Bring-up the Router

After installing the hardware, boot the router. Connect to the XR console port and power on the router. The router completes the boot process using the pre-installed operating system (OS) image. If no image is available within the router, the router can be booted using PXE boot or an external bootable USB drive.

After booting is complete, create the root username and password, and then use it to log on to the XR console and get the router prompt. The first user created in XR console is synchronized to the System Admin console. From the XR console, access the System Admin console to configure system administration settings.

In a large-scale environment, to provision routers remotely without any manually intervention, we recommend you to use Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) mechanism. ZTP offers the following implementation choices worth considering in advance:

  • You can use Classic Zero Touch Provisioning, when you want to provision the devices within a secured network. See the Provision Network Devices using Zero Touch Provisioning chapter. .

  • You can use Secure ZTP when you must securely provision remote network devices, transverse through public internet for provisioning, or when the devices are from third-party manufacturers. See Deploy Router Using Secure ZTP.

Boot the Router

Use the console port on the Route Processor (RP) to connect to a new router. The console port connect to the XR console by default. If necessary, subsequent connections can be established through the management port, after it is configured.

Procedure

Step 1

Connect a terminal to the console port of the RP

Step 2

Start the terminal emulation program on your workstation.

In the COM1 Properties window, select the Port Settings tab, and enter the following settings:

The console settings are:

  • For modular chassis RP, the console settings are baud rate 9600 bps, no parity, 1 stop bits and 8 data bits

  • For fixed chassis, the console settings are baud rate 115200 bps, no parity, 1 stop bits and 8 data bits.

The baud rate is set by default and cannot be changed.

Step 3

Power on the router.

Connect the power cord to Power Module. Turn on the router by switching the power switch to the "ON" position. The power switch is usually located near the power module. The router boots up. The boot process details are displayed on the console screen of the terminal emulation program.

Step 4

Press Enter.

The boot process is complete when the system prompts to enter the root-system username. If the prompt does not appear, wait for a while to give the router more time to complete the initial boot procedure, then press Enter.

Important

 

If the boot process fails, it may be because the preinstalled image on the router is corrupt. In this case, the router can be booted using an external bootable USB drive.

Note

 

We recommended that you check the md5sum of the image after copying from source location to the server from where router boots up with new version. This ensures that if md5sum mismatch is observed, you can remove the corrupted file and ensure that a working copy of the image file is available for setup to begin.

What to do next

Specify the root username and password. For more information, see Setup Root User Credentials.

Setup Root User Credentials

When you boot the router for the first time, the system prompts you to configure root credentials (username and password). These credentials have been set up for the root user on the XR console (root-lr), the System Admin VM (root-system), and for disaster recovery purposes.

Procedure

Step 1

Enter root-system username: username

Enter the username of the root user. The character limit is 1023. In this example, the name of the root user is "root".

Important

 

The specified username is mapped to the "root-lr" group on the XR console. It is also mapped as the "root-system" user on the System Admin console.

When starting the router for the first time, or after resetting the router's operating system to its default state, the router does not have any user configuration. In such cases, the router prompts you to specify the "root-system username". However, if the router has been configured previously, the router prompts you to enter the "username", as described in Step 4.

Step 2

Enter secret: password

Enter the password for the root user. The character range of the password is from 6 through 253 characters. The password that you type is not displayed on the CLI for security reasons.

The root-system username and password must be safeguarded as they have superuser privileges. They are used to access the complete router configuration.

Step 3

Enter secret again: password

Reenter the password for the root-system user. The password that you type is not displayed on the CLI for security reasons.

Step 4

Username: username

Enter the root-system username to login to the XR VM console.

Step 5

Password: password

Enter the password of the root-system user. The correct password displays the router prompt. You are now logged into the XR VM console.

Step 6

(Optional) show run username

Displays user details. 


username root
 group root-lr
 group cisco-support
 secret 5 $1$NBg7$fHs1inKPZVvzqxMv775UE/
!

Example

Enter root-system username: admin
Enter secret: 
Enter secret again: 
Use the 'configure' command to modify this configuration.
User Access Verification

Username: admin 
Password:

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:ios# show run username
Sun May 30 14:20:42.311 UTC 
username admin 
 group root-lr 
 group cisco-support 
 secret 10 
$6$RS5kn1r/ww.DDn1.$eDFxhqTEYa6hqTs3MODQt11mBp4cMgdQqt.syC/J83lQIl1yJT9vd2W8zEHfBKz4.z4FyLmRdzwvKTqAMuyBA0 
!

Access the System Admin Console


Note

Only the following Cisco NCS 540 router variants support the System Admin mode:

  • N540-ACC-SYS

  • N540X-ACC-SYS

  • N540-24Z8Q2C-SYS

You must log in to the System Admin console through the XR console to perform all system administration and hardware management setup.

Procedure

Step 1

Log in to the XR console as the root user.

Step 2

admin

Example:

The login banner is enabled by default. The following example shows the command output with the login banner enabled:
RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router#admin

Mon May 22 06:57:29.350 UTC
 
root connected from 127.0.0.1 using console on host
sysadmin-vm:0_RP0# exit
Mon May  22 06:57:32.360 UTC
The following example shows the command output with the login banner disabled:
RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router#admin
Thu Mar 01:07:14.509 UTC
sysadmin-vm:0_RP0# exit

Step 3

(Optional) exit

Return to the XR mode from the System Admin mode.

Configure the Management Port

To use the Management port for system management and remote communication, you must configure an IP address and a subnet mask for the management ethernet interface. To communicate with devices on other networks (such as remote management stations or TFTP servers), you need to configure a default (static) route for the router.

Before you begin

  • Consult your network administrator or system planner to procure IP addresses and a subnet mask for the management interface.

  • Physical port Ethernet 0 and Ethernet 1 on RP are the management ports. Ensure that the port is connected to management network.

    Note

    The Physical port MgmtEth0/RP0/CPU0/1 on XR must be shut down while configuring manageability applications.

Procedure

Step 1

configure

Example:


RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router# configure

Enters mode.

Step 2

interface MgmtEth rack/slot/port

Example:

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router(config)#interface mgmtEth 0/RP0/CPU0/0

Enters interface configuration mode for the management interface of the primary RP.

Step 3

ipv4 address ipv4-address subnet-mask

Example:

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router(config-if)#ipv4 address 10.1.1.1/8

Assigns an IP address and a subnet mask to the interface.

Step 4

ipv4 address ipv4 virtual address subnet-mask

Example:

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router(config-if)#ipv4 address 1.70.31.160 255.255.0.0

Assigns a virtual IP address and a subnet mask to the interface.

Step 5

no shutdown

Example:

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router(config-if)#no shutdown

Places the interface in an "up" state.

Step 6

exit

Example:

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router(config-if)#exit

Exits the Management interface configuration mode.

Step 7

router static address-family ipv4 unicast 0.0.0.0/0 default-gateway

Example:

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router(config)#router static address-family ipv4 unicast 0.0.0.0/0 12.25.0.1

Specifies the IP address of the default-gateway to configure a static route; this is to be used for communications with devices on other networks.

Step 8

Use the commit or end command.

commit —Saves the configuration changes and remains within the configuration session.

end —Prompts user to take one of these actions:

  • Yes — Saves configuration changes and exits the configuration session.

  • No —Exits the configuration session without committing the configuration changes.

  • Cancel —Remains in the configuration session, without committing the configuration changes.

What to do next

Connect to the management port to the ethernet network. With a terminal emulation program, establish a SSH or telnet connection to the management interface port using its IP address. Before establishing a telnet session, use the telnet ipv4|ipv6 server max-servers command in the XR Config mode, to set number of allowable telnet sessions to the router.

Perform Clock Synchronization with NTP Server

There are independent system clocks for the XR console and the System Admin console. To ensure that these clocks do not deviate from true time, they need to be synchronized with the clock of a NTP server. In this task you will configure a NTP server for the XR console. After the XR console clock is synchronized, the System Admin console clock will automatically synchronize with the XR console clock.

Before you begin

Configure and connect to the management port.

Procedure

Step 1

configure

Example:


RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router# configure

Enters mode.

Step 2

ntp server server_address

Example:

RP/0/RP0/CPU0:router(config)#ntp server 64.90.182.55

The XR console clock is configured to be synchronized with the specified sever.

The following is a sample configuration: 
RP/0/RP0/CPU0:Router(config)# interface mgmtEth 0/RP0/CPU0/0 
RP/0/RP0/CPU0:Router(config-if)#vrf mgmt 
RP/0/RP0/CPU0:Router(config-if)#ipv4 address 10.197.240.71 255.255.254.0 
RP/0/RP0/CPU0:Router(config-if)#commit 
router static 
vrf mgmt 
address-family ipv4 unicast 
0.0.0.0/0 MgmtEth0/RP0/CPU0/0 10.197.240.1 
! 
! 
! 
RP/0/RP0/CPU0:Router#configure terminal 
Thu May 27 14:19:09.281 UTC 
RP/0/RP0/CPU0:Router(config)#ntp server 3.2.1.4 
RP/0/RP0/CPU0:Router(config)#commit