Cisco Nexus

To add a Cisco Nexus device, complete the following steps.

Step 1: Configure the Device

FireMon strives to provide up-to-date product information, however we are not always aware when vendors change their device UI. If any Configure the Device procedure differs from your device version (UI location of fields, not information needed), please consult your device's user guide.

Security Manager Data Collector uses syslog messages from your Nexus devices to detect configuration changes and collect traffic data. In this process, you will configure your Nexus devices to send syslog messages to the Data Collector and you'll add a representation of your Nexus device in Security Manager. Additionally, you will create a user name and password at the network-operator level to allow the Data Collector to retrieve configuration changes from your device.

  1. Log into the CLI on your Nexus device in EXEC mode.
  2. At the command prompt, enter config t to access global configuration mode.
  3. Create a network-operator account for the Data Collector.

If the network-operator account login expires in the future, Security Manager change retrievals will fail unless you update the Nexus device properties in Security Manager with the new login information.

  1. Enable logging of informational messages from acllog, syslog, and local0 facilities by enter the following commands:

    Copy 
    (config) # logging level acllog 6
    (config) # logging level syslog 6
    (config) # logging level local0 6

 

  1. Add the Security Manager Data Collector as a remote syslog server by entering the following command, where DataCollectorIP is the IP address of your Security Manager Data Collector:

    (config) # logging server DataCollectorIP 6 facility local0

Traffic data is a required element in Security Manager’s usage analysis feature set. To allow Security Manager to collect traffic data, you’ll need to configure ACL logging on your Nexus device. ACL logging is configured by adding the keyword log at the end of each ACE for which you want to collect traffic statistics. Note that ACL logging is available only for ACLs that are configured with the ip access-list command.

  1. While in global configuration mode, configure logging by entering the following commands, where [name] is the name of the ACL:

    (config) # ip access-list [name]

  1. Then add the keyword log to each ACE, replacing permit tcp any 156.10.3.44/24 with your actual ACE. Repeat this step for every ACE for which you want to collect traffic data. :

    (config-acl) # permit tcp any 156.10.3.44/24 log

The keyword log must be added immediately after the destination.

Step 2: Onboard the Device in the Administration Module

  1. On the toolbar, click Device > Devices.
  2. Click Create, and then click Cisco > Nexus.
  1. General Properties section.

To prevent errors in device group-level device maps and incorrect reporting data, all devices added in Administration must have unique IP addresses. If devices with duplicate IP addresses must be added within a domain, it is strongly recommended that those devices be separated into discrete device groups, where no duplicate IP addresses are included in the same device group. Devices with duplicate IP addresses will cause errors in the All Devices device map, and may cause incorrect data in reports, even if they are in discrete device groups.

  1. In the Name box, type the name of the device as you want to see it in SIP.
  2. In the Description box, type an optional description of the device being added.
  3. In the Management IP Address box, type the IP address of the device.
  4. In the Data Collector Group box, select the IP address of the data collector group that will collect data from this device.
  5. In the Central Syslog Server box, select the syslog server from the list (optional).

Syslog fields are optional if the device uses the same IP for syslog and management.
A central syslog server is required only if syslog messages come from a different IP. A central syslog server must be created before it can be assigned to a device. To track usage via syslog, the device must support Level 3+.

  1. In the Syslog Match Names box, type the syslog match name (optional). You can enter multiple comma-separated names.
  2. By default, the Automatically Retrieve Configuration check box is selected.
  3. In the External ID box, type a unique identifier to be used when the device identifier is different than what is displayed in SIP.
  1. Collection Configuration is enabled on the management station or by duplicating and then editing the default configuration (Device > Collection Configuration). Default is what is set on the installed device pack.
  1. Device Settings section.

Credentials

  1. In the User Name box, type the user name is Admin, but this should be changed to the name used for the network-operator account.
  2. In the Password box, type the password used for the network-operator account.
  1. In the Re-enter Password box, retype the password entered above.

Retrieval

  • By default, Protocol is SSH and the Port is 22.
  1. Monitoring section.

    Log Monitoring

By default, the Enable Log Monitoring check box is selected. To disable this automatic function, clear the check box.

  • By default, Track Usage Via is set to Hit Counters.
  • By default, the Count Retrieval Interval is set to 10 minutes.

    Change Monitoring

By default, the Enable Change Monitoring check box is selected.

  • Enter an optional Alternate Syslog Source IP.

Select the Perform Change Verification check box to allow the Data Collector to verify there are actual changes prior to posting a revision to Security Manager. This will enable more efficient use of disk space by not posting revisions that did not change from the last normalized revision.

  1. Retrieval section.

Scheduled Retrieval

Select the Enable Scheduled Retrieval check box to perform a retrieval at a set time daily regardless of change.

  • The default Check for Change Interval time is 1440 minutes (every 24 hours). You can change the check interval time to best fit your requirements. The minimum required interval is 60 minutes (1 hour).
  • Set an optional time in the Check for Change Start Time box. To schedule the first retrieval for a specific time, select the Starting at check box and select a time. The first retrieval will run at the time you enter. All subsequent retrievals will occur at the interval you entered above, based on the time that the first retrieval occurred. If you do not select a Change Start Time, the first scheduled retrieval will occur immediately after you save the settings. Subsequent retrievals will occur at the interval you entered.

Check for Change Retrieval

Select the Enable Check for Change check box to enable checking for configuration changes after the specified interval, and perform a retrieval is changes are detected.

  1. Advanced section.
    • File Retrieval Options:
      • Select the Disable Route File Retrieval check box only if you want to disable this automatic function. Disabling route file retrievals tells the Data Collector to not retrieve the route files from that specific device. This option can be selected when large route files cause a timeout on retrieval or make normalization take longer than normal.
      • Select the Use Batch Config Retrieval check box only if you are manually sending configurations for this device using your data collector's batchconfig directory. While this option is enabled, online retrievals will be disabled.
      • Select the Enable Deprecated Ciphers and Algorithms check box to enable supported Ciphers and Algorithms for SSH v2 that are no longer considered secure by the Open SSH community for inclusion in the default options.
    • SSH Key Options: Select the Automatically Update SSH Keys check box if you want the data collector to automatically update the SSH key for a device when a conflict occurs.
    • Policy Normalization Options: Clear the Process Policies Without Interfaces check box to skip normalizing any policies that are not connected to an inbound or outbound interface.
    • Automation Options: Select the Do Not Generate Rule Documentation check box to prevent automation from generating any rule comments or documentation.
  1. Enforcement section.

Select one of the available enforcement options:

  •  Allow All: All automation is allowed (enforcement, change, manual).

  • Manual Only: When selected all changes must be manually pushed for this device.

  •  Prevent All: No automation is allowed.

  • Window Only: Automation can only take place in the assigned enforcement window.

If this device is assigned to an enforcement or change window, it will be listed. If no assignment, changes must be manually pushed for this device.

  1. Supplemental Routes section.

Supplemental routes cannot be added until after a retrieval normalizes successfully. You can perform a manual retrieval before continuing.

  1. Click Add.

  2. Complete fields in the Add Supplemental Routes dialog box:

  • Select an Interface.

If you select an Interface, you will not need to select a virtual router and next virtual router. If no interface is selected, you will need to select a Virtual Router and Next Virtual Router.

  • Type the Destination IP address.
  • Type the Gateway IP address.
  • Select a Virtual Router.
  • Select a Next Virtual Router.
  • Switch the Drop toggle to enable (disabled = Accept).
  • Click Add.
  1. Click Save.

Step 3: Verify Communication

Because automatically retrieving a configuration is enabled by default, there is nothing for you to do. Security Manager will automatically attempt to retrieve a device configuration.

To do a manual retrieval, select the device row, click the Menu icon and then click Retrieve Configuration.

It may take up to 15 minutes to see the status result of the retrieval.