Cisco Simulator : Cisco IOS-On-UNIX (Cisco IOU)

Cisco Learning Labs for routing and switching are real bundles of practice labs, powered by Cisco IOS Software on UNIX.


Cisco IOS-On-UNIX is a Cisco simulator, Cisco use IOU for IOS testing & CCIE R&S Trouble shooting. Also Cisco Conduct CCIE R&S Trouble shotting on Cisco IOS-On-UNIX.


Cisco IOS-On-UNIX is cisco internal simulator used by internal employ.


Now Cisco IOU has been leaked & available on internet. You can download the Cisco IOS-On-UNIX for CCIE LAB practice.


Cisco IOS-On-UNIX support all feature & it come with advance enterprise IOS.


Also Cisco has now announce officially Cisco Learning LAB where you can buy Cisco Rental LAB for preparation of CCIE R&S or MPLS LABS.


From Below link you will know more about Cisco IOS-On-UNIX  


1] Cisco IOU -- Part 1
2] Cisco IOU -- Part 2
3] Cisco IOU -- Part 3
4] Cisco IOU -- Part 4
5] Cisco IOU -- Part 5

Cisco IOU -- Part 5

How you can Telnet the Cisco IOU routes ?

You can telnet all router that you are running in Cisco IOU. Please follow the below steps :-


Check the IP address of VMware machine with "ifconfig" command. VMware machine will automatically get IP address because of DHCP, DHCP is enable in VMware so when ever you will run VMware machine the you will get IP address. (Default) 


For example your IP address is 192.168.120.110 then open Putty or Telnet or use SecureCRT to do telnet.
You will do telnet to IP address : "telnet 192.168.120.110 2001 "  2001 is the port number.

So you will get R1 prompt , In this way yo can start telnet using port number till 2030 in TS1 & TS2.

For Example : 


"telnet 192.168.120.110 2001 "
"telnet 192.168.120.110 2002 "
"telnet 192.168.120.110 2003 "
"telnet 192.168.120.110 2004 "  


Use Secure CRT to save the session , So that you can use those session any time .

Note : In Cisco IOU you will not able to save the configuration because you are running topology in LIVE CD, In up coming post i will show you how to save the configuration in Cisco IOU for TS1 & TS2 or any other.

Cisco IOU -- Part 4

How to run Cisco IOU on your machine ?

@ Below are the link from where you can download the Cisco IOU .

@ Install the VMware 

@ Create machine & allocate at least 2GB Ram.( Don't install any OS in that )

@ From below link you will get ISO image for Cisco IOU & boot that machine with this image.

@ You will see that machine will start with Linux OS 

@ Then you will get ROOT prompt & then type "ls" command to view file in root directory.

@ To start TS1 or TS2 topology you can type blow command : 

#TS1

TS1#one  ====> " Type one to start the topology"

#TS2

TS2#two   ====> " Type two to start the topology"

Type "off" to turn off the routers.

Please ignore thet below error : 

Waitting on port 2030
Process Id For child is 1681,parent is 1679
UNIX ERR:tcgetattr:Invalid argument

You can download the Cisco IOU from below links with different topology : 

1] Cisco IOU LiveCD v1  ===> 6 Routers  

2] Cisco IOU CCIE v4 TS 1 & 2 Rack LiveCD v2.0 == > Used for Troubleshooting in CCIE R&S Lab

In v2.0 you can have two topology i.e. TS1 & TS2 .

TS1 : This is troubleshooting ready topology that used in CCIE R&S Lab exam.

TS2 : This is troubleshooting ready topology that used in CCIE R&S Lab exam.

Below are the topology diagram for TS1 & TS2

TS 1 Topology : 25+ routers 

TS 2 Topology : 25+ routers

Note : If you are not able to start all router then increase the RAM.

Cisco IOU -- Part 3

Here’s a simple NETMAP file:

101:0
101:18 102:2
102:0

There are two routers represented here, identified by “application ID” values 101 and 102 (which you pass to the IOU images when starting them up).

The first and last lines represent an interface which is connected to nothing. The second line shows that the interface on 101 identified by 18 is connected to the interface on 102 identified by 2. Where do these numbers come from you ask?

Unlike Dynamips/Dynagen, “NETMAP” does not use interface names but, rather, interface IDs. The IDs are not tied to a specific interface type (e.g. Serial or Ethernet). When launching an IOU instance, you can specify (via the command-line) which interfaces you want and how many. The ID used for Serial1/2 and Ethernet1/2 would be the same and, as such, it’s impossible to have both of those interfaces in an single instance.

To calculate the ID used by “interface x/y”, you would use the following formula:

id = x + (y * 16)

Examples:

    interface 0/0 = 0
    interface 0/3 = 48
    interface 1/2 = 33
    interface 12/1 = 28

Based on this formula, we can see that in the second line of the example NETMAP file, 101′s interface 2/1 is connected to 102′s interface 2/0.

Using this formula (and the resulting values), it should be fairly easily to construct your own NETMAP files from scratch.

Note that you can’t, unfortunately, “bridge” an IOU instance to a physical network without the use of another piece of software named “IOUlive”

Cisco IOU -- Part 2

Cisco IOU has been cracked by http://evilrouters.net & you can refer the http://evilrouters.net for more detail.

Here i will introduce you with Cisco IOU which will help you for your CCIE R&S Exam.

Over the internet you will get different version of Cisco IOU but all IOU are same as the original one , The difference is the topology.

You can modify the topology by editing the NETMAP file . NETMAP file is the same file that we use in GNS. ( Please see How to Create NETMAP in other post ) 

 

In IOU you can get Linux Base IOS, Below are the file name of Cisco IOS 

1] i86bi_linux-adventerprisek9-ms

2] i86bi_linux-adventerprisek9-ms

In advance enterprise IOS you will get all feature that you get in Cisco 7200 series router with K9 image ot Adv IP Base IOS.

Using GNS is good but when you what to run 20 or 30 router then it will create problem.

GNS is a emulator that emulate the hardware with original IOS so it require more CPU.

If you want to run 20+ router in GNS then it will kill your CPU. So now you can go with Cisco IOU .

In Cisco IOU you can 50+ routers or may more.( Req RAM not CPU )

In up coming post i will let you know : 

1] How to run Cisco IOU 

2] How to Save Configuration 

3] And many more ...

    

  

Cisco IOU -- Part 1

What is Cisco IOU ?

          From the Cisco Engineering Education web site (a long time ago):

IOS on Unix (IOU) is a fully working version of IOS that runs as a user mode UNIX (Solaris) process. IOU is built as a native Solaris image and run just like any other program. IOU supports all platform independent protocols and features.

What operating systems does IOU run on?

It is my understanding that, initially, IOU was Solaris (SPARC) only. Nowadays, however, there are also builds for OS X and Linux. Similar to dynamips, IOU allows you to build out a network topology on a computer, without the need for physical routers. This is useful for validating designs, proof-of-concept testing, and certification self-study.

Warnings

Is this legal?

Usage of IOU outside of Cisco (and trusted partners) is a potentially legal gray area. From an old internal-only Cisco web page:

Cisco IOS on Unix is a tool intended for internal use only. Distribution of IOU images to customers or external persons, or discussion of IOU with customers or external persons, is prohibited. Don’t do it or we’ll have to come and kill you.

EVC: Ethernet Virtual Circuits – Part 2

As we saw the basic of EVC in my earlier post EVC: Ethernet Virtual Circuits – Part 1 & here we will dig some more to know about EVC.

1] What is Ethernet Flow point (EPF)? : - EPF is a Service Instance which classifies frames
     belongs to particular Ethernet service & also defines & applies feature,behavior & forwarding action.

2] Ethernet Virtual Circuit (EVC): - EVC is management plane containers which represents
    globally & also do 1-toMany mapping for EVC to EPF.

3] Bridge Domain (BD): - BD is a broadcast domain local to that device.

EVC Bridge Domain: EVC bridges decouple VLAN from broadcast domain.

• VLAN are treated as encapsulation on a wire.
• VLAN on a wire are mapped to internal bridge domain.
• Result : Per – Port VLAN Significance.

Flexible Service Mapping

• Service Instance construct Layer 2 Flow on Ethernet Interface
• Single Tagged
• Double Tagged
• Header / Payload

Service Instance Mapping is specified by following command :

Encap do1q 100 : match any frame with Outer Tag equal to 100

Encap dot1q 100 sec 200 : match any frame with outer tag as 100 and second tag as 200

Encap Default : Service Instance with default encapsulation matches all frame otherwise unmatched by any other S-I on the same port.

Advance Frame Manipulation or VLAN Tag Manipulation

• PUSH Operation : Add one VLAN Tag or Two VLAN Tag
• POP Operation : Remove One VLAN Tag or Two VLAN Tag
• Translation Operation :

         1:1 VLAN Translation
         1:2 VLAN Translation
         2:1 VLAN Translation
         2:2 VLAN Translation

The Biggest advantage on EVC is to support multiple services per physical port . That means you can have multiple service under one physical port.

• Local Connect
• EoMPLS ( xconnect)
• L2 Multipoint Bridge
• L2 Multipoint Bridge ( VPLS , SVI-Based EoMPLS)
• L2 Point to multipoint bridge
• L3 Termination



EVC: Ethernet Virtual Circuits – Part 1

Ethernet Virtual Circuits (EVC)

@ Support mix of Layer 2 & Layer 3 Services on same physical port.

@ Concurrent support of different flavors of Layer 2 Services i.e. Point –to- Point &

     Point-to Multipoint. ( E-Line , E-LAN, E-Tree)

@ Emerging Standard: IEEE 802.1ad, IEEE 802.1ah

@ EPF: Ethernet Flow Point i.e. Transport agnostic abstraction of an Ethernet.

@ Flexible Service Mapping


Concept & Terminology


@Three Type of EVC:


• Point –to- Point (E- LINE)

• Point-to Multipoint (E-LAN)

• Rooted Multipoint (E-TREE)

 @ Ethernet Virtual Connection or Circuit

 @ Conceptual Visualization of an Ethernet

Two Understand the EVC Building Block below terms or concept need to know:

@ Ethernet Flow Point (EFP): Transport agnostic abstraction of an Ethernet services

@ Ethernet Virtual Circuit (EVC): Local Object or container for service parameter.

@ Bridge Domain (BD): Ethernet Broadcast domain.

MPLS Lable : PUSH / POP / SWAP

In MPLS Lable  we come with the terms know as PUSH , POP & SWAP & always we get confuse with there function.

Here is the brief of  PUSH , POP & SWAP :

1] PUSH  :  Adding a Lable to Incomming Packet and also aka Lable imposition
2] SWAP :  Replace the lable of incomming packet
3] POP    :  Remove the lable from outgoing packet and also aka Lable disposition.

Intermediate System - Intermediate System -- Part 1

ISIS was originally designed for Open System Interconnect (OSI) protocol Suite. The Connectionless Network Service (CLNS) is been used & introduced by OSI.

The form of running on Cisco routers is Integrated IS-IS, Which supports both CLNP and IP.

ISIS Terminology

An OSI domain is very much like a domain with the other routing protocols you've studied – it's a segment of a network that's under a common administrative control. An area is a logical segment of the network that is composed of contiguous router and their connecting data links.

These are logical entities, but there are two physical bodies as well. A host is an End system (ES). An Intermediate System (IS) is a router. Not a group of routers, a single router.

ISIS uses a two level hierarchy, allowing a large domain to be subdivided into areas

An L1/L2 router can act as an L1 and L2 router at the same time. An L1/L2 router can have neighbor in separates ISIS areas. The L1/L2 router will have two separate database – one for L1 routes and another for L2 routes

L1/L2 is the default setting for Cisco routers running ISIS

In Upcomming parts will digg further.

ISIS has three type of router: - Level 1 [L1], Level 2[L2] and L1/L2 

Level -1

L1 routers are contained in a single area, and are connected to other areas by an L1/L2 router. The L1 uses the L1/L2 router as a default gateway to reach destination contained in other areas.

Level - 1/2

An L1/L2 router can act as an L1 and L2 router at the same time. An L1/L2 router can have neighbor in separates ISIS areas. The L1/L2 router will have two separate database – one for L1 routes and another for L2 routes

L1/L2 is the default setting for Cisco routers running ISIS