Performing Post-Installation Tasks

Accessing Cisco APIC-EM Using a Web Browser

Cisco APIC-EM supports a web interface using the following HTTPS-enabled browsers:

  • Google Chrome—version 56.0 or later

  • Mozilla Firefox—version 51.0 or later

Administrator Lockout Following Failed Login Attempts

If you enter an incorrect password for your specified administrator user ID eight times, the Cisco APIC-EM user interface “locks you out” of the system.

See the Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Enterprise Module Troubleshooting Guide for information about recovering from an administrator lockout.

Logging In to the Cisco APIC-EM GUI

After you have installed Cisco APIC-EM, you can log into its web-based interface. You must use only supported HTTPS-enabled browsers.

    Step 1   After the Cisco APIC-EM appliance reboot has completed, launch your browser.
    Step 2   Enter the host IP address to access the Cisco APIC-EM GUI.

    You can use the displayed IP address of the Cisco APIC-EM GUI at the end of the configuration process.

    Step 3   After entering the IP address in the browser, a message stating that "Your connection is not private" appears.

    Ignore the message and click the Advanced link.

    Step 4   After clicking the Advanced link, a message stating that the site’s security certificate is not trusted appears.

    Ignore the message and click the link.

    Note   

    This message appears because the controller uses a self-signed certificate. You will have the option to upload a trusted certificate using the controller GUI after installation completes.

    Step 5   In the Login window, enter the administrator username and password that you configured above and click the Log In button.

    Logging Out of the Cisco APIC-EM GUI

    To log out of the Cisco APIC-EM web-based interface, click Log Out on the Cisco APIC-EM main window toolbar. This ends your administrative session and logs you out.


    Note

    For security reasons, we recommend that you log out when you complete your administrative session. If you do not log out, the Cisco APIC-EM GUI interface logs you out after 30 minutes of inactivity.

    Installing Certificates

    See the Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Enterprise Module Administrator's Guide for information about installing certificates on the controller.

    Updating the Cisco APIC-EM Configuration Using the Wizard

    If you need to reconfigure your Cisco APIC-EM configuration, you must use the configuration wizard to do so. You cannot use the Linux CLI. Perform the steps in this procedure to change the Cisco APIC-EM configuration wizard settings, including the external network settings, NTP server address, and/or password for the Linux grapevine user. The external network settings that could be changed include:

    • Host IP address

    • Virtual IP address

    • DNS server

    • Default gateway

    • Static routes


    Note

    In order to change the external network settings, NTP server address, and/or the Linux grapevine user password in a multi-host deployment, you need to first break up the multi-host cluster. Therefore, when performing this procedure controller downtime occurs. For this reason, we recommend that you perform this procedure during a maintenance time period.

      Step 1   Using a Secure Shell (SSH) client, log into one of the hosts in your cluster.

      Log in using the IP address that you specified using the configuration wizard.

      Note   

      The IP address to enter for the SSH client is the IP address that you configured for the network adapter. This IP address connects the appliance to the external network.

      Step 2   When prompted, enter your Linux username ('grapevine') and password for SSH access.
      Step 3   Enter the following command to access the configuration wizard. 
      $ config_wizard
      Step 4   Review the Welcome to the APIC-EM Configuration Wizard! screen and choose the option to remove the host from the cluster:

      • Remove this host from its APIC-EM cluster

      Step 5   A message appears with the following options:

      • [cancel]—Exit the configuration wizard.

      • [proceed]—Begin the process to remove this host from its cluster.

      Choose proceed>> to begin. After choosing proceed>>, the configuration wizard begins to remove this host from its cluster.

      At the end of this process, this host is removed from the cluster.

      Step 6   Repeat the above steps (steps 1-5) on a second host in the cluster.
      Note   

      You must repeat the above steps on each host in your cluster, until you only have a single host remaining. You must make your configuration changes on this final remaining host.

      Step 7   Using a Secure Shell (SSH) client, log into that final host in your cluster and run the configuration wizard. 
      $ config_wizard

      After logging into the host, begin the configuration process.

      Step 8   Make any necessary changes to the configuration values for the external network settings, NTP server address, and/or password for the Linux grapevine user using the wizard.

      After making your configuration change(s), continue through the configuration process to the final message.

      Step 9   At the end of the configuration process, a final message appears stating that the wizard is now ready to proceed with applying the configuration.

      The following options are available:

      • [back]—Review and verify your configuration settings.

      • [cancel]—Discard your configuration settings and exit the configuration wizard.

      • [save & exit]—Save your configuration settings and exit the configuration wizard.

      • [proceed]—Save your configuration settings and begin applying them.

      Enter proceed>> to complete the installation. After entering proceed>>, the configuration wizard applies the configuration values that you entered above.

      Note   

      At the end of the configuration process, a CONFIGURATION SUCCEEDED! message appears.

      Step 10   Log into the other hosts in your multi-host cluster and use the configuration wizard to recreate the cluster.

      Refer to the procedure in this guide for information about this process: Configuring Cisco APIC-EM as a Multi-Host Cluster Using the Wizard.