RedHat Enterprise/CentOS Kickstart with Bonding

In order to set up the bonded interfaces (in 802.3ad mode) when first booting, you'll need to supply the following arguments to kickstart:


ks=http://name_of_apache_server/myconfig.cfg ip=your.ip.address netmask=yournetmask gateway=yourgateway dns=nameserver1,nameserver2 hostname=yourfqdn bond=bond0:eth0,eth1:mode=802.3ad:miimon:100

OTRS ITSM - Simple template for CAB-Free Change

OTRS ITSM - Simple template for CAB-Free Change

ITSM with OTRS is a rather manual process. You can create conditions and move the state around, but the controls are limited; you cannot readily create a template that locks workorder state changes until the change is approved.

What you can do is create a template that simplifies some of the changes. The following flow adds an approval workorder, and requires that work order to be set to "closed" before the ticket changes to "approved."


1. Create a new change request with a name such as "my template"

2. Create a worked called "approval" with the type "approval" and with the text "APPROVAL TEMPLATE TEXT. PLEASE REPLACE"

3. Create a condition called "before approval" using the "AND" operator

add the following expressions:

object: workorder
selector:  1-approval
attribute: workorder
state operator: is
value: Accepted



and

object: change
selector: (pick the only change listed, the change you are on)
attribute: change state
operator: is
value: requested

It'll look something like this:

Then, add the following action:

object: change selector: (same change number as above) attribute: change state operator: set  value: pending approval


4. Save that condition and create a new condition "approved"

add this expression:

object: workorder
selector: 1-approval
attribute: workorder state
operator: is
value: closed

and this action:

object: change
  selector: (same change number as above)
attribute: change state
operator: set
value: approved

and save it.

It'll look like this:

5. Save this and click "template" on the menu. Choose a name.

6. When you create a new change, select "New (from template)"

Cisco VPN 3005 - Import XML Config

The Cisco 3005 VPN concentrator is most definitely a device past its prime. However, I still see them in the field (even though they should not be used.)

One problem that I've seen is that the GUI does not provide for a way to import the XML file that it so readily exports.

The answer is to use the CLI. First, upload the XML file to the file system in the GUI under file management and remember the name you used. Then connect to the device via serial or some other manner:

               Welcome to

               Cisco Systems

       VPN 3000 Concentrator Series

          Command Line Interface

Copyright (C) 1998-2005 Cisco Systems, Inc.

1) Configuration

2) Administration

3) Monitoring

4) Save changes to Config file

5) Help Information

6) Exit

From there, select 2, and you'll see:

1) Administer Sessions

2) Software Update

3) System Reboot

4) Reboot Status

5) Ping

6) Traceroute

7) Access Rights

8) File Management

9) Certificate Management

10) Back

Select 8

Which File to import XML from

Put in the name of the file you copied to the system using the GUI and you'll see:

Import successful.

Back out: 10 followed by 10 again, and save config. Reboot the system. You may need to re-import the XML as sometimes things like default gateways don't get set correctly on the first import.

 

Kickstart Command Line Options/Arguments

Here are a bunch of handy arguments taken from this page:


Redhat Documentation

So, typically I interrupt a Redhat boot and choose the following:


(appended to the normal boot line)

ksdevice=eth0 ip=10.2.3.4 netmask=255.255.254.0 gateway=10.2.3.1 dns=10.10.10.2,10.10.10.4 ks=http://url/to/my/kickstart.cfg

Converting a Cisco 1141N Lightweight Access Point to Autonomous Mode

The biggest challenge in performing this operation is that the config terminal mode is not readily available.

To enable it:

debug capwap console cli

After that, let the ethernet interface (gi0) obtain an address over dhcp

1. archive tar /xtract tftp://myserver/myiosimage.tar flash:

2. After that finishes, wipe the config:

erase startup-config

3. conf t

4. boot system flash:/nameOfYourIOSIMAGE/imagefile

(i.e., boot system flash:/c1140-k9w7-tar.152-4.JB5.tar/c1140-k9w7-tar.152-4.JB5)

5. reload

6. After a successful boot, you can delete the old IOS image with something like:

delete /recursive /force flash:/name_of_old_ios_image

FreePBX Distro's Commercial Endpoint Manager and Polycom VVX Phones

A few pointers:

• To enable onetouch voicemail (i.e., press the voice mail button and have it connect automatically) - go to the endpoint manager, go to advanced, basefile edit and select the template you created for the given model of phone (i.e., vvx410.) Click "SIP-interop.cfg." Look for a line stating:

oneTouchVoiceMail      0

And set it to 0.

Now, go back to "Extension Mapping" - select your extension and select "rebuild config." After this, reboot your phone.

Acme SBC & ASC - Two Legged Call Issues

I recently ran into a strange problem using Oracle's (formerly Acme Packet) SBC. In this situation, the SBC gets authorization from calls by querying the ASC (Application Session Controller) - which, in turn, queries an application server. If the person calling is acceptable or the person being called is acceptable (in the case of inbound.)

This is useful in a couple of scenarios:

• You're presenting a virtual number. For instance, you want customers to be able to call a sales rep, but you don't want to give out the direct DID/number for the salesperson. In this case, the SBC accepts the inbound call, matches on the destination DID in the LRT (provided you are using an LRT) and sends the call to the ASC. The ASC either rejects the call (if the number is not authorized) or accepts the call. If it's the latter, it will open a second call (using the SBC) to the "real" number (which the ASC obtains from the application server) and then bridges the two calls together. Thus, a two-legged call. In this case, the ASC leaves the from field the same and changes the to field and the number on the invite to be the "real" number."
• You want to do some sort of processing/reporting on the call from a call manager. In this scenario, the call is routed to the SBC from another SBC or PBX. The SBC accepts the call based on the "FROM" key in the LRT. The SBC sends the call over to the ASC. If the ASC is okay with the call, it creates the second leg and bridges the call. It's possible to even send the call back to the originating call manager or SBC.

I ran into a strange problem  in the second scenario. I had restricted the codecs on the SBC for a given session-agent. The first leg was established with no issue. The call was forwarded over to the ASC. However, the second leg was the problem. The ASC opened the second leg, but the TO and FROM fields were reversed, breaking the call.

After investigating the issue (the logs from the ASC were not helpful,) I realized that the ASC was missing the appropriate codec (in this case, G729) and, I believe, was trying to send back an error message from the sender.

The fix, of course, was to enable the codec on the ASC.