Send vEdge Serial Numbers to the Controller Devices
Only authorized Viptela routers—both vEdge Cloud and vEdge hardware routers—can join the overlay network. The controller devices—the vManage NMSs, the vSmart controllers, and the vBond orchestrators—learn which vEdge routers are authorized to join the overlay network from the vEdge authorized serial number file. This is a file that you receive from Viptela. The vEdge authorized serial number file lists the serial numbers and corresponding chassis numbers for all authorized vEdge routers. You upload this file on one of the vManage NMS in your network, and the NMS then distributes the file to the controllers.
When you upload the vEdge serial number file, you can place the vEdge routers in one of these states:
- Invalid—When you power on the vEdge routers, they are not authorized to join the overlay network.
- Staging—When you power on the vEdge routers, they are validated and authorized to join the overlay network, and they are able to establish control plane connections only. Over the control plane, the routers receives their configuration from the vManage NMS. However, the routers are unable to establish data plane connections, so cannot communicate with other vEdge routers in the network. The Staging state is useful when you are preparing vEdge routers at one location and then sending them to different sites for installation. Once the routers reach their final destination, you change their state from Staging to Valid, to allow the routers to establish data plane connections and to fully join the overlay network.
- Valid—When you power on the vEdge routers, they are validated and authorized to join the overlay network, and they are able to establish both control plane and data plane connections in the network. Over the control plane, the routers receive their configuration from the vManage NMS. Over the data plane, they are able to communicate with other vEdge routers. The Valid state is useful when the vEdge routers are being installed at their final destination.
This article describes how to upload the vEdge authorized serial number file to a vManage NMS and to distribute the file to all the overlay network controllers.
Place vEdge Routers in Valid State
To place the vEdge Routers in the Valid state so that they can establish control and data plane connections and can receive their configurations from the vManage NMS:
- In vManage NMS, select the Configuration ► Devices screen.
- From the Devices title bar, select vEdge List.
- Click Upload vEdge List.
4. In the Upload vEdge dialog box, select the file to upload.
5. To upload the vEdge serial number file to the vManage NMS and also send it to the controllers, click Validate the uploaded vEdge list and send to controllers, and then click Upload.
A list of vEdge routers in the network is displayed, showing detailed information about each router. To verify that the routers are in the Valid state, select Configuration ► Certificates.
Place vEdge Routers in Invalid State
To upload the vEdge authorized serial number file to the vManage NMS, but place the vEdge routers in Invalid state so that they cannot establish control plane or data plane connections and cannot receive their configurations from the vManage NMS:
- In vManage NMS, select the Configuration ► Devices screen.
- From the Devices title bar, select vEdge List.
- Click Upload vEdge List.
4. In the Upload vEdge dialog box, choose the file to upload.
5. To upload the vEdge serial number file to the vManage NMS only, click Upload.
A list of vEdge routers in the network is displayed, showing detailed information about each router. To verify that the routers are in the Invalid state, select Configuration ► Certificates.
Place vEdge Routers in Staging State
To move the vEdge routers from the Invalid state to the Staging state and then send the vEdge serial number file to the controllers, follow the steps below. In the Staging state, the routers can establish control plane connections, over which they receive their configurations from the NMS. However, the routers cannot establish data plane connections.
- Select Configuration ► Certificates.
- From the Certificates title bar, select vEdge List.
- In the Validate column, click Staging for each vEdge router.
- Click Send to Controller.
- When you are ready to have the vEdge router join the data plane in the overlay network, in the Validate column, click Valid for each router, and then click Send to Controller. Placing the routers in the Valid state allows them to establish data plane connections and to communicate with other vEdge routers in the overlay network.