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FAQs for Troubleshooting the NorthStar Controller

The following frequently asked questions (FAQs) are provided to help answer questions you might have about troubleshooting NorthStar Controller features, functionality, and behavior.

  • What commands can I use to stop, start, or restart NorthStar?

    service northstar stop

    service northstar start

    service northstar restart

    Note:

    DO NOT USE supervisorctl stop all, supervisorctl start all, or supervisorctl restart all. Starting and stopping processes out of order can cause unexpected issues.

  • Should I use an "in-band" or "out-of-band" management interface for the PCEP session?

    We recommend in-band management, but if in-band is not an option, out-of-band management will work with some limitations. If you use an out-of-band management interface as the PCEP local address, configure PCC management IP address mapping.

    Note:

    We also recommend that you use the router loopback IP address as the PCEP local address with the assumption that the loopback IP address is also the TE router ID.

  • What is an "ethernet” node and why is “ethernet" node shown even though there are only two routers on that link?

    Ethernet node represents a switch or hub in the broadcast environment. Unless explicitly configured otherwise, OSPF and IS-IS perform adjacency in broadcast mode. Displaying this "ethernet" in the network topology makes it possible to detect which part of the network has non-explicit point-to-point Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP) configuration.

  • The OSPF Broadcast link doesn't sync up, and the NorthStar Controller UI displays an isolated router and an isolated Ethernet node. What is the problem here?

    Verify that each router's interface that is connected to the isolated subnet is configured with the family mpls enable statement (for routers running Junos OS).

  • The PCEP session between the PCC and PCE stays in the "connecting" state. Why isn't the connection established?

    Verify that the PE router has been correctly configured as a PCC, for example:

    • Enable external control of LSPs from the PCC router to the NorthStar Controller:

    • Specify the NorthStar Controller (northstar1) as the PCE that the PCC connects to, and specify the NorthStar Controller host external IP address as the destination address:

    • Configure the destination port for the PCC router that connects to the NorthStar Controller (PCE server) using the TCP-based PCEP:

    • You must also make sure no firewall (or anything else) is blocking the traffic.

  • Does the NorthStar Controller UI show the LSP and topology events in real time?

    In most cases, the LSP and topology events are displayed in real time. However, the PCS can perform some event aggregation to reduce protocol communication between the server and client if the PCS receives too many events from the network.

  • The /var/log/jnc/pcep_server.log file does not contain any information. How can I get more verbose PCEP logging?

    1. From the NorthStar Controller CLI, run pcep_cli.

    2. Type set log-level all

    3. Press CTRL-C to exit.

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