CVT as a Service

The Cable Validation Tool (CVT) can be deployed and managed as a service, providing automated cable validation capabilities with persistent operation, automatic startup, and web-based management. This document covers the service architecture, configuration, deployment, and management of CVT in service mode.

The CVT service architecture consists of multiple components managed by supervisord.

CVT Container                <p></p>┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐<p></p>│              supervisord                 │<p></p>│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │<p></p>│  │          CVT Service                │ │<p></p>│  │  ┌─────────────────────────────────┐│ │<p></p>│  │  │     BringupCLI Engine           ││ │<p></p>│  │  │  • Topology Management          ││ │<p></p>│  │  │  • Agent Deployment             ││ │<p></p>│  │  │  • Validation Orchestration     ││ │<p></p>│  │  └─────────────────────────────────┘│ │<p></p>│  │  ┌─────────────────────────────────┐│ │<p></p>│  │  │     Web Service                 ││ │<p></p>│  │  │  • REST API                     ││ │<p></p>│  │  │  • Web UI                       ││ │<p></p>│  │  │  • Authentication               ││ │<p></p>│  │  └─────────────────────────────────┘│ │<p></p>│  └─────────────────────────────────────┘ │<p></p>│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │<p></p>│  │        Apache Web Server            │ │<p></p>│  │  • HTTPS/SSL Support                │ │<p></p>│  │  • Reverse Proxy                    │ │<p></p>│  │  • Static Content Serving           │ │<p></p>│  └─────────────────────────────────────┘ │<p></p>│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │<p></p>│  │       CV Controller                 │ │<p></p>│  │  • Service Management API           │ │<p></p>│  │  • System Administration            │ │<p></p>│  └─────────────────────────────────────┘ │<p></p>└──────────────────────────────────────────┘

CVT Service (cvt-service)

• Purpose: Main CVT application running in daemon mode

• Command: /usr/local/bin/cvt-service --daemon

• Features:

  • Automatic topology loading

  • Validation orchestration

  • Agent management

  • Signal handling (SIGTERM, SIGINT)

Apache Web Server (apache)

• Purpose: HTTPS frontend and reverse proxy

• Command: /usr/local/bin/apache2_wrapper.sh

• Features:

  • SSL/TLS termination

  • Web UI serving

  • API reverse proxy

  • Authentication handling

CV Controller (cv_controller)

• Purpose: Service management and system administration

• Command: /usr/local/bin/run_cv_controller.sh

• Features:

  • Service start/stop operations

  • System status monitoring

  • Configuration management

Cron Service (cron)

• Purpose: Scheduled tasks and maintenance

• Command: cron -f

• Features:

  • Log rotation

  • Periodic cleanup

  • Scheduled reports

Docker Deployment for CVT Service

The CVT service is deployed using a pre-built Docker image (bringup service image). This allows for a consistent and isolated runtime environment.

1. Load the CVT Collector Service Image.

   If you have a local Docker image file (.tar.gz), load it using:

   Copy

   Copied!

               
   
               
   docker load -i /path/to/cables_bringup_{version}.tar.gz
           

2. [Optional] Pull the Image from a Registry

   If the image is available in a Docker registry, you can pull it directly:

   Copy

   Copied!

               
   
               
   docker pull mellanox/cables_bringup:{version}
           

3. Run the CVT Service Container: Use the following command to start the CVT service:

   Copy

   Copied!

               
   
               
   docker run -itd \
     --name cables_bringup \
     --network=host \
     {override/add env variables} \
     -v /path/to/data:/cable_bringup_root \
     mellanox/cables_bringup:{version}
           

   Options:

   Option	Description
   -itd	Run container in interactive mode, allocate a pseudo-TTY, and run in detached mode
   --name cables_bringup	Assigns a name to the container for easier management.
   --network=host	Shares the host’s network stack for the container.
   {override/add env variables}	Specify any environment variables needed by the service.
   -v /path/to/data:/cable_bringup_root	Mounts a host directory into the container for persistent data.
   mellanox/cables_bringup:{version}	The Docker image and version tag to run.

Environment Variables

The CVT service behavior is controlled through environment variables and configuration files:

Configuration File (/etc/cablevalidation/cvt_env.conf)

Run the following command to edit the file and restart cvt-service:

            

            
supervisorctl restart cvt-service
        

For more information, refer to CVT Configuration.

Environment Variable Configuration

Run the following command to configure environment variables:

            

            
docker run 
        

Web Service Configuration

Web service configuration can be done only in the docker run command.

            

            
# Web service interface and ports
export CVT_WEB_INTERFACE=127.0.0.1
export CVT_WEB_SERVICE_PORT=8251
export APACHE_HTTPS_PORT=443
 
# Controller service port
export CV_CONTROLLER_PORT=8252
        

UFM Plugin Mode

Install the CVT UFM plugin using the UFM CLI or Web UI, like any other plugin.

NetQ Plugin Mode

TBD

Supervisord Configuration

The service is managed by supervisordwith the following configuration:

CVT Service Management with Supervisor

The CVT service is managed through Supervisor, which allows you to start, stop, restart, and monitor services on your appliance. Below are the common commands:

supervisorctl reread && supervisorctl update

CVT Service Commands

Using CVT Controller API

The CVT Controller provides programmatic service management:

Legacy Mode Operation

For troubleshooting, development, or manual operations, you can stop the CVT service and run the traditional interactive CLI:

Stop Service and Run Legacy CLI

1. Stop the CVT Service

   Copy

   Copied!

               
   
               
   supervisorctl stop cvt-service
           

2. Run the Legacy Bringup CLI:

   Copy

   Copied!

               
   
               
   bringupcli
           

Legacy CLI Features

When running in legacy mode, you get:

• Interactive Command Shell: Full command-line interface with tab completion

• Manual Control: Step-by-step topology loading and validation control

• Real-time Feedback: Immediate command output and status updates

• Debugging: Easier debugging with direct command execution

Common Legacy Mode Workflow

1. Stop the CVT service:

   Copy

   Copied!

               
   
               
   supervisorctl stop cvt-service
           

2. Start interactive CLI:

   Copy

   Copied!

               
   
               
   bringupcli
           

3. Perform manual operations:

   Copy

   Copied!

               
   
               
   Cable Bringup: load_topo /path/to/topology.topo
   Cable Bringup: deploy_all_agents
   Cable Bringup: start_validation
   Cable Bringup: show_switches
   Cable Bringup: exit
           

4. Restart service when done:

   Copy

   Copied!

               
   
               
   upervisorctl start cvt-service
           

When to Use Legacy Mode

• Initial Setup: First-time configuration and testing

• Troubleshooting: Debugging connectivity or configuration issues

• Manual Operations: One-time tasks that don't require automation

• Development: Testing new topologies or validation scenarios

• Training: Learning CVT commands and workflows

Switching Back to Service Mode

1. Exit the legacy CLI:

   Copy

   Copied!

               
   
               
   Cable Bringup: exit
           

2. Restart the CVT service:

   Copy

   Copied!

               
   
               
   supervisorctl start cvt-service
           

3. Verify that the service is running:

   Copy

   Copied!

               
   
               
   supervisorctl status cvt-service
           

Command Line Options

The CVT service supports several command line options:

Topology Loading

The CVT service can automatically load topology files on startup based on the STARTUP_TOPOLOGY configuration:

Load Last Topology

STARTUP_TOPOLOGY=last

• Loads the most recently used topology from history

• Supports all topology formats (.topo, .dot, .xlsx, .json)

Load Specific File

STARTUP_TOPOLOGY=/path/to/topology.topo

• Loads a specific topology file on startup

• Supports absolute and relative paths

• Auto-detects file format based on extension

Supported Formats

• .topo: Native topology format

• .dot: Graphviz DOT format

• .xlsx: Unified topology Excel format

• .json: JSON topology format

Automatic Validation

Enable automatic validation start after topology loading:

AUTO_START_VALIDATION=true

Behavior:

• Only starts if topology was successfully loaded

• Uses validation settings from history

• Logs all activities for monitoring

Signal Handling

The service handles system signals gracefully:

• SIGTERM: Graceful shutdown with cleanup

• SIGINT:

  • Daemon mode: Graceful shutdown

  • Interactive mode: Cancel current operation (double Ctrl-C to exit)

Monitoring and Logging

Log Files

All service logs are centrally managed:

/cable_bringup_root/log/<p></p>├── cvt-service.log              # Main service logs<p></p>├── cv_controller_service.log    # Controller logs<p></p>├── apache2/<p></p>│   ├── access.log              # Web access logs<p></p>│   └── error.log               # Apache error logs<p></p>└── supervisord.log             # Supervisor logs

Log Rotation

Logs are automatically rotated with the following settings:

• Max size: 10MB per log file

• Backups: 7 historical files

• Format: Timestamped entries with log levels

Health Monitoring

Monitor service health using:

Common Issues

Debug Mode

For detailed debugging, run CVT in interactive mode:

Log Analysis

Analyze logs for common patterns: