Why vManage Fails to Install Security App Container on a Device?

Introduction

This document describes a problem with Security app container installation when Security policy is used in a Device Template and how to solve it.

Problem

User can't attach Device Template with a Security policy that required Security app container to be installed with this error on a vManage:

Failed to install 1/1 Security App container (app-hosting-UTD-Snort-Feature-aarch64_be-1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10). Failed to enabled iox: null
05 Apr 2019 11:46:09 AM IST
[5-Apr-2019 6:16:09 UTC] Total number of Security App containers to be installed: 1. Security App containers to be installed are following: [app-hosting-UTD-Snort-Feature-aarch64_be-1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10]
[5-Apr-2019 6:16:09 UTC] Started 1/1 Security app container (app-hosting-UTD-Snort-Feature-aarch64_be-1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10) installation
[5-Apr-2019 6:16:10 UTC] Checking if iox is enabled on device
[5-Apr-2019 6:16:18 UTC] Failed to install 1/1 Security App container (app-hosting-UTD-Snort-Feature-aarch64_be-1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10). 
Failed to enabled iox: null

From the /var/log/nms/vmanage-server.log on a vManage controller this error can be seen:

05-Apr-2019 08:41:54,488 UTC ERROR [vManage] [AppHostingTemplateProcessor] (device-action-lxc_install-10) |default| Error while enabling iox on device-C1111X-8P-FGL230513Y0-1.1.1.1: rpc-reply error: <rpc-reply xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:netconf:base:1.0" xmlns:nc="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:netconf:base:1.0" message-id="5">
  <rpc-error>
    <error-type>application</error-type>
    <error-tag>invalid-value</error-tag>
    <error-severity>error</error-severity>
    <error-message unknown:lang="en">inconsistent value: Device refused one or more commands</error-message>
    <error-info>
      <severity xmlns=" http://cisco.com/yang/cisco-ia">error_cli</severity>;
      <detail xmlns=" http://cisco.com/yang/cisco-ia">;
        <bad-cli>
          <bad-command>iox</bad-command>
          <error-location>1</error-location>
          <parser-response/>        </bad-cli>
      </detail>
    </error-info>
  </rpc-error>
</rpc-reply>

	at com.tailf.jnc.NetconfSession.recv_rpc_reply_ok(Unknown Source) [JNC-1.2.jar:]
	at com.tailf.jnc.NetconfSession.recv_rpc_reply_ok(Unknown Source) [JNC-1.2.jar:]
	at com.tailf.jnc.NetconfSession.commit(Unknown Source) [JNC-1.2.jar:]
	at com.viptela.vmanage.server.device.common.NetConfClient.commitAndUnlock(NetConfClient.java:458) [classes:]
	at com.viptela.vmanage.server.deviceaction.processor.config.AppHostingTemplateProcessor.checkAndEnableIox(AppHostingTemplateProcessor.java:358) [classes:]
	at com.viptela.vmanage.server.deviceaction.processor.config.AppHostingTemplateProcessor.preTemplatePushCheck(AppHostingTemplateProcessor.java:173) [classes:]
	at com.viptela.vmanage.server.deviceaction.processor.service.lxc.LxcInstallActionProcessor$LxcInstallActionWorker.startMaintenanceDeviceActions(LxcInstallActionProcessor.java:340) [classes:]
	at com.viptela.vmanage.server.deviceaction.DefaultActionWorker.startDeviceAction(DefaultActionWorker.java:82) [classes:]
	at com.viptela.vmanage.server.deviceaction.AbstractActionWorker.call(AbstractActionWorker.java:117) [classes:]
	at com.viptela.vmanage.server.deviceaction.AbstractActionWorker.call(AbstractActionWorker.java:35) [classes:]
	at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:266) [rt.jar:1.8.0_162]
	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor.runWorker(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:1149) [rt.jar:1.8.0_162]
	at java.util.concurrent.ThreadPoolExecutor$Worker.run(ThreadPoolExecutor.java:624) [rt.jar:1.8.0_162]
	at java.lang.Thread.run(Thread.java:748) [rt.jar:1.8.0_162]

05-Apr-2019 08:41:54,496 UTC ERROR [vManage] [LxcInstallActionProcessor] (device-action-lxc_install-10) |default| On device C1111X-8P-FGL230513Y0-1.1.1.1, Failed to install 1/1 Security App container (app-hosting-UTD-Snort-Feature-aarch64_be-1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10). 
Failed to enabled iox: null
05-Apr-2019 08:41:54,524 UTC INFO  [vManage] [DeviceActionStatusDAO] (device-action-lxc_install-10) |default| End task lxc_install 
05-Apr-2019 08:41:54,533 UTC INFO  [vManage] [DeviceActionStatusDAO] (device-action-lxc_install-10) |default| Publish client event: ACTIVITY
05-Apr-2019 08:41:54,533 UTC INFO  [vManage] [DeviceActionStatusDAO] (device-action-lxc_install-10) |default| Publish client event: DEVICE_ACTION

As can be seen above, some not very informative message "Failed to enabled iox: null" is seen in both outputs that sometimes means that amount of memory is not enough for selected Security App Hosting profile that was attached to the device.

Solution

Since memory issues because of Security App Hosting profile were suspected, it is checked and then it is discovered that the default profile is used.

In contrast to the high profile that is known to cause troubles when the device has not enough memory. 

As a next step, memory consumption was checked on the device itself and it was discovered that C1111X router with 8Gb of RAM has only about 1Gb of free memory (please note Free):

cEdge10#show memory platform
  Virtual memory   : 11512180736
  Pages resident   : 730200
  Major page faults: 2501
  Minor page faults: 114581800

  Architecture     : aarch64_be
  Memory (kB)
    Physical       : 3758804
    Total          : 3758804
    Used           : 2620884
    Free           : 1137920
    Active         : 2191472
    Inactive       : 807536
    Inact-dirty    : 0
    Inact-clean    : 0
    Dirty          : 0
    AnonPages      : 1473636
    Bounce         : 0
    Cached         : 1212660
    Commit Limit   : 1813864
    Committed As   : 3224504
    High Total     : 0
    High Free      : 0
    Low Total      : 3758804
    Low Free       : 1137920
    Mapped         : 416524
    NFS Unstable   : 0
    Page Tables    : 17160
    Slab           : 170624
    Writeback      : 0

  Swap (kB)
    Total          : 0
    Used           : 0
    Free           : 0
    Cached         : 0

  Buffers (kB)     : 312844

  Load Average
    1-Min          : 0.60
    5-Min          : 0.66
    15-Min         : 0.86

At the same time from show version output it was confirmed that the device has 8Gb of RAM (note physical memory):

cisco C1111X-8P (1RU) processor with 1453914K/6147K bytes of memory.
Processor board ID FGL230513Y0
1 Virtual Ethernet interface
10 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces
32768K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.
8388608K bytes of physical memory.
6336511K bytes of flash memory at bootflash:.

Lack of memory is the reason why Security App container can't be installed, so ROMmon version is checked because minimum ROMmon requirement exists for IOS-XE SD-WAN supported platforms. This version is found on the device:

cEdge10#show platform | b Firmware
Slot      CPLD Version        Firmware Version                        
--------- ------------------- --------------------------------------- 
0         17100501            16.8(1r)                            
R0        17100501            16.8(1r)                            
F0        17100501            16.8(1r)   

As you run 16.10.2 software and according to release notes minimum required ROMmon version is 16.9(1r), so ROMmon was upgraded and free memory is checked again:

cEdge10#sh memory platform
  Virtual memory   : 11516805120
  Pages resident   : 708276
  Major page faults: 2303
  Minor page faults: 1705306

  Architecture     : aarch64_be
  Memory (kB)
    Physical       : 8143440
    Total          : 8143440
    Used           : 2571908
    Free           : 5571532
    Active         : 2213868
    Inactive       : 1128140
    Inact-dirty    : 0
    Inact-clean    : 0
    Dirty          : 8
    AnonPages      : 1410328
    Bounce         : 0
    Cached         : 1619664
    Commit Limit   : 4006184
    Committed As   : 3136948
    High Total     : 0
    High Free      : 0
    Low Total      : 8143440
    Low Free       : 5571532
    Mapped         : 397692
    NFS Unstable   : 0
    Page Tables    : 17216
    Slab           : 158776
    Writeback      : 0

From the output above please note Free and Physical memory (more than 5Gb and 8Gb correspondingly).

After this Security App container installation was triggered again as the device template is detached and attached again and the messages about successful installation are seen:

%IOSXE-5-PLATFORM: R0/0: VCONFD_NOTIFIER: Install status: cc761b3b-cb3b-4070-81de-9b842fd68b27 download-start. Message Downloading http://10.10.10.100:8080/software/package/lxc/app-hosting_UTD-Snort-Feature-x86_64_1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10_secapp-ucmk9.16.10.2.1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10.x86_64.tar?deviceId=10.10.10.10
%Cisco-SDWAN-cEdge10-action_notifier-6-INFO-1400002: R0/0: VCONFD_NOTIFIER: Notification: 4/5/2019 09:54:4 system-software-install-status severity-level:minor host-name:cEdge10 system-ip:10.10.10.10 status:download-start install-id:cc761b3b-cb3b-4070-81de-9b842fd68b27 message:Downloading http://10.10.10.100:8080/software/package/lxc/app-hosting_UTD-Snort-Feature-x86_64_1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10_secapp-ucmk9.16.10.2.1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10.x86_64.tar?deviceId=10.10.10.10
%IOSXE-5-PLATFORM: R0/0: VCONFD_NOTIFIER: Install status: cc761b3b-cb3b-4070-81de-9b842fd68b27 download-complete. Message Downloaded app image to /bootflash/.UTD_IMAGES/app-hosting_UTD-Snort-Feature-x86_64_1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10_secapp-ucmk9.16.10.2.1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10.x86_64.tar
%Cisco-SDWAN-cEdge10-action_notifier-6-INFO-1400002: R0/0: VCONFD_NOTIFIER: Notification: 4/5/2019 09:54:5 system-software-install-status severity-level:minor host-name:cEdge10 system-ip:10.10.10.10 status:download-complete install-id:cc761b3b-cb3b-4070-81de-9b842fd68b27 message:Downloaded app image to /bootflash/.UTD_IMAGES/app-hosting_UTD-Snort-Feature-x86_64_1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10_secapp-ucmk9.16.10.2.1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10.x86_64.tar
%IOSXE-5-PLATFORM: R0/0: VCONFD_NOTIFIER: Install status: 9fd36cd6-f601-4fac-a5b0-1a36f06ba18a verification-complete. Message NOOP
%Cisco-SDWAN-cEdge10-action_notifier-6-INFO-1400002: R0/0: VCONFD_NOTIFIER: Notification: 4/5/2019 9:54:5 system-software-install-status severity-level:minor host-name:cEdge10 system-ip:10.10.10.10 status:verification-complete install-id:cc761b3b-cb3b-4070-81de-9b842fd68b27 message:NOOP
%VMAN-5-PACKAGE_SIGNING_LEVEL_ON_INSTALL: R0/0: vman: Package 'iox-utd_1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10.tar' for service container 'utd' is 'Cisco signed', signing level cached on original install is 'Cisco signed'
%VIRT_SERVICE-5-INSTALL_STATE: Successfully installed virtual service utd
%IOSXE-5-PLATFORM: R0/0: VCONFD_NOTIFIER: Install status: cc761b3b-cb3b-4070-81de-9b842fd68b27 install-start. Message Success, App state: DEPLOYED
%Cisco-SDWAN-cEdge10-action_notifier-6-INFO-1400002: R0/0: VCONFD_NOTIFIER: Notification: 4/5/2019 09:54:5 system-software-install-status severity-level:minor host-name:ISR-4331 system-ip:10.10.10.10 status:install-start install-id:cc761b3b-cb3b-4070-81de-9b842fd68b27 message:Success, App state: DEPLOYED

And here can be seen how successful installation looks from vManage side:

[6-Apr-2019 12:38:13 CEST] Total number of Security App containers to be installed: 1. Security App containers to be installed are following: [app-hosting-UTD-Snort-Feature-x86_64-1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10]
[6-Apr-2019 12:38:13 CEST] Started 1/1 Security app container (app-hosting-UTD-Snort-Feature-x86_64-1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10) installation
[6-Apr-2019 12:38:14 CEST] Checking if iox is enabled on device
[6-Apr-2019 12:38:17 CEST] Waiting for iox to be enabled on device
[6-Apr-2019 12:40:05 CEST] iox enable
[6-Apr-2019 12:40:05 CEST] Iox enabled on device
[6-Apr-2019 12:40:11 CEST] Security App container image: app-hosting_UTD-Snort-Feature-x86_64_1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10_secapp-ucmk9.16.10.2.1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10.x86_64.tar
[6-Apr-2019 12:40:19 CEST] Connection Instance: 0, Color: biz-internet
[6-Apr-2019 12:40:19 CEST] Downloading http://10.10.10.100:8080/software/package/lxc/app-hosting_UTD-Snort-Feature-x86_64_1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10_secapp-ucmk9.16.10.2.1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10.x86_64.tar?deviceId=10.10.10.10
[6-Apr-2019 12:56:45 CEST] Downloaded app image to /bootflash/.UTD_IMAGES/app-hosting_UTD-Snort-Feature-x86_64_1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10_secapp-ucmk9.16.10.2.1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10.x86_64.tar
[6-Apr-2019 12:56:48 CEST] 
[6-Apr-2019 12:57:19 CEST] Success, App state: DEPLOYED
[6-Apr-2019 12:57:27 CEST] utd installed successfully
Current state is deployed

[6-Apr-2019 12:57:27 CEST] app-hosting-UTD-Snort-Feature-x86_64 installed in DEPLOYED state
[6-Apr-2019 12:57:27 CEST] Finished 1/1 Security app container (app-hosting-UTD-Snort-Feature-x86_64-1.0.8_SV2.9.11.1_XE16.10) installation

References

• https://sdwan-docs.cisco.com/Product_Documentation/vManage_Help/Release_18.4/Security/Configuring_SD-WAN_Security/Configuring_the_Security_Virtual_Image_for_IPS%2F%2FIDS_and_URL_Filtering
• https://sdwan-docs.cisco.com/Product_Documentation/Software_Features/Release_18.4/Release_Notes/Release_Notes_for_IOS_XE_SD-WAN_Release_16.10_and_SD-WAN_Release_18.4#ROMmon_Requirements_Matrix