Access GNS3 Router with Cisco SDM

Cisco SDM (Security Device Manager) is a Web-based application that provides the GUI for different Cisco routers, with this you can easily troubleshoot complex network and VPN connectivity issues. Also Cisco SDM a useful application for non-cisco professional who don’t have the enough knowledge of Cisco commands, they can configure Cisco Devices with SDM easily. In this article I will show you that how you can access and connect a GNS3 virtual router thought Cisco SDM (Security Device Manager). You need to follow the below steps to accomplish this.

ü  Install Cisco SDM

ü  Configure GNS3 Router for SDM

ü  Connect router to SDM

Install Cisco SDM:

You can download SDM from Cisco.com or from many other website. Installation of Cisco SDM is straightforward and you just need to follow a simple wizard.

Configure GNS3 Router for SDM

Cisco SDM is a web base Device Manager for Cisco devices, when you use SDM its involve HTTP and HTTPs protocol and you need to enable these two protocols on Cisco Router so that you can access it from Cisco SDM. You can enable the HTTP and HTTPs on Cisco router by following commands.

Router(config)#ip http server</div> Router(config)#ip http secure-server</div>

For demonstration I have created the following lab in GNS3 and I have following Applications in this gns3-lab:

GNS3 version: GNS3-0.7.4-win32-all-in-one

Router IOS: 7200 series (c7200-jk9s-mz.124-13b)

OS: Windows XP with Internet Explorer 8

I have connected the R1’s f1/0 interface to gns3-cloud so that internal Gns3 router can be accessible from my local computer. For configuring a cloud you need to add your Ethernet interface in cloud-configuration. Now you can connect the router Ethernet interface with this cloud interface. You can learn more about use gns3 cloud.

R1 Configurations:

R1(config)#interface f1/0 R1(config-if)#ip address 172.16.8.239 255.255.255.0
(Since I have connected this interface with physical LAN connection which has IP address 172.16.8.148, you can use IP scheme according to your setting.)

R1(config-if)#no shut R1(config)#interface f1/0 R1(config-if)#ip address 10.0.0.1 255.0.0.0 R1(config-if)#no shut R1(config)#ip http server R1(config)#ip http secure-server R1(config)#router rip R1(config-router)#version 2 R1(config-router)#network 10.0.0.0 R1(config-router)#network 172.16.8.0

R2 Configurations:

R1(config)#interface f1/0 R2(config)#interface f1/0 R2(config-if)#ip address 10.0.0.1 255.0.0.0 R2(config-if)#no shut R2(config)#ip http server R2(config)#ip http secure-server R2(config)#router rip R2(config-router)#version 2 R2(config-router)#network 10.0.0.0

After above configuration you can ping your virtual routers IP 10.0.0.2 and 172.168.8.239.

Connect router to SDM

Now open the SDM and type the IP address of router, in my case it is 172.168.8.239 and it will open the following console.

After some processing it will open the SDM in internet explorer, it may ask you for enabling ActiveX Setting, click yes.

Note: It may show you the following screen and stop on this windows, in this case you just need to press F5 and click yes for ActiveX Setting.

Now you can access you Virtual router with SDM and can configure and practice the virtual router with GUI interface. Hope this will work for you.