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In the first part, I detailed how to get the CME basic and GUI files from your computer to your router. In this part of the series, I will detail how to enable the GUI as well as setting up authentication for the GUI interface.

Note: All commands should be issued in global configuration mode unless otherwise noted.

The first step is to enable the web (http) server on the router:

ip http server

Next, you need to tell the web server where to find the HTML files used by the GUI:

ip http path flash:

Finally, you need to tell the web server which form of authentication to use:

ip http authentication {aaa | enable | local | tacacs}

Below is a quick run down of the authentication methods.

• aaa – Use aaa login service.
• enable – Uses the enable password that is set on the router (This is the default authentication method).
• local – Uses a local username and password that is set on the router using the username command.
• tacacs – Uses a TACACS server.

Before you can access the CME GUI, you need to set an initial username and password for the administrator. The following commands will allow you to do this.

Enter telephony service configuration mode:

telephony-service

Set the GUI administrator username and password:

web admin system name username {password string | secret {0 | 5} string}

With the last command it is suggested that you use the secret 5 option, since it will encrypt the password using an MD5 hash.

Once you have completed all of these steps you should be able to access the CME GUI from a web broswer by navigating to http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/ccme.html (relace xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx with the IP address of your router). You will be prompted for a username and password, which should be the one you just set with the web admin command.

Note: I had some problems with the GUI when viewing it with Firefox (2.0.0.14). It’s suggested that you used Internet Explorer.

This only covers a very small portion of CME configuration. I suggest that you consult the Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express Administrator’s Guide. It is very detailed and worth the time spent reading though it.

Recently I came across a situation where I wanted to delete selected files from the Flash memory on my router. In order to delete the files, I issued the following command:

delete flash:/file.bin

After doing that I was surprised to see that the files were only marked for deletion in flash, which meant they were also still occupying the storage space I needed for other files. In order to permanently delete the files, the following command needs to be issued:

squeeze flash:

After trying to run the squeeze command, I received an error saying no squeeze logs could be found and the operation failed. After some research I discovered that you need to run squeeze on the flash memory while it is empty (I later found you can do this with just the IOS image in flash). Here is the process I followed.

1. Make sure you have a backup copy of the IOS image you want on the router.
2. Format flash (Do not reboot the router after this)

   erase flash

3. Reload the IOS image into flash.

   copy tftp://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/ios_image.bin flash:/

4. Run squeeze on flash

   squeeze flash:

After all of this is completed, you will be able to mark files for deletion using the delete command and then permanently delete them with the squeeze command.

Over the past few days I have been installing Callmanager Express (CME) and the CME GUI on my newly aquired 2610XM. One thing that frustrated me before now was the lack of documentation on how to get started with the CME installation. My hopes are that this will provide people with enough information to get started.

Right now, I have only done a very basic configuration of CME. I do not have any IP Phones connected or anything. There will be further posts that will cover more advanced configuration topics.

There are a few things that you need in order to run CME. They are as follows:

1. An IOS version that has CME support (Use the Cisco Feature Navigator to see if your IOS supports CME).
2. CME basic files. This is related to the IOS version you have. The Cisco download page will tell you which CME basic file you should download for your version of IOS.
3. CME GUI files

Before proceeding, consult the CIsco CME Matrix. You can look at the version of CME you wish to run and the IOS version you wish to run it on. The matrix will tell you if it is possible to run that version of CME with the version of IOS you have. If you click on the specifications link for each version you will find the the minimum required DRAM and Flash needed to run CME.

The first step is to upgrade your IOS, if you need to. After that, you are ready to start uploading the CME files to Flash. This can be a bit tedious since there are so many files. After some suggestions from a member on Networking-Forums, I have found a process that saves you a bit of time.

1. Extract both the CME basic and CME GUI archives into a single folder on your computer.
2. Repackage the extracted files (except .tar files) into a new tar file (7-Zip is free and can create tar files in Windows). It is very important not to package other .tar files in this new archive, since tar files need to be individually uploaded and extracted on the router.
3. Use the following command to upload and extract each tar files you need (I usually start with the tar file I just created):

   archive tar /xtract tftp://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/file.tar flash:/

You should repeat the last step for each tar file you need. Some files you may not need, such as those for phones you will not be using, or one for the ACD feature.

That should be the basics of getting the needed files onto your router. In the second part I will detail how to enable the GUI interface and setup authentication for the interface.

Today I decided to run though some labs, since the weather was crappy. The two router labs went well, but the three router labs started to give me some trouble.

I started getting the following message:

*Mar  1 00:16:35.203: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0, changed state to down

Which a few seconds later would be followed by this message:

*Mar  1 00:16:35.203: %LINEPROTO-5-UPDOWN: Line protocol on Interface Serial0, changed state to up

I went through everything I could think of, and even cleared each routers config file multiple times. Baffled, and a bit frustrated, I walked away for a bit. When I came back, it dawned on me that I never checked the cables I was using (I had swamped them, but I did not check them).

Sure enough, a few pins pins on the serial cables that connected to my third 2513 router were bent. I examined the serial ports on that router and discovered that there were pins jammed in the connector. I can honestly say this was not caused by me, since I only have one set of Serial cables, and all of the pins on those were intact (but bent at this point).

So my problems are solved, for now. I will attempt to remove the pins form the router, but if that fails it may get replaced with another 2500 or more likely a 2600XM router.

My 2511 terminal server arrived today. Configuring it for each of my devices was surprisingly easy. All you have to do is issue an ip host command for each device you have connected. For example:

ip host 2513-01 2001 172.21.1.1

The “2513-01″ is the host name of the router. The “2001″ tells the terminal server what RJ-45 connector is attached to the devices console port. In this case, the device is attached to connector one. If it was attached to connector 11 the port number would be 2011, and so on. Each device will have the same IP address associated with it. This IP address is associated with a looback interface using the following commands:

interface Loopback1
    ip address 172.21.1.1 255.0.0.0

That is a simple rundown of what you need to get a terminal server setup. Below is a link to a the Cisco page that I used to learn how to setup the server. That page will go into more detail as to the parameters that are used.

Configuring a Terminal/Comm Server

Studying for any sort of Cisco certification can get expensive very quickly, particularly when you factor in the cost of piecing together your own lab. One problem I have personally run into, is how to squeeze some lab work in while I’m away from home (at work or otherwise traveling). Having my entire lab powered up for eight hours or more, just so I could possibly run a lab exercise for 45 minutes at work did not seem efficient to me.

Recently, I have been playing with Dynamips, which is an emulator that allows you to run real Cisco IOS images. Experience with Linux made me feel right at home with the configuration and operation of the virtual Cisco devices in Dynamips. However, getting the hang of the configuration and inter-workings, could be confusing for some (including myself at points).

While browsing the Dynagen web site this morning, I came across a program called GNS3. This is a GUI interface that simplifies the use of Dynamips. Since it is a GUI, it allows you to see the topology of the network you are creating, which I find helpful.

The emulator in general is very handy when experimenting with certain things without purchasing additional hardware. I know many CCIE’s find Dynamips useful, since they have access to all of the downloads from Cisco. In addition, Dynamips can be bonded to a physical interface, allowing you to connect it to a physical lab or an outside network.

Below are links to the software I have talked about. Keep in mind, all of this software is free.

• Dynagen – Text-based front end for Dynamips router emulator
• GNS3 – GUI front end of Dynamips

Here is a song from someone at RIPE 55. I thought it was a great piece!

The Day the Routers Died

After finishing my first CCNA book, I felt there was something missing from my self-study experience. The book had a few exercises in each chapter, but the exercises tended to revolve around the virtual lab simulator included with the book. What bothered me the most was the the exercises were, just that, exercises.

I have nothing against exercises, it’s just that I wanted a more in-depth experience. While exercises focused only on the topic in the chapter, I was looking more for a book of labs that built on the topics covered in each previous lab.

After looking around, I came to the conclusion that the Cisco Networking Academy Lab Companion books were the best choice. There are two books based around the Cisco Networking Academy courses. The CCNA 1 and 2 Lab Companion starts with the very basics, including cabling (which is something that is valuable if you are unfamiliar with cabling topics). The CCNA 3 and 4 Lab companion goes into more depth, including advanced configuration of CIsco routers and switches.

If you are looking for some labs to go along with your CCNA study, take a look at these books.

CCNA 1 and 2 Lab Companion

CCNA 3 and 4 Lab Companion

With the arrival of the 3524 switch, I ran into the first situation where I had to reset the password on a switch. I have performed this process in the past on routers, but even the CCNA book I have did not cover the process on switches. The process is quite different when compared to the password recovery procedure on a router.

Cisco calls this process password recovery, as opposed to a password reset. The goal is to maintain the current configuration on the device, in this case a switch, while allowing you to reset the PrivilegeEXEC and Telnet passwords to something you can remember. In my case, I skipped the last few steps in the Cisco process since I was not concerned with saving the configuration on the switch.

This is a good page to bookmark, since you will likely encounter a situation where you purchase a used switch that will have a password set by someone else.

Cisco Switch Password Recovery

In the early stages of building my lab, I saw no need for a terminal server. In the recent days, switching console cables between two or more devices has become more of a hassle. Even with two USB to DB9 adapters and many more console cables, the time spent swapping cables adds up and sometimes distracts me from the actual lab.

A terminal server is a device that uses a breakout cable of sorts to connect to the console ports of many other devices. What you then do is use one console cable to connect to the terminal server, and initiate Telnet sessions to the other connected devices. In the world of Cisco labs, this terminal server is often a 2511 or 2509 router. These router models have asynchronous interfaces (the 2511 has two), each of which can usually support a terminal connection to eight devices with the proper cable.

Here is a quick list of the hardware that would be required:

• Terminal Server: Cisco Router (2511 or 2509)
• Octal cables
• Console cable and USB to DB9 adapter to console into the router

There are a few things to note. The 2511 and 2509 routers are not your only options. You can use a 2800 series router with the proper network module, however this will cost you considerably more. In addition, the 2511 has two asynchronous ports allowing you to connect up to 16 devices (using two octal cables). If you have more then eight devices, or you plan to expand you lab, the 2511 might be the router for you.

Prices for this stuff will vary. If you’re shopping on E-bay it seems your best bet is to try and scout out a package deal that comes with the router as well as the octal cable(s). Around $200 seems to be the running price for everything. If you are patient, you can find a better deal.

Once I get my terminal server and configure it, I will create a how-to document on configuring one for a lab setting. For now, this following Cisco article will provide the basics.

Configuring a Terminal/Comm Server