IEOC - INE's Online Community

Hey,

Before anyone says "dude you're lazy". I know it already. If there is a simple method I'm using it. That being said has anyone successfully gotten cat tools to push configs through a terminal server? I've beat this thing up for a couple of days. I'm either an idiot, or I'm an idiot. Which ever you choose to believe if you know the secret let me know cuz this is driving me ape - sh%&^ batty.  

Seriously, no takers. I'm using it so I can auto-magically push the workbook configs to my lab.

Be sure to do the email subscription thing to this forum - I am betting you might eventually get someone trying it as well!

A lot of times it has to do with how long this thread takes to show up in Google searches.

Thanks so much for using our community, and I sure wish I could help here in this case!

Already done, thanks Anthony. By the way loved the Secrets to Passing seminar you had. Also, if you're going to be doing Florida this November I'll see you there. 

That is sooo awesome - yeah - I will always be the Tampa instructor. :-)

In fact - we might have a big enough class where we get another instructor down to teach with me. I find that BM, PL, KB, MG, SM, etc always seem to want to help with the Tampa class!

Cannot wait to meet you in person!

Oh yeah - and I love your avatar. 

Thanks 

Funny thing is I was trolling my local computer store, and while cruising through the book section. I noticed the Book on the shelf. Well being the nerd I am I could not resist snapping it with the phone. I wish I would have focused and gotten a better pic of it though. I just thought it was funny and had to share with my co-workers and it morphed into my avatar. 

Anyhow, I figured out some portion. I have cat tools configured to talk to the routers and switches just fine. What happens is it issues a tftp command and the ip address of the host with cat tools. Well, that just aint going to work. What I read though was it was supposed to use the serial line...hmmmm. If I could get it to use the serial line and perhaps xmodem I can bump up all my console line speeds and click Run Vol_1_RIP and be working on a workbook in fifteen-twenty minutes. Instead I have to take a half hour and paste em in. Not horrible, but I like the idea of being able to click, walk away and get something/do something. Come back sit down and be ready to roll. 

What I was really wanting to do was vpn in from work. Kick off the cat tools. Go about doing a small bit of work/coffee. Then roll through some portions of the workbook. Sigh...laziness is such a burden. :)  I am just not a scripting kind of guy; I hate it. TCL included but thats a love hate relationship. QOS has been my bane due to the fact it feels like scripting and coding to me. Shrug... Guess I have to man up and live with it or work to figure it out. Trouble is I don't want spend my precious time tinkering with a program while I should be studying. 

Awsome, 

I can honestly say you guys do good work by your CoD's and what not. So I'm looking forward to the classes. 

I just wish I would have time to go scuba diving afterwards. A cali guy in land locked Ohio equals no surfing and no diving for long periods. Which sucks because I love both. 

Anthony Sequeira:

That is sooo awesome - yeah - I will always be the Tampa instructor. :-)

In fact - we might have a big enough class where we get another instructor down to teach with me. I find that BM, PL, KB, MG, SM, etc always seem to want to help with the Tampa class!

 

Cannot wait to meet you in person!

You've got a few options.

1. You can use Kiwi to SSH/Telnet to the Terminal Server and then issue commands one line at a time (there are limitations performing the task this way).

2. You can Autoinstall your initial configs and then once they have IP Addresses - use Kiwi to manage them from the backbone.  You can then use Kiwi as you normally would to manage each device individually.

I said a few options but I'm tired right now.  I was trying to make my rounds.

Keep in touch I use kiwi and I in production and in my lab.  I have a few things worked out.

Grading is kewl too with Kiwi.

Well I was looking at option one. I can get the system to work almost the way I want (it will try to tftp to the host address but that won't work as the terminal server doesn't exist on the backbone). However, what I want is the option to use xmodem to transfer configs via the console. Trouble is I'm not smart enough to pull it off. :)I wan't to use the terminal server because the backbone being a lab is always going to change and being a lab is not always going to be fully functional. JOY!

I have a home lab with a 2511 console server.  I xmodem transfer the various lab configs to flash: so I can erase startup and quickly load any section at will.  I telnet to the console server/device port for direct access.   I am able to send it xmodem over telnet using SecurCRT.  One small hiccup I haven't figured out yet is that the uploaded file always has a bunch of:

"^Z^Z^Z^Z^Z^Z^Z^Z.........." at the end of the file. 

The devices ignore it when booting, and then I just copy run to start after boot to do away with the "^Z^Z^Z^Z^Z....."  You are only limited by the size of flash: in how many config versions you can put on there.  I don't this on all routers and switches.  It works well for me.

yeah that works. but i want to use kiwi cat tools. which would work great in stable mostly unchanging environment. what im looking to achieve is a poor mans version of setting up my labs like graded labs. one selection. it pumps required configs to the routers and switches via the console. no networking reqauired. 

I installed Cattools the other day, but have not started using it yet.  I am also interested in automating it as much as possible.  I will update you if I come up with something.  I will have substantially more time to devote to it when my wife and kids  go out of town.   I am also exclusively using the 2511 terminal server.

I'm using a 2511 as well. Though seeing as I heard the lab is using Putty for the lab I switched to using that again. I love SecureCRT, wish it was still that being used. Shrug.

@schoutentl

Management with a few clicks of the mouse.

I sat down this weekend worked out a method for total control on the lab configurations through the terminal server via cattools.  Only connectivity to terminal server required via cattools required.  Basically though, I have a few tasks to configure that serve specific functions.  The only task I have that requires a reload is when you are required to delete the vlan.dat file.  I have not needed to reboot R1-R6, but have included as a task for those folks that might want it as well as one for SW1-SW4.

Lab configurations can be loaded in a matter of minutes once the whole system is properly configured.  Can be applied to other Volumes as well.  Give me two weeks and I will provide a complete write-up.  I am hoping it will be of benefit to the community.

Sample of a few of the tasks.

Task - R1-R6 & SW1-SW4 Load specific Volume1 configuration (no reload required)

Task - R1-R6 Reload (Reload R1-R6)

Task - SW1-SW4 Load specific Volume1 configuration (no reload required)

Task - SW1-SW4 Reload (Reload of SW1-SW4)

Task - Load Baseline - Delete vlan.dat - Reload (Reload of SW1-SW4)