Connectrix: Cisco: How to configure Cisco MDS series switches call home and add to Secure Connect Gateway

Summary: This KB article explains the steps involved in callhome configuration of Cisco MDS switches.

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Instructions

Note: The first step to be performed is to edit the ESRS scripts according to the NX-OS version of the switch model.

See Below KB link on how to edit the scripts and copy them to MDS switches.
000183204: Connectrix Cisco MDS-Series: How to edit the ESRS script to enable password encoding

 

Below are the steps involved configuring call home configuration on MDS switches for SCG:

  1. Enable ESRS ConnectHome on the MDS switch
    Run the below commands:

#conf t Conf
#callhomeCallhome
# alert-group all script-name Example: callhome
# alert-group all script-name ch_scripts_9710.tar

 

Note: If you map any one alert group to a script name, by default all the alert groups will be mapped to the script. By default you can enable the "All" alert group. If you are configuring the switch for the first time, make sure the callhome and cfs distribution is enabled on the switch. Use the below commands to enable callhome and cfs distribution: 
SVT9718# config
Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z.
SVT9718(config)# callhome
SVT9718(config-callhome)# enable
SVT9718(config-callhome)# distribute
SVT9718(config-callhome)# commit
SVT9718# show callhome status
Distribution : Enabled
SVT9718# show cfs application name callhome
 Enabled : Yes
 Timeout : 20
 Merge Capable : Yes
 Scope : Physical-fc-ip
 Region : Default

 

  1. Configuring the destination-profile for connecthome.
    This method avoids generating unnecessary callhome. Change the message level of the destination profile so that only critical callhomes are generated. Run the below command to configure the message level.

# conf t
Config# callhome
Config-callhome# destination-profile <destination name> message-level 5
Config-callhome# destination-profile <destination name> message-level 2
Example:
(config-callhome) # destination-profile test message-level 5
 (config-callhome) # destination-profile xml message-level 2
 Config-callhome#commit
The message level 5 will generate callhome for error and above severity

 

  1. To map the destination profile to the alert group, use the below command:

# conf t
Config# callhome
Config-callhome# destination-profile <Destination-Profile-Name> alert-group <alert-group name>
Example:
(config-callhome) # destination-profile test alert-group system
Config-callhome#commit

 

  1. Run the additional below commands to create a destination profile:

# conf t
Config# callhome
Config-callhome# destination-profile full_text
Config-callhome# destination-profile full_text format xml
Config-callhome# destination-profile full_text message-size 100000
Config-callhome# destination-profile test
Config-callhome# destination-profile test format xml
Config-callhome# destination-profile xml email-addr <email address>, where email address will be the
customer email address where he will get emails as well for alerts
Config-callhome#commit

 

  1. Run the below command to add email SMTP server details:

# conf t
Config# callhome
Config-callhome# transport email smtp-server <customer email smtp-server address> port 25
Config-callhome# transport email from <customer from email address>
Config-callhome# transport email reply-to <customer reply-to email address>
Config-callhome# transport email mail-server <customer email mail-server details> port 25 priority 50
Config-callhome#commit

 

  1. Verify that the settings by running the following command:
    #show run callhome
    Output similar to the following appears:

SVT9710# show run callhome
 !Command: show running-config callhome
 !Time: Wed Mar 22 07:40:38 2017
 version 7.3(1)DY(1)
 callhome
 email-contact example@dell.com
 phone-contact +91xxxxxxxxxx
 streetaddress Banaglore
 distribute
 destination-profile xml email-addr example@dell.com
 transport email smtp-server 10.106.83.170 port 25
 transport email from san-ops@customer.com
 transport email reply-to example@dell.com
 enable
 alert-group <option> script-name ch_script_9710.tar
 commit

 

  1. Run command show callhome script-mapping

SVT9710# show callhome script-mapping
User configured Script mapping for alert groups :
alert-group system script-name ch_script_9710.tar
alert-group environmental script-name ch_script_9710.tar
alert-group linecard-hardware script-name ch_script_9710.tar
alert-group supervisor-hardware script-name ch_script_9710.tar
alert-group inventory script-name ch_script_9710.tar
alert-group test script-name ch_script_9710.tar
alert-group cisco-tac script-name ch_script_9710.tar
alert-group syslog-group-port script-name ch_script_9710.tar
alert-group RMON script-name ch_script_9710.tar
alert-group license script-name ch_script_9710.tar
alert-group crash script-name ch_script_9710.tar

 

  1. Verify that the switch receives a Test event.
    Run one of the following commands to send a test event:

    #callhome test – This will generate a test alert and send the alert to ESRS backend
    # callhome test-keepalive - This command sends one keepalive. This is used internally to send periodic keepalive. When a device is added, periodic keepalive is automatically started and is sent once every 300secs/ 5 minutes

  2. Verify that the switch can send files using Managed File Transfer (mft-put)
    Run the following command to gather cluster logs:
    If the upload is successful, output similar to the following displays:

SVT9718# callhome mft-put bootflash://sup-active/ch_script_9718.tar
### Filename is /bootflash/ch_script_9718.tar ###
Trying to copy file using mft-put to remote location
Successfully sent file using mft-pu

 

Note: If the Switch does not reflect/list under the SCG application, Kindly follow the below steps.

Run the following command on the switch to disable the ESRS command:

# conf t
conf
#callhome
callhome# no alert_group script-name script-name ch_script_9710.tar
callhome# alert_group script-name script-name ch_script_9710.tar

 

Affected Products

Connectrix MDS-Series Hardware
Article Properties
Article Number: 000219265
Article Type: How To
Last Modified: 12 May 2025
Version:  2
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