Access to Cisco SD-WAN Manager via GUI

[stevesmith741]

Just trying to setup an SD-WAN environment in CML2. I've added the management nodes, and started the SD-WAN manager, but can't figure out how to access its GUI. Does it need to be connected to the outside world via a 1:1 NAT to access from outside? Or does it have a unique port that I can connect to using the IP address of the VM that CML2 is running on? Haven't found any useful posts or videos so far.

Thanks, Steve

[Inkmouse]

You will access the web GUI for SD-WAN Manager from the non management IP address that you assigned to vpn 0. Also note that after you turn the SD-WAN Manager node on it can take 15+ minutes for the GUI to fully initialize.

[Torbjørn]

The easiest way is to use an Ubuntu node in CML as a jump-host to access it. If your lab infrastructure allows it you can alternatively use an "external connector" to allow you to access it through your lab network directly. You can find documentation & a demo for this here: https://developer.cisco.com/docs/modeling-labs/external-connectivity-with-trunking/ 

In my lab a VPN 512 interface is connected to a network that is routed throughout my external lab network. I have previously also used a 1:1 NAT on a router in CML connected to a system-bridge mode external connector.

[stevesmith741]

Ok, so I run up a Ubuntu node. Now I have shell access to an Ubuntu node, but there doesn't seem to be a way to connect to the Ubuntu desktop GUI either as the VNC console option isn't presented, so I don't seem to be any closer. Then, I found that the CML2 refplat includes a desktop node based on Alpine Linux that is apparently intended to be used as a jump host. Hooray! Except...

The Alpine node that gets installed doesn't launch the UI at startup. So now I can open a VNC session to a node that gives me... shell access! So I start trawling around for the magic potion required to start the Alpine X environment, and find mention of the command "startxfce4", which must surely be the answer to all my prayers. I dutifully enter the command. "Command not found" is the sad reply. So frustrating. I don't know why the VM supplied with the refplat couldn't have been configured and ready to use.