Release Notes
NETLAB+ 4.0 is the fourth major feature upgrade. For a complete
list of new features and changes occurring between version 3
and version 4, please visit:
http://www.netdevgroup.com/doc/NETLAB_Release_Notes_V400.pdf
4.0.25e - Nov-14-2008
Modification to Minimum Time Between Reservations Setting:
Based on helpful feedback provided by several customers, the behavior of the
Minimum Time Between Reservations setting has been modified. This setting
controls the minimum amount of time between successive reservations made by an
individual student or team and can be used to prevent excessive scheduling of
labs. Minimum Time Between Reservations may be set at the community level
(see section 2.14.1 of the NETLAB+ Administrator Guide. or at the class level
(see section 5.1 of the NETLAB+ Instructor Guide.
Originally, the Minimum Time Between Reservations was based on reservation
start time. The minimum time is now based on maintaining the time gap between
reservations. The following examples illustrate how this modification affects
the behavior of the scheduling system:
- Example 1
- Assume a Minimum Time Between Reservations is set to 3 hours.
Student Joan Smith makes a 2 hour lab reservation at 1:00pm Joan Smith’s
lab reservation will take place from 1:00pm-3:00pm.
- Before:
The next available time for which Joan Smith may make a lab reservation is
4:00pm. A total of 3 hours must pass from the start time (1:00pm) of
the first reservation.
- Now:
The next available time for which Joan Smith may make a lab reservation is
6:00pm. A 3 hour gap between the reservations (3 hours from the 3:00pm
end time) is enforced.
- Example 2
- Assume a Minimum Time Between Reservations is set to 4 hours>. A member
of Team-A makes a 1 hour lab reservation for the team at 9:00am
Team-A’s lab reservation will take place from 9:00am-10:00am
- Before:
The next available time for which Team-A may make a lab reservation is
1:00pm. A total of 4 hours must pass from the start time (9:00am) of
the first reservation
- Now:
The next available time for which Team-A may make a lab reservation is
2:00pm. A 4 hour gap between the reservations (4 hours from the 10:00am
end time) is enforced.
Support for Updated CCNA Discovery Courses
With this update, NETLAB
AE supports the recently revised versions
of the CCNA Discovery courses. Please refer to the lab support pages for
details on supported lab exercises for each course:
Bug Fix
#540: During recent software modifications, a limit of 10 device connections at a
single IP address was erroneously imposed. This limit was not intended
and has been removed.
4.0.25 - Aug-22-2008
New Features:
Administrator Defined Remote Access Ports. With this release, your
NETLAB+ system is no longer limited to using TCP port 23 (the default setting)
for remote access. The administrator may define one or more port numbers for
use by NETLAB+ for remote device access, remote PC access and chat functions
(chat functions will be available in a future software release). At some
organizations, it may be desirable to select a different port, in order to
remain compliant with your organization’s security policies. You may also define
additional remote access ports to assist clients who cannot use TCP port 23 due
to other security restrictions implemented between the client and NETLAB+ site.
Please refer to “Define Remote Access Points”, section 2.9 of the
NETLAB+ Installation Guide.
Remote Access Test. A Remote Access Test is performed during
each user login. The purpose of the test is to verify that the user will
be able to access devices and remote PCs using one of the TCP ports defined
by the system administrator (the default is TCP port 23). Performing this
test during each user login will provide users with guidance to resolve any
device connection problems that may be present before beginning a lab
reservation. Please refer to “Remote Access Test”, section 2.1 of the
NETLAB+ Administrator Guide.
System Usage Reporting. New usage reporting tools provide
valuable feedback on the use of your NETLAB+ system. The ability to
review the use your NETLAB+ system is receiving provides helpful
information to share within your organization, and can be a helpful
indicator of when to consider expanding your system.
There are several levels of reporting available, each with a variety of
sorting and grouping options:
Community Usage: Total number of labs and lab hours, grouped by community.
User Usage: Total number of labs and lab hours per user.
Class Usage: Total number of labs and lab hours per class.
Pod Usage: Total number of labs and lab hours per equipment pod.
Please refer to “Usage Reporting” section 2.28, of the
NETLAB+ Administrator Guide
for details on the usage reporting option.
Enhanced Community Management: Additional community level
settings allow administrators to enforce restrictions on the maximum time
length of lab reservations and the minimum time period between lab
reservations for an entire community. These restrictions
may be used along with class level settings. Please see “Manage Communities”
section 2.14, of the
NETLAB+ Administrator Guide for details.
Support of Discrete Non-Revealing Login Text. The Obscure Login
security option determines the type of login prompts and error messages
displayed during equipment logins using the Telnet protocol. If enabled,
NETLAB+ will emulate UNIX-style login prompts and error messages. The
default is disabled, which provides NETLAB+ specific login prompts and
informative error messages. This option does not affect the built-in Telnet
applications, which provide automatic, transparent logins; only users who opt
to use their own Telnet application are affected by this setting. This
option is available through the Configure services option of the
administrative interface, as described in “Configure Services” section 2.10,
of the
NETLAB+ Administrator Guide.
AE Lab Additions and Updates:
CCNA Discovery 2 - New
CCNA Discovery 3 - New
CCNA Discovery 4 - New
CCNP Implementing Secure Converged Wide Area Networks - Updated
CCNA Exploration 2 - Updated
CCNA Exploration 3 - Updated
CCNA Exploration 4 - Updated
Documentation Updates:
Installation Guide - Updated
Instructor Guide - Updated
Administrator Guide - Updated
Remote PC Guide for VMware Server Implementation - Updated
Network Fundamentals Pod Guide - Updated
Bug Fixes:
#539: Alternate names for PCs in certain labs do not appear on lab
access action, connection, or status tabs.
4.0.24 - Apr-4-2008
New Features:
Curriculum and labs can be authorized per community. Using this
feature, NETLAB PE customers that are also Cisco Networking
Academies can create separate communities for users and activities
that are not affiliated with the Academy program.
Added time zone support for Bogota, Lima, Quito.
AE Lab Additions and Updates:
CCNA Exploration 3 - New
CCNA Exploration 4 - New
Network Security 1 - Updated
Network Security 2 - Updated
AE Topologies:
LAN Switching Pod - New
Network Security Pod - Updated
Network Fundamentals Pod - Updated
Cuatro Router Pod - Updated
Documentation Updates:
Remote PC Guide for VMware Server Implementation - Updated
Administrator Guide - Updated
Network Security Pod - Updated
Bug Fixes:
#532: Attempting to access an unreachable switched outlet device
may produce the error 'Can't locate object method "ErrorNum"
via package "SNMP::Session" at APC9211.pm line 38.'
#533: Preloaded configuration files may fail to load on some
router platforms.
#534: Virtual PCs in the AE Network Fundamentals Pod are aligned
with the wrong S1 lab switch ports. This was corrected by
changing the VLAN maps to match configuration guidance in
the NFP documentation.
#535: The router interfaces E0 and E1 in the Network Security Pod
should be reversed. This was corrected by changing the VLAN
maps.
#536: Administrator cannot access curriculum.
#537: Separate time zone entry required for Bogota/Lima/Quito.
#538: Cuatro Router Pod cable guidance incorrect for R3 serial
interface.
4.0.23 - Aug-17-2007
New Features:
Added recognition of Cisco Packet Tracer 4.0 file extensions
(.pka and .pkt). This change allows Packet Tracer exercises
can be launched directly from curriculum hosted on NETLAB AE
systems. Please note that Packet Tracer is a standalone
application and must be installed on each user's PC for this
feature to work.
Added SNMP MIB changes for the APC Rackmount PDU. This update
is required for compatibility with newer APC models or if the
Ethernet management interface is upgraded to recent firmware.
Support added for Cisco Pagent IOS and automation to handle
Pagent license keys. Pagent IOS is used in the new CCNP ONT
course. Please refer to the ONT web page and section 4 of
the NETLAB+ Administrator Guide for details.
http://www.netdevgroup.com/ae/CCNP_ONT_50.htm
http://www.netdevgroup.com/doc/NETLAB_Administrator_Guide_40.pdf
New Academy Edition Labs:
CCNA 4.0 Exploration 1
CCNA 4.0 Exploration 2
CCNP 5.0 ISCW
CCNP 5.0 ONT
For details please refer to: http://www.netdevgroup.com/ae/labs.htm
You may also use NETLAB AE servers to host these new curriculum
modules. For CCNA, you must obtain the LINUX zip file versions
(available on Academy Connection); the Windows versions will
not work.
New Academy Edition Pods:
Network Fundamentals Pod
For details please refer to: http://www.netdevgroup.com/ae/topologies.htm
4.0.22
New Features:
Add Cuatro Router Pod (CRP) support for Academy Edition
CCNA 3.1 lab exercises.
Automation support for Pagent IOS images and license keys.
For more information, please refer to section 2.21.2.2
of the Administrator Guide.
Automation support for IOS 12.4 ROM monitors.
Added banner and login customization features for NETLAB PE.
4.0.21
New Features:
Updated time zone rules, including 2007 changes to
daylight savings time in U.S. and Canada.
For your convenience, your NETLAB+ system now displays
the status of your system maintenance agreement on the
administrator main page. You may also enable the display
of the maintenance reminder to selected instructors.
For details, please refer to the NETLAB+ Administrator
Guide section 2.1 and 2.14.2.
If you would like to use a lab device that is not
supported by NETLAB+, it may be possible by using the
new Generic Console Device setting. This feature
provides console access to an unsupported lab device
during a reservation. Several restrictions apply.
For details, please refer to the NETLAB+ Administrator
Guide section 2.21.23 and 2.21.1.5.
4.0.20
New Features:
Comprehensive system security updates.
Added support for Cisco ASA 5510 security appliance.
Bug Fixes:
#531: Class start and end dates ignored in version 4.
4.0.18
New Features:
Added class level usage statistics to the Class Manager.
Added access to student and team archive data directly
from the Class Manager.
Added option in class settings to enforce or disregard
lab time limits set by lab authors. Lead instructors
may choose to disregard predetermined lab time limits
to give students more time to complete labs.
Added labs for Network Security Version 2.0.
Enhanced TFTP server to work around Cisco rommon ARP
issue (CSCsg05110).
Bug Fixes:
#528: Watchdog should kill action scripts that have hung.
#529: Flash recovery script times out on checksum validation
of large IOS images.
#530: NETLAB may fail to set a router's config register
back to 2102 under certain conditions.
4.0.17
New Features:
Added class level usage statistics to the Class Manager.
Added access to student and team archive data directly
from the Class Manager.
Added option in class settings to enforce or disregard
lab time limits set by lab authors. Lead instructors
may choose to disregard predetermined lab time limits
to give students more time to complete labs.
Added labs for Network Security Version 2.0.
Enhanced TFTP server to work around Cisco rommon ARP
issue (CSCsg05110).
Bug Fixes:
#528: Watchdog should kill action scripts that have hung.
#529: Flash recovery script times out on checksum validation
of large IOS images.
4.0.16
New Features:
Add Cisco Catalyst 2960-24, 2960-48, 3560-24, and 3560-48
products as supported lab switches and control switches.
Bug fixes:
#526: Basic Switch Pod Version 2 pod design allocates 1 too
many A/S and APC ports.
#527: Lab designer export function broken in 4.0.14,
function always produces an IFRAME error message.
#528: Account deletion fails.
4.0.15
This release was recalled due to issue #528.
4.0.14
New Features:
Add beta support for PIX software version 7.1 and 7.2.
Bug fixes:
#522: Pod designer provided appropriate error messages,
but did not enforce retool and downgrading rules.
#523: Lead instructors not receiving final class configs
via e-mail.
#525: NETLAB may email duplicate user alert messages to
the designated system contacts. Some of these alerts
do not warrant notification at the administrator
level.
#526: AE Basic Switch Pod Version 2 should allocate only
three A/S and APC ports.
Known Issues:
#524: The NETLAB PIX driver is only designed to handle
disaster recovery of a software image. It is not
designed to handle downgrades, or some upgrades.
Downgrading in some cases may result in clearing
of the PIX activation keys. The NDG website and
documentation do not explain this.
4.0.13
Bug Fixes:
#520: The login password field should allow up to 16 characters.
#521: Added more descriptive error message and help screen when
an IFRAME is blocked by security software.
4.0.12
Bug Fixes:
#517: After adding two custom pods two NETLAB AE, regular
NETLAB AE pods cannot be added.
#518: Pods that were offline were incorrectly brought online
after software upgrade.
#519: Basic Router Pod V2 serial cable guidance is incorrect.
4.0.11
New Features:
NETLAB drivers were updated for VMware Server 1.0.1.
VMware Server support in NETLAB is now BETA. Please see the
VMware Server FAQ on the NDG website for further information:
http://www.netdevgroup.com/vmware_server_faq.htm
Bug Fixes:
#515: A lab design whose general settings are modified cannot
be uninstalled from the NETLAB database.
#516: Corrected timezone support for Chile and Easter Island.
4.0.9
New Features:
Communities
Pod Rules
Pod Designer (beta)
Lab Designer (beta)
Bug Fixes:
#514: NETLAB sets reserved port back to VLAN 1, regardless
of current VLAN. The correct behavior is to ignore
ports and VLANs 900 and higher.
#513: In certain cases, account deletion may fail.
#511: Change default console and enable password for instructor
accounts to 'cisco' and 'class'.
#510: Remote PC configuration file name should not
be case sensitive.
4.0.0 Major Upgrade
NETLAB+ 4.0 is the fourth major feature upgrade. For a complete
list of new features and changes occurring between version 3
and version 4, please visit:
http://www.netdevgroup.com/doc/NETLAB_Release_Notes_V400.pdf
3.7.5a
New Features:
NETLAB Academy Edition
Sharing Portal.
Catalyst 3560 lab device support.
Bug Fixes:
#508: Cycling individual pods offline and online many times
can cause incorrect temporary IP addresses to be used
during pod test and flash recovery. Pod test may fail
on Ethernet test.
#509: E0 and E1 are reversed on R1 in Basic Switch Pod
Version 2.
3.7.4
Released: December 2, 2005
Bug Fixes:
#507: After 3.7.3 upgrade, student lab reservations
are not appearing in the archive. The data is
in the database and will be accessible after
this fix is applied.
#508: Pod test now provides a very descriptive message
when "boot-enable break" needs to be enabled on a
lab switch.
3.7.3
Released: November 26, 2005
New Features:
NETLAB Academy Edition adds three new pod types:
- Basic Router Pod Version 2
- Basic Switch Pod Version 2
- Network Security Pod 2.0
46 CCNA2 labs have been updated.
3.7.2
New Features:
The Remote PC viewer now provides a radio button
to switch between 800x600 and 1024x768 resolution.
This feature may be replaced in a future version
by adding scrollbars to the Remote PC's client area.
The administrator profile now includes both a
technical contact and business contact. Alerts
may be sent to either.
Added RAID 1 support for Professional Edition.
A disk status feature was added. This administrator
utility displays disk usage and free space on each
volume. RAID array status is also displayed on PE
systems.
Bug Fixes:
#506: Changing switch type for a control switch does
not update the switch configuration file name.
Subsequent auto-configuration fails.
3.7.1
Bug Fixes:
#504: Remote PC sessions may hang under heavy load.
#505: Curriculum upload not handling Cisco modules
with same knet top level directory.
3.7.0
New Features:
Added Security Router Pod and Security PIX Pod in
support of FNSR and FNSP curriculum.
Added Remote PC support for security pods.
New iconic administrative interface.
Added integration with VMware GSX Server.
Added Cisco 1841, and Cisco 2800 series routers.
New modular interface for managing control devices
and pods.
Added 4 and 8 hour options to class self-study
to the class manager.
Any set of lab exercises can be assigned to a class.
For example, you may authorize CCNA, CCNP, and FNS
exercises within the same class.
CCNA Bridge exercises can now be turned on or off for
a given class.
Major documentation updates:
Administrator Guide
Install Guide New documentation:
System Overview
Remote PC Guide
NETLAB Academy Edition pod specific guides
Resolved Issues:
#503: Scrub fails when recovery of IOS image exceeds
15 minutes.
#502: TFTP requests from a Catalyst 2950 or 3550 can hang
the NETLAB TFTP server.
#501: Curriculum upload does not work for CCNA Bridge
courses.
#500: Deleting a reservation in progress may cause the
next reservation to start ahead of schedule.
3.6.1
Beta release.
3.5.0
New Features:
Beta support for Netscape 7.x, Firefox 0.9+, and
browsers based on Mozilla 5.
Added Java and Javascript checks.
3.4.0
New Features:
Add Cisco Academy curriculum upload support for:
CCNA 3.x & Bridge Courses
CCNP 3.x & Bridge Courses
Academy Fundamentals - Orientation Course 3.x
Academy Fundamentals - Remote Teaching Course 2.x
GLN Orientation 2.x
IT Essentials 1 & 2 (v2.0)
IT Essentials 1 & 2 (v3.0)
Added an administrative option to limit scheduling
of pods to specific instructors and their students.
Resolved Issues:
#496: Wrong pod type icons shown on CCNP catalog.
#497: Curriculum upload size restriction too small.
Increased maximum limit to 125 megabytes.
3.3.2
New Features:
NETLAB
AE now supports automated operations on the Cisco
Catalyst 3550 switch. Requires IOS 12.1(19)EA1a or later.
Resolved Issues:
#486: Catalyst 3550 boot sequence can not be interrupted;
inability to obtain ROM monitor mode causes NETLAB
AE
automation to fail. Requires 12.1(19)EA1a or later.
#495: Files in TFTP directory may have incorrect permissions.
TFTP operations may timeout or fail.
3.3.1
New Features:
None.
Resolved Issues:
#493: NETLAB
AE not using alternate HTTP port for CSS services.
#494: Core switch (Catalyst 3550) in Advanced Switch Pod
does not power on; can not be powered on from the
Actions tab.
Known Issues:
#486: NETLAB
AE does not support automation features such as
Load, Save, Scrub, and Password Recover on the Cisco
Catalyst 3550 (Advanced Switch Pods). Cisco does not
currently support interruption of the boot sequence
from the console port, which is required by NETLAB
AE
to implement these features.
3.2.0
New Features:
Your Academy will benefit from using NETLAB
AE to host the
Cisco Network Academy Program curriculum and lab content.
NETLAB
AE's simple web interface makes the system easy to use
and administrate. The NETLAB
AE administrator can load,
install, and secure CNAP curriculum modules with a
simple click of the mouse.
Resolved Issues:
#491: When loading configurations, interface commands are
not programmed for Cisco 1750 and Cisco 1760 models.
3.1.0
New Features:
NETLAB
AE versions of the CCNA 3.0 lab exercises for
Basic Router Pods.
Resolved Issues:
#489: Cable reference hyperlink for Advanced Router Pod
is broken -- refers to "arp3.htm", should be
topoarp3.htm.
Known Issues:
#486: Catalyst 3550 boot sequence can not be interrupted;
inability to obtain ROM monitor mode causes NETLAB
AE
automation to fail. This is an open bug with
Cisco. NDG has is working around the problem by
disabling NETLAB
AE automation on the 3550 lab switches.
As a result, the load, save, scrub, and password
recovery features are unavailable.
3.0.1
Released: to beta customers
New Features:
None
Resolved Issues:
#485: Local Telnet client accepts incorrect passwords.
#484: During the "boot rom monitor" pod test, the Cisco 2500
series NETLAB
AE driver may send decimal 65 for config
register instead of 0x41 (hex) causing test to fail.
#488: Active connections between control switches and lab
switches can cause unexpected forwarding table problems
on the Catalyst 1924 and trunk port hangs on the
Catalyst 2950. This appears to be a switch problem;
NETLAB
AE now works around it by keeping these connections
in a down state until needed.
3.0.0
Released: to beta customers
New Features:
This release supports the new Academy CCNA 3.0 and
CCNP 3.0 curriculum.
Four new pod types can be configured:
Basic Router Pod 3 routers 1 switch
Basic Switch Pod 1 router 2 switches
Advanced Router Pod 3 routers Frame/ISDN/Dial
Advanced Switch Pod 3 routers 5 switches
Loading from your last saved configuration is now
specific to the type of pod reserved. For example,
if you are reserving a Basic Switch Pod and choose
to load your last saved configuration, NETLAB
AE will
load the configurations from your last reservation
of a Basic Switch Pod.
Resolved Issues:
#478: Log equipment power up and down events.
2.26.0
Released: March 29, 2003
New Features: none
Resolved Issues:
#476: Broken link off of "Manage System Images in TFTP
Directory" from web admin page.
#477: Upon failure of a pod test, the Explain button does
not open in Netscape.
#479: Remove the word Beta after NTA from the Profile pages.
#480: Student "Catalogue" link needed on file menu bar.
#481: Pod Test re-starts after user clicks "Finish Later"
during New Pod Configuration.
#482: Patch sendmail for CERT VU# 398025.
#483: Switches in custom pods treated as routers when pod
is modified from admin panel.
Known Issues:
#470: Double clicking or rapid clicking in the NETLAB
AE Telnet
Applet button bar may cause the applet to freeze.
Clicking on one of the buttons again will clear the
problem. This only occurs with the NETLAB
AE Telnet Applet
running on Java 1.4 runtime.
2.25.0
Released: December 23, 2002
Support for additional hardware:
Cisco 1700 routers
Catalyst 2950
Catalyst 2900-XL (lab switch only)
New and improved equipment configuration. Support
for mixed pod types and mixed router types within the
same pod. Router types and default IOS images can
now be modified easily.
The lab switch (Lab_Sw) in the CCNA 2.1 5-router pod
is now optional.
Added interface name translation feature for CCNA 2.1
5-router pods. Allows configuration files from
different router types to be loaded without interface
name conflicts. For example, if you load a 2500
config into a 2600, NETLAB
AE will translate Ethernet0
to FastEthernet0/0, Serial1 to Serial0/1, etc.
If user logins have been disabled, the administrator
main page now displays a "currently DISABLED"
reminder next to the Enable/Disable User Logins link.
On the Network Configuration and Status page, ports
in the off state are now depicted as clear circles
instead of red circles. Ports in the on state are
shown as green circles.
Added user messages link on MyNETLAB page. Allows the
user to receive system related messages from NETLAB
AE.
Users now receive a message if someone deletes
their lab reservations.
Resolved Issues:
#474: Access server configurations will not correctly
configure FastEthernet0/0 on 2620 or 2621
modular access router.
2.24.0
Released: October 19, 2002
A pre-printed label will be attached to each new system
to help identify Ethernet and serial ports specific to
the hardware model. Help screens and documentation
will refer to the label.
Resolved Issues:
#472: Help files for pod test errors were deleted
during previous upgrade.
#473: Enabling technical support over Telnet option
should query for authorized source IP addresses
instead of waiting for normal update.
2.23.1
Released: September 24, 2002
Added feature that allows system admin to reset
the administrator password to 'netlab' if the
password is forgotten. This must be done from
the system console. The procedure is not
documented and must be obtained from technical
support.
Added internal procedure to reset system to
the factory defaults.
Report status to CSS after successful upgrade.
2.22.4
Released: September 18, 2002
New Features:
Added support for Sun Cobalt LX50.
Added system integrity feature to restart failed
processes that should be running.
Resolved Issues:
#450: NETLABAE console does not respond for several
minutes after boot.
#471: Apache web server not getting started on boot
on some systems.
2.21.0b
Released: September 9, 2002
New Features:
The new "NETLABAE Telnet Applet" (NTA) provides an
alternative Java-based Telnet applet streamlined for
NETLABAE. It operates in line-oriented mode which is
suitable for devices with a command line interface.
It loads quickly, provides automatic login, can be
resized in Microsoft Internet Explorer, and can
provide a different color scheme for each device.
The NTA is currently beta, but will eventually
become the default Telnet client. Go to your
account profile to select and configure the NTA.
New options have been added to the Telnet client
profile:
Automatic Login (JTA and NTA)
This checkbox was added so that users can disable
automatic logins in the Java Telnet Applet or
NETLABAE Telnet Applet. This is useful when firewall
authentication or proxy servers interfere with the
auto login process.
Color Scheme (NTA only)
Used to specify the default color scheme for the
NETLABAE Telnet Applet. The color can also be
changed in real time by clicking the Color button
in the Applet.
Font Size (NTA only)
Used to specify the default font size for the
NETLABAE Telnet Applet. The size can also be
changed in real time by clicking the Font button
in the Applet.
Instructor management now prompts for a time zone
selection for new instructor accounts. To avoid
potential issues, this is now a required field.
NDG technical support can now be performed over Telnet,
in addition to SSH. This option must be enabled by the
system administrator via the "configure services" web
page, or from the system console. If firewalls and/or
policy prohibit NDG access using SSH (TCP port 22), you
may enable this option. You should only enable this
option at NDG's request in conjunction with problem
resolution. For security, NETLABAE will automatically
disable this option in 5 days. SSH provides encryption
and is still the preferred protocol for NDG access.
However, with this change, level 3 access as defined
in the CSS white paper is no longer a requirement
to operate a NETLABAE system.
You may now login to the NETLABAE system console (serial
port or monitor/keyboard if so equipped) using the
administrator password. This eliminates the need to
remember and maintain a separate console password.
The option to change the password in the administrator
profile now indicates that the password is also used
for console access.
Removed shell access option from console menu.
Added traceroute from server back to CSS server in the
Outbound Firewall Test.
Added more pod test diagnostic information to NETLABAE log.
Resolved Issues:
#455: The "boot IOS" pod test for common devices
(2600, 1700) is setting the config register to
8514 (decimal) instead of 0x2142 (hex).
#456: Pod tests fail randomly, sometimes after
successful run. Error message indicates test was
terminated by server.
#468: When the NETLABAE server and APC boot at same time
(e.g. power restored to both), the power management
logic should allow extra time for APC to boot
before giving up and leaving outlets in the ON state.
Known Issues (unresolved):
#469: The TAB key in the Java Telnet Applet does not work
on systems using the Java 1.4 runtime plug-in. As a
result, command line completion in Cisco IOS does
not work. Instead, the TAB key passes focus to the
disconnect button on the button bar. The workaround
is to use the NETLABAE Telnet Applet.
#470: Double clicking or rapid clicking in the NETLABAE Telnet
Applet button bar may cause the applet to freeze.
Clicking on one of the buttons again will clear the
problem. This only occurs with the NETLABAE Telnet
Applet running on Java 1.4 runtime plug-in.
2.20.0
Released: August 8, 2002
New Features:
Add hardware tag to NETLABAE saved configuration files.
Added interface translation for default exercise
configuration files - NETLABAE will convert Cisco 2500
based configs to Cisco 2600 as needed.
Remove references to beta and pilot from login and
default welcome banners.
Resolved Issues:
#453: Default configurations for CCNA exercises should
work with both 2500 and 2600 routers, but the
interface statements are not set up correctly to
work with the 2600.
2.19.0
Released: July 1, 2002
New Features: none - this is a security update.
#452: Fix Apache web server chunk handling vulnerability.
2.18.0
Released: June 18, 2002
New Features:
Administrator password can be reset from CSS.
Added CSS connectivity checks. Increased CSS status
reporting from 2 to 4 times daily. Added table creation
information to CSS backups.
Resolved Issues:
#451: Scrub at end-of-time fails to save startup-config
if running-config could not be obtained. NETLABAE
log shows CLI-F-CLEANUP error associated with
the affected router.
2.17.1
Released: May 29, 2002
New Features:
The requirement for a 3rd NIC card to perform image
recovery has been dropped. This function now uses the
same NIC (eth1) used for internal control. The 3rd NIC
(eth2) will be disabled upon installation of this
version on existing NETLABAE systems. All configuration
programs and drawings have been updated to reflect this
change.
Resolved Issues:
#447: Update process waits exactly ten minutes before
proceeding. Should be a random amount of time up
to 10 minutes.
#448: Upgrade process timing out for systems with large
profiles (integrator systems).
2.16.0
Released: May 15, 2002
Resolved Issues:
#410: NETLABAE scrub is not detecting when default image
is too large to fit in flash. This check has been
added to the pod test utility.
#440: NETLABAE-saved configuration files may be
missing lines before the "end" statement,
typically in "line vty 0 4" section.
#441: NETLABAE-saved configuration files always
contain reservation="1" instead of actual
reservation ID.
#442: Incorrect spelling of "corresponding" in pod
test help screens.
#443: 2610 access server configurations try to
configure interface fa0/0 - should be e0/0.
#444: Benign IOS errors during pod configuration should
be documented.
#445: The pod configurator and configuration references
do not show the subnet mask for the APC
Masterswitch units.
#446: On rare occasions, the Submit/I'm Done/We're done
button and time remaining counter does not
appear.
2.15.1
Released: April 30, 2002
New Features:
To help troubleshoot Telnet problems, NETLABAE will
log all Telnet connections attempted, received, and
authorized in the system log file.
Resolved Issues:
#438: Pod configuration assigns e0/2 to recovery
interface in Pod 2 Lab_E. Causes scrub and pod
test to fail. Correct interface is e0.
2.14.1
Released: April 11, 2002
New Features:
Implemented pod test on administrator page. This
test will verify configurations, connections, and
device specific features (including lab gear).
Created context sensitive help for failed tests.
Control device configurations that appear in pod
configuration can be viewed later from the
administrator panel (Academy Edition only).
Administrator can route NETLABAE's central service
requests to an HTTP proxy server. Outbound SMTP mail
can be routed to an alternate mail server. This is
configured in 'Configure NETLABAE Services' page.
Maintenance:
Removed Netscape 4.7 warning upon login.
Resolved Issues:
#433: NETLABAE services not compatible with Squid HTTP
proxy/cache.
#434: Integrity check generates false alarms for open
UDP ports if run at the same time an automated
operation is using SNMP.
#435: Correct setting for APC 9211/9212 console port
is NO flow control, not hardware flow control.
#436: NETLABAE may not initialize the reservation properly
if 1) the prior reservation is deleted while in
progress and 2) an automated operation is occurring
at the time.
#437: Added retry (up to 3 times) if no response
received from access server.
#438: Console bus terminate_all function is not
working.
2.12.3
Released: March 15, 2002
New Features:
The scheduler reminds users that 10 minutes is
reserved for saving work and preparing for the
next time slot. The exercise catalog also displays
the reminder and lab times reflect this.
Exercise tab added to instructor-led labs. Allows
instructor to change selected exercise and optionally
load default configuration files for the exercise.
Replaces the pulldown on the Topology tab which now
just shows the currently selected exercise.
Maintenance:
Extensive work on automated action drivers to
support more Cisco gear and increase fault tolerance.
Control switch driver now uses native interface
names and SNMP interface index table.
Topology tab handles absence of defined image file.
Resolved Issues:
#431: When telnetting to a device, clients who do not
have an IP-to-name mapping in DNS may experience
a long delay before the login prompt appears.
#432: NETLABAE may fail to enter enable mode while trying
to load a configuration file.
#420: Scrub takes too long and returns CLI-F-EXEC in
when router left in disable mode and enable secret
set to unknown value.
2.11.1f
New Features:
The scheduler's calendar page now expands to the full
width of browser window to provide more viewing area
for systems with a large number of custom pods. A
left/right scroll bar is also provided when there are
too many pods to fit nicely.
The calendar page will no longer display a hyperlink to
make a reservation (plus icon in a circle) if the time
slot has passed. On average, the page will load faster
by eliminating these links.
Maintenance:
Reorganize SQL tables for more flexible pod
configurations in the future.
Allow alternate vty and enable passwords for access
servers (commercial).
Resolved Issues:
#430: Different versions of IOS and 2500 boot ROMs
use "file name" and "filename" in copy tftp flash
dialog. Automation actions now handle both.
#429: Special characters in IOS system banners can
cause NETLABAE automated actions to fail and/or
crash, possibly hanging up the lab.
#428: Automated action "watchdog timer" should force
clean up of device's action queue if NETLABAE
server process fails to kill the script.
#427: Abend of automated action should report exception
to NETLABAE.
#426: Archive can display incorrect count of reservations
completed by individual students; team reservations
are incorrectly included in this count.
#424: NETLABAE does not handle Retain Configs/Logs option
correctly in Edit Class.
#425: Clean up cosmetic Archive issues in Netscape 4.7.
2.11.0
New Features:
Detect when Cisco IOS has output a console message
during a configuration save. If so, save again.
Send exercise ID with assessment data.
Maintenance:
Reorganize and modularize cron job activity.
Add integrator install modules and support.
RAQ-4 LCD configuration support.
Resolved Issues:
#422: Restarting Apache web server during manual upgrade
terminates upgrade process and locks out users.
#423: IOS console messages can occur during "show run" and
taint the save configuration process. NETLABAE now
detects this and will re-save.
2.10.0
New Features:
Added archive of configuration files and session logs for
completed instructor-led, student, or team reservations.
Output from automated operations now omitted from log
files.
Daily backups use mysqldump complete and extended inserts.
Drop table create info.
2.9.1
Bug Fixes:
#417: Pod configuration missing NETLABAE-nm16-config file
on TFTP server for NM-16A module.
#418: Password not set on additional vty 5 31 on
cisco 2600 systems. Causes labs to not initialize
when system runs out of vtys.
#419: Automated operations on Lab_A fail when using the
Premium bundle.
2.9.0
New Features:
Default router passwords for *NEW* classes changed.
Console is now 'cisco'. Enable secret is now 'class'.
Added initial configurations for several CNAP exercises.
Thanks to Sonya Coker for providing these. Lab 13.1.6
actually sets up a real troubleshooting scenario.
Additions to administrator page:
- Enable/disable user login feature.
- System alerts.
Pod configuration changes:
- Disable logins during equipment configuration.
- Accept TFTP filenames ending 'confg' or 'config'.
- Rename 'Standard' bundle to 'Original' bundle.
- Rename 'Optional' bundle to 'Premium' bundle.
Added current time and page refresh link to student
MyNETLAB page.
Change "I'm done" message for NETPASS from "Submitting
your work will end your NETLABAE appointment" to "submitting
your work will end your NETLABAE appointment. Feedback for
this activity will be available 5 to 10 minutes after you
submit your work."
Bug Fixes:
#415: Pod configuration does not actually delete
dependent reservations when pods removed.
#411: Broken link from the administration web page to
Outbound Firewall Test.
#416: Reservations longer than 23 days cause MyNETLAB
page to refresh continuously.
2.8.0
This release implements the central services architecture:
- Upgrades from the Internet
- Time synchronization
- Security profiling
- Daily backup of SQL database
- Central alerts and status reporting
No problems found thus far with MSIE 6.0. Removed warnings.
2.7.1
Bug Fixes:
#408: After rebooting NETLABAE server, login to lab shows
"RedHat Linux" and version.
#409: Config register set to 0x2142 if user schedules a
reservation with "load no configs" option. Subsequent
reload produces empty running-config.
2.7.0
New Features:
Added administration tool to configure up to 4 pods of
equipment based on CCNA original or premium bundle.
Added automated operations for the Cisco 2600 series.
NETLABAE now can serve CNAP curriculum modules. Link to
curriculum added to MyNETLAB page.
When saving a configuration, NETLABAE now adds an explicit
"no shutdown" to any interface that does not contain a
"shutdown". Therefore, when loading a config saved by
NETLABAE, the interface states are also restored.
A reservation may now be deleted after it has started.
The ability to delete a reservation in progress is intended
for instructors who need immediate access to a pod and need
to "bump" someone off the pod. If possible, you should ask
the user terminate his reservation gracefully by having them
to click the "I'm Done" button from the Lab Access screen.
This will cause configuration files to be saved, log files
to be retained, and the pod to be scrubbed. Any unused 30
minute blocks will be returned to the scheduler after
completion of the scrub.
Console sharing now reports when another user departs the
connection or releases control.
Added a button on lab/connections tab that allows user
to drop all his open device connections. Useful if the
client crashes and NETLABAE server is not aware that the
connections have closed.
Text indicating minutes remaining in lab turns red when
5 minutes or less left.
NETLABAE now displays the assumed console and enable passwords
on the lab action, load and save tabs.
Added icons to the instructor's scheduler choices.
To avoid conflict with RFC 1918 addresses on user networks,
NETLABAE standard pod configuration tools now assigns
169.254.0.0/16 addresses to internal devices.
Added shutdown and reboot options to the administrator
web interface.
Added granular debugging facilities to server process.
Bug Fixes:
#401: Spelling a grammar corrections on MyNETLAB and
profile pages.
#402: Login screen is not enforcing case sensitivity. NETLABAE
can not log users into and out of the lab equipment
automatically when the user ID is not entered exactly
as assigned.
#403: A student scheduling time should return to the catalog
when choosing to "Make Another Reservation". Currently
returns to the calendar, which is appropriate the
correct behavior for an instructor.
#404: Console sharing reports when a user joins a session,
but is not reporting when someone leaves.
#405: Show CDP neighbours should not report control switch
attached to e0 ports. Add "no cdp enable" to ports
on control switch.
#406: NETLABAE clients without ip-to-name mappings in DNS
experience a long delay the first time they Telnet
into a device.
#407: Lack of explicit "no shut" in configs causes interfaces
to be down when saved configs are reloaded.
#391: NETLABAE internal addresses are conflicting with
RFC 1918 user networks.
2.6.0
New Features:
Added automated operations for Catalyst 1900. Requires
Enterprise Edition 9.00.04.
Removed workstations from CNAP standard pod diagram.
Added new topology graphic for CLI/Assessment Implementation
Hard scenario.
Add logic to command history (index.csv) that compensates
for certain IOS console messages interrupting the command
line. The messages currently handled are:
Configured from console by console
changed state to up
changed state to down
changed state to administratively down
On the CLI assessment interface, the "I'm done" button was
changed to "submit" and the confirmation reads "Submitting
your work will end your NETLABAE appointment".
Added weekly log rotation for NETLABAE and Web Server.
Bugfixes:
#399: The instructions say "Please click inside the telnet
area before typing," but clicking does no good unless
you also hit ENTER. Please change the instructions to
something like "Please click inside the Telnet area
and hit ENTER before typing." (Lab Access)
#400: IOS "%SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console"
after leaving config mode corrupts commands in index.csv.
2.5.0
New Features:
Network configuration (read-only), pod diagnostic and outbound
network test added to administrative web interface.
Added administrative console option to allow client IP addresses
to change within the same session. See issue #397.
MSIE 6 logins permitted. Limited testing and support. See #395.
Added daily system integrity check.
Bugfixes:
#398: Turn off ftp server by default.
Upgrade wu-ftpd to 2.6.0(1).
#375: [re-issue] In some cases users can enter the lab
before the diagnostic passes.
#394: POD becomes unusable if configs e-mailed to instructor
and sendmail is not running. NETLABAE log repeats
[date time] event 1 Z 33 abended (pid=nnn), Failed
to connect to mail server: Transport endpoint is not
connected at ...
#395: MSIE 6.0 logins denied.
#396: Java Telnet Applet window displays Netscape 4.x crash
warning to MSIE users.
#397: NETLABAE complains about changing client IP addresses.
1) client is behind a NAT firewall with more than one
IP address in the NAT outbound pool, OR 2) NAT firewall
has multiple outbound links, routing is not constant,
and client external source address is NAT-ed.
2.4.0
New Features:
Comprehensive menu-driven system console.
- Change IP configuration
- Set console and administrative web passwords
- Restrict administrative access
- Tools to view O/S and network status
- Simple access to most recent system logs
- Graceful system shutdown and reboot options
In the class manager, the new default end date is one year later.
The old default was today. Those who did not pay attention to
dates created a one day class and wondered why the scheduler
would not allow a class to be scheduled after the first day.
Basic log viewers available in administrator account.
More Netscape 4.7x compatibility effort, but MSIE 5.5 still
preferred.
Bugfixes:
#375: Removed HTML pragmas and META tags that try to control
caching in MSIE. Causing "data missing" problems in
Netscape and annoying "expired" messages. Actually fixed
in 2.3.1.
#384: When making a student or team reservation from an instructor
account, NETLABAE should ignore the reservation limits set in
the class profile.
#385; Outbound HTTP requests can hang longer than 10 minutes if
target web server is down or unreachable.
#386: Scrub is failing on Cisco 2500 models that take longer
than 10 seconds to obtain 2500 processor message on system
bootstrap.
#387: Log files indicating "CONBUS-F-SETATTR: unable to restore
terminal mode" after console session completes.
#388: Actions, Load Config, Save Config does not work in
Netscape 4.7. Pop up window is blank and action is not
carried out.
#392: The lab Status and Connections panel in Netscape 4.7+
may begin to update rapidly causing the server to bog down
until the offending browser is closed.
Known Issues:
#393: Closing Java Telnet Applet Window sometimes crashes
Netscape 4.7x, sometimes taking Windows 98 down too.
#391: NETLABAE uses 10.1.0.0/16 and 192.168.255.0/24 internally.
This will conflict with user networks using this address
space. In a future release, NETLABAE will use 169.245.254/24
and 169.254.255/24 which should not conflict with RFC 1918
private networks.
#389: After pod initializes, status may show that power is off,
even though it is on. Refreshing the page shows the correct
outlet status.
2.3.1
New Features:
Through the class management interfaces, the primary instructor
may elect to receive e-mails containing the configs and logs
from student exercises.
Student/team reservation limits set in class management interface
are now enforced.
Instructors may now view all files and folders in the file
system within their organization.
When an instructor makes a reservation for a team, NETLABAE will
only list teams which contain students. Previously, NETLABAE
would list teams A through Z, even if the team had no students
defined. Fixes #377 (below).
Considerable effort toward Netscape 4.7 compatibility.
Bugfixes:
#377: NETLABAE should generate an error message if an instructor
tries to reserve team time for a team that does not exist
in a class with defined student accounts.
#379: Entering the lab between diagnostic and awaken state
will cause save scrub to be bypassed even though
reservation was attended.
#380: NETLABAE sometimes produces a PLANVIEW-F-CGISTATE error when
aborting a reservation.
#381: Form text inputs much to large in Netscape 4. Causes text
to run together.
#382: In Netscape 4, fields without values display in dark blue.
#383: Removed HTML pragmas and META tags that try to control
caching in MSIE. Causing "data missing" problems in
Netscape and annoying "expired" messages.
Known Issues:
#378: To avoid possible confusion, scheduler should warn a user
when the end date of a selected class has expired before
bringing up the scheduler
- Cat1924 switch not automated yet.
2.3.0
New Features:
- Implemented NetPASS assessment interfaces per Unicon specifications.
Bugfixes:
#374: When loading a config, selecting the "erase before reload"
option fails with log message: ACTION-F-CRASH, action 1 LC 1
abended (pid=#), Can't locate object method "boot_no_config"
#372: Scrub and initialize operations should return to normal exec
mode, not privileged exec
#371: Broken hyperlinks:
[1] MyNETLAB-> Class -> Class Name -> Student Accounts
-> Student Name -> Help
[2] MyNETLAB-> Class -> Class Name -> Student Accounts
-> Add Students
[3] Administration -> Manage Custom Content
#369: If you start a new NETLABAE browser session, possibly from a
different computer, NETLABAE should terminate device connections
from the old session
#368: NETLABAE should generate an error message if an Instructor
tries to reserve student or team time for a class with no
defined student accounts
Known Issues:
- Netscape 4.7 not fully tested.
- Cat1924 switch not automated yet.
- Student reservation limits set in class management interface
are not enforced.
2.2.1
This version was purely internal cleanup.
Cleans up the NETLABAE standard database a little.
Tag field added to filesys.
All accounts are whacked.
See DBU-2.2.1.sql.
2.2.0
Development after split.
New Features:
Administrator account and administration page.
Instructor management (add, change, delete).
Check for MSIE 5.0, 5.1, 5.5 or NS 4.7 on login.
Graceful deletion of reservation in progress.
Bugfixes:
#351: cancel button on student add/errors fixed
#364: alerts need to be deleted when student/class deleted
#365: alerts generated against NETLABAE pseudo account
Known Issues:
Netscape 4.7 not tested, your mileage may vary
#368: Scheduler should check for empty class before student/team reservation
2.1.0
To provide test stability, separated n2test and n2dev
systems with this version. 2.2.0 development will continue
on n2dev.
New Features:
Flash recovery of IOS on Cisco 2500
Added TFTP_NET param to /etc/netlabd.conf
Managed events (autoload, autosave, end-of-time, etc.)
User profile
Unused 30 minute blocks returned to scheduler (after scrub!)
Energy saver: pod turned off if nothing scheduled within next hour
Reservation simple listing in instructor scheduler
MyNETLAB auto page refresh (instructor)
Student password reset
Forced password change at login
Linux kernel customized for NETLABAE:
Reiser File System support (fault tolerant journalling file system)
Virtual terminal limit increased from 256 to 1024
Stripped unused options and drivers
Bugfixes:
#352: Expect dialog leaking to netlabd controlling term
#354: Broken hyperlinks
#357: Broken hyperlinks
#358: When scheduling team time, confirm is blank
#360: netlab.log message quality
#361: Wrong device/sw_dev_port values for pod 2
#362: Conbusd process remains running after netlabd terminates
Known Issues:
Student scheduler limits from class profile not enforced
MyNETLAB auto page refresh not implemented on student account
Automation for Cat 1924 (Lab_S1) not implemented
Database modifications:
db-updates/DBU-2.1.0.sql
2.0.0
First version shipped as a network appliance.