Ask the Expert:Managing your Converged Network Using Cisco Prime Infrastructure

[ciscomoderator]

With Tejas Shah

Welcome to the Cisco Support Community Ask the Expert conversation. This is an opportunity to learn and ask questions about  how to manage your wired and wireless network using the converged Cisco Prime Infrastructure Application. Cisco Prime Infrastructure combines the wireless functionality of Cisco Prime Network Control System (NCS) and the wired functionality of Cisco Prime LAN Management Solution (LMS), with rich application performance monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities of Cisco Prime Assurance Manager. 

Tejas Shah is a senior technical marketing engineer for Cisco Prime Infrastructure and Collaboration products. He has deployed Cisco Prime Collaboration Manager at various customer sites to help customers monitor and troubleshoot their video infrastructure. In addition, he is part of the Network Operations Center team at Cisco Live events for six years. Shah joined Cisco in 1995 and was in the Technical Assistance Center team supporting various network management system products for more than six years.

Remember to use the rating system to let Tejas know if you have received an adequate response. 

Tejas might not be able to answer each question due to the volume expected during this event. Remember that you can continue the conversation on the Network Infastructure sub-community discussion forum shortly after the event.  This event lasts through February 8, 2013. Visit this forum often to view responses to your questions and the questions of other community members.

[irisbijcisco]

Hi Tejas

We are wondering if it is possible to connect the Prime Infrastructure Appliance to two separate network segments?

regards Iris

[tshah]

Hello Iris,

thanks for your post..  When you install the appliance, you cannot define a second interface; however, once the appliance is installed, you can ssh (as admin user) to the appliance and create a second interface. 

I will need to check whether this is a supported configuration or not.  Please stay tuned.

best regards,

Tejas

[irisbijcisco]

Hi Tejas!
Thanks for replying! I found the root command to enter the Linux shell so we can add the g1 interface ip.
Very curious if this will be a supported feature. Do you maybe already have news about the support for two interfaces?

Regards Iris

best regards,

[tshah]

Iris de Boer wrote:
Do you maybe already have news about the support for two interfaces?

Yes, we support having multiple NICs.   When you add more interfaces for eg:

interface GigabitEthernet 1
  ip address 10.100.1.82 255.255.255.240

You need to add corresponding ip route statements as follows:

ip route 10.100.0.0 255.255.0.0 gateway 10.100.1.92

that should do it.

Hope this helps,

Tejas

[Yevhenii Larin]

Hello Tejas

I have several questions regarding "Client and Users" monitoring.

How does Cisco Prime populate ip addresses for the wired clients (we don't have 802.1x in our wired network) ?

Most of the records include ip address, but for some major locations, with large layer2 segments, does not.

My assumption - it's trying to correlate mac table of switches with arp table of nearest router, but I need details, how can I make it more accurate.

Second question, Is it possible to somehow  triger up/down ports on switches with clients database? Without this , information in database is useless.     

And the last - if I go to "Device Work Center"  - Device Details - Clients- Current Associated Clients , I get nothing - No data availabale. Same thing with WAP's .

The only way to get list of clients, currently  associated with device, is to go to "Clients and Users"  and make a filter.

Thank you

[tshah]

Yevhenii Larin wrote:
Hello Tejas
I have several questions regarding "Client and Users" monitoring.
How does Cisco Prime populate ip addresses for the wired clients (we don't have 802.1x in our wired network) ?
Most of the records include ip address, but for some major locations, with large layer2 segments, does not.
My assumption - it's trying to correlate mac table of switches with arp table of nearest router, but I need details, how can I make it more accurate. 
==> Yes, that is correct.   If you have 802.1x you will get more information, but the ip address and mac address are populated as you mentioned.
Second question, Is it possible to somehow  triger up/down ports on switches with clients database? Without this , information in database is useless.
==> Just curious to know what is it that you are trying to accomplish?  Currently the clients/users table is presented as view only mode with some actions like Troubleshooting and Disabling the wireless clients.  Are you trying to boot out a client on the wired side?  This sounds good, so please clarify.      
And the last - if I go to "Device Work Center"  - Device Details - Clients- Current Associated Clients , I get nothing - No data availabale. Same thing with WAP's . 
The only way to get list of clients, currently  associated with device, is to go to "Clients and Users"  and make a filter. 
==> I have seen this in past, but I wasn't able to replicate this.  what type of AP is it?  Does it only happen for WAP's or also for switches?
Thank you 

[Yevhenii Larin]

Just curious to know what is it that you are trying to accomplish?  Currently the clients/users table is presented as view only mode with some actions like Troubleshooting and Disabling the wireless clients.  Are you trying to boot out a client on the wired side?  This sounds good, so please clarify.

I don't have clear view how often Prime populates client information for wired client without implemented dot1.x . So, what I'm asking if there is a way to process mac address notification traps or syslog messages from switches. I just want to track my wired users.

I have seen this in past, but I wasn't able to replicate this.  what type of AP is it?  Does it only happen for WAP's or also for switches?

It happens for all devices. Just checked several kind of switches  and access points (unified and autonomous)

Was able to get list of clients from few of the AP's. I cannot understand what common between them, need to dig deeper. 

[prasad.bhairat]

Hi Tejas,

quiz :  We have received new prime box,After installation unfortunately my colleague forgotten the user name & login credential. We tried more to recover it. But getting stuck in Linux commands. Please can you assist us for how to recover the password.

[tshah]

Prasad,

See if the following URL helps:

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/wireless/prime_infrastructure/1.2/configuration/guide/manag.html#wp1268901

I'm assuming you are talking about the root passwd for the web GUI.

[david-flores]

Hi Tejas,

Is PI 1.2 supposed to replace ciscoworks prime  4.2 with all the same functionality? If yes, what license is needed, life cycle, or assurance?

I currently have a PI 1.2 base install as an upgrade from my ncs install, but I just don't see all features  available that I see on my primelms 4.2 install.

It would be nice to have all of these features and functionality in one single server/install of PI 1.2.

Thanks

[Yevhenii Larin]

There is good document Cisco Prime Infrastructure LMS Functional Reference

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/netmgtsw/ps6504/ps6528/ps12239/app_note_c27-716230.html

Currently not all the features are supported, but they are going to add most of them. 

[tshah]

Right on Larin !!

[zorbcisco]

Hi Tejas,

After a failed attempt to import the map data From WLSE to Prime Infrasctuture 1.2, is not possible to view APs in Floor View. "Loading APs" in "Load status" never finishes and if i draw a location region the output in "Load status" is: "Performing postioning or Editing of elements. Cannnot retrieve information now."

I tried to solve the problem restoring a backup, but the problem remained.

Last attempt was a NCS Database Reinitialization with the command: ncs db reinitdb

I can add APs to a floor view but they dont appear in the map...

Any help is appreciated,

Regards

[Eduardo Aliaga]

Hi Tejas.

We're deploying PI as a managed service, but the hard disk requirement of 200GB is too much. As far as I understand this is due to the internal database. Is there a way to decouple the database from PI ? that way our deployment would be way more scalable.

Also it would be great to know if PI supports two or more NICs, just like Iris de Boer asked above.

Best regards