Configuring Session Manager

This chapter contains the following sections:

About Session Manager

Session Manager allows you to implement your configuration changes in batch mode. Session Manager works in the following phases:

  • Configuration session—Creates a list of commands that you want to implement in session manager mode.

  • Validation—Provides a basic semantic check on your configuration. Cisco NX-OS returns an error if the semantic check fails on any part of the configuration.

  • Verification—Verifies the configuration as a whole, based on the existing hardware and software configuration and resources. Cisco NX-OS returns an error if the configuration does not pass this verification phase.

  • Commit— Cisco NX-OS verifies the complete configuration and implements the changes atomically to the device. If a failure occurs, Cisco NX-OS reverts to the original configuration.

  • Abort—Discards the configuration changes before implementation.

You can optionally end a configuration session without committing the changes. You can also save a configuration session.

Guidelines and Limitations for Session Manager

Session Manager has the following configuration guidelines and limitations:

  • Session Manager supports only the access control list (ACL) feature.

  • You can create up to 32 configuration sessions.

  • You can configure a maximum of 20,000 commands across all sessions.

Configuring Session Manager

Creating a Session

You can create up to 32 configuration sessions.

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. switch# configure session name
  2. (Optional) switch(config-s)# show configuration session [name]
  3. (Optional) switch(config-s)# save location

DETAILED STEPS

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

switch# configure session name

Creates a configuration session and enters session configuration mode. The name can be any alphanumeric string.

Displays the contents of the session.

Step 2

(Optional) switch(config-s)# show configuration session [name]

(Optional)

Displays the contents of the session.

Step 3

(Optional) switch(config-s)# save location

(Optional)

Saves the session to a file. The location can be in bootflash or volatile.

Configuring ACLs in a Session

You can configure ACLs within a configuration session.

SUMMARY STEPS

  1. switch# configure session name
  2. switch(config-s)# ip access-list name
  3. (Optional) switch(config-s-acl)# permit protocol source destination
  4. switch(config-s-acl)# interface interface-type number
  5. switch(config-s-if)# ip port access-group name in
  6. (Optional) switch# show configuration session [name]

DETAILED STEPS

  Command or Action Purpose

Step 1

switch# configure session name

Creates a configuration session and enters session configuration mode. The name can be any alphanumeric string.

Step 2

switch(config-s)# ip access-list name

Creates an ACL.

Step 3

(Optional) switch(config-s-acl)# permit protocol source destination

(Optional)

Adds a permit statement to the ACL.

Step 4

switch(config-s-acl)# interface interface-type number

Enters interface configuration mode.

Step 5

switch(config-s-if)# ip port access-group name in

Adds a port access group to the interface.

Step 6

(Optional) switch# show configuration session [name]

(Optional)

Displays the contents of the session.

Verifying a Session

To verify a session, use the following command in session mode:

Command

Purpose

switch(config-s)# verify [verbose]

Verifies the commands in the configuration session.

Committing a Session

To commit a session, use the following command in session mode:

Command

Purpose

switch(config-s)# commit [verbose]

Commits the commands in the configuration session.

Saving a Session

To save a session, use the following command in session mode:

Command

Purpose

switch(config-s)# save location

(Optional) Saves the session to a file. The location can be in bootflash or volatile.

Discarding a Session

To discard a session, use the following command in session mode:

Command

Purpose

switch(config-s)# abort

Discards the configuration session without applying the commands.

Configuration Example for Session Manager

The following example shows how to create a configuration session for ACLs: 

switch# configure session name test2

switch(config-s)# ip access-list acl2

switch(config-s-acl)# permit tcp any any

switch(config-s-acl)# exit

switch(config-s)# interface Ethernet 1/4

switch(config-s-ip)# ip port access-group acl2 in

switch(config-s-ip)# exit

switch(config-s)# verify

switch(config-s)# exit

switch# show configuration session test2

Verifying the Session Manager Configuration

To verify Session Manager configuration information, perform one of the following tasks:

Command

Purpose

show configuration session [name]

Displays the contents of the configuration session.

show configuration session status [name]

Displays the status of the configuration session.

show configuration session summary

Displays a summary of all the configuration sessions.