Abstract
This document describes how to configure Crimson 3.2 (C32) and SixView Manager (SVM) to work together
Products
FlexEdge DA50A, DA70A
Use Case
Configuring Crimson 3.2 (C32) and SixView Manager (SVM) to work together, and how to use SVM to provide updates to the C32 devices that it is managing. It assumes some familiarity with both packages, and that you have a working instance of SVM installed.
Procedure
Configuring the SVM Client
The SVM client within C32 is configured via the SVM Client entry of the Services section of the System Configuration. This client is available in all devices, no matter the activated software group. As usual, the settings can be edited via the system web server or via the Crimson configuration tool, with the former being used for the examples in this document.
The Settings tab of the SVM Client.
For most installations, the settings shown above will be suitable for initial testing. The Client Mode setting should be set to Server 1 Only to indicate that only a single server is being used, and the IP address or hostname of the SVM server should be entered as the Primary Server. If you are using a hostname, be sure to that the name can be resolved, and in either case, make sure that the C32 device can send and receive packets from the server. These tests can be performed using the Name Lookup and ICMP Ping tools on the Diagnostics menu. The Device Name should be left at Automatic to use the device’s serial number, and the Check-in Period and Retry Delay should be set to 1 minute to allow easier testing during initial configuration. (Once the system is up and running, you may adjust these to more sensible values.) The Port Number, Connection Type and Send Interface can in most cases be left at the default values as shown above. If you are connecting via a modem, you should select that modem as the Send Interface, but LAN-based testing is recommended to begin with.
The TLS Options tab of the SVM Client
As noted, the recommended method for connecting to SVM is over TLS, in which case the TLS Options tab will offer further the settings shown above. By default, C32 will attempt to validate the SVM server’s certificate against its default list of Certification Authorities (CA). Unless your SVM server has been configured with a certificate issued by a well-known provider, it is unlikely that this will be suitable for your testing. You should thus set the CA Source to None initially to avoid any certificate checks. For production use, you may either obtain a commercial certificate for your server, or you may download its self-signed certificate and install that in your Trusted Certificates and refer to it on you SVM configuration, or reference it directly by selecting Specified Below for CA Source and uploading it within the configuration. Do not leave a production unit configured without certificate checking, or you will create a security risk!
Checking Client Connectivity
Once you have committed your configuration, you may check connectivity by visiting the Linux System Log on the Diagnostics menu and entering svm in the filter box. You should see several lines similar to those below…
The System Log upon a successful connection.
If you see a failed message, check the following…
- Confirm that you have everything configured correctly, and TLS certificate checking turned off.
- If you have used a hostname, check that it can be resolved by using the Name Lookup
- Use the ICMP Ping tool to check that your device can send and receive packets from the SVM Server.
- Use the Socket Test tool to ensure that your device can connect to port 18081 on the SVM Server.
- Use the Network Status tool with real time updates to check that connection attempts are occurring.
Authorizing Your Device
Log on to your SVM server and navigate to the Units tab…
A view of the Units tab in SVM with one C3.2 client registered.
Ensure that the blue button on the right-hand side of the view options is set to All per the example above. If it is left in its default state, only authorized devices will show up. (You may alternatively use a setting of Only Unauthorized to show only newly connected devices. This is useful when adding new devices an SVM server that already has many units registered.)
Click on the gear icon next to the serial number to display the following…
The Information tab of the Unit Details dialog box.
You should see up-to-date information about your device. Feel free to explore the other tabs to ensure that the information is accurate, and then select the Settings tab and check the box marked Authorized…
The Settings tab of the Unit Details dialog box.
Click on the right-hand Save button, and the device will now be registered on the server.
Performing Updates
SVM can be used to update C32-based devices with…
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- JSON files representing one of the Hardware, System, Personality or Device configuration elements;
- JSON files containing several of the above elements; or
- CI3 files containing the configuration and updated firmware and operation system images.
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Single-element JSON files can be obtained via the Export as JSON command within the Crimson configuration tool, by clicking on the download arrows within the appropriate editor within the system web server, or from the download options on the Configuration Utilities page. This page can also be used to download multiple items as a single JSON file, allowing them to be updated in one operation.
CI3 files can be obtained by using the Save Image option from within the Crimson configuration tool. If a CI3 file is applied to the unit, any changes to the device configuration elements that have been made manually via the system web server or by performing an SVM update of that element will be left in place, even if the CI3 file contains that element. This is important, as it means you can use SVM or the web server to apply a distinct personality to each device in your deployment, and then download a CI3 file that contains updates to the Crimson database and perhaps the firmware without the latter update overwriting the personality.
Updates are performed by first adding the file to SVM via the Files tab…
A view of the FIles tab in SVM with no files present.
Click on the Add File button, and add your file using settings similar to these…
The Add File dialog within SVM.
The File Title and File Description are arbitrary and may be set to any string. The File Type must be set to CFG, and the Platform button for CI3 must be checked. (This is true no matter what the actual file type: C32 will figure out what to do with the file by examining the contents once it is received.) Using the Browse button, select the required file on your PC and then press Add File to perform the upload.
Once the file has been added, a job may be created via the Jobs tab…
A view of the Jobs tab in SVM with no jobs present.
Clicking on the Add Job button will produce a screen allowing either a Unit Group to be selected, or Query Unit List operation to be performed. For now, click on the latter option. (If you want to use groups to organize your devices, refer to the SVM manager documentation.) You will be presented with a list of registered units so that you may select one or more targets. (Be careful, as it is very easy to select all of the units when you only want to target one of them!) Once you have made your selection, click Next and you will be presented with the job parameters, which you should configure similar to what is shown below…
The job configuration page within SVM.
The Job Name is again arbitrary. The Job Type must be set to Configuration, and once again the Platform button for CI3 must be checked. For the Job File, select the file that you uploaded previously. You may then click Finalize, followed by Submit Job. The job will now show as Pending on the Jobs screen…
A view of the Jobs tab in SVM with a job pending.
Once the test device checks in, the job status will change to ISSUED and the device will proceed to download and apply the update file. Checking the Linux System Log on the device (again using the svm filter) should show that the download is in progress via a downloading message. Once the file is downloaded, C32 will apply the changes. If this involves a firmware or operating system update, the device may reboot, or at least shutdown and restart Crimson. The buttons next to the device serial number on the Jobs tab may be used to reissue an already-processed job, or in the case of a pending job, force a check-in so that the job can be deployed immediately. This option will only work if the C32 device is able to accept incoming connections at the IP address that it advertised to SVM.
Disclaimer
It is the customer's responsibility to review the advice provided herein and its applicability to the system. Red Lion makes no representation about specific knowledge of the customer's system or the specific performance of the system. Red Lion is not responsible for any damage to equipment or connected systems. The use of this document is at your own risk. Red Lion standard product warranty applies.
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