Agenda: rancid-exercise.txt

Network Management & Monitoring

Using RANCID
============

Notes:
------
* Commands preceded with "$" imply that you should execute the command as
  a general user - not as root.
* Commands preceded with "#" imply that you should be working as root.
* Commands with more specific command lines (e.g. "RTR-GW>" or "mysql>") 
  imply that you are executing commands on remote equipment, or within 
  another program.

Exercises
---------

1. Connect to your PC using ssh

2. Become root, and install postfix (mail system we are using)

        $ sudo bash
        # apt-get install postfix 
        You might get a prompt on Postfix install, select "Internet Site"
        At the next prompt, enter your hostname (e.g. pcxx.ws.nsrc.org)
        # service postfix status

    Also check that the 'mutt' mail client is installed, as well as telnet 
    and subversion:

        # apt-get install mutt telnet subversion


3. Add an alias for the rancid user in /etc/aliases file

        # editor /etc/aliases
        
        rancid-all:     sysadm
        rancid-admin-all:   sysadm

    Save the file, then run:

        # newaliases

4. Install Rancid itself

        # apt-get install rancid

        It will prompt for warning, and Really continue? Select Yes     

5. Edit /etc/rancid/rancid.conf

        # editor /etc/rancid/rancid.conf

    Find this line in rancid.conf:

        #LIST_OF_GROUPS="sl joebobisp"

    And, underneath it add the following line:

        LIST_OF_GROUPS="all"

    (with no '#' at the front of line)

    Also, we want to use Subversion, and not CVS:

    Find the line with the parameter RCSSYS, and change it to:

        RCSSYS=svn; export RCSSYS

    and the line with CVSROOT:

        CVSROOT=$BASEDIR/svn; export CSVROOT

6. Change to the rancid user

    From a root prompt, switch identity to become the 'rancid' user:
        
        # su -s /bin/bash rancid
        
    Check that you ARE the rancid user:

        $ id

    You should see something similar (numbers may be different):

        uid=104(rancid) gid=109(rancid) groups=109(rancid)

    ***** IF YOU ARE NOT USER RANCID NOW, do NOT continue ******

7. Create /var/lib/rancid/.cloginrc

        $ editor /var/lib/rancid/.cloginrc

        add user 10.10.* cisco
        add password 10.10.* cisco cisco

    (The first 'cisco' is the username, the first and second 'cisco' are the
    password and enable password used to login to your router. The star in
        the IP means that it will try to use this username and password for all
        routers in 10.10.  network)

    Now protect this file so that it cannot be read by other users:

        $ chmod 600 /var/lib/rancid/.cloginrc
    
    In reality you want to create an extra user for RANCID on the Cisco
    with limited rights instead.

8. Test login to the router of your group
    
    Login to your router with clogin. You might have to type yes to the first
    warning, but should not need to enter a password, this should be
    automatic.

       $ /var/lib/rancid/bin/clogin 10.10.0.X 
       (replace x with your group no.)
    You should get something like:
       spawn ssh -c 3des -x -l cisco 10.10.0.X
       The authenticity of host '10.10.0.X (10.10.0.X)' can't be established.
       RSA key fingerprint is 73:f3:f0:e8:78:ab:49:1c:d9:5d:49:01:a4:e1:2a:83.
       Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no)? 
       Host 10.10.0.X added to the list of known hosts.
       yes
       Warning: Permanently added '10.10.0.X' (RSA) to the list of known hosts.
       Password: 

       rtr2>enable
       Password: 
       rtr2#
       
    Exit the router  
       rtr2#exit

    
        
9. Initialize the SVN repository for rancid:

        $ /usr/lib/rancid/bin/rancid-cvs

    You should see something similar to this:

        Committed revision 1.
        Checked out revision 1.
        At revision 1.
        A         configs
        Adding         configs

        Committed revision 2.
        A         router.db
        Adding         router.db
        Transmitting file data .
        Committed revision 3.

     ***** If you have problems ******

     If this does not work, then either you are missing the subversion package, or
     something was not properly configured during the previous steps. You should verify
     that subversion is installed and then before running the rancid-cvs command again
     do the following:

        $ exit
        # apt-get install subversion
        # su -s /bin/bash rancid
        $ cd /var/lib/rancid
        $ rm -rf all
        $ rm -rf svn

      Now try running the rancid-cvs command again:

        $ /usr/lib/rancid/bin/rancid-cvs

      ********************************

10. Create the router.db

        $ editor /var/lib/rancid/all/router.db

    Add this line:

        10.10.0.xxx:cisco:up

    (remember to replace xxx as appropriate)

11. Let's run rancid!

        $ /usr/lib/rancid/bin/rancid-run

    (Should take about half a minute)
    Run it again, since the first time it might not commit correctly:

        $ /usr/lib/rancid/bin/rancid-run

12. Check out the logs:

        $ cd /var/lib/rancid/logs
        $ ls -l

    ... View the contents of the file(s):

        $ less all.*

13. Look at the configs

        $ cd /var/lib/rancid/all/configs
        $ less 10.10.0.xxx

    If all went well, you can see the config of the router.

14. Let's change an interface Description on the router

        $ /usr/lib/rancid/bin/clogin 10.10.0.xxx

    At the "rtrX#" prompt, enter the command:

        rtrX# conf term

    You should see:

        Enter configuration commands, one per line.  End with CNTL/Z.
        rtrX(config)#

    Enter:

        rtrX(config)# interface LoopbackXX (replace XX with your PC no)
        for example
        rtr5(config)# interface Loopback17 (if your PC is number 17)

    You should get this prompt:

        rtr2(config-if)#

    Enter:

        rtr2(config-if)# description <put your name here>
        rtr2(config-if)# end

    You should now have this prompt:

        rtr2#

    To save the config to memory:

        rtr2# write memory

    You should see:

        Building configuration...
        [OK]

    To exit type:

        exit

15. Let's run rancid again:

        $ /usr/lib/rancid/bin/rancid-run

    Look at the config and logs

        $ ls /var/lib/rancid/logs/

16. Let's see the differences

        $ cd /var/lib/rancid/all/configs
        $ ls -l

    You should see all the router config files

        $ svn log 10.10.0.xxx

    (where xxx is the IP of your router, .201 - .210)

    Notice the revisions.  Let's view the difference between two versions:

        $ svn diff -r 5:6 10.10.0.xxx | less

    ... can you find your changes ? Or those of others in the same time?

17. Check your mail

    Now we will exit from these shells to get back to being the "sysadm"
    user, and run 'mutt' to see the mails which rancid has sent:

        $ exit
        # exit
        $ id
        ... check that you are now the 'sysadm' user again;
        ... if not, log out and in again
        $ mutt

    (When asked to create the Mail directory, say Yes)

    If everything goes as planned, you should be able to read the mails
    sent by Rancid.

    (use 'q' return to mail index, and 'q' again to quit mutt)

18. Let's make rancid run automatically every 30 minutes from cron
        
        $ sudo bash
        # crontab -e -u rancid

    It will ask you for your favorite editor.

    Add this line:

        */30  *  *  *  *  /usr/lib/rancid/bin/rancid-run

    ... then save and quit

19. Now add all the other routers 
    Note the IP addresses for the routers

        10.10.0.xxx  where xxx is .201 - .210

    Update the router.db

        # su -s /bin/bash rancid
        $ editor /var/lib/rancid/all/router.db

    Add some other classroom routers to the file. You should end up with
    something like:

        10.10.0.201:cisco:up 
        10.10.0.202:cisco:up 
        10.10.0.203:cisco:up 
        10.10.0.204:cisco:up 
        10.10.0.205:cisco:up 
        10.10.0.206:cisco:up 
        10.10.0.207:cisco:up 
        10.10.0.208:cisco:up 
        10.10.0.209:cisco:up 
        10.10.0.210:cisco:up 


    (Note that "cisco" means this is Cisco equipment -- it tells Rancid
    that we are expecting to talk to a Cisco device here.  You can also
    talk to Juniper, HP, ...)

20. Run rancid again:

        $ /usr/lib/rancid/bin/rancid-run

    (Should take a minute or more now, be patient)

21. Check out the logs:

        $ cd /var/lib/rancid/logs
        $ ls -l

    ... Pick the latest file and view it

        $ less all.YYYYMMDD.HHMMSS

22. Look at the configs

        $ cd /var/lib/rancid/all/configs
        $ more 10.10.*

    If all went well, you can see the configs of ALL routers

23.  Run RANCID again just in case someone changed some configuration on the router

        $ /usr/lib/rancid/bin/rancid-run
     (patienceÉ)


23. Play with clogin:

        $  /usr/lib/rancid/bin/clogin -c "show clock" 10.10.0.X

    What do you notice ?

24. Add the RANCID SVN repository in to SVNWeb

    If you are still logged in as user rancid, get back to root

        $ exit
        # 

    Install SVNWeb:

        # apt-get install websvn
                * Say Yes to the question if you want to configure it now
                * Hit Ok for the next question about supporting various web servers
                * As directory add /var/lib/rancid/svn both times when asked on the next screens.
                * Hit Ok for the next screen talking about permissions

25. Fix permissions. The web server must be able to read the SVN archive
        # chgrp -R www-data /var/lib/rancid/svn
        # chmod g+w -R /var/lib/rancid/svn

 
26. Browse files from your webbrowser
        http://pcXXX.ws.nsrc.org/websvn

    Browse the files under the 'all/configs' directory.
    You can see all your router configuration files here.



27. Review revisions
    
    If you want to see different revisions side by side, you can do that with WebSVN too.

    However diffs between revisions are broken in the package which comes with Ubuntu 10.04 LTS solved in the latest version

    Patch that bug with a simple patchfile:
        
        # apt-get install wget patch
        # cd /usr/share/websvn/include
        # wget http://noc.ws.nsrc.org/downloads/patch-svn
        # patch < patch-svn

    You can now also browse difference between file revisions with WebSVN. 
    
    Browse to http://pcXXX.ws.nsrc.org/websvn again, go to all, configs
    Select your router file (10.10.0.X) and click "Compare with Previous"
    You should now see the latest changes side by side.


+----
Rev. 15 Nov 2011