Provisioning VXLAN EVPN Fabric with IGP Underlay
Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller introduces an enhanced “Easy” fabric workflow for unified underlay and overlay provisioning of VXLAN EVPN configuration on Nexus 9000 and Nexus 3000 Series switches. The configuration of the fabric is achieved via a powerful, flexible, and customizable template-based framework. Using minimal user inputs, you can bring up the entire fabric with Cisco recommended best practice configurations, in a short period of time. The set of parameters exposed in the Fabric Settings allows you to tailor the fabric to their preferred underlay provisioning options.
For creating and deploying VXLAN EVPN fabrics, see VXLAN EVPN Fabrics Provisioning.
Creating VXLAN EVPN Fabric with IPv4 Underlay
To create a new VXLAN EVPN fabric, refer to Creating a VXLAN EVPN Fabric Using the Data Center VXLAN EVPN Template.
Creating VXLAN EVPN Fabric with IPv6 Underlay
Procedure
Step 1 |
Choose . |
Step 2 |
From the Actions drop-down list, choose Create Fabric. The Create Fabric window appears. Fabric Name – Enter the name of the fabric. Fabric Template – From the drop-down list, choose Data Center VXLAN EVPN. |
Step 3 |
The General Parameters tab is displayed by default. The fields in this tab are: BGP ASN – Enter the BGP AS number for the fabric. You can enter either the 2 byte BGP ASN or 4 byte BGP ASN. Enable IPv6 Underlay – Check the Enable IPv6 Underlay check box . Enable IPv6 Link-Local Address – Check the Enable IPv6 Link-Local Address check box to use the link local addresses in the fabric between leaf-spine and spine-border interfaces. If you check this check box, the Underlay Subnet IPv6 Mask field is not editable. By default, the Enable IPv6 Link-Local Address field is enabled. IPv6 underlay supports p2p networks only. Therefore, the Fabric Interface Numbering drop-down list is disabled. Underlay Subnet IPv6 Mask – Specify the subnet mask for the fabric interface IPv6 addresses. Underlay Routing Protocol – Specify the IGP used in the fabric, that is, OSPF or IS-IS for VXLANv6. |
Step 4 |
All the fields under the Replication tab are disabled. IPv6 underlay supports ingress replication mode only. |
Step 5 |
Click the VPC tab. vPC Peer Keep Alive option – Choose management or loopback. To use IP addresses assigned to the management port and the management VRF, choose management. To use IP addresses assigned to loopback interfaces and a non-management VRF, choose underlay routing loopback with IPv6 address for PKA. Both the options are supported for IPv6 underlay. |
Step 6 |
Click the Protocols tab. Underlay Anycast Loopback Id – Specify the underlay anycast loopback ID for IPv6 underlay. You cannot configure IPv6 address as secondary, an additional loopback interface is allocated on each vPC device. Its IPv6 address is used as the VIP. |
Step 7 |
Click the Resources tab. Manual Underlay IP Address Allocation: Check the check box to manually allocate underlay IP addresses. The dynamic underlay IP addresses fields are disabled. Underlay Routing Loopback IPv6 Range: Specify loopback IPv6 addresses for protocol peering. Underlay VTEP Loopback IPv6 Range: Specify loopback IPv6 addresses for VTEPs. Underlay Subnet IPv6 Range: Specify the IPv6 address range that is used for assigning IP addresses for numbered and peer link SVIs. To edit this field, uncheck Enable IPv6 Link-Local Address check box under the General Parameters tab. BGP Router ID Range for IPv6 Underlay: Specify the address range to assign BGP Router IDs. The IPv4 addressing is used for router with BGP and underlay routing protocols. |
Step 8 |
Click the Bootstrap tab. Enable Bootstrap: Check the Enable Bootstrap check box. If this check box is not chosen, none of the other fields on this tab are editable. Enable Local DHCP Server: Check the check box to initiate automatic assignment of IP addresses assignment through the local DHCP server. The DHCP Scope Start Address and DHCP Scope End Address fields are editable only after you check this check box. DHCP Version: Choose DHCPv4 from the drop-down list. |
Step 9 |
Click Save to complete the creation of the fabric. |
What to do next
Adding Switches
Switch can be added to a single fabric at any point in time. To add switches to a fabric and discover existing or new switches, refer to Adding Switches to a Fabric.
Assigning Switch Roles
To assign roles to switches on Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller refer to Assigning Switch Roles.
Creating vPC Setup
(Optional) Create a vPC setup for a pair of switches in the fabric. Ensure that the switches have the same roles and are connected to each other. For instructions, refer to vPC Fabric Peering.
Overlay Mode
You can create a VRF or network in CLI or config-profile mode at the fabric level. The overlay mode of member fabrics of an MSD fabric is set individually at the member-fabric level. Overlay mode can only be changed before deploying overlay configurations to the switches. After the overlay configuration is deployed, you cannot change the mode unless all the VRF and network attachments are removed.
Note |
If you upgrade from Cisco DCNM Release 11.5(x), the existing config-profile mode functions the same. |
If the switch has config-profile based overlays, you can import it in the config-profile overlay mode only. If you import it in the cli overlay mode, an error appears during brownfield import.
For brownfield import, if overlay is deployed as config-profile mode, it can be imported in config-profile mode only. However, if overlay is deployed as cli, it can be imported in either config-profile or cli modes.
To choose the overlay mode of VRFs or networks in a fabric, perform the following steps:
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Navigate to the Edit Fabric window.
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Go to the Advanced tab.
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From the Overlay Mode drop-down list, choose config-profile or cli.
The default mode is config-profile.
Creating VRF
UI Navigation
The following options are applicable only for switch fabrics, Easy fabrics, and MSD fabrics.
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Choose Fabric slide-in pane. Click the Launch icon. Choose .
. Click on a fabric to open the -
Choose
. Double-click on the fabric to open .
To create VRF from the Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller Web UI, perform the following steps:
Procedure
Step 1 |
On the VRFs tab, click . The Create VRF window appears. |
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Step 2 |
On Create VRF, enter the required details in the mandatory fields. The available fields vary based on the fabric type. The fields in this window are: VRF Name – Specifies a VRF name automatically or allows you to enter a name. The VRF name should not contain any white spaces or special characters except underscore (_), hyphen (-), and colon (:). For MSD Fabrics, the values for VRF or Network is same for the fabric. VRF ID – Specifies the ID for the VRF or allows you to enter an ID for the VRF. VLAN ID – Specifies the corresponding tenant VLAN ID for the network or allows you to enter an ID for the VLAN. If you want to propose a new VLAN for the network, click Propose VLAN. VRF Template – A default universal template is auto-populated. This is applicable for leaf switches only. VRF Extension Template – A default universal extension template is auto-populated. This allows you to extend this network to another fabric. The methods are VRF Lite, Multi Site, and so on. The template is applicable for border leaf switches and BGWs. |
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Step 3 |
The fields on the General tab are: VRF VLAN Name – Enter the VLAN name for the VRF. VRF Interface Description – Enter a description for the VRF interface. VRF Description – Enter a description for the VRF. |
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Step 4 |
Click the Advanced tab to optionally specify the advanced profile settings. The fields on this tab are auto-populated. The fields on the Advanced tab are: VRF Interface MTU – Specifies VRF interface MTU. Loopback Routing Tag – If a VLAN is associated with multiple subnets, then this tag is associated with the IP prefix of each subnet. Note that this routing tag is associated with overlay network creation also. Redistribute Direct Route Map – Specifies the redistribute direct route map name. Max BGP Paths – Specifies the maximum number of BGP paths. The valid value is between 1 and 64. Max iBGP Paths – Specifies the maximum number of iBGP paths. The valid value is between 1 and 64. Enable IPv6 link-local Option – Select the check box to enable the IPv6 link-local option under the VRF SVI. If this check box is unchecked, IPv6 forward is enabled. TRM Enable – Check the check box to enable TRM. If you enable TRM, and provide the RP address, you must enter the underlay multicast address in the Underlay Mcast Address. NO RP – Check the check box to disable RP fields. You must enable TRM to edit this check box. If you enable NO RP, then the RP External, RP address, RP loopback ID, and Overlay Mcast Groups are disabled. Is RP External – Check this check box if the RP is external to the fabric. If this check box is not checked, RP is distributed in every VTEP. RP Address – Specifies the IP address of the RP. RP Loopback ID – Specifies the loopback ID of the RP, if Is RP External is not enabled. Underlay Multicast Address – Specifies the multicast address associated with the VRF. The multicast address is used for transporting multicast traffic in the fabric underlay.
Overlay Multicast Groups – Specifies the multicast group subnet for the specified RP. The value is the group range in ip pim rp-address command. If the field is empty, 224.0.0.0/24 is used as default. Enable TRM BGW MSite – Check the check box to enable TRM on Border Gateway Multisite. Advertise Host Routes – Check this check box to control advertisement of /32 and /128 routes to Edge routers. Advertise Default Route – Check this check box to control advertisement of default route internally. To allow inter-subnet communication between end hosts in different VXLAN fabrics, where the subnets are present in both fabrics, you must disable the Advertise Default Route feature (clear the Advertise Default Route check box) for the associated VRF. This will result in /32 routes for hosts in both fabrics. For example, Host1 (VNI 30000, VRF 50001) in Fabric1 can send traffic to Host2 (VNI 30001, VRF 50001) in Fabric2 only if the host route is present in both fabrics. When a subnet is present in one fabric only then the default route is sufficient for inter-subnet communication. Config Static 0/0 Route – Check this check box to control configuration of static default route. BGP Neighbor Password – Specifies the VRF Lite BGP neighbor password. BGP Password Key Encryption Type – From the drop-down list, select the encryption type. Enable Netflow – Allows you to enable netflow monitoring on the VRF-Lite sub-interface. Note that this is supported only if netflow is enabled on the fabric. Netflow Monitor – Specifies the monitor for the VRF-lite netflow configuration. To enable netflow on a VRF-Lite sub-interface, you must enable netflow at VRF level and VRF extension level. Check the Enable_IFC_Netflow check box in the VRF attachment while you edit an extension to enable netflow monitoring. For more information, refer to Netflow Support. |
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Step 5 |
The fields on the Route Target tab are: Disable RT Auto-Generate – Check the check box to disable RT Auto-Generate for IPv4, IPv6 VPN/EVPN/MVPN. Import – Specifies comma separated list of VPN Route Target to import. Export – Specifies comma separated list of VPN Route Target to export. Import EVPN – Specifies comma separated list of EVPN Route Target to import. Export EVPN – Specifies comma separated list of EVPN Route Target to export. Import MVPN – Specifies comma separated list of MVPN Route Target to import. Export EVPN – Specifies comma separated list of MVPN Route Target to export.
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Step 6 |
Click Create to create the VRF or click Cancel to discard the VRF. A message appears indicating that the VRF is created. The new VRF appears on the VRFs horizontal tab. The status is NA as the VRF is created but not yet deployed. Now that the VRF is created, you can create and deploy networks on the devices in the fabric. |
VRF Attachments
UI Navigation
The following options are applicable only for switch fabrics, Easy fabrics, and MSD fabrics.
-
Choose Fabric slide-in pane. Click the Launch icon. Choose .
. Click on a fabric to open the -
Choose
. Double-click on a fabric to open .
Use this window to attach or detach attachments to or from a VRF, respectively. You can also import or export the attachments for a VRF.
Field |
Description |
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VRF Name |
Specifies the name of the VRF. |
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VRF ID |
Specifies the ID of the VRF. |
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VLAN ID |
Specifies the VLAN ID. |
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Switch |
Specifies the name of the switch. |
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Status |
Specifies the status of VRF attachments, for example, pending, NA, deployed, out-of-sync, and so on. |
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Attachment |
Specifies whether the VRF attachment is attached or detached. |
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Switch Role |
Specifies the switch role. For example, for the fabric created using the Campus VXLAN EVPN fabric template, the switch role is specified as either leaf, spine, or border. |
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Fabric Name |
Specifies the name of the fabric to which the VRF is attached or detached. |
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Loopback ID |
Specifies the loopback ID. |
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Loopback IPV4 Address |
Specifies the loopback IPv4 address. |
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Loopback IPV6 Address |
Specifies the loopback IPv6 address.
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Click the table header to sort the entries in alphabetical order of that parameter.
The following table describes the action items, in the Actions drop-down list, that appears on the VRF Attachments horizontal tab of the VRFs tab in the Fabric Overview window.
Action Item |
Description |
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History |
Allows you to view the deployment and policy change history of the selected VRF. You can view the deployment history details of a VRF attachment such as hostname, VRF name, commands, status, status description, user, and completed time on the Deployment History tab. You can view the policy change history details such as policy ID, template, description, PTI operation, generated configuration, entity name and type, created date, serial number, user, and source of the policy on the Policy Change History tab. To view the history of a VRF attachment, check the check box next to the VRF name and select History. The History window appears. Click the Deployment History or Policy Change History tabs as required. You can also click the Detailed History link in the Commands column of the Deployment History tab to view the command execution details (comprising configuration, status, and CLI response) for the host. |
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Edit |
Allows you to view or edit the VRF attachment parameters such as interfaces that you want to attach to the selected VRF. To edit the VRF attachment information, check the check box next to the VRF name that you want to edit. Select Edit. In the Edit VRF Attachment window, edit the required values, attach or detach the VRF attachment. Click the Edit link to edit the CLI freeform config for the switch, and click Save to apply the changes or click Cancel to discard the changes. The edited VRF attachment is shown in the table on the VRF Attachments horizontal tab of the VRFs tab in the Fabric Overview window. |
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Preview |
Allows you to preview the configuration of the VRF attachments for the selected VRF.
To preview the VRF, check the check box next to the VRF name and choose Preview from Actions drop-down list. The Preview Configuration window for the fabric appears. You can preview the VRF attachment details such as the VRF name, fabric name, switch name, serial number, IP address, and role, VRF status, pending configuration, and progress of the configuration. Click the lines link in the Pending Config column to view the lines for which the configuration is pending. Click Close. |
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Deploy |
Allows you to deploy the pending configuration of the VRF attachments, for example, interfaces, for the selected VRF.
To deploy a VRF, check the check box next to the VRF name and choose Deploy from Actions drop-down list. The Deploy Configuration window for the fabric appears. You can view the details such as the VRF name, fabric name, switch name, serial number, IP address, and role, VRF status, pending configuration, and progress of the configuration. Click the lines link in the Pending Config column to view the lines for which the configuration is pending. Click the Deploy button. The status and progress of the deployment is displayed in the VRF Status and Progress columns. After the deployment is completed successfully, close the window. |
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Import |
Allows you to import information about VRF attachments for the selected fabric. To import the VRF attachments information, choose Import. Browse the directory and select the .csv file that contains the VRF attachments information. Click Open and then click OK. The VRF information is imported and displayed in the VRF Attachments horizontal tab on the VRFs tab in the Fabric Overview window. |
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Export |
Allows you to export the information about VRF attachments to a .csv file. The exported file contains information pertaining to each VRF, including the fabric it belongs to, whether the LAN is attached, the associated VLAN, serial number, interfaces, and freeform configuration details that you saved for VRF attachments. To export VRF attachments information, choose the Export action. Select a location on your local system directory to store the VRF information and click Save. The VRF information file is exported to your local directory. The file name is appended with the date and time at which the file was exported. |
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Quick Attach |
Allows you to immediately attach an attachment to the selected VRF. You can select multiple entries and attach them to a VRF at the same instance. To quickly attach any attachment to a VRF, choose Quick Attach from Actions drop-down list. A message appears to inform that the attach action was successful. |
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Quick Detach |
Allows you to detach the selected VRF immediately from an attachment, for example, a fabric. You can select multiple entries and detach them from an attachment at the same instance. To attach any attachment to a VRF quickly, choose Quick Detach from Actions drop-down list. A message appears to inform that the detach action was successful. |
Creating Network for Standalone Fabrics
To create a network from the Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller Web UI, perform the following steps:
Before you begin
Before creating networks, ensure that you have created a VRF for the fabric. However, if you have chosen Layer 2 on the Create Network window, then you do not require a VRF. For more information, see VRFs.
Procedure
Step 1 |
On the Networks tab, click . The Create Network window appears. |
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Step 2 |
On Create Network, enter the required details in the mandatory fields. The available fields vary based on the fabric type.
The fields in this window are: Network ID and Network Name – Specifies the Layer 2 VNI and the name of the network. The network name should not contain any white spaces or special characters, except underscore (_) and hyphen (-). The corresponding Layer 3 VNI (or VRF VNI) is generated along with VRF creation. Layer 2 Only – Specifies whether the network is Layer 2 only. VRF Name – Allows you to select the Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF) from the drop-down list. If you want to create a new VRF, click Create VRF. The VRF name should not contain any white spaces or special characters except underscore (_), hyphen (-), and colon (:). VLAN ID – Specifies the corresponding tenant VLAN ID for the network. If you want to propose a new VLAN for the network, click Propose VLAN. Network Template – A default universal template is auto-populated. This is only applicable for leaf switches. Network Extension Template – A default universal extension template is auto-populated. This allows you to extend this network to another fabric. The methods are VRF Lite, Multi Site, and so on. The template is applicable for border leaf switches and BGWs. Generate Multicast IP – Click to generate a new multicast group address and override the default value. |
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Step 3 |
The fields on the General Parameters tab are:
IPv4 Gateway/NetMask: Specifies the IPv4 address with subnet. Specify the anycast gateway IP address for transporting the L3 traffic from a server belonging to MyNetwork_30000 and a server from another virtual network. The anycast gateway IP address is the same for MyNetwork_30000 on all switches of the fabric that have the presence of the network.
IPv6 Gateway/Prefix List – Specifies the IPv6 address with subnet. Vlan Name – Enter the VLAN name. Interface Description – Specifies the description for the interface. This interface is a switch virtual interface (SVI). MTU for L3 interface – Enter the MTU for Layer 3 interfaces range 68 - 9216. IPv4 Secondary GW1 – Enter the gateway IP address for the additional subnet. IPv4 Secondary GW2 – Enter the gateway IP address for the additional subnet. IPv4 Secondary GW3 – Enter the gateway IP address for the additional subnet. IPv4 Secondary GW4 – Enter the gateway IP address for the additional subnet. |
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Step 4 |
Click the Advanced tab to optionally specify the advanced profile settings. The fields on the Advanced tab are: ARP Suppression – Select the check box to enable the ARP Suppression function. Ingress Replication – The check box is selected if the replication mode is Ingress replication.
Multicast Group Address – The multicast IP address for the network is autopopulated. Multicast group address is a per fabric instance variable. The number of underlay multicast groups supported is 128. If all networks are deployed on all switches, you need not use a different multicast group per L2 VNI or a network. Therefore, multicast group for all networks in a fabric remains same.
DHCPv4 Server 3 – Enter the DHCP relay IP address of the next DHCP server. DHCPv4 Server3 VRF – Enter the DHCP server VRF ID. Loopback ID for DHCP Relay interface (Min:0, Max:1023) – Specifies the loopback ID for DHCP relay interface. Routing Tag – The routing tag is autopopulated. This tag is associated with each gateway IP address prefix. TRM enable – Check the check box to enable TRM. For more information, see Overview of Tenant Routed Multicast. L2 VNI Route-Target Both Enable – Check the check box to enable automatic importing and exporting of route targets for all L2 virtual networks. Enable Netflow – Enables netflow monitoring on the network. This is supported only if netflow is already enabled on fabric. Interface Vlan Netflow Monitor – Specifies the netflow monitor specified for Layer 3 record for the VLAN interface. This is applicable only if Is Layer 2 Record is not enabled in the Netflow Record for the fabric. Vlan Netflow Monitor – Specifies the monitor name defined in the fabric setting for Layer 3 Netflow Record. Enable L3 Gateway on Border – Check the check box to enable a Layer 3 gateway on the border switches. |
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Step 5 |
Click Create. A message appears indicating that the network is created. The new network appears on the Networks page that comes up. The Status is NA since the network is created but not yet deployed on the switches. Now that the network is created, you can create more networks if necessary and deploy the networks on the devices in the fabric. |
Network Attachments
UI Navigation
The following options are applicable only for switch fabrics, Easy fabrics, and MSD fabrics:
-
Choose Fabric slide-in pane. Click the Launch icon. Choose .
. Click on the fabric to open the -
Choose
. Double-click on the fabric to open .
Use this window to attach fabrics and interfaces to a network.
Field |
Description |
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Network Name |
Specifies the name of the network. |
Network ID |
Specifies the Layer 2 VNI of the network. |
VLAN ID |
Specifies the VLAN ID. |
Switch |
Specifies the name of the switch. |
Ports |
Specifies the ports for the interfaces. |
Status |
Specifies the status of the network attachments, for example, pending, NA, and so on. |
Attachment |
Specifies whether the network attachment is attached or detached. |
Switch Role |
Specifies the switch role. For example, for the fabric created using the Campus VXLAN EVPN fabric template, the switch role is specified as either leaf, spine, or border. |
Fabric Name |
Specifies the name of the fabric to which the network is attached or detached. |
The following table describes the action items, in the Actions drop-down list, that appears in the Network Attachments horizontal tab on the Networks tab in the Fabric Overview window.
Action Item |
Description |
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History |
Allows you to view the deployment and policy change history of the selected network. You can view the deployment history details of a network attachment such as hostname, network name, VRF name, commands, status, status description, user and completed time on the Deployment History tab. You can view the policy change history details such as policy ID, template, description, PTI operation, generated configuration, entity name and type, created date, serial number, user, and source of the policy on the Policy Change History tab. To view the history of a network attachment, select the check box next to the network name and choose the History action. The History window appears. Click the Deployment History or Policy Change History tabs as required. Click the Detailed History link in the Commands column of the Deployment History tab to view the command execution details (comprising configuration, status, and CLI response) for the host. |
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Edit |
Allows you to view or edit the network attachment parameters such as interfaces that you want to attach to the selected network. To edit the network attachment information, check the check box next to the network name that you want to edit and choose the Edit action. In the Edit Network Attachment window, edit the required values, attach or detach the network attachment, click the Edit link to edit the CLI freeform config for the switch, and click Save to apply the changes or click Cancel to discard the changes. The edited network attachment is shown in the table on the Network Attachments horizontal tab of the Networks tab in the Fabric Overview window. |
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Preview |
Allows you to preview the configuration of the network attachments for the selected network.
To preview the network, check the check box next to the network name and choose Preview from Actions drop-down list. The Preview Configuration window for the fabric appears. You can preview the network attachment details such as the network name, fabric name, switch name, serial number, IP address, and role, network status, pending configuration, and progress of the configuration. Click the lines link in the Pending Config column to view the lines for which the configuration is pending. Click Close. |
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Deploy |
Allows you to deploy the pending configuration of the network attachments, for example, interfaces, for the selected network.
To deploy a network, check the check box next to the network name and choose Deploy from Actions drop-down list. The Deploy Configuration window for the fabric appears. You can view the details such as the network name, fabric name, switch name, serial number, IP address, and role, network status, pending configuration, and progress of the configuration. Click the lines link in the Pending Config column to view the lines for which the configuration is pending. Click the Deploy button. The status and progress of the deployment is displayed in the Network Status and Progress columns. After the deployment is completed successfully, close the window. |
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Import |
Allows you to import information about network attachments for the selected fabric. To import the network attachments information, choose Import. Browse the directory and select the .csv file that contains the network attachments information. Click Open and then click OK. The network information is imported and displayed in the Network Attachments horizontal tab on the Networks tab in the Fabric Overview window. |
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Export |
Allows you to export the information about network attachments to a .csv file. The exported file contains information pertaining to each network, including the fabric it belongs to, whether the LAN is attached, the associated VLAN, serial number, interfaces, and freeform configuration details that you saved for network attachments. To export network attachments information, choose the Export action. Select a location on your local system directory to store the network information and click Save. The network information file is exported to your local directory. The file name is appended with the date and time at which the file was exported. |
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Quick Attach |
Allows you to immediately attach an attachment to the selected network. You can select multiple entries and attach them to a network at the same instance.
To quickly attach any attachment to a network, choose Quick Attach from Actions drop-down list. A message appears to inform that the attach action was successful. |
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Quick Detach |
Allows you to immediately detach the selected network from an attachment, for example, a fabric. You can select multiple entries and detach them from an attachment at the same instance. To quickly detach any attachment to a network, choose Quick Detach from Actions drop-down list. A message appears to inform that the detach action was successful. After quick detach, the switch status is not computed when there is no deploy. Post deploy, the configuration compliance calls at entity level (interface or overlay). |