Configuring a NetMRI Appliance for IPv6

Users can manage NetMRI on an IPv6 network. The NetMRI Management port has its own factory default link-local IPv6 address that is unique on its connected subnet. The default IPv6 address derives from the Ethernet MAC address of the NetMRI Management port.

NetMRI operates equally well in IPv4 and IPv6 networks, and reports and manages all devices running dual-stack IPv4 and IPv6 protocols.

You must use a Windows 7 system or better to configure NetMRI to run on an IPv6 network, because Windows 7 natively supports IPv6.

To configure a new NetMRI appliance to be managed through IPv6, perform the following:

1. Reboot Windows 7, ensure that it is enabled for IPv6 networking, and connect it to the management (MGMT) port of the NetMRI appliance, using a standard Ethernet cable.
   
   
2. On the Windows 7 system, open a command line window and run ipconfig.
   Check the listing in the Local Area Connection section of the ipconfig listing, and make a note of the interface number associated with the PC's IPv6 Link Local address. The value will have an fe80: Prefix and end with a %* designator, such as fe80:505:ac3b:49b7:dc38%15. The value 15 in this example is the interface number.
   
   
3. In a Windows command line, run the following command: netsh interface ipv6 show neighbor
   
   
4. Find the Interface *: Local Area Connection section (the *** corresponds to the interface number for your PC system's IPv6 address). No entry should be present in this category for any address starting with the fe80: prefix.
   
   
5. In the Windows PC's command line, run a multicast IPv6 ping to all nodes on the subnet where the Management port is running. This executes a multicast IPv6 ping to the NetMRI management port connected to the PC.
   
   In the Windows command prompt, run the following command: ping -6 -n 5 ff02::1
   
   Allow the command to complete whether or not responses occur.
   
   
6. In the Windows PC's command line, run the following command a second time:
   netsh interface ipv6 show neighbor

   The NetMRI Management port IPv6 link-local address should now appear in the neighbor table under the Interface xx: Local Area Connection section, similar to the following:
   fe80::230:48ff:febc:97da            00-30-48-bc-97-da    Reachable
   This is the link-local address of the NetMRI appliance's management port.
   
   
7. Open an SSH client session to the NetMRI CLI at the IPv6 address shown in Step 6 along with the interface number. Log in with the factory default username/password admin/admin.
   Next, you assign a globally routable static IPv6 address on the management port.
   
   
8. In the NetMRI CLI, enter the command: configure server


9. Step through the command sequence, and enter a new IPv6 address for the management interface in the IPv6 Address (optional) field when it is requested. The address should begin with 2001: Prefix and conform to the IPv6 prefix for the network. Also enter the Primary DNS Server Address, the default gateway, and the Primary DNS Domain. See the following example:
   IPv4 Address (optional) [172.23.27.40]:
IPv4 Subnet Mask (optional) [255.255.255.0]:
IPv6 Address (optional): 2001:db8:a2:2c0:ee22::40
IPv6 Prefix (optional): 64
IPv4 Default Gateway (optional) []:
IPv6 Default Gateway (optional) []:2001:db8:a2:2c0:ee22::1
IPv4 Default Gateway (optional) []:
IPv6 Default Gateway (optional) []:
Primary DNS Server [172.23.27.236]: 2001:db8:a2:2c0::236
Primary DNS Domain [qanet.com]: customer.com
   
   
10. Save the new settings.
11. Shut down the NetMRI unit and physically install it in the global network. The unit is now reachable on its global static IPv6 address for further CLI configuration and UI access.