Automating Device Support Request Data Collection

A wide variety of devices exist in enterprise networks. NetMRI offers the ability to create a complete and detailed Device Support Request package for network devices, or device OS versions, that are not directly supported by NetMRI.

You may have devices in your managed network that are part of NetMRI's list of officially supported devices. NetMRI provides a simplified tool for creating a comprehensive Device Support Request for dispatching to Infoblox to develop a full Device Support Bundle for unsupported devices.

To begin building a Device Support Request, the only absolutely required piece of information is the device's IP address.

For more detailed device support, NetMRI offers the ability to enter a series of command-line strings based on the operating system of the device in question, during the creation of the new Device Support Request. The only requirement is that NetMRI must be able to reach the device on the network and be given a correct administrative login account to allow for successful command-line data entry.

This feature, called CLI Capture, leverages NetMRI's CLI command capturing, configuration collection, and built-in SSH client features to allow a detailed breakdown of the most obscure and unusual devices and their command systems. All you need is a successful SSH or Telnet connection, and the admin login tuples (including Enable passwords) required to establish a working command-line session. Knowledge of the command line for the device in question is also necessary.
If a device is reachable, the device support request process uses both SNMP and CLI data collection features in tandem.

The information comprising an automated support bundle includes the following:

• Device IP Address
• Device Vendor and Device Model
• Operating System Version
• Device Type (as reported by NetMRI)
• Discovery Diagnostics
• CLI Session Logs
• Discovery Logs
• Vendor documents including vendor SNMP MIB files, administrator guides or other device-related information. These latter files must be in an accessible format such as an Acrobat PDF file.
• Customer Contact Information

You can choose to edit out any sensitive login strings from the package that is sent to Infoblox for development purposes.

To execute the process of device support collection, do the following:

1. Go to Tools icon >Device > Device Support Request.
2. Click New at the top of the table. Click Next to proceed to the first data input step.

3. Enter the IP address in the Device IP field, and press Enter on your keyboard. This value is required to initiate the gathering of device information.
   After entering the IP address, the Description fields may update with previously discovered information from the device, including the Vendor Name, Model, OS Version, the Device Type and the configured Capabilities for the device.
   If no data exists in NetMRI for the device, you will need to enter the values for the Description fields. Because you are building a Device Support Request, it is likely that you will need to do so.
   Also, make sure to choose the correct Capabilities for the device.
   A device may support more than one Capability, or a given device may be known as a specific Device Type but be configured for a different Capability. Press the CTRL key and click to select multiple capabilities for the given device.

4. Define the Access values for the device, which determine the protocols to be used for CLI and SNMP access:

   1. Preferred SNMP: Choose the recommended SNMP protocol for device access: SNMPv1, SNMPv2 or SNMPv3. Based on the chosen protocol, enter the following:

      • Community String: Enter the read community string for the SNMPv1 or SNMPv2 device;

      • (If you select SNMPv3 only): Enter the admin user account name and the authentication and privacy password/protocol tuples for the SNMPv3-compliant device. Note that some devices may use only the authentication or privacy settings, but not both.

   2. Preferred CLI: Choose SSH, Telnet, or Other. After you enter the login information and click Next to go to the next step, NetMRI tests the specified connection to the device to ensure reachability. Also note that if CLI is a data collection method, you may need to enter a sequence of command-line functions from the operating system of the device.

      • SSH: Add the admin User Name and Password.

      • Telnet: Add the admin User Name and Password.

      • Other: Choose this value if you expect to use SNMP as the primary means of device access. CLI access through SSH or Telnet will not be attempted if you choose this option.
        If you do not select Other, you enter the device's CLI admin credentials in the terminal screen.

   3. Methods to Support Infoblox Testing: Infoblox Support requires access to your device, using your chosen method, to verify the new device support information. Choose from the following:

      • VPN to Device.

      • Access Through NetMRI.

      • Loan of Device.

      • Other (requires a directive by the user to make arrangements for the testing).

   4. Contact Info: Enter customer contact information, the preferred method of contact, and contact details.

      • Preferred Contact: Specify the preferred method of contact. Select E-mail to contact the customer through email message or select Phone to contact the customer by phone.

      • Customer Name: Enter the customer name.

      • Contact Name: Enter the name of the contact person.

      • Email Address: Enter the email address. This field is displayed if you select E-mail as the preferred method of contact. You can enter up to 50 characters.

      • Phone Number: Enter the phone number. This field is displayed if you select Phone as the preferred method of contact. You can enter up to 50 characters.
        The customer name will be included in the file name that is downloaded to the local machine or when it is uploaded to external servers through FTP and other methods.

5. Click Next. If you are using SNMP, you will receive a message as follows:
   SNMP data for the device will be collected in background and this process may take time. This message also indicates the establishment of successful SNMP communication. CLI reachability is not tested. Click OK to proceed.

6. In Step 3 of the tool, CLI Capture, the page divides into two panes: a scrolling list of configuration tasks on the left that you perform for the device in question; and a terminal window on the right pane showing the SSH or Telnet interactive session to the device.

   • The list in the left pane provides a list of key tasks to perform a full configuration capture of important command-line processes in the device. This list of tasks changes according to the device type, and to the capabilities chosen by the user.
     The first task, Configure Device to send Syslogs to NetMRI, is automatically selected. For many devices, some descriptions may not be relevant.
     Most, such as Display Device's IPv4 ARP information or Display Device's IPv4 Route information, are relatively straightforward. All commands are mandatory except for the ones that you explicitly skip by clicking Not Applicable and choosing from the following options:

     • Device does not support this function;

     • Current configuration does not support this function;

     • I'm not permitted to do this function;

     • Other.
       NetMRI collects the responses to each command as you enter them.

   • Log in to the device using the terminal window on the right pane. Enter each configuration command in the sequence listed on the left. After each command and its displayed results (assuming the results are satisfactory), click the Done button. A green checkmark appears by the selected command and the Wizard selects the next list item.

   • If a command is not relevant for the device type or is not available, click Not Applicable to go to the next one, and enter that command in turn. Continue until you have finished entering all the commands that you will send in the Device Support Request package.
     You can return to any listed command function to correct an error.

7. Click Next. Doing so compiles the command sequences into an encrypted data file. (This does not apply if you are using only SNMP.) In Step 4 of the tool, the Document Attachments phase, you upload any documents that may be available for the device in question. Clicking the Add sign allows loading for the following:

   • Device Admin Guide: Vendor documentation for the network device.

   • Vendor MIBs: typically a text-format file that contains the complete listings of the vendor-defined SNMP Object IDs and other information required to interact with the device using an SNMP-compliant management system (such as, of course, Infoblox NetMRI).

   • Device Change Syslog: Upload a text or word processing file listing a series of Syslog messages that appear when interacting with the device.

   • Screenshot: Any screen capture graphics that may prove useful in support development.

   • SNMP Logs: A text or word processing document listing the series of SNMP logs that appear when the device is probed by NetMRI through the SNMP protocol.

8. Click Next. The tool offers a chance to remove any sensitive account data (accounts and passwords, community strings) from the sent Support Request. Any credentials that you previously provided for the initial testing and device interaction can be removed in this step.

   • Click Show Strings to verify the contents of the values you enter.

   • Click Add to add and enter more strings to the list that you want excluded from the Device Support Request.

9. Click Next. Step 6 of the tool provides a list of the items provided for the Device Support Request: Device Information, Document Attachments, CLI Command Capture, Change Detection Syslog, Discovery Test, and SNMP Data Capture. Some items may show a status of Complete or Missing. Click on the Document Attachments or CLI Command Capture links to return to their respective tool pages.
   If necessary, click the links in Step 6 to perform any of the following:

   • Rerun SNMP Walk: Execute another SNMP probe to the device using the credentials you supplied, to perform data collection.

   • Rerun Discovery: Execute the NetMRI discovery process on the device to perform data collection.

   • Refresh Status: Refresh the contents of the Step 6 tool page to verify if a particular task completes.

10. Click Next. Step 7 of the tool requires the definition of the means of Device Support request delivery to Infoblox:

    • Secure Transfer to Infoblox: Chooses automatic secure file transfer to Infoblox Support. The Infoblox Support FTP server must be reachable by NetMRI. You can test connectivity and settings in the NetMRI command line.

    • Email: Chooses automatic email attachment to Infoblox Support, with the option to enter other email addresses.

    • Download to Local Machine: Save locally to allow the user to manually send the package file.

11. Click Next and click Finish. After a moment, the Device Support Request table reappears, displaying the status Finalizing Request. The Request entry will eventually refresh to show Complete status. If you choose Automatic Secure Transfer to Infoblox or Email, the bundle request file is sent to Infoblox Support. Otherwise, the Wizard saves the bundle request file to your hard drive.
    You can click the Action icon for any Request entry, and choose Edit or Delete.