Spectrum NCM: Client Validation Parameters Not Present by Default After Upgrade to 23.3.7+

Products

• Network Observability

Issue/Introduction

After upgrading Broadcom Spectrum, for example from 22.2.6 to 24.3.9 (or any version 23.3.7 and later), the expected Network Configuration Manager (NCM) client validation parameters are not found in the relevant configuration files:

• The <validate-client> parameter is missing from the ncm-config.xml file.
• The ncm_validate_client parameter is missing from the .vnmrc file.

The Broadcom TechDocs manual for NCM Client Validation suggests these parameters should be present by default (e.g., <validate-client type="java.lang.String">off</validate-client> in XML and ncm_validate_client=FALSE in .vnmrc), allowing users to change their values to "on" or "TRUE" to enable validation. Even with the installer updating file dates during the upgrade, these parameters remain absent.

Environment

• Broadcom DX NetOps Spectrum versions 23.3.7 and later (e.g., 24.3.9).
• DX NetOps Spectrum Network Configuration Manager (NCM) component.

Cause

Despite being introduced in Spectrum 23.3.7, the NCM client validation parameters (<validate-client> in ncm-config.xml and ncm_validate_client in .vnmrc) are not automatically added to the configuration files by default during an upgrade or fresh installation. Engineering has confirmed that these parameters must be manually inserted into the respective configuration files when the requirement for NCM Client Validation arises. The documentation is being updated to reflect this behavior.

Resolution

To enable or configure NCM Client Validation, you must manually add the necessary parameters to the ncm-config.xml and .vnmrc files.

Steps:

1. Backup Configuration Files: Before making any changes, create a backup copy of ncm-config.xml and .vnmrc.

2. Locate and Edit ncm-config.xml:

   • Navigate to the $SPECROOT/NCM/config directory.
   • Open ncm-config.xml in a text editor.
   • Locate the <properties> section (or an appropriate section where similar configuration properties are defined).
   • Add the following line to enable client validation (default is off):
     xml <validate-client type="java.lang.String">off</validate-client>
   • To enable NCM Client Validation, change the value to on:
     xml <validate-client type="java.lang.String">on</validate-client>
   • Save and close the ncm-config.xml file.

3. Locate and Edit .vnmrc:

   • Navigate to the $SPECROOT/vnm directory.
   • Open .vnmrc in a text editor.
   • Add the following line to disable client validation (default is FALSE):
     ncm_validate_client=FALSE
   • To enable NCM Client Validation, change the value to TRUE:
     ncm_validate_client=TRUE
   • Save and close the .vnmrc file.

4. Restart Spectrum Services:

   • After making these changes, it is essential to restart the SpectroSERVER and any associated NCM services for the changes to take effect.
     • On Windows: Stop and start all Spectrum services.
     • On Linux/Solaris:
       bash cd $SPECROOT/bin ./stopSS.sh ./startSS.sh
       (Additional NCM-specific restarts might be necessary depending on your environment).

Additional Information

• The ncm_validate_client parameter in .vnmrc controls the client-side validation, while <validate-client> in ncm-config.xml controls the server-side validation for NCM. Both generally need to be enabled for full client validation.
• This behavior (manual addition required) is being documented.
• For further details on NCM Client Validation, refer to the Broadcom TechDocs:
  https://techdocs.broadcom.com/us/en/ca-enterprise-software/it-operations-management/spectrum/24-3/managing-network/network-configuration-manager/network-configuration-manager-configurations/network-configuration-manager-extension-utility.html