA Secondary radio button, to install dcnm2 as Secondary node.

    Click Continue.

  3. On the Install Mode tab, from the drop-down list, choose the same installation mode that you selected for the Primary node.

    Note 
    The HA installation fails if you do not choose the same installation mode as Primary node.

    Check the Enable Clustered Mode check box, if you have configured the Cisco DCNM Primary in Clustered mode.

    Click Next.

  4. On the Administration tab, enter information about passwords.

    Note 

    All the passwords must be same as the passwords that you provided while configuring the Primary node.

  5. On the System Settings, configure the settings for the DCNM Appliance.

    • In the Fully Qualified Hostname field, enter the hostname that is a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) as per RFC1123, section 2.1. Hostnames with only digits is not supported.

    • In the DNS Server Address List field, enter the DNS IP address.

      Beginning with Release 11.2(1), you can also configure the DNS server using an IPv6 address.

      From Release 11.3(1), you can configure more than one DNS server.

      Note 
      If you’re using Network Insights applications, ensure that the DNS server is valid and reachable.

    • In the NTP Server Address List field, enter the IP address of the NTP server.

      The value must be an IP or IPv6 address or RFC 1123 compliant name.

      From Release 11.3(1), you can configure more than one NTP server.

    • From the Timezone drop-down list, select the timezone in which you are deploying the DCNM.

    Click Next.

  6. On the Network Settings tab, configure the network parameters used to reach the DCNM Web UI.

    Figure 7. Cisco DCNM Management Network Interfaces

    1. In the Management Network area, verify if the auto-populated addresses for Management IPv4 Address and Management Network Default IPv4 Gateway are correct. Modify, if necessary.

      Note 
      Ensure that the IP address belongs to the same Management Network configured on the Primary node.

      (Optionally) Enter a valid IPv6 address along with the prefix to configure the Management IPv6 Address and the Management Network Default IPv6 Gateway.

    2. In the Out-of-Band Network area, enter the IPv4 address and Gateway IPv4 Address.

      If DCNM is on the IPv6 network, configure the network by entering relevant IPv6 Address for IPv6 address and Gateway IPv6 Address.

      Note 
      Ensure that the IP addresses belong to the same Out-of-Band network configured on the Primary node.

      Out-of-band management provides a connection to the device management ports (Typically mgmt0).

      Note 

      If the out-of-band network is not configured, you cannot configure Cisco DCNM in Cluster mode.

    3. In the In-Band Network area, enter the IPv4 address and Gateway IPv4 Address for the in-band network.

      If DCNM is on the IPv6 network, configure the network by entering relevant IPv6 Address for IPv6 address and Gateway IPv6 Address.

      Note 
      Ensure that the IP addresses belong to the same In-Band network configured on the Primary node.

      The In-Band Network provides reachability to the devices via the front-panel ports.

      Note 

      If you do not configure in-band network, Endpoint Locator and Telemetry features are not operational.

    Click Next.

  7. On the Applications tab, configure the Internal Applications Services Network, and Cluster mode settings.

    1. In the Internal Application Services Network area, in the IPv4 Subnet field, enter the IP subnet to access the applications that run internally to DCNM.

    2. In the Clustered mode configuration area, configure the network settings to deploy the DCNM instance in Clustered mode. In Clustered mode, applications run on separate compute nodes.

      • In the Out-of-Band IPv4 Network Address Pool, enter the address pool from the Out-of-Band IPv4 network to be used in the Clustered Mode.

        Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 address pool in the Out-of-Band IPv6 Network Address Pool field.

      • In the In-Band IPv4 Network Address Pool, enter the address pool from the In-Band IPv4 network to be used in the Clustered Mode.

        Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 address pool in the In-Band IPv6 Network Address Pool field.

      Ensure that the IP addresses belong to the same pool as configured on the Primary node.

  8. On the HA Settings tab, configure the system settings for the Secondary node.

    • In the Management IPv4 Address of Primary DCNM node field, enter the appropriate IP Address to access the DCNM UI.

    • In the VIP Fully qualified Host Name field, enter hostname that is a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) as per RFC1123, section 2.1. Host names with only digits is not supported.

    • In the Management Network VIP address field, enter the IP address used as VIP in the management network.

      Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 VIP address in the Management Network VIPv6 address field.

      Note 
      If you have configured the Management network using IPv6 address, ensure that you configure the Management Network VIPv6 Address.

    • In the Out-of-Band Network VIP Address field, enter the IP address used as VIP in the Out-of-Band network.

      Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 VIP address in the Out-of-Band Network VIPv6 Address field.

    • In the In-Band Network VIP Address field, enter the IP address used as VIP in the Out-of-Band network.

      Optionally, you can also enter an IPv6 VIP address in the In-Band Network VIPv6 Address field.

      Note 

      This field is mandatory if you have provided an IP address for In-Band network in the Network Settings tab.

    • In the HA Ping Feature IPv4 Address field, enter the HA ping IP address and enable this feature, if necessary.

      Note 

      The configured IPv4 address must respond to the ICMP echo pings.

      HA_PING_ADDRESS, must be different from the DCNM Active and Standby addresses.

      You must configure the HA ping IPv4 Address to avoid the Split Brain scenario. This IP address must belong to Enhanced Fabric management network.

    Click Next.

  9. On the Summary tab, review the configuration details.

    Click Previous to go to the previous tabs and modify the configuration. Click Start Installation to complete the Cisco DCNM OVA Installation for the chosen deployment mode.

    A progress bar appears to show the completed percentage, description of the operation, and the elapsed time during the installation. After the progress bar shows 100%, click Continue.

    A success message appears with the URL to access DCNM Web UI.

    ***************************************************************
Your Cisco Data Center Network Manager software has been installed.
DCNM Web UI is available at
https://<<IP Address>>
You will be redirected there in 60 seconds.
Thank you
***************************************************************
    Note 

    If the Cisco DCNM is running behind a firewall, ensure that you open the port 2443 to launch Cisco DCNM Web UI.

What to do next

Verify the HA role by using the appmgr show ha-role command.

On the Active node (old standalone node): 

dcnm1# appmgr show ha-role
Native HA enabled.
Deployed role: Active
Current role: Active

On the Standby node (newly deployed node): 

dcnm2# appmgr show ha-role
Native HA enabled.
Deployed role: Standby
Current role: Standby

Installing Cisco DCNM Compute Node

Paste the URL displayed on the Console tab and hit Enter key. A welcome message appears. You can install compute nodes on both Cisco DCNM OVA and ISO deployments.


Note
Compute nodes allows users to scale DCNM, as application load can be shared across all the compute nodes, instead of the usual 1 or 2 (if you have HA) nodes.

Note

If Enable Clustered Mode was selected during DCNM installation, applications such as, Configuration Compliance, EPL, NIA, and NIR won’t work until you install the compute nodes.

When NIR/NIA applications is enabled at higher scale, that is, with 250 switches and 10000 Hardware telemetry flows, DCNM Computes nodes must be connected on all eth0, eth1, and eth2 interfaces using a 10Gig link.

To complete the installation of Cisco DCNM Compute Node from the web installer, perform the following procedure.

Before you begin

Ensure that you have 16 vCPUs, 64GB RAM, and 500GB hard disc to install compute nodes.

By default, the ComputeHuge configuration has 32vCPUs and 128GB RAM with 2TB disk. This configuration is recommended if you use Cisco Network Insights applications.

Procedure

Step 1

On the Welcome to Cisco DCNM screen, click Get Started.

Step 2

On the Cisco DCNM Installer screen, select the Fresh Installation – Standalone radio button.

Click Continue.

Step 3

On the Install Mode tab, choose Compute to deploy this DCNM instance as a compute node.

Note 

Compute option appears in the drop-down list only if you have chosen Compute or ComputeHuge while configuring the OVF template or ISO hypervisors.

Click Next.

Step 4

On the Administration tab, enter information about passwords.

  • In the Administrator Password field, enter the password that is used to connect to the applications in the Cisco DCNM.

    All special characters, except %$^=;.*\'" <SPACE> is allowed in the password.

    Enter the password again in the Repeat Administrator Password field.

Select the Show passwords in clear text check box to view the password that you have entered.

Click Next.

Step 5

On the System Settings, configure the settings for the DCNM Appliance.

  • In the Fully Qualified Hostname field, enter the hostname that is a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) as per RFC1123, section 2.1. Hostnames with only digits is not supported.

  • In the DNS Server Address List field, enter the DNS IP address.

    Beginning with Release 11.2(1), you can also configure the DNS server using an IPv6 address.

    From Release 11.3(1), you can configure more than one DNS server.

    Note 
    If you’re using Network Insights applications, ensure that the DNS server is valid and reachable.

  • In the NTP Server Address List field, enter the IP address of the NTP server.

    The value must be an IP or IPv6 address or RFC 1123 compliant name.

    From Release 11.3(1), you can configure more than one NTP server.

  • From the Timezone drop-down list, select the timezone in which you are deploying the DCNM.

Click Next.

Step 6

On the Network Settings tab, configure the network parameters used to reach the DCNM Web UI.

Figure 8. Cisco DCNM Management Network Interfaces

  1. In the Management Network area, verify if the auto-populated addresses for Management IPv4 Address and Management Network Default IPv4 Gateway are correct. Modify, if necessary.

    Note 
    Beginning with Cisco DCNM Release 11.2(1), you can also use an IPv6 address for the Management Network.

    (Optionally) Enter a valid IPv6 address along with the prefix to configure the Management IPv6 Address and the Management Network Default IPv6 Gateway.

  2. In the Out-of-Band Network area, enter the IPv4 address and Gateway IPv4 Address.

    If DCNM is on the IPv6 network, configure the network by entering relevant IPv6 Address for IPv6 address and Gateway IPv6 Address.

    Out-of-band management provides a connection to the device management ports (Typically mgmt0).

    Note 

    If the out-of-band network is not configured, you cannot configure Cisco DCNM in Cluster mode.

  3. In the In-Band Network area, enter the IPv4 address and Gateway IPv4 Address for the in-band network.

    If DCNM is on the IPv6 network, configure the network by entering relevant IPv6 Address for IPv6 address and Gateway IPv6 Address.

    The In-Band Network provides reachability to the devices via the front-panel ports.

    Note 

    If you do not configure in-band network, Endpoint Locator and Telemetry features are not operational.

However, you can edit the network properties after installation, if required, using the appmgr update network-properties command. For more information, see Editing Network Properties Post DCNM Installation.

Click Next.

Step 7

In the Internal Application Services Network area, in the IPv4 Subnet field, enter the IP subnet to access the applications that run internally to DCNM.

All the applications use the IP Address from this subnet.

Click Next.

Step 8

On the Summary tab, review the configuration details.

Click Previous to go to the previous tabs and modify the configuration. Click Start Installation to complete the Cisco DCNM Installation for the chosen deployment mode.

A progress bar appears to show the completed percentage, description of the operation, and the elapsed time during the installation. After the progress bar shows 100%, click Continue.

A success message appears with the URL to access DCNM Compute Node. 

***************************************************************
Your Cisco DCNM Compute Node has been installed.
Click on the following link to go to DCNM GUI's Application page:
DCNM GUI's Applications
You will be redirected there in 60 seconds.
Thank you
***************************************************************

What to do next

Log on to the DCNM Web UI with appropriate credentials.

The Applications tab displays all the services running on the DCNM deployment that you have installed. Click Compute tab to view the new Compute in Discovered state on the Cisco DCNM Web UI.

To add the compute nodes to a cluster, see Adding Computes to a Cluster Node in your deployment-specific Cisco DCNM Configuration Guide for more information.


Note

If you did not enable clustered mode while installing DCNM, use the appmgr afw config-cluster command to enable the compute cluster. For instructions, refer to Enabling the Compute Cluster in the Cisco DCNM LAN Fabric Configuration Guide.

When a compute node goes through a unscheduled powercycle and restarts, the Elasticsearch container will not start. It is possible that some filesystems are corrupted. To resolve this issue. reboot the Compute node in safe mode by using fsck -y command.