When using the legacy method to create and manage your TPVM, the TPVM installation as well its configuration were configured through the Exec mode commands of SLX-OS. The TPVM is an independent Guest OS (Ubuntu) with its own independent Root File System and this guest OS will a make a copy or a static entry of the above executed configuration files. For example, if the TPVM Management Interface (eth0) is configured, from inside SLX, the TPVM's Root File System's /etc/network/interface file will be edited to maintain the static entry for future use.
The legacy method is good for any kind of TPVM reboot or powercycle of the SLX device. This method, however, is insufficient, if TPVM is upgraded with a new image or SLX switch. The RMA is also installed with the new SLX switch, but with the old SLX switch's running-configurations.
In the new TPVM Configuration Persistence way of installing TPVM, installing TPVM and its configuration is supported in the Config mode. In this new mode, all TPVM configurations are persisted at the SLX-OS configuration database, and they become a part of the switch's running-configuration.
Note
Only one TPVM instance (named TPVM) is deployed or installed when using any of these two methods. For both these methods of installing TPVM, the Debian image must be available at the /tftpboot/SWBD2900 folder of the SLX device.The TPVM configurations can be broadly classified into three (3) types. They are:
Install time configuration
Run time configuration
Action
The configurations listed in the install time configuration should be always configured before deploying the TPVM. If these configuration are not set, deployment of the TPVM will fail. Deployment will fail as these configurations are applied to the TPVM Instance's Root File System during installation time. The settings before the deploy configuration persist, as these configurations are present in the SLX-OS running-configuration database. When the TPVM is deployed, these configurations are applied during the TPVM installation stage.
The post deploy configuration, if required, will stop the TPVM, by using the command tpvm stop. Then the tpvm configuration submode is set at the install time configuration, followed by the tpvm start command.
The configurations specified as Run time configurations can be applied at any time. If these values are configured before the TPVM is deployed using the deploy command, they are persisted by saving in the SLX-OS running-configuration database. If these values are configured after the TPVM is deployed, it implies that the TPVM is running and the configuration is first applied to the TPVM instance at run-time. If these configurations succeed, only then, the values are saved to the SLX-OS running-configuration database.
The following activities happen when a TPVM is deployed using the deploy command.
Across normal SLX-OS reboot, there is no change in the configuration especially in the deploy configuration. Post boot action is needed and the TPVM will reboot with its configurations and if auto-boot is set manually through the tpvm start command.
Note
The interface insight and disk configurations are currently not supported and will report failure if you try to configure these settings.
By default, at first boot of the TPVM, the disk vdb is created and mounted to the /apps location. Subsequent deploy or install will reuse the existing disk (vdb). Commands such as tpvm uninstall force is then used to purge the installed vdb disk.
When the SLX switch is RMA and its replaced by another SLX switch, it is expected that the new switch will have the desired SLX-OS image as well as the TPVM Debian image file.
The default configuration on the new switch will not have any TPVM related configurations. Corresponding cleanup will be required, if the switch boots with the default configuration.
When the running configuration is copied, it will apply the persisted TPVM configurations on the new installation.
The new tpvm upgrade command performs the following actions: