Details about submitting and tracking a device certification request

Products

• VMware Smart Assurance

Issue/Introduction

The purpose of this article is to provide instructions for getting a device certified in the currently supported version of the Smarts or NCM software.

Environment

Smarts
NCM

Cause

Smarts IP:

As device is discovering as a Node in the Smarts IP topology or is not being properly represented in the Smarts IP topology.

NCM:

A device is not being discovered properly (shown as a Generic Device) in the Smarts NCM software.

Resolution

There are multiple types of Certification requests and this article is only concerned with the Smarts Certification request and the NCM Certification request. 

This article is broken into two sections. The first section is the Smarts Certification Request and the second section in the NCM Certification Request.

Smarts:

One would submit a Certification request for a device in the Smarts software when a device is discovering as a Node or when a devices features are not being properly represented on newer versions of the devices software.

Requirements:
The following requirements need to be met in order to complete a Smarts Certification request.

1.) User must have login credentials for Broadcom Support Portal
2.) Administrative access to a host running the Smarts IP software.
3.) SNMP access available from the host running the Smarts software to the device that needs to be certified and the device IP address.
4.) SNMP access available from the host running the Smarts software to a neighboring device that is connected to the device to be certified and the neighbor devices IP address.
5.) A file transfer mechanism available on the host running the Smarts software if the host does not have internet access.

 

Steps to open a Certification request:
Once all the requirements are confirmed the data for the Certification request can be gathered and submitted to the  Certification request. The following three tasks will be performed:

1.) Gather walks of the device to be certified and of the neighbor device. 
     A walk of the device's virtual router will also be necessary if a virtual router is implemented on the device.
2.) Confirm the files generated for both devices are complete.
3.) Submitting all the necessary information and data to process the Certification request.

 

TASK 1: Gathering the necessary SNMPWalk files

1.) Log into a host that meets the SNMP requirements above and has the Smarts software installed on it.
2.) Navigate to the bin of the Smarts install
     (Typically /opt/InCharge/IP/smarts/bin in Linux).
3.) Generate a walk of each device (The device to be certified, the devices virtual router, the neighboring device).

A walk is a set of files that completely describes a device. The walk command for each will generate four file, a snap file, a mimic file, a walk file, and a timeout log file. The timeout file describes any part of the device description that did not respond in a timely manner and is of no concern in the certification process. 
The snap file, mimic file, and walk file all contain the same information in different formats.  Only the Snap file needs to be supplied in the Certification Request.

Use the sm_snmpwalk utility as below to collect the device MIB walk:

 ./sm_snmpwalk <hostname>
    OR
 ./sm_snmpwalk -c <community string name> <hostname>

for SNMPv3 devices
 ./sm_snmpwalk --snmp=<version> --user=<userName>  --auth=<auth protocol>  --priv=<priv protocol>  --authPass=<password>  --privPass=<password>  <hostname>  
     OR
 ./sm_snmpwalk --snmp=<version> --auth=<auth protocol> --priv=<priv protocol> --authPass=<password> --privPass=<password> --user=<userName> hostname --noBulk 

This will generate 3 output files (.snap, .mimic, and .walk). Please ensure that the .walk files end with "End of Mibwalk". Attach all 3 files for each device to the SR.

A walk will need to be run against the IP address of the device being certified, the IP address of the virtual router on the device being certified, and the neighboring device.

 

TASK 2: Confirming the walk files are complete for both devices  

In order to confirm that the walk of each device (including the virtual router) completed correctly the *.walk file for each walk ran will need to be reviewed.

1.) Using a text editor, such as Vi in Linux or Notepad in Windows, open each walk file for viewing.
2.) Scroll to the bottom of each walk file and confirm the last line of the file reads: "End of MIB walk"

If any of the walk files do not have this line the device that failed its MIB walk will need to be repeated.  When repeating the walk using  -s 1 instead of -s 2c will usually correct the problem by forcing the to use an older version of the SNMP but the process will take longer to walk the device.

 

TASK 3: Submitting the data to the Certification Request with Broadcom Support

In the last task the walk files from the host with the Smarts  IP software are transferred to a host with internet access.  Once the files are open to internet access navigate to the support portal, complete the device certification forms, upload the walk files, and submit the Certification request.

1.) Transfer the complete walk files from the host with the Smarts IP software to a host with access to the internet.

2.) Navigate to the Broadcom Support Portal and create a new case using the +Create Case option

3.) Fill out the fields on the page below. (Details to be entered are highlighted in blue below)
NOTE: Please ensure that the Component field is updated to "SMACER (Smarts Certification)" to ensure the requests are routed correctly to the responsible team.

4. Fill the SMACERT_template.docx attached to this article and add it as an attachment to the case. 

 

5. Click the Submit button (in the Bottom Right corner of the form) the Certification request will be submitted and a support case number will be created for tracking the case.

6. Once the case has been opened, attach the required walk files (as described in the SMACERT_Template.docx) to the case for further review by the Certification team.

 

NCM:

One would create a certification request when a new uncertified and unsupported device is added to a Smarts NCM deployment and the NCM software does not discover or interface with the device correctly.
One would also create a certification request for a device if a software upgrade to the device breaks the NCM software's ability to discover or interface with the device.

Requirements:
The following requirements need to be met in order to complete a Smarts Certification request.

1.) User must have login credentials for Broadcom Support Portal
2.) Administrative access to a host running the snapper tool.
3.) SNMP access available from the host running the snapper tool to the device that needs to be certified.
4.) A file transfer mechanism available on the host running the Smarts software if the host does not have internet access.

 

Steps to open a Certification request:
Once all the requirements are confirmed the data for the Certification request can be gathered and submitted to the  Certification request. The following three tasks will be performed:

1.) Gather walks of the device to be certified.
     A walk of the device's virtual router will also be necessary if a virtual router is implemented on the device.
2.) Confirm the files generated for both devices are complete.
3.) Submitting all the necessary information and data to process the Certification request.

Steps to open a Device Certification request:
Once all the requirements are confirmed the data for the Certification request can be gathered and submitted to the Certification.  The following three tasks will be performed:

TASK 1:  Collect the SNMPWalk files of the target device

Download the Snapper tool from the attachments section on this KB article.

Extract the files and navigate to Snapper/bin directory.

 export SM_LICENSE=NULL
 ./sm_snmp  --snmp=2c -c public -d <target-device> walk snap .1 > Device.snap 

 For Example: Snap File

 ./sm_snmp  --snmp=2c -c public -d <target-device>  walk snap .1 > Device.snap  
 ./sm_snmp -s 3 --user=<user> --auth=<Auth protocol ex MD5> --authPass=<password> --priv=<priv protocol ex DES> --privPass=<password> -d <target-device> walk snap .1 > name.snap

TASK 2:  Submitting the data to the Certification Request with Broadcom Support

1. Navigate to the Broadcom Support Portal and create a new case using the +Create Case option

2. Fill out the fields on the page below. (Details to be entered are highlighted in blue below)
NOTE: Please ensure that the Component field is updated to "NCMCER (Smarts Certification)" to ensure the requests are routed correctly to the responsible team.

2. Fill the NCMCERT_template.docx attached to this article and add it as an attachment to the case.

3. Click the Submit button (in the Bottom Right corner of the form) the Certification request will be submitted and a support case number will be created for tracking the case.

4. Once the case has been opened, attach the suggested snmpwalk files (as described in the NCMCERT_Template.docx) to the case for further review by the Certification team.

Additional Information

Note that there is no need to supply a device walk as this may not be a mandatory requirement. However, the Engineering may request you these in future, in-case they specifically need the information.
The completion of the certification for the Smarts NCM software may require that the device be made accessible to VMware by Broadcom engineers via a VPN connection to the device.