Installation and configuration

Installation

Deploying the OVA file

First, download the OVA file of the DC NetScope module from the official website easyvirt.com.

Once the OVA image is downloaded, launch the deployment from the vCenter interface, via a right click on a vCenter resource:

Select the Local fileoption, then click on the Upload Files A file selection window will appear. You need to select the OVA file that you uploaded earlier.

Once the OVA file is selected, you can click on the Next button to proceed to the next step.

On the screen below, enter a name for your future VM DCNetScopeVM, then enter the logical location that the future VM will take.

Once you are happy with what has been chosen, click on the Next button to continue the deployment.

Now choose the physical resource that will host the VM. Click on Next to continue the deployment.

As shown in the screenshot below, the vCenter displays a summary of the future deployment, check that what is proposed is correct.

If it is, you can continue the deployment.

The next step is to choose the type of storage that will be used for the future VM.

If you want to limit the impact that DcNetScope will have on the storage of your vCenterinfrastructure, you can choose the Thin Provision option as shown in the following screenshot.

Once you have selected the storage, you can continue the deployment by clicking the Next.

Now you have to choose the network configuration of the virtual machine.

Be careful to choose a network option that allows the future virtual machine to receive communications from the ESXi servers to the virtual machine's port 9000 (udp).

Once the network option is chosen, you can continue the deployment by clicking the Next.

Before proceeding with the deployment, the vCenter displays a summary of all the options that have been chosen. Please check that they are correct.

To start the deployment, click the Finish

The deployment of the virtual machine will start. Once the deployment is complete, the virtual machine will be available on the physical resource that has been chosen for hosting the virtual machine.

Configuring DC Netscope

When connecting to the VMware console of the DC Netscope virtual machine, you will be greeted by a command line wizard that allows you to set up the Netscope VM.

When first logging in you will be asked to choose a password that will later be used to access this console.

Once the password has been chosen and entered, you will be taken to the next screen which offers :

• Services: Configuration of the services that make up DC Netscope. It is possible to stop, start and view the status of a service.
• Network: allows you to configure the network interface (including static IP addressing), domain name resolution and DNS server. This section also allows you to make a DHCP request and restart network interfaces.
• Vcenter: Configuration of the vCenter IP and the username and password associated with the vCenter account that DC Netscope will use. It is highly recommended to provide an account with read-only rights.

vCenter Configuration

The "vCenter" section allows you to configure the IP address of the vCenter service and the username and password of the vCenter account that DC Netscope will use. It is strongly recommended to provide an account with read-only rights.

Configuration

Configuring DCscope

In the Settings section (accessible by clicking on the icon at the top right), a new tab called "DC Netscope" has been added, which allows you to configure the URL of the DC Netscope agent.

This URL is the one displayed in the VMware console on the main screen of the DC Netscope command line tool. It is of the form: «http://[IP_ADDRESS]:5000 ».

Configuring vSwitch Distributions

In order for DC Netscope to analyse the network flows within a vSphere infrastructure, the Distributed vSwitch must provide traffic information. To do this, go to the "Networking" section of the vCenter web interface (globe icon), and configure the Distributed vSwitches whose traffic you want to analyse via Netflow.

Distributed vSwitches are configured as follows: right-click on a Distributed vSwitch, then select 'Settings' and 'Edit Netflow'.

A sub-screen appears, allowing you to configure where the Netflow traces will be exported. Configure the address and port of the Netflow collector integrated in DC Netscope: these two pieces of information are present in the URL displayed on the main screen of the DC Netscope command line tool (typically in the form: "http://

Then, for each port group of the Distributed vSwitch, right click on the port group, and click on "Edit Settings", a subscreen will appear.

On this subscreen, click on the "Monitoring" label in the left margin, and check that the "Netflow" option is enabled.

Miscellaneous

Configuring a static IP address in DC Netscope

It is possible to configure DC Netscope to use static IP addressing. To do this, go to the network:

Then select the *edit_networks_file" option to edit the network configuration of the DC Netscope virtual machine:

Configure the interface ens192 with the following configuration:

auto ens192
iface ens192 inet static
    address 192.168.3.209
    netmask 255.255.255.0
    gateway 192.168.3.1

The configuration file should look like the following screenshot:

Finally, select the *restart_ifaces" option to restart the network interfaces and take into account the configuration change:

The configured static IP address should then appear in the DC Netscope home screen: