Selective Interface Traffic Collection
The default traffic collection method collects all interfaces on the router. This method may result in collecting unwanted or junk interfaces from the router which gets added into the traffic database and performance management web reports. These extra interfaces may have no significance or use to network operators. The Selective Interface Traffic Collection method allows you to specify exactly which interfaces to collect or not to collect.
Input Files
To use the selective interface traffic collection method, you
need to define the interfaces to collect or not to collect. The interfaces
to collect traffic data are defined in three text files interface.attributes,
interface.rules, and interface.user in /u/wandl/db/config directory. By default these three text files are initially empty.
Example format and syntax for each file is found in files interface.attributes.template,
interface.rules.template, and interface.user.template respectively.
You may use any combination of these three file. When more than one file is used, the priority of the interfaces definitions from highest to lowest goes user > rules > attributes. Example, you have attribute definition collecting all physical interfaces which returns fe-0/1, ge-0/2, and you have user definition not collecting any fe interface, then the interface collected will only be ge-0/2 because user definition has highest priority.
Some of the fields in the input files support regular expression, see each file description. The links below are references for using regular expression syntax.
- http://www.regular-expressions.info/reference.html
- http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/1400241x%28v=vs.85%29.aspx
Interface.attributes
The file interface.attributes is a list of attributes in the network model. The file format is attribute property, collection option. The attribute property is determined by the simulation engine and should not be edited. The collection option takes parameters Y, N, or ACTIVE. Y means collect, N means do not collect, and ACTIVE means collect if both operational status and admin status are up when the selective interface process queries the routers.
Default settings in the interface.attributes.template file:
FIXLINK,Y PHYSICAL,Y LOGICAL,N PhysicalWithSubInterface,N BACKBONE,Y BGP,N VLAN,N VPN,N CISCOTUNNEL,Y
- FIXLINK is a special IP/MPLSView file that allows you to specify nodes, links, and interfaces that cannot be auto discovered from the Task Manager. All interfaces in fixlink.x file.
- PHYSICAL are physical interfaces. All interfaces in intfmap.x file without dot or colon extension in the name.
- LOGICAL are logical interfaces. All interfaces in intfmap.x file with dot or colon extension in the name.
- PhysicalWithSubInterface will include the physical interface if any of it's logical interface is collected. Example, if logical interface ge-0/1.1 is collected, then also collect physical interface ge-0/1.
- BACKBONE are interfaces used in the backbone. All interfaces in bblink.x file that are not type ASLINK.
- BGP are interfaces configured for BGP. All interfaces in bblink.x file that are type ASLINK.
- VLAN are interfaces configured for VLAN. All interfaces in intfmap.x file with intf_type vlan.
- VPN are interfaces configured for VPN. All interfaces in intfmap.x file with VPN-List entry.
- CISCOTUNNEL are cisco interfaces configured with tunnels. All cisco interfaces in intfmap.x file beginning with keyword Tunnel.
Interface.rules
The file interface.rules allows you to define interfaces by hardware vendor to collect or not to collect traffic data. The file format is collection option, vendor, OS, hardware type, interface name, comment. All the fields except the collection option supports regular expression.
- collection option takes parameter add, remove, or active. add means collect, remove means do not collect, and active means collect if both operational status and admin status are up when the selective interface process queries the routers.
- vendor is the hardware vendor such as Cisco and Juniper.
- OS is the operating system name such as IOS and JunOS. This field is optional.
- hardware type is the hardware type such as Cisco 3640 and Juniper J320. This field is optional.
- interface name is the interface name used in the ifDesc field from the ifTable.
- comment is the comment field from the intfmap.x file.
This field is optional.
Sample interface.rules definition below will not collect any interface name starting with lsi from Juniper J2320 routers.
remove,Juniper,JunOS,J2320,^lsi.*
Interface.user
The file interface.user allows you to define interfaces by node to collect or not to collect traffic data. The file format is collection option, node name, interface name. All the fields except the collection option supports regular expression.
- collection option takes parameter add, remove, or active. add means collect, remove means do not collect, and active means collect if both operational status and admin status are up when the selective interface process queries the routers.
- node name is the node name listed in the .diag profile
in
/u/wandl/data/.TaskManager/tmpdirectory. The .diag profile differs from the Router profile in that the routers listed in .diag are confirmed routers that are reachable by SNMP. - interface name is the interface name used in the ifDesc
field from the ifTable.
Sample interface.user definition below will collect any interface name starting with Ethernet on any router containing name 3640, and will not collect any interface name starting with lsi from router J1.
add,^.*3640.*,^Ethernet.* remove,J1,^lsi.*
Output Files
After setting the interface definitions by editing the input
files, the selective interface manager will generate files for interface
index monitoring, and files for the traffic data collector to identify
which interfaces to collect traffic data. These files are under /u/wandl/data/selectiveInterface/fromAPP and should
not be edited. These files will also automatically be copied to the
traffic data collector server under DCINSTALLROOT/selectiveInterface/fromApp, where DCINSTALLROOT is the install directory of the traffic data
collector.
Ifindexfile
The file ifindexfile contains a list of nodes and interface
indexes for the traffic data collector to collect traffic data. This
file will intelligently update when there are changes to the network
model, changes to the interface definition files, or interface index
changes on the router potentially caused by the router rebooting.
To manually rebuild this file, use command /u/wandl/bin/selectiveIntfList.sh
Ifindexfile.withIfDesc
The file ifindexfile.withIfDesc contains a list of nodes, interface indexes, and the interface description.
Ifindexfile.withIfDescAllIntfsLR.csv
The file ifindexfile.withIfDescAllIntfsLR.csv provides a mapping of logical routers to physical device and is used by the event server and event browser.
Node.ifinfo
The file node.ifinfo contains a list of interface indexes and interface name per node. This file is used for interface index monitoring.
Distributed Traffic Data Collector Server
If the traffic data collector package is installed in a distributed environment, then automatic ssh login and Rsync packages are required to be configured and installed on both the application server and traffic data collector server. The ssh login between the application and traffic data collector server should be configured for wandl user (not root user). See the Getting Started Guide for IP/MPLSView, Installing Replication and Rsync chapter.
 | Note:
Verify that traceroute is installed or present on the
IP/MPLSView application server. If traceroute is not present on the
application server, one of the scripts ( |
- During installation of the traffic data collector package,
you will be prompted to configure traffic data collectors for selective
interface. Enter Y to configure or you can configure at a later time
by using the
/u/wandl/dcollect/bin/configureSelectiveIntf.shcommand. - The installation will prompt for the location of the data
directory on the application server which by default is
/u/wandl/data - The installation will prompt for the IP address of the application server. Be sure to change the IP address when installing in a distributed environment.
Configuration
Configuration of the traffic data collector to use the selective
interface traffic collection method can be done during the data collect
package installation or by using /u/wandl/dcollect/bin/configureSelectiveIntf.sh command. The configuration will prompt for the location of the data
directory on the application server which by default is /u/wandl/data.
The default polling interval for the selective interface manager to detect changes in the network model, interface definition files, and router interface indexes is set to 900 seconds (15 minutes). This setting can be changed in /u/wandl/db/config/selectiveintf.xml by editing the value in <POLLAPPTASK_FREQUENCY_SECS>. Typically this value should not be changed.
Start Selective Interface Method
The following steps describes the process to start using the selective interface traffic collection method. All steps should be done as wandl user:
- On the application server, create interface definitions by editing the input files.
- Optional step, to be executed on the application server,
to manually build ifindexfile using the following command. Otherwise,
the ifindexfile will automatically build within 15 minutes on default
settings.
/u/wandl/bin/selectiveIntfList.sh - Configure the traffic data collector server(s) (could
be on the application server or dedicated data collector server) to
use selective interface using the command:
/u/wandl/dcollect/bin/configureSelectiveIntf.sh on - On the application server, start the selective interface
manager using the command:
/u/wandl/bin/.selectiveintf start - On the application server, verify the ifindexfile is generated
using the command:
cat /u/wandl/data/selectiveInterface/fromAPP/ifindexfile - On the server(s) on which data collector(s) would be running,
start the traffic data collector instance using the command:
/u/wandl/dcollect/dc.sh start #where
#is an integer. - Open the IP/MPLSView client and go to Performance > Traffic Collection Manager.
- Add New RouterGroup, assign routers, assign a traffic data collector instance, and press Play button to start collection.
- After a few collection cycles, open Web > Performance Management > Router Total Traffic Report to verify the selected interfaces and traffic data are collected.
Stop Selective Interface Method
The following steps describe the process to stop using the selective interface traffic collection method:
- Stop all traffic data collectors using the following command
on server(s) where data collector(s) is/are running:
/u/wandl/dcollect/dc.sh stop all - Configure the traffic data collector to not use selective
interface using the following command on the data collector(s):
/u/wandl/dcollect/bin/configureSelectiveIntf.sh off - Stop the selective interface manager using the following
command on the application server:
/u/wandl/bin/.selectiveintf stop - Delete the output files on the traffic data collector
server(s) using the command:
rm -r /u/wandl/dcollect/selectiveInterface/fromAPP/
Commands and Paths
Selective Interface Server
- Directory:
/u/wandl/bin - Program: .selectiveintf
- Start server command:
/u/wandl/bin/.selectiveintf start - Stop server command:
/u/wandl/bin/.selectiveintf stop - Configuration file:
/u/wandl/db/config/selectiveintf.xml
| Note:
Check the status of the server using command |
Input Files
- Directory:
/u/wandl/db/config - Files: interface.attributes, interface.rules, interface.user
- Syntax examples: interface.attributes.template, interface.rules.template, interface.user.template
| Note:
Input files are actually a symbolic link to the data directory |
Output Files
- Directory:
/u/wandl/data/selectiveInterface/fromAPP - Files: ifindexfile
- Automatic index build: default 15 minute interval polling for monitoring changes to network, input files, or router interface index
- Manual index build command:
/u/wandl/bin/selectiveIntfList.sh
| Note:
The ifindexfile will be copied automatically to the traffic
data collector server |
Traffic Data Collector
- directory:
/u/wandl/dcollect - program: dc.sh
- start instance command:
/u/wandl/dcollect/dc.sh start # - stop instance command:
/u/wandl/dcollect/dc.sh stop all - check status command:
/u/wandl/dcollect/dc.sh status - configuration file:
/u/wandl/dcollect/dccconfig_wandl_#.xml
| Note: In a distributed environment, automatic ssh login must be setup for wandl user between the application and traffic data collector server. |
Traffic Data Collector Configuration
- directory:
/u/wandl/dcollect/bin - program: configureSelectiveIntf.sh
- enable selective interface command:
/u/wandl/dcollect/bin/configureSelectiveIntf.sh on - disable selective interface command:
/u/wandl/dcollect/bin/configureSelectiveIntf.sh off - test connectivity to application server command:
/u/wandl/dcollect/bin/configureSelectiveIntf.sh check
| Note: The traffic data collector instance must be restarted for configuration changes to take effect. |
