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Knowledge Base

VMware Smart Assurance: What is TASC? How can I submit and track a certification request without creating a SR? (334114)

Last Updated: 4/23/2024Categories: How toTotal Views: 5524Language:
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Symptoms

How do I field certify a device in Telco Cloud Service Assurance IP Manager or NCM?

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to provide instructions for getting a device certified in the currently supported version of the Smarts or NCM software.
TASC stands for Tracking Application for Smarts certification.

Smarts IP:
As device is discovering as a Node in the Smarts IP topology or is not being properly represented
in the Smarts IP topology.

NCM:
A device is not being discovered properly in the Smarts NCM software.

Resolution

There are multiple types of TASC requests and this article is only concerned with the Smarts IP TASC request and the NCM TASC request.

This article is broken into two sections. The first section is the Smarts IP TASC request and the second section in the NCM TASC request.

Smarts IP: One would submit a TASC request for a device in the Smarts IP software when a device is discovering as a Node or when a devices features are not being properly represented on newer versions of the devices software.

Requirements:

The following requirements need to be met in order to complete a Smarts IP TASC request.

1.) User must have login credentials for customerconnect.vmware.com.
2.) User has accessed the TASC website https://customerconnect.vmware.com/tasc/GoHome.do  and got application access approved.
3.) Administrative access to a host running the Smarts IP software.
4.) SNMP access available from the host running the Smarts IP software to the device that needs to be certified and the device IP address.
5.) SNMP access available from the host running the Smarts IP software to a neighboring device that is connected to the device to be certified and the neighbor devices IP address.
6.) A file transfer mechanism available on the host running the Smarts IP software if the host does not have internet access.

For TASC access issues/any further queries after opening a TASC request, email Certification team [email-masked] with your TASC request number reference.

Steps to open a TASC request:

Once all the requirements are confirmed the data for the TASC request can be gathered and submitted to the TASC system. The following three tasks will be performed:

1.) Gather walks of the device to be certified and of the neighbor device.
A walk of the device's virtual router will also be necessary if a virtual router is implemented on the device.
2.) Confirm the files generated for both devices are complete.
3.) Submitting all the necessary information and data to process the TASC request.

TASK 1: Gathering the necessary walks

1.) Log into a host that meets the SNMP requirements above and has the Smarts IP software installed on it.
2.) Navigate to the bin of the Smarts IP install
(Typically /opt/InCharge/IP/smarts/bin in Linux or C:\opt\InCharge\IP\smarts\bin in Windows).

3.) Generate a walk of each device (The device to be certified, the devices virtual router, the neighboring device).

A walk is a set of files that completely describes a device. The walk command for each will generate four file, a snap file, a mimic file, a walk file, and a timeout log file. The timeout file describes any part of the device description that did not respond in a timely manner and is of no concern in the certification process.
The snap file, mimic file, and walk file all contain the same information in different formats.  Only the Snap file needs to be supplied in the TASC request form.

Run the walk command (sm_snmpwalk in Linux or sm_snmpwalk.exe in Windows):

sm_snmpwalk -c <community string> -s <version of snmp to use> <device IP>

Where:
<community string > = The community string of the device being walked.
<version of snmp to use> = The version of the SNMP protocol to use when walking the device, typically version 2c.
<device IP> = The IP address of the device being walked.
For example if a device had the community string Public, used version 2c of the SNMP, and was located at IP  10.6.231.3 the walk command would be:
./sm_snmpwalk -c Public -s 2c 10.6.231.3

A walk will need to be run against the IP address of the device being certified, the IP address of the virtual router on the device being certified, and the neighboring device.
TASK 2: Confirming the walk files are complete for both devices
In order to confirm that the walk of each device (including the virtual router) completed correctly the *.walk file for each walk ran will need to be reviewed.
1.) Using a text editor, such as Vi in Linux or Notepad in Windows, open each walk file for viewing.
2.) Scroll to the bottom of each walk file and confirm the last line of the file reads:

End of MIB walk

If any of the walk files do not have this line the device that failed its MIB walk will need to be repeated.  When repeating the walk using  -s 1 instead of -s 2c will usually correct the problem by forcing the to use an older version of the SNMP but the process will take longer to walk the device.

TASK 3: Submitting the data to the TASC request system

In the last task the walk files from the host with the Smarts IP software are transferred to a host with internet access.  Once the files are open to internet access navigate to the TASC website, complete the device certification forms, upload the walk files, and submit the TASC request.

1.) Transfer the complete walk files from the host with the Smarts IP software to a host with access to the internet.
2.) Navigate to https://customerconnect.vmware.com/tasc/GoHome.do  Click on the New request link:

3.) Fill out the fields on the page below. Make sure that Vendor is the devices vendor, and Device Type matches the class of device being certified.

4.) On the bottom of the above page attach the *.snap file for the device being certified. Click Next.

5.) On the second page of the certification select the version of Smarts IP that is being used and is still currently supported.

6.) Select all the availability features that are desired for monitoring the device, typically just select all of the features.

7.) In the Connectivity Information box ent the devices connections (for example Router 1 / Interface Fa1 connected to Router 2/ Interface FA2).

8.) After supplying the connectivity information attach the file for the walk of the neighboring device.

9.) In the box for Virtual Router Walks place a walk of the device to be certified's virtual router if
one exists, if one does not exist then just place the walk of the device to be certified.

10.) The PM features are all the aspects of a device we can monitor for performance. Select the components that the device has.

Once the PM features have been selected all the required information for the TASC request has been provided, the Field Certification and Customer comments sections are optional.

If you are looking for field Certification, mention the same in below highlighted section.

After clicking next a final screen will display a short summary of the certification request. Click the finish button at the bottom of the page.

Click the finish button at the bottom of the screen and the TASC request will be submitted and a TASC ticket number will be presented for tracking the case from the TASC websites Ticket Status page.

NCM:
One would create a certification request when a new uncertified and unsupported device is added to a Smarts NCM deployment and the NCM software does not discover nor interface with the device correctly.  One would also create a certification request for a device if a software upgrade to the device breaks the NCM software's ability to discover or interface with the device.

Requirements:

The following requirements need to be met in order to complete a NCM certification request:

1.) Navigate to https://customerconnect.vmware.com/tasc/GoHome.do  and login to the site.
For TASC access issues/any further queries after opening a TASC request, email Certification team [email-masked] with your TASC request number reference.

2) Below details:
Example commands of authentication for access to the device and authentication for configuration
of the device.
Example prompts of output from the device.
Example prompts of error messages displayed by the device.
Completed NCM checklist with working example commands for each item in the checklist (a copy of the checklist is attached to this KB).

Step to open a TASC request:

Once all the requirements are confirmed the data for the TASC request can be gathered and
submitted to the TASC request system.  The following three tasks will be performed:

1.) Start the TASC request by providing company identification, device information, and the
version of the Smarts NCM software being certified against.
Fill out the Smarts NCM checklist and confirm that it has been completed correctly.
Complete the TASC request.

TASK 1:  Starting the TASC request

1.) On TASC portal, click on the New Request link

2.) Fill out the fields highlighted below.  Make sure that Vendor is the devices vendor, and Device Type matches the class of device being certified.
Once this form is filled out click next to move to the second page of the Smarts NCM certification request.

TASK 2: Completing the Smarts NCM checklist

On the second page of the Smarts NCM certification request is the download link for the Smarts
NCM Checklist document (this document is also attached directly to this KB article).
This document contains 11 items that need to be completed in order for a Smarts NCM certification
to be processed.

Provide the exact commands that access the device via the CLI and the SNMP agent and collect
the hardware, software, and configuration settings.
Provide the exact commands that can be used to back up the devices configuration.
Provide the exact commands that can be used to restore the entire device configuration Provide the exact commands that can be used to make incremental changes to the devices configuration (using the various protocols utilized by the device OS: telnet, ssh, tftp, ftp, etc).
Provide the exact commands that can be used to revert the changes made in item number 4 (using the various protocols utilized by the device OS: telnet, ssh, tftp, ftp, etc).
Provide real examples of known syslog entries and traps sent by the device that indicate a configuration change has occurred or been pushed on the device.
Be sure to include the varbinds and the description of the varbinds in the trap as well as a description of the
configuration changes made that produced the syslog entries and traps.
Provide the exact commands that are used to create a user account on the device.
Provide the exact commands that are used to change the password and user ID for the account created in step 7.
Provide the exact commands that are used for creating  a privileged account or elevating an account to a privileged state and the commands to change the new privileged accounts pass word.
Provide the exact commands for creating community strings in SNMP version 1, version 2c, and version 3 and change those community strings or passwords.
Provide the exact commands/instructions for upgrading the operating system and then for downgrading
the operating system.

TASK 3:  Completing and submitting the Smarts NCM TASC request to the TASC request system

The last task of the Smarts NCM certification process will be completing the TASC request form using thie TASC web page:  https://customerconnect.vmware.com/tasc/GoHome.do
This task involves completing the TASC form, uploading the MIB files for the device, and
uploading the completed Smarts NCM checklist document.

1.) Fill out the fields highlighted below on the second page of the TASC request.

2.) In the upload box at the top of the page attach a zip file or rar archive of the devices MIBs.

In the upload box at the botton of the page attach the completed copy of the NCM checklist document.

Once all the information is filled and the next button is clicked a summary page of the device
certification will be displayed.  Below is an example of a certification summary.

Click the finish button at the bottom of the screen and the TASC request will be submitted and a
TASC ticket number will be presented for tracking the case from the TASC website's Ticket Status page.

Related Information

Note that there is no need to supply a device walk and that this option is not available in an
NCM certification request.

The completion of the certification for the Smarts NCM software may require that the device
be made accessible to VMware engineers via a VPN connection to the device.

You can also refer "Help" section in VMware TASC portal after login for details. Tee Help pdf file is attached to this article for reference.

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