Sessions

This chapter has details of the sessions created on the Cisco Nexus Dashboard Data Broker.

Beginning with Release 3.10.1, Cisco Nexus Data Broker (NDB) has been renamed to Cisco Nexus Dashboard Data Broker. However, some instances of NDB are present in this document, to correspond with the GUI, and installation folder structure. References of NDB/ Nexus Data Broker/ Nexus Dashboard Data Broker can be used interchangeably.


Note

All references of DNA/ DNAC in this chapter/ guide denote Cisco DNA/ Cisco DNAC.

Span Sessions

The Span Sessions tab displays details of the span sessions of the Nexus Dashboard Data Broker controller.

A span session is the link between the span destination of span devices, and the input port of an NDB device. A span session is partially outside the Nexus Dashboard Data Broker network, and defines the path of the packets from the span destination to the monitoring tool port.

A table is displayed with the following details:

Table 1. Span Sessions

Column Name

Description

Status

The status of a SPAN session depends on the operational status of the session in the device/ controller and the status of the connection attached to it. Click the displayed status icon to view the details of the session and connection. The factors impacting session status are—span destination, source (production switch/ controller), input port, monitoring tool port, ISL links(if any).

The available statuses are:

  • Green—session is successful

  • Yellow—session is partially successful

  • Red—session has failed

  • Gray—session has not been installed

Span Session

Span session name.

This field is a hyperlink. Click the SPAN session name and a new pane is displayed on the right. The following additional actions can be performed here:

IP Address

IP address of the span session source (span device).

Span Sources

The number of source ports for the span session.

Note

 

In case of VLAN, the source ports are EPGs on the ACI device.

Span Destination

The number of span destination(s) for the session.

Note

 

Only ACI devices can have multiple SPAN destinations If there are more than one span destination, then, internal sessions are created. These internal sessions are created based on the availability of source ports.

Nexus devices support only one span destination per session.

Connection

Name(s) of connection(s) associated to the span session.

Created By

User who created the span session.

Last Modified By

User who last modified the span session.

The following actions can be performed from the Span Sessions tab:

  • Add Span Session—Use this action to add a span session, see Adding a Span Session.

  • Synchronize Span Session / Destination—Use this action to synchronize the information on the production switch (Nexus / Catalyst) or controller (Cisco APIC/ Cisco DNAC) with the Nexus Dashboard Data Broker controller. In case the span session information is deleted /removed on the switch or controller, this action synchronizes span destination configuration and span session configuration on the switch or controller with the configuration on the Nexus Dashboard Data Broker controller.

  • Toggle Install —Use this action to install/ uninstall a span session. You can install a span session on the switch (Nexus / Catalyst) / controller or uninstall a span session without removing it from the Nexus Dashboard Data Broker controller. The SPAN session is uninstalled from the switch/ controller, but remains saved on the Nexus Dashboard Data Broker controller for future use.

  • Delete Span Session(s)—Select the span session to be deleted by checking the check box which is available at the beginning of the row and then click Actions > Delete Span Session(s). The selected span session is deleted. If you choose the delete action without selecting a check box, an error is displayed. You will be prompted to select a span session.

Adding a Span Session

Use this procedure to add a span session.


Note

You can add a maximum of 4 active span sessions for a Nexus switch.

You can add a maximum of 8 active span sessions for a Catalyst switch.

Before you begin

Add a controller / production switch before setting up a span session.

Procedure

Step 1

Navigate to Sessions > Span Sessions.

Step 2

From the Actions drop-down list, select Add Span Session.

Step 3

In the Add Span Session dialog box, enter the following details:

Table 2. Add Span Session

Field

Description

Span Session Name

Enter a name for the span session.

Span Sources

Select a Span Source.

Select Production Switch or Controller.

Each of these have a unique set of fields, which are discussed in the subsequent rows.

Span Source: Controller

Controller

Click Select Controller, and choose either Cisco ACI or Cisco DNAC.

For creating a span source for Nexus devices that are part of the ACI network, select Cisco ACI. For creating a span source for catalyst switches, select Cisco DNAC.

Leaf Ports

(Only for ACI Controller)

Select Leaf Ports to add a leaf port to capture the traffic from multiple leaf ports.

Click Select Leaf Ports. In the Select Leaf Port(s) window that is displayed, select a Pod. The devices in the selected pod are displayed. Select a Device and Port(s) of the device.

EPG/ AAEP

(Only for ACI Controller)

Select EPG/ AAEP to add an EPG/ AAEP source.

Click Select EPG/ AAEP. In the Select EPG/ AAEP window that is displayed, select a Tenant, Profile , EPG and EPG Members. The displayed EPG members are- Dynamic, Static, AAEP. When you select, Dynamic or Static, the member details are displayed on the right. When you select AAEP as an EPG Member, in the Select AAEP column, select an AAEP.

Note

 

EPG interfaces work only when all the ports are within the same leaf switch.

If an EPG is spread across multiple switches, select the corresponding SPAN destination on all the leaf switches.

Interface

(Only for Cisco DNAC)

Click Select Interface and select a Catalyst switch and interface.

VLAN

(Only for Cisco DNAC)

Enter a VLAN id.

Span Source: Production Switch

Interface

Click Select Interface(s) . and select a Device and Port(s).

The selected device and port(s) are used in the session.

VLAN

Click Select Production Switch and select a device. Enter a VLAN ID.

The device matching the VLAN ID is used in the session.

Direction

Indicates traffic for the session source port of the device.

Select from one of these options:

  • Incoming

  • Outgoing

  • Both

SPAN Destination

Click Select SPAN Destination and select the span destination port. The fields displayed are based on your earlier Span Sources selection.

Note

 

The Span Destination port was earlier created using Adding an Input Port procedure.

If directly connected to the NDB device, select a local span destination, else select remote span destination. Remote span destination is applicable only for Nexus switches.

To install ACI SPAN session, Nexus Dashboard Data Broker controller lists the SPAN destination(s) created in ACI.

To install Nexus SPAN session, Nexus Dashboard Data Broker controller lists the SPAN destination(s) created for the Nexus devices.

To install a Catalyst SPAN session, Nexus Dashboard Data Broker controller lists the SPAN destination(s) created for the Catalyst switch.

Apply Connection

Select a connection for the session.

You can associate an existing connection to the span session or create a new connection for the span session.

Note

 

All span destinations which are part of a session should be a part of a connection too, to direct traffic to the monitoring tool.

Click the button to enable addition of a connection to the span session. Click Select Connection and select a connection from the Select Connectionwindow.

Note

 

For EPG:

  • For EPG selection, if an EPG is selected, by default, the Nexus Dashboard Data Broker controller listens for the changes in the statically or dynamically configured interfaces of the selected EPG. If there is any change, it is applied to the SPAN session. The web socket connection is not secured with the certificates. To disable the event listening,add enableWebSocketHandle=false in the config.ini file under ndb/configuration folder.

  • When new EPG members are added in APIC, if there is no SPAN destination on the leaf switch that matches the newly added EPG member as part of the configured SPAN session, Nexus Dashboard Data Broker ignores this event and the new EPG member are not shown in Nexus Dashboard Data Broker.

Note

 

For SPAN Destination:

Ensure that each leaf switch in the SPAN source has at least one corresponsing SPAN destination.

Step 4

Click Add Span Session to add the created span session, without installing it on the production switch or controller. Click Install Span Session to save and install the created span session on the production switch or controller.

Editing or Cloning a Span Session

Use this procedure to edit or clone a span session.

Editing a span session means changing some of the parameters of an exisiting span session.

Cloning a span session means creating a new span session with identical parameters of an exisiting span session, with required modifications. Ensure to change the name of the span session before saving it.

Before you begin

Add one or more span sessions.

Procedure

Step 1

Navigate to Sessions > Span Sessions.

Step 2

In the displayed table, click a Session.

A new pane is displayed on the right.

Step 3

Click Actions and select Edit Span Session or Clone Span Session.

Edit the displayed parameters in the table.

Table 3. Edit Span Session

Field

Description

Span Session Name

Span session name is displayed.

This field can not be edited.

Span Sources

The earlier selected span source is indicated. The span source can not be changed.

Span Source: Controller

Controller

Click Select Controller, and choose either (Cisco) ACI or (Cisco) DNAC.

For creating a span source for Nexus devices that are part of the ACI network, select (Cisco) ACI. For creating a span source for catalyst switches, select (Cisco) DNAC.

Leaf Ports

(Only for ACI Controller)

Select Leaf Ports to add a leaf port to capture the traffic from multiple leaf ports.

Click Select Leaf Ports. In the Select Leaf Port(s) window that is displayed, select a Pod. The devices in the selected pod are displayed. Select a Device and Port(s) of the device.

EPG/ AAEP

(Only for ACI Controller)

Select EPG/ AAEP to add an EPG/ AAEP source.

Click Select EPG/ AAEP. In the Select EPG/ AAEP window that is displayed, select a Tenant, Profile , EPG and EPG Members. The displayed EPG members are- Dynamic, Static, AAEP. When you select, Dynamic or Static, the member details are displayed on the right. When you select AAEP as an EPG Member, in the Select AAEP column, select an AAEP.

Note

 

EPG interfaces work only when all the ports are within the same leaf switch.

If an EPG is spread across multiple switches, select the corresponding SPAN destination on all the leaf switches.

Interface

(Only for Cisco DNAC)

Click Select Interface and select a Catalyst switch and interface.

VLAN

(Only for Cisco DNAC)

Enter a VLAN id.

Span Source: Production Switch

Interface

The interfaces selected earlier while adding a span session are displayed. You can add or delete these interfaces.

Click Select Interface(s) . and select a Device and Port(s).

The selected device and port(s) are used in the session.

VLAN

Click Select Production Switch and select a device. Enter a VLAN ID.

The device matching the VLAN ID is used in the session.

Direction

Indicates traffic for the session source port of the device.

Select from one of these options:

  • Incoming

  • Outgoing

  • Both

SPAN Destination

Click Select SPAN Destination and select the span destination port. The fields displayed are based on your earlier Span Sources selection.

Note

 

The Span Destination port was earlier created using Adding an Input Port procedure.

If directly connected to the NDB device, select a local span destination, else select remote span destination. Remote span destination is applicable only for Nexus switches.

To install ACI SPAN session, Nexus Dashboard Data Broker controller lists the SPAN destination(s) created in ACI.

To install Nexus SPAN session, Nexus Dashboard Data Broker controller lists the SPAN destination(s) created for the NX-OS devices.

To install a Catalyst SPAN session, Nexus Dashboard Data Broker controller lists the SPAN destination(s) created for the Catalyst switch.

Apply Connection

Select a connection for the session.

You can associate an existing connection to the span session or create a new connection for the span session.

Note

 

All span destinations which are part of a session should be a part of a connection too, to direct traffic to the monitoring tool.

Click the button to enable addition of a connection to the span session. Click Select Connection and select a connection from the Select Connectionwindow.

Step 4

Click Edit Span Session or Clone Span Session.