Cisco PGW Basics

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To manually start the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch software, log in to the active Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch as root and enter the following command:

# /etc/init.d/CiscoMGC start

To manually stop the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch software, log into your active Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch as root and enter the following command:

# /etc/init.d/CiscoMGC stop

Starting an MML Session

When a procedure requires that you start an MML session, you must perform the following steps:

Note You should run your MML sessions from the active Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch, unless the procedure indicates otherwise.

Step 1 Log in to the active Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch.

Note Do not log in as UNIX root. The MML session fails if you attempt to start it as UNIX root.

Step 2 Enter the following command at the UNIX prompt:

mml

If you receive an error message indicating that sessions are already in use, enter the following command:

mml -s session number

Use any session number from 2 through 12 and repeat until you find a vacant session. After you have successfully started an MML session, the prompt changes as shown in the following example:

machine_name mml>

Verifying the Status of all Signaling Services

To verify the status of all the signaling services that are provisioned on your Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch, perform the following steps:

Step 1 Log in to the active Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch, start an MML session, and enter the following command:

rtrv-dest:all

Verifying the Platform State of the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitches

You can determine which of your Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitches is the active Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch and, which is the standby Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch. If your system uses a Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch in a simplex configuration, the single Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch is always active. To learn which Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch is active, complete the following steps:

Step 1 Log into one of the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitches, start an MML session, and enter the following command to determine its platform state:

rtrv-ne

The system should return a message, like the following, if it is currently the active Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch:

MGC-01 – Media Gateway Controller 2008-10-07 02:56:16.623 EDT

M RTRV

“Type:MGC”

“Hardware platform:sun4u sparc SUNW,Sun-Fire-V210”

“Vendor:”Cisco Systems, Inc.””

“Location:MGC-01 – Media Gateway Controller”

“Version:”9.8(1)””

“Platform State:ACTIVE”

The valid values for the Platform State field are ACTIVE, STANDBY, or OOS.

Step 2 Log into the other Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch, start an MML session, and enter the following command to determine its platform state:

rtrv-ne

Verifying the Status of all Signaling Services

To verify the status of all the signaling services that are provisioned on your Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch, perform the following steps:

Step 1 Log in to the active Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch, start an MML session, and enter the following command:

rtrv-dest:all

The system returns a response similar to the following:

Media Gateway Controller – MGC-04 2000-04-05 08:05:36

M RTRV

“sigsrv1:PKG=SS7-ANSI,ASSOC=SWITCHED,PST=IS,SST=UND”

“sigsrv2:PKG=SS7-ANSI,ASSOC=SWITCHED,PST=IS,SST=UND”

“sigsrv3:PKG=SS7-ANSI,ASSOC=SWITCHED,PST=IS,SST=UND”

“sigsrv4:PKG=SS7-ANSI,ASSOC=SWITCHED,PST=IS,SST=UND”

“sigsrv5:PKG=SS7-ANSI,ASSOC=SWITCHED,PST=IS,SST=UND”

“sigsrv6:PKG=SS7-ANSI,ASSOC=SWITCHED,PST=IS,SST=UND”

“eisupftsvc:PKG=EISUP,ASSOC=SWITCHED,PST=IS,SST=UND”

“eisupsvc1:PKG=EISUP,ASSOC=SWITCHED,PST=IS,SST=UND”

Verifying CIC States

You should verify the status of your circuit identification codes (CICs) in groups, to ensure that you have current state information. Retrieving the status of all of your CICs at once takes some time. It takes more time to page through the information.

To verify the status of CICs provisioned on your Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch in groups, perform the following steps:

Step 1 Log in to the active Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch.

Step 2 Start an MML session.

Step 3 Enter the following command:

rtrv-cic:sig_srv:cic=number[,rng=range]

Where:

  • sig_srv—MML name of the signaling service that is associated with the displayed CICs.
  • number—A valid CIC number.
  • range—Specifies a range of CICs for the system to retrieve. The system displays the status of all CICs between number and number+range.

For example, the following MML command retrieves bearer channel information for CICs 10 to 15 on signaling service c7s-1:

rtrv-cic:c7s-1:cic=10,rng=5

You can retrieve all the statistics for your system by entering the following MML command on the active Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch:

rtrv-ne-health::all

show mem

Backup Procedures for Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Software

This backup method uses a script to back up the configuration data for the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch software, selected UNIX administrative files, and the Main Memory Database (MMDB). This script only performs complete backups. This script enables you to perform manual backups, schedule and administer automatic backups, and view a history of the last 30 backup operations.

Note If your Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch is a continuous service system, ensure that you perform backup procedures on both Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitches.

Note You can run the various backup operations that are described in the following sections only when you are logged in to your system as mgcusr. You cannot perform any backup operation while you are logged in as root.

Note The procedures for restoring system data are in the “Restoring Procedures for Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Software” section on page 6-177.

The following sections provide the backup procedures:

Performing a Manual Backup Operation

To perform a manual backup operation, enter the following UNIX command on the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch:

mgcbackup -d path [-r retries -t retry_time]

Where:

  • path—Complete path of the directory in which to store the backup file, for example a directory on a remote server that you have mounted on your system, or the local tape drive (the local tape drive is the default location).

Note Do not store backup files on your local Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch. Storing backup files on the local host reduces the amount of disk space available to process call data. Also, it does not ensure that the data is safe if a natural disaster occurs.

Note If the path you enter is for a tape device, you must enter a new tape into the device for each backup. The backup data on a used tape is overwritten by this operation.

  • retries—Number of times to check for an active provisioning session on the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch, before aborting the backup operation. The default value is 0, and the maximum value is 100.

Note A backup operation cannot start while there is an active provisioning session on the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch.

  • retry_time—Number of seconds to wait between checks for an active provisioning session on the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch. The default value is 30 seconds, and the maximum value is 3600 seconds.

For example, to perform a manual backup operation by which the backup file is saved to a directory path called /dev/rmt/h0, with a maximum of three attempts, each 60 seconds apart, enter the following UNIX command:

mgcbackup -d /dev/rmt/h0 -r 3 -t 60

Note You can enter Ctrl-C at any time to halt the execution of the mgcbackup script.

The backup file is stored in the specified directory path in the following format:

mgc_hostname_yyyymmdd_hhmmss_backup

Where:

  • hostname—Name of the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch, such as MGC-01.
  • yyyymmdd—Date on which the backup file is created, in a year-month-day format, such as 20011130.
  • hhmmss—Time when the backup file is created, in an hour-minute-second format, such as 115923.

Scheduling an Automatic Backup Operation

To schedule an automatic backup operation, perform the following steps:

Note You can schedule an automatic backup operation only when you are logged in to your system as mgcusr. You cannot schedule an automatic backup operation while you are logged in as root.

Step 1 Enter the following UNIX command on the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch:

mgcbackup -s

The system returns a response like the following:

Backup Schedule Menu

——————–

1. Add a scheduled backup

2. Delete a scheduled backup

3. Delete all scheduled backups

4. List scheduled backups

5. Exit

Selection:

Note To exit the script at anytime, press Ctrl-C.

Step 2 Enter 1 to add an automatic backup operation to the schedule.

The system returns a response like the following:

Add a Scheduled Backup

———————-

Enter the name of the backup:

Step 3 Enter the name of your backup.

Note The name of the backup must be 1 to 10 alphanumeric characters in length.

After you enter the name of your automatic backup, the system returns a response like the following:

Enter the directory to place the backup file (default=/dev/rmt/0):

Step 4 Enter the directory path where you want the backup file stored.

Note Your local tape drive is the default directory.

Note Do not store backup files on your local Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch. Storing backup files on the local host reduces the amount of available disk space to process call data. Also, it does not ensure that the data is safe if a natural disaster occurs.

Note If the path you enter is for a tape device, you must enter a new tape into the device for each backup. The backup data on a used tape is overwritten by this operation.

After you enter your directory path, the system returns a response like the following:

Enter the number of retries (default=0):

Step 5 Enter the number of times to check for an active provisioning session on the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch before aborting the backup operation.

Note A backup operation cannot start while a provisioning session is active on the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch.

Note The maximum number of retries is 100.

After you enter the number of retries, the system returns a response like the following:

Enter the time between retries (default=30 seconds):

Step 6 Enter the number of seconds to wait between checks for an active provisioning session on the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch.

Note The maximum number of seconds between checks is 3600.

After you enter the time between attempts, the system returns a response like the following:

Enter the day of the week (default=everyday):

Step 7 Enter the day or days of the week on which you would like the backup operation performed. The following values are valid:

  • SUNDAY
  • MONDAY
  • TUESDAY
  • WEDNESDAY
  • THURSDAY
  • FRIDAY
  • SATURDAY
  • WEEKDAYS
  • WEEKENDS
  • EVERYDAY

After you enter the day or days of the week setting, the system returns a response like the following:

Enter the time (HH:MM):

Step 8 Enter the time at which you want to start the automatic backup operation, in hour:minute format.

Note The range for hour is from 00 to 23, and the range for minute is from 0 to 59.

Note Schedule your automatic backup operation for a time when your system is likely to have a minimum amount of call volume to minimize the effect of the backup on call processing.

After you enter the time setting, the system returns a response like the following:

Save this scheduled backup (Y or N)?

Step 9 Enter Y to add this automatic backup operation, or enter N if you do not want to add an automatic backup operation.

Note Press Ctrl-C at any time to halt the execution of the mgcbackup script.

The system returns a response like the following:

Press enter to continue:

Step 10 Press Enter to return to the backup schedule menu. You can either exit the utility or schedule another backup activity.

When the automatic backup operation runs, the backup file is stored in the specified directory path in the following format:

mgc_hostname_yyyymmdd_hhmmss_backup

Where:

  • hostname—Name of the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch, such as MGC-01.
  • yyyymmdd—Date on which the backup file is created, in a year-month-day format, such as 20011130.
  • hhmmss—Time at which the backup file is created, in an hour-minute-second format, such as 115923.

Removing an Automatic Backup Operation from the Schedule

To remove an automatic backup operation from the schedule, perform the following steps:

Step 1 Enter the following UNIX command on the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch:

mgcbackup -s

The system returns a response like the following:

Backup Schedule Menu

——————–

1. Add a scheduled backup

2. Delete a scheduled backup

3. Delete all scheduled backups

4. List scheduled backups

5. Exit

Selection:

Step 2 Enter 2 to remove an automatic backup operation from the schedule.

The system returns a response like the following:

Delete a Scheduled Backup

————————-

Name    RetriesTimeoutDay     Time    Directory

Back1   5       60      everyday       12:00   /var/cisco

Mybackup       0       30      weekdays       04:00   /var/cisco

Enter the name of the backup to be deleted:

Step 3 Enter the name of the automatic backup operation to remove from the schedule.

The system returns a response like the following:

Delete this scheduled backup (Y or N)?

Step 4 Enter Y to delete an automatic backup operation, or enter N if you do not want to delete an automatic backup operation.

Note Press Ctrl-C at any time to halt the execution of the mgcbackup script.

The system returns a response like the following:

Scheduled backup name deleted.

Press enter to continue:

Where name is the name of the deleted scheduled backup, as specified in Step 3.

Step 5 Press Enter to return to the backup schedule menu. You can either exit the utility or schedule another backup activity.

Removing all Automatic Backup Operations from the Schedule

To remove all of the automatic backup operations from the schedule, perform the following steps:

Step 1 Enter the following UNIX command on the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch:

mgcbackup -s

The system returns a response like the following:

Backup Schedule Menu

——————–

1. Add a scheduled backup

2. Delete a scheduled backup

3. Delete all scheduled backups

4. List scheduled backups

5. Exit

Selection:

Step 2 Enter 3 to remove all automatic backup operations from the schedule.

The system returns a response like the following:

Delete all Scheduled Backups

—————————–

Name    RetriesTimeoutDay     Time    Directory

Back1   5       60      everyday       12:00   /var/cisco

Mybackup       0       30      weekdays       04:00   /var/cisco

Delete all scheduled backups (Y or N)?

Step 3 Enter Y to continue to delete all automatic backup operations, or enter N if you do not want to delete all automatic backup operations.

Note Press Ctrl-C at any time to halt the execution of the mgcbackup script.

The system returns a response like the following:

All scheduled backups deleted.

Press enter to continue:

Where name is the name of the deleted scheduled backup, as specified in Step 3.

Step 4 Press enter to return to the backup schedule menu. You can either exit the utility or schedule another backup activity.

Listing Scheduled Automatic Backup Operations

To list the scheduled automatic backup operations, perform the following steps:

Step 1 Enter the following UNIX command on the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch:

mgcbackup -s

The system returns a response like the following:

Backup Schedule Menu

——————–

1. Add a scheduled backup

2. Delete a scheduled backup

3. Delete all scheduled backups

4. List scheduled backups

5. Exit

Selection:

Step 2 Enter 4 to list the scheduled automatic backup operations.

The system returns a response like the following:

Scheduled Backups

—————–

Name    RetriesTimeoutDay     Time    Directory

Back1   5       60      everyday       12:00   /var/cisco

Mybackup       0       30      weekdays       04:00   /var/cisco

Press enter to continue:

Step 3 Press enter to return to the backup schedule menu. You can either exit the utility or schedule another backup activity.

Listing the Backup Operation History

To see a history of the last 30 backup operations, perform the following steps:

Step 1 Enter the following UNIX command on the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch:

mgcbackup -l

The system returns a response like the following:

Status         File

Success        /var/Cisco/mgc_venus_20011010_153003_backup

Success        /var/Cisco/mgc_venus_20011011_153003_backup

Success        /var/Cisco/mgc_venus_20011012_153003_backup

Press enter to continue:

Note If a backup operation fails, the reason for the failure is listed beneath the filename.

Step 2 Press enter to return to the backup schedule menu. You can either exit the utility or schedule another backup activity.

Performing a License Backup Operation (Release 9.7(3))

On Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch Release 9.7(3), you must perform a license backup operation to back up the software license.

Note You receive Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch license files by email. If you already performed the license backup, ignore this operation.

To back up a license on the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch, you must copy all the files under /opt/CiscoMGC/license to a secure location. To restore the license files on the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch, you must copy these saved license files back to the /opt/CiscoMGC/license folder.

Note To install the Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch software on a new machine, you must contact Cisco TAC for another license file.

Note You can also use the up arrow key to re-execute a previously entered MML command.

Retrieving Active MML Sessions

To retrieve information on the active MML sessions, log in to the active Cisco PGW 2200 Softswitch, start an MML session, and enter the rtrv-mml command.

The system returns a response like the following:

Media Gateway Controller – MGC-01 2008-10-17 04:37:17.586 EDT

M RTRV

mml1: mgcusr