The article shows how to connect router Cisco 7206VXR running inside GNS3 Linux version with Cisco Configuration Professional 2.2 (CCP). According to the reference ccp_rel_notes sheet the only router available in GNS3 and supported by CCP together is Cisco 7206VXR.
Note: Cisco IOS running on the router should minimum 12.4(9)T version. WAN connection for 7206VXR is not supported by CCP. The CCP above version 2.3 does not support 7206VXR at all.
The Cisco Configuration Professional is currently supported only on Windows platforms thus we have to install CCP in to a virtual machine with installed Windows. The virtual machine is powered by one of two virtualizers - Qemu and VirtualBox supported by GNS3. Thanks to the native support of these virtualizers, a virtual machine can be managed directly from GNS3 environment.
1. Prerequisites
1.1 Cisco Configuration Professional version 2.2
CCP is free of charge but you need to have a valid CCO account in order to download it. Visit the Cisco website and register.
Picture 1 - CCP download page
Once you are logged you can download CCP from here.
1.2 Host system - any Linux OS with GNS3 and VirtualBox installed
Even I prefer Qemu to VirtualBox, VirtualBox must be used in order to run CCP successfully. First I tried to run CCP from virtual machine powered by Qemu but graphic was not shown properly. Thus using VirtualBox is absolutely necessary. For this reason the tutorial is showing Windows installation on VirtualBox.
I installed VirtualBox from VirtualBox repository. The tutorial below shows an installation and configuration VirtualBox on Fedora Linux.
1.3 Guest System - Windows
These are software requirements.
- Windows XP with SP2 or later or Microsoft Windows 7 32 bit.
- Internet Explorer 6.0 or above.
- Java Runtime Environment JRE versions minimum 1.5.0_11 upto 1.6.0_17 are supported.
- Adobe Flash Player Version 10.0 or later, with Debug set to No
2. Creating a new VirtualBox machine
Start VirtualBox with command virtualbox. Navigate to Machine -> New.
Picture 2 - Creating a new VirtualMachine
Click on Next button. In next window assign 2048 MB RAM memory to the virtual machine and again continue with Next button. In the next windows choose option Create a virtual hard drive now and click on Create button. The next window shows the list of hard drives type that could be chosen. Select VDI (VirtualBox Disk Image) and continue with the Next button.
In next window you can select storage on physical hard drive. Choose Dynamically allocated and click on Next button again. Define maximum size of the image in the next window as it is shown on the picture.
Picture 3 - File location and size
Now you have successfully created a new virtual machine. Now we are going to tell your newly created virtual machine to use Windows installation ISO image. Left lick on this machine and choose option Settings. Navigate to Storage option, click on the option Empty under Controller: IDE and finally click on the icon representing CD as it is shown at the picture.
Picture 4 - Mount ISO image
Now select option Choose a virtual CD/DVD disk file and select path to your Windows ISO image. Then click on OK button. Once you are ready, power up your virtual machine and begins Windows installation.
Picture 5 - Windows installation
The next step is to change screen resolution to at least 1024 x 768 as it is required by CCP. Shutdown Windows.
3. Cisco Configuration Professional, Java Runtime Environment JRE and Adobe Flash Player Installation
Once your Windows is ready you can install CCP and JRE and Flash player on it. Basically they are two possibilities how to do it. If your Linux distribution is connected to the Internet then the Windows connected to the Internet as well. In this case you can download the files directly from Windows. In case you do not want to download them from Windows do the following.
3.1 Download CCP, JRE, Adobe Flash Player and place them to the directory ~/temp
Cisco Configuration Professional version 2.2
JRE 1.6.0_17
Adobe Flash Player 11
3.2 Create ISO image cccp.iso containing a directory temp
mkisofs -o cd.iso -J ~/temp
3.3 Configure VirtualBox machine to let VirtualBox mount file cd.iso to CDROM and install the files
Note: This step is similar to the step shown on the picture 4. Just change path to directory ~/cd.iso.
Once you are ready install all three files as administrator - Right click on file and choose Run as administrator.
3.4 Configure Java Runtime Environment Settings
According to this article you must configure JRE to run Cisco CP to function properly. Go to Start -> Control Panel and select View by small icons option in the right corner then click on Java. Select Java table and click on View button. Set the Runtime parameters with the value -Xmx256m -Dsun.java2d.d3d=false.
Picture 6 - Java Runtime parameters configuration
In addition, if JRE is upgraded to versions 1.6.0_11 or above, the following settings are needed to configure. Go to Start-> Control Panel-> Java-> Advanced. Select Java Plug-in in tree. Uncheck the check box for Enable next-generation Java Plug-in.
Picture 7 - Advanced parameters configuration
3.5 Start Cisco Configuration Professional
Right click on CCP icon and choose Run as administrator. Enable Windows firewall to allow Java to communicate with private and public networks.
Note: Always start CCP as administrator otherwise CCP stucks on loading step. Now you may shutdown Windows.
4. GNS3 Configuration for Cisco Configuration Professional Support
4.1 Configure GNS3 to support VirtualBox
Navigate to Edit-> Preferences-> VirtualBox and press Testing Settings button.
Picture 8 - Testing VirtualBox General settings
Switch to VirtualBox Guest tab. Configure parameters as it is shown at the picture.
Picture 9 - VirtualBox Guest configuration
4.2 Configure GNS3 to support Dynamips
Dynamips is a software that emulates Cisco IOS on a traditional PC. Navigate to Edit-> Preferences-> Dynamips-> Dynamips and press Test Settings button.
Picture 10 - Testing Dynamips settings
Now you can switch to Edit-> IOS images and hypervisors-> and click on Testing button. If your settings are correct you should see a new popup console window booting your IOS.
Picture 11 - IOS Images configuration
5. Cisco Configuration Professional Testing
Assuming that you successfully configured GNS3 for Dynamips and VirtualBox support we are going to create our testing topology.
Picture 12 - Testing Topology
5.1 Configure Cisco 7206VXR for Cisco Configuration Professional
Start a router and configure following.
7206VXR(config)# enable secret cisco
7206VXR(config)# ip http server
7206VXR(config)# ip http secure-server
7206VXR(config)# username admin privilege 15 secret cisco
7206VXR(config)# ip http authentication local
7206VXR(config)# line vty 0 4
7206VXR(config-line)# privilege level 15
7206VXR(config-line)# login local
7206VXR(config-line)# transport input telnet
7206VXR(config-line)# transport input telnet ssh
7206VXR(config-line)# exit
7206VXR(config)# interface fastEthernet 1/0
7206VXR(config-if)# ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0
7206VXR(config-if)# no shutdown
7206VXR(config-if)# do write
5.2 Configure Cisco Configuration Professional
Start virtual machine. Once a Windows boots up assign IP address 192.168.1.2/24 to Ethernet interface marked as Unidentified network.
Picture 13 - Network Settings configuration for Windows
5.3 Check if connection exist between the router and Vbox guest
Issue ping from to Windows the router.
Picture 14 - Pinging Windows from the router
5.4 Configure Cisco Configuration Profesional for router management
Start CCP as administrator and enter IP address, username and password for device in the community. Click on OK button and click on Discover button.
Picture 15 - Device Configuration for a community a New Community
Discover process takes some time. Once it finished notice Discovery status. Device should be in Discovered state.
Picture 16 - Device successfully discovered by CCP
Picture 17 - Device details