Agenda: exercises-rancid.txt

Advanced Registry Operations Curriculum
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
---------

0. Log in to your PC or open a terminal window as the tladmain user.

1. Verify that postfix (mail system) is installed and running.

        $ ps ax | grep postfix

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

        $ sudo vi /etc/aliases

        rancid-all:             sysadmin
        rancid-admin-all:       sysadmin

        Save the file, then run:

        $ sudo newaliases

3. Install Rancid itself

    $ sudo apt-get install rancid-core

        (Say yes to the questions)

    $ sudo apt-get install rancid-util
    $ sudo apt-get install rancid-cgi
    $ sudo apt-get install cvsweb
    $ sudo apt-get install cvs

    Or you could install everything at once:
    
    $ sudo apt-get install rancid-util rancid-cgi cvsweb cvs

4. Edit /etc/rancid/rancid.conf

        $ sudo vi /etc/rancid/rancid.conf

        Find the line with the parameter LIST_OF_GROUPS, and replace it with

        LIST_OF_GROUPS="all"

5. Choose which router you will manage:

        pc1 -  pc9              192.168.5.129
        pc10 - pc18             192.168.5.161


6. Change to the rancid user

        - First you need to become the root user:

        $ su -
        
          Now you can 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=114(rancid) gid=124(rancid) groups=124(rancid)

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

        R vi /var/lib/rancid/.cloginrc

        add user 192.168.5.xxx admin
        add password 192.168.5.xxx GTcctld! GTcctld!

        (Remember to replace xxx with .129 for group 1, or .161 for group 2)

        $ chmod 600 /var/lib/rancid/.cloginrc

7. Initialize the CVS repository for rancid:

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

        - You should see something similar to this:

No conflicts created by this import

cvs checkout: Updating all
Directory /var/lib/rancid/CVS/all/configs added to the repository
cvs commit: Examining configs
cvs add: scheduling file `router.db' for addition
cvs add: use `cvs commit' to add this file permanently
/var/lib/rancid/CVS/all/router.db,v  <--  router.db
initial revision: 1.1


8. Test login to the router

        $  /usr/lib/rancid/bin/clogin 192.168.5.xxx

        (where xxx is the IP of the router (either .129 or .161))

        - You should now be logged in to the router, and see something like:

        pcx-pcy-gw#

        - Type 'exit' to logout

9. Add the router.db

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

        Add:

        192.168.5.xxx:cisco:up

        (remember to replace xxx with .129 or .161)

10. Let's run rancid!

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

        (Should take a few seconds)

11. Check out the logs:

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

        ... View the contents of the file:

        $ more all.*


12. Look at the configs

        $ cd /var/lib/rancid/all/configs
        $ more 192.168.5.xxx

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


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

        $ /usr/lib/rancid/bin/clogin 192.168.5.xxx

        - At the "pcx-pcy-gw>" prompt, enter the command:

        config terminal

        - You should see:

Enter configuration commands, one per line.  End with CNTL/Z.
pcx-pcy-gw(config)#

        - Enter:

        interface Ethernet0/0

        - You should get this prompt:

pcx-pcy-gw(config-if)#

        - Enter:

        pcx-pcy-gw(config-if)> description Internal Interface for 192.168.5.xxx/27


        - Then type CTRL-Z (press Control + the Z key)

        - You should now have this prompt:

pcx-pxy-gw>

        - To save the config to memory:

        write memory

        - You should see:

Building configuration...
[OK]

        - To exit type:

        exit

14. Let's run rancid again:

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

        Look at the config and logs

        $ ls /var/lib/rancid/logs/

15. Let's see the differences

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

        You should see all the router config files

        $ cvs log 192.168.5.xxx

        (where xxx is the IP of your router, .129 or .161)

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

        $ cvs diff -r 1.2 -r 1.3 192.168.5.xxx | more

        ... can you find your changes ?

16. Check your mail

        As the user "sysadmin", run the "mutt" mailer to see the mails that
        Rancid has sent:

        $ exit
        # su - sysadmin

        $ mutt

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

        (use q or x to quit mutt)

17. Finally, let's make rancid run automatically every 30 minutes from cron

        $ crontab -e

        - Add this line:

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

        ... then save and quit