Solved: CSS 11501 neighbors

Marvin Rhoads · ‎12-19-2009

I note that the CSS 11501 is a CM-supported device. This is according to the Supported Device Table for LMS 3.2.

My Campus Manager (5.2.1 with the CM6.0 device updates applied) lists my 11501's as unconnected devices even though they and their upstream neighbors are running CDP and seeing each other. I confirmed they are the correct device type (sysObjectID = 1.3.6.1.4.1.9.9.368.4.7). Ciscoview can see and manage them just fine.

Is there any way to make them properly appear as connected in the Campus Manager topology map?

Joe Clarke · ‎12-20-2009

The problem is the CSS11501 running 8.10 code do not support the CISCO-CDP-MIB, and it looks like support is not going to happen. An internal bug was filed (CSCek27932), but it was closed stating that support was never intended for this platform. Therefore, in order for support to get added a PERS must be filed to build a business case. Until then, it is expected to see these CSS devices in the unconnected view.

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Joe Clarke · ‎12-20-2009

How exactly does this CSS appear on the map? A screenshot would be helpful. What results do you get by walking the cdpCacheTable on this switch?

Marvin Rhoads · ‎12-20-2009

The CSS devices all appear in the Unconnnected Devices view of Campus Manager. Walking cdpCacheTable on them returns:

The following is a SNMP walk of device 10.10.71.252 starting from .1.3.6.1.4.1.9.9.23.1.2.1

SNMP Walk Output
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.1.3.6.1.4.1.9.9.23.1.2.1

CISCO-CDP-MIB::cdpCacheTable = No Such Object available on this agent at this OID.

They are CSS11501R's, each running:

CSS11501# sh ver
Version: sg0810106 (08.10.1.06)

I have four of them, each with multiple physical connections to a common upstream Catalyst 3560G-24TS. That device does show the CSS's as neighbors, along with its upstream switch. I have attached the switch's cdpCacheTable.

Here is a screenshot:

Marvin Rhoads · ‎12-20-2009

The CSS devices all appear in the Unconnnected Devices view of Campus Manager. Walking cdpCacheTable on them returns:

The following is a SNMP walk of device 10.10.71.252 starting from .1.3.6.1.4.1.9.9.23.1.2.1

SNMP Walk Output
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.1.3.6.1.4.1.9.9.23.1.2.1

CISCO-CDP-MIB::cdpCacheTable = No Such Object available on this agent at this OID.

They are CSS11501R's, each running:

CSS11501# sh ver
Version: sg0810106 (08.10.1.06)

I have four of them, each with multiple physical connections to a common upstream Catalyst 3560G-24TS. That device does show the CSS's as neighbors, along with its upstream switch. I have attached the switch's cdpCacheTable.

Here is a screenshot:

Joe Clarke · ‎12-20-2009

The problem is the CSS11501 running 8.10 code do not support the CISCO-CDP-MIB, and it looks like support is not going to happen. An internal bug was filed (CSCek27932), but it was closed stating that support was never intended for this platform. Therefore, in order for support to get added a PERS must be filed to build a business case. Until then, it is expected to see these CSS devices in the unconnected view.

Marvin Rhoads · ‎12-20-2009

Ah well, this is a good example of the correct answer being one I don't like. Thanks for the research, though, Joe.

Given that the last CSS code release (8.2 ca. November 2007) didn't add this support and the fact that the CSS platform doesn't appear to be in active development, I'd assess my chances of getting a PERS to appear as released code for this issue as somewhere between slim and none.

Apart from the CSS not supporting the relevant MIB, it's a shame that CM couldn't use the CDP awareness of the upstream switch, correlated with the host information gleaned from the CSS's, to build an adjacency relationship and display it as such. If I can do it by simple inspection as a network engineer, I would think the code should be able to as well. Being "supported" under Campus Manager apparently isn't quite as useful as one might think in all cases. Network operators and NOC personnel not intimately aware of a given network segment's composition would certainly benefit from the presentation of this data visually in topology services. Just my 2 cents....