Access types

Use the access types section of a RAD to describe the communication that is used between the network resource and ITNCM - Base.

While access order defines the order of each connection protocol to a device, the access type is where a connection is made to the device. There are various attributes that can be set on an access type to control it's connection to the device, and determine the various actions a UOW can perform once connection is made.

Syntax

The following example shows the XML elements used in the access types section of a RAD. The access type specified in the example is the TELNET protocol.

<!-- Begin access types section of a RAD -->
<access-types>

	<!-- Begin access type definition for TELNET protocol -->
	<access-type name="telnet">
			
			<script-id>default</script-id>
			<ssh-type>none</ssh-type>

			<streaming-put-flag>false</streaming-put-flag>
			<streaming-get-flag>true</streaming-get-flag>

			<native-compare-flag>false</native-compare-flag>
			<import-prewrite-flag>true</import-prewrite-flag>

			<sync-prewrite-flag>true</sync-prewrite-flag>
			<import-report-diffs-flag>false</import-report-diffsflag>

			<user/>
			<password/>
			<enable-password/>
			<prev-user/>
			<alt-user/>
			<prev-password/>
			<alt-password/>

			<prev-enable-password/>
			<alt-enable-password/>

			<hostname/>
			<port>23</port>

			<ssh1>
				<cipher>des</cipher>
			</ssh1>

			<ssh2>
				<cipher>blowfish</cipher>
			</ssh2>
			
	<!-- End access type definition for TELNET protocol -->
	</access-type>

<!-- End access types section of a RAD -->
</access-types>

Description

The following table describes each of the XML elements used in the access types section of a RAD. These XML elements map to characteristics that describe how ITNCM - Base communicates with a device.

Note: Not all of the XML elements described in the table appear in the previous example of the access types section of a RAD.
XML element Description

<additional-errors>

Enables additional device error tokens to be created. These error tokens are appended to the values in default.errors in the device script.

<alt-enable-password>

Specifies a flag used for authentication.

<alt-password>

Specifies a flag used for authentication.

<alt-enable-password>

Specifies a flag used for authentication.

<alt-user>

Specifies a flag used for authentication.

<configDataType>

Specifies the type of data that ITNCM - Base should get from the device. This option takes one of the following values:

  • CLI
  • BIN
  • CLIandBIN

<configEditPrompt>

Sets the prompt used by a device in config edit mode.

<ConnectResponseTimeout>

Specifies the timeout (in milliseconds) for the connection to be established and the user to successfully login.

<ConnectRetryDelay>

Specifies the time (in milliseconds) between each connection retry, only if the option to use a retry has been selected.

<ConnectionTimeout>

Specifies the timeout (in milliseconds) used when sending the connect prompt to a device. This is used to determine if there is still have an active connection.

<enable-password>

Specifies a flag used for authentication.

<enablePrompt>

Sets the prompt that a device uses in enable mode.

<hostname>

Specifies an override for the hostname associated with this device. This option is also used when setting up out of band management.

<import-char-streaming-flag>

Specifies a flag that instructs ITNCM - Base to send one character at a time while logging into a device.

<import-char-streaming-time-interval>

Specifies how fast in milliseconds to stream the character.

<import-prewrite-flag>

Specifies a flag that instructs ITNCM - Base to write the running config to the stored config on a Device before the device is read in.

<import-report-diffs-flag>

Specifies a flag that instructs ITNCM - Base to perform a deep compare and report the differences on an import.

<lbl-mode-flag-forncs>

Specifies a flag that enables or disables line by line mode when applying a native command set. Specify the value true to enable line by line mode. Otherwise, specify the value false to disable line by line mode.

<MaxResponseTimeout>

Specifies the maximum time (in milliseconds) to wait for a response from a device.

<native-compare-flag>

Specifies a flag that instructs ITNCM - Base to do a raw CLI compare first. If the configs are the same then it is done. If not, then the CLI is converted to XML and a deep compare is done. Before the raw CLI compare is done, any lines that are known to be different are removed.

<password>

Specifies a flag used for authentication.

<port>

Specifies the port number used for communication with the device.

<prev-enable-password>

Specifies a flag used for authentication.

<prev-password>

Specifies a flag used for authentication.

<prev-user>

Specifies a flag used for authentication.

<Prompt>

Specifies an option to enable the prompt on the device after login.

Note: This option is future functionality.

<reboot-on-config-load>

Specifies a flag that instructs ITNCM - Base to reboot the system after a config load. Specify the value true to instruct ITNCM - Base to reboot the system after a config load. Otherwise, specify the value false to prevent ITNCM - Base from rebooting the system after a config load.

The default for this flag is false.

<ResponseTimeout>

Specifies the time (in milliseconds) waited for a single wait statement. This is continually reset with reading the buffer and receiving the token. The maximum response timeout will override this if it is affected while retrieving data. Some devices keep sending data and keep resetting the response timeout, so the maximum response time out is used to override this and prevent an infinite loop.

<script-id>

Specifies the name of the device script to use. ITNCM - Base supplies two default values: default and ssh. The user can create as many scripts as required. If the user creates additional scripts, they will show up in the script section at the bottom of the RAD.

<socketConnectTimeout>

Specifies, in milliseconds, the connect timeout. Use this option to control the socket connection timeout for auto discovery.

<sourceAddress>

Specifies an address used for source routing when you want to send a different address than the server.

<ssh1>

Specifies a flag used for the encryption method for SSH 1 type connections.

<ssh2>

Specifies a flag used for the encryption method for SSH 2 type connections.

<ssh-type>

Specifies the type of SSH connection (or no SSH connection) to set up. This option takes one of the following values:

  • SSH — Set up an SSH 1 connection type.
  • SSH2 — Set up an SSH 2 connection type.
  • none — Do not set up an SSH connection type.

<streaming-get-flag>

Specifies a flag that instructs ITNCM - Base as to which communication method to use. Data that is retrieved from the device is streamed over the communication path that was used to connect to the device (typically Telnet OR SSH). This is dependent on the access-type. The alternative is to use file transfer methods to post the data to FTP server.

<streaming-put-flag>

Specifies a flag that instructs ITNCM - Base to stream all the changes to the device through streaming TELNET. Data that is sent to the device is streamed over the communication path that was used to connect to the device (typically Telnet OR SSH). This is dependent on the access-type. If the flag is set to false, then ftp/tftp is used to apply the changes.

<sync-prewrite-flag>

Specifies a flag that instructs ITNCM - Base to write the running config to the stored config on a Device before a device is read in for a sync.

<Timeout>

Specifies the timeout used for sending a character at a time. If you select the Character check box, then this option applies. Some devices require ITNCM - Base to send one character at a time when logging in.

<update-Resource-InfoOn-Config-Change>

Each time a config change occurs, this retrieves the data for all model and device specific data. By default this only happens at import.

<update-Resource-ConfigOn-Config-Change>

Each time a config change occurs, this retrieves the data for all configuration specific data. By disabling this, you will end up with a Stale Configuration because the system made a change to device but never updated the database with the new config data.

<user>

Specifies a flag used for authentication.