How to troubleshoot ZTP (Zero Touch Provisioning) for VMware SD-WAN
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How to troubleshoot ZTP (Zero Touch Provisioning) for VMware SD-WAN

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Article ID: 330750

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Updated On:

Products

VMware SD-WAN by VeloCloud

Issue/Introduction

Previously,  ZTP required deployment personnel to be physically local to the Edge while using an activation link pulled from the Orchestrator in the form of an email to activate an Edge, a method that scales poorly on large deployments. With the addition of Push Activation to our ZTP feature, customers may activate an Edge just by connecting it to power and the internet. 

The goal of this KB article is to provide a comprehensive guide to configure and troubleshoot  ZTP or push activation issues.

Environment

VMware SD-WAN by VeloCloud

Resolution

How to does ZTP works?


Before we start discussing the troubleshooting scenarios it is important to understand how all the components work together to activate the Edge. This is a high-level overview of how it works:
 

  1. Edge is manufactured.
  2. A manufacturer sends a file with Edges information to Maestro service using API or upload form on UI. Edges information must include Serial Number, UUID, Part Number for each item.
  3. VMware IT sends shipping information to Maestro using API. Using this information Edges are mapped to Partners and to Enterprises.
  4. A customer on VCO opens the Edge Inventory page. Edge inventory is requested from Maestro.
  5. The customer assigns Edges. A license and a profile must be selected for each Edge.
  6. When Edge is delivered to a customer, turned on, and connect to the Internet, it will call Maestro API to receive VCO URL and redirect token.
  7. Edge calls VCO with redirect token. If it is valid, VCO responds with the "ACTIVATE" action and activation key.
  8. Edge calls VCO with provided activation key. If it is valid, Edge will be activated on VCO.
  9. Edge is activated.




How to set up ZTP on the VCO?

Enable ZTP service: 

  • Partners need to sign-up for the ZTP service by navigating in the VCO Partner Settings > Zero Touch Provisioning Sign up (at the bottom of the page) > Fill in PRM ID > Submit.

  • Enterprises need to sign-up for the ZTP service by navigating in the VCO Administration > System Settings > Zero Touch Provisioning Sign up (at the bottom of the page) >Fill in SID > Submit. 



Notes: 
PRM ID and SID data are linked to the customer account, if the customer doesn't have this information they should reach out to their SE. Once the customer submits this information it will be sent to Maestro and it might take up to 1 week to validate before we have Edge information available in the inventory. 

Edge provisioning: 


Before we can activate the Edges we need to assign the Edge from the ZTP inventory. 

  • Partners procedure:

1. Navigate to Zero Touch Provisioning in the side menu.

2. The list of the inventory available for the assignment will be visible in the Pending Assignment tab.
3. Select Edge inventory and click Actions > Assign To Customer.
4. Choose a customer, a profile, and a license. Click Submit.
5. After the assignment, the inventory will be moved to the Assigned tab.

* How to reassign an Edge to a different customer?

Note:  If the Edge had been activated previously, we will need to deactivate it from Remote actions before following these steps.
 
1. Select Edges, which should be reassigned.
2. Click  Actions > Reassign.
3. Choose a customer, a profile, and a license. Click Submit.
4. The Edges will be provisioned for the selected customer.
 
  • Enterprise procedure (Customers with no Partner):
1. Navigate to Administration >  Zero Touch Provisioning in the side menu.
2. The list of the inventory available for the assignment will be visible in the Pending Assignment tab.
3. Select Edge inventory and click Actions > Assign.
4. Choose a profile and a license. Click Submit.
5. After the assignment, the inventory will be moved to the Assigned tab.


Notes:

Provisioned Edges will be visible under the Monitor > Edges page, they will have Pending status. For Partners, the Edges will appear under the Customer they have assigned the inventory to.

How to Activate the Edge?

At this point, all we need to do is connect the Edge to the power supply and the internet.  The Edge will connect to Maestro, which will redirect the Edge activation to the VCO provisioned for it. 

How to troubleshoot Edge Activation issues with ZTP?

 

  • The first thing we must do is validate that the Edge has been properly provisioned in the VCO, by confirming the Edge has been assigned to the Customer and that we can see it in the Pending state under Monitor > Edges. 
  • Afterward, we must do basic validation as we would do with any activation to confirm the Edge is properly connected to an Internet connection. We can test connecting a laptop to confirm it receives an IP address and that we can resolve the VCO URL and reach the internet.
  • The first action the Edge will do is try to reach out to Maestro via API, then it will be redirected to the VCO URL for normal activation.  
  • If we have validated proper internet connectivity for the Edge, the support VCO team could help isolate the issue further. 
  • If activation fails we can review Monitor > Alerts on the VCO for any hints or errors and engage Broadcom support for further analysis



Important Note:

ZTP process is compatible with the normal activation process, if ZTP fails and the customer needs to Activate the Edge as soon as possible we can always request an activation email and follow the standard procedure. 

 

What to do if we need to replace a ZTP provisioned Edge?

Edge can be returned to a manufacturer and replaced by another Edge
 

1. Navigate to the Edge configuration page.
2. Click Request Reactivation.
3. Enter the serial number of the replacement Edge.
4. Activate replacement Edge (it will connect to the RMA logical Edge).
5. Return RMA Edge.
6. When RMA is received by the manufacturer, it will disappear from the Assigned tab in the inventory.



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