Release Note for Vista Manager EX Software Version 3.14.x

Acknowledgments

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Content

• What's New in Vista Manager EX v3.14.0
• Important Considerations Before Upgrading
• Obtaining User Documentation
• Upgrading Vista Manager as a Windows-based installation
• Upgrading Vista Manager on VST-APL
• Upgrading Vista Manager on VST-VRT
• Troubleshooting

What's New in Vista Manager EX v3.14.0

This release note describes the new features in Vista Manager EX^TM v3.14.0. It covers changes to Vista Manager EX plus the optional Autonomous Wave Controller (AWC) plugin. Further information is included for other supported plugins, and AMF Plus supported menu items, highlighted with a badge in the Vista Manager EX UI. You can obtain the software files from the Software Download area of the Allied Telesis website. Log in using your assigned email address and password. Contact your authorized Allied Telesis support center to obtain licenses.

Caution: Information in this release note is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Allied Telesis, Inc. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained within this document and the features and changes described are accurate, Allied Telesis, Inc. cannot accept any type of liability for errors in, or omissions arising from, the use of this information.

New Features and Enhancements

• Important Licensing changeover information on page 5.
• Upgrading versions earlier than 3.9.0 on page 5.
• Notifications for Vista Manager Events in third-party applications on page 5.
• Flexible Port support for the ARX200S-GTX on page 9.
• Improved memory and plugin functionality on page 9.
• Applying SD-WAN rules to all applications on page 10.
• Temperature widget adjustments on page 10.
• Health Monitoring and dashboard changes on page 11.
• Bookmarks on page 12.
• Vista Manager EX API on page 13.
• Widget Preview for Health Monitoring on page 13.
• Vista Manager Menu update on page 14.

Important Licensing changeover information

Applies to all Vista Manager EX installations

From version 3.14.0 onwards, Allied Telesis is preparing to migrate licensing systems. As of version 3.14.0, both old and new licenses will be supported to prepare for the migration change.

It is recommended to contact Allied Telesis Customer Support from the Support Portal to arrange new licenses for licensed features before upgrading.

If licenses have not been prepared in advance and an issue is discovered during upgrading, Vista Manager 3.14.0 continues to support older licenses. New licenses can be arranged and applied before upgrading to a later version.

Upgrading versions earlier than 3.9.0

Applies to Vista Manager EX installations earlier than version 3.9.0

If a backup was created on a version earlier than 3.9.0, and the user wishes to upgrade to a new version, the backup must first be installed on version 3.9.0, and then exported again. The new backup can then be uploaded to a later version of Vista Manager (such as v3.14.0).

Upgrading directly to 3.14.0 (e.g., from 3.7.0 to 3.14.0 without upgrading to 3.9.0 first) may result in data corruption or incompatibility issues.

Alternatively, a fresh install of the newer version can be performed, configuring it from scratch.

Notifications for Vista Manager Events in third-party applications

Applies to all Vista Manager EX installations

From version 3.14.0 onwards, Vista Manager can be configured to send network notifications to third-party communication applications like Microsoft Teams and Slack, with the introduction of recipient groups.

A recipient group can be selected from the recipient group section of the event rules drop-down. A recipient group can be created with a name and a set of email addresses from the Events > Notification page.

A recipient group is treated as a user with permissions for all events. The administrator creating the event rule decides which notifications the group receives.

To get an email for a Teams channel:

1. Click the [three-dots menu] next to the channel you wish to send notifications to.
2. Click "Get email address". Teams will generate an email address.
3. Copy the email address in the middle of the generated string between the angle brackets (<>).

The Notifications tab on the Events page has been added to support sending notifications from Vista Manager to other applications. Click the [+ New Notification button] to add a new entry.

1. Enter a name.
2. Enter the email address from the communication channel.
3. Click the [+ button] to confirm and add the email address.
4. Click "save".

The new notification entry will be added to the Notifications page.

SMTP Server settings must also be configured to receive notifications. The SMTP configuration has been upgraded to handle encrypted SMTPS on port 465 and port 587. An SMTP Auth User and Password are required for the SMTP Server to forward information.

To change the SMTP settings, navigate to System Management > About, scroll down to the About SMTP section, and click the [Edit details button].

In version 3.14.0 onwards, the recipient group option has been extended. When creating a rule, specific notification groups can be chosen.

Rules can be created from the Events > Syslog page, the main Event Log page, or the Health Monitoring page.

• To create a new rule on the Events page: click the [three-dots menu] next to an event log entry.
• To create a new rule on the Syslog page: click the [Create Rule button].
• To create a new rule on the Health Monitoring page: click the [+ Add button] and add a new Rule.

A link utilization rule can also be created from the Traffic layer of the Network map by [right-clicking a blue link].

Flexible Port support for the ARX200S-GTX

Applies to all Vista Manager EX installations

From version 3.14.0 onwards, Vista Manager supports flexible WAN/LAN ports on the ARX200S-GTX. The ARX200S-GTX features one Ethernet WAN port and four switch LAN ports.

Users may wish to use one of the switch ports as a second WAN port for resilient Internet connectivity, and these switch ports can be changed from LAN to WAN and back at any time.

Vista Manager automatically detects changes in the flexible WAN/LAN port status.

Improved memory and plugin functionality

Applies to all Vista Manager EX installations

From version 3.14.0 onwards, plugins will start dynamically to improve memory usage. This reduces load if plugins were to automatically start on startup.

Some plugin processes can be started by toggling select widgets from the system configuration page. These include AT-RADgate, Advanced Monitoring, Bookmarks, and the Vista Manager EX API access.

Plugin processes will start dynamically for optional plugins when the plugin is first registered from the System Management > Plugins page. Note that the AWC and SNMP plugins must be manually started as usual.

Restoring a backup where optional plugins had been registered previously will cause those plugin processes to start.

Upgrading from a previous version of Vista Manager will cause only registered plugin processes to start.

Plugin processes will be dynamically stopped when the plugin is de-registered.

Applying SD-WAN rules to all applications

Applies to all Vista Manager EX installations

From version 3.14.0 onwards, support has been added for an 'any' option for applications from the SD-WAN > Rules page. It is now possible to create an SD-WAN rule that applies to any application. This support aids in deploying SDWAN across multiple sites easily, by using rules that apply to all applications instead of creating individual rules for each application.

Temperature widget adjustments

Applies to all Vista Manager EX installations

From version 3.14.0 onwards, Vista Manager has changed how it handles temperature charts on the Health Monitoring page for devices with sensors that detect temperature changes but may not have an internal 'too-hot' or 'too-cold' limit set. If a temperature sensor on a device does not report a high 'too-hot' limit or low 'too-cold' limit, the temperature value will display differently.

Live Temperature Widget

The Live Temperature widget's title shows the sensor's name, and the subtitle shows the latest polling time. The sensor's name may also include the sensor ID number at the end of the name.

If there is no 'too-hot' limit reported for a sensor, the device's temperature value will display as a number without a live temperature chart. The data from that sensor will not contribute to the device's health score.

For devices that have a 'too-hot' threshold but not a 'too-cold' one, a 'too-cold' threshold is now internally calculated as follows:

• If the device sensor's temperature is at or above 5 Celsius, use 0 Celsius as the 'too-low' threshold.
• If the device sensor's temperature is under 5 Celsius, take the current reading and subtract 5 degrees, then use that as the 'too-low' threshold.

For example:

• If the low limit is 4 degrees, the 'too-cold' threshold will adjust to -1 degrees.
• If it is 7 degrees, the 'too-cold' threshold will adjust to 0 degrees.

If there's no 'too-cold' limit, the left side of the live temperature chart will continue to be shown as green. This is pre-existing behavior.

Historical Temperature Widget

When a limit does not exist, the relevant limit line and warning limit line will no longer be included on the Historical Temperature charts. When a limit does not exist, the average temperature line will not approach the top or bottom of the Historical Temperature Charts.

Temperature Device List

In the Device Health > Temperature device list, when a high-temperature limit does not exist, the device will be displayed as 'Unknown'.

Health Monitoring and dashboard changes

Applies to all Vista Manager EX installations

From version 3.14.0 onwards, the Health Monitoring page has changed.

Overall Health Monitoring Changes

• The health monitoring category 'Fair' has been renamed to 'Warning'.
• The 'Unknown' category has been added.
• When there is no high limit on a sensor, that sensor will be classed as 'Unknown' instead of 'Good', and it will not count towards a Health Score rating.
• The current categories are 'Good', 'Warning' (Previously 'Fair'), 'Bad', and 'Unreachable'.
• Temperature sensors now include an ID number at the end of their name. For example: 'Temp: System 8' indicates that sensor has an ID of 8.
• When multiple sensors share the same name on a device, this ID helps users match each sensor in Vista Manager to its corresponding sensor on the device.

Flexible dashboard

There are now twice as many rows available on the flexible dashboard, allowing some widgets to be optionally reduced in size.

Probe Health dashboard

The subtitle of the latest widgets shows the latest polling time.

Bookmarks

Applies to all Vista Manager EX installations

From version 3.14.0 onwards, support for adding bookmarks to Vista Manager's main side menu has been added. IP Addresses or other URLs can be bookmarked for quick access. Bookmarks are saved within Vista Manager, ensuring they are always available even if the user is using a new/different browser.

Bookmarks can be toggled on from the System Management > Configuration page.

This will display the Bookmarks menu, where you can click the [+ Add Bookmark button] to bookmark a URL.

As a network administrator, bookmarks can optionally be set as admin-only, meaning only admin users will be able to view them. Bookmarks are disabled by default.

• Bookmarked URLs must contain either https:// or http:// at the start of the URL.
• There is only one list of bookmarks, and a maximum of 5 bookmarks are supported.
• Enable Bookmarks on the System Management > Configuration page.
• Disabling the feature does not delete any bookmarks.
• Bookmarks are opened in a new tab.
• Bookmarks are included when making a backup of Vista Manager and are imported when restoring from that backup.
• An admin user can see or edit the full list of bookmarks.
• Every non-admin user will see the same list of non-admin user bookmarks.

Vista Manager EX API

Applies to all Vista Manager EX installations

From version 3.14.0 onwards, access to part of the Vista Manager APIs is available to create custom applications. This is part of a plan to create a full API gateway. A token for API access can be created from the System Management > Configuration page.

Widget Preview for Health Monitoring

Applies to all Vista Manager EX installations

From version 3.14.0 onwards, when creating a new widget from the Health Monitoring menu, a preview of the widget will be displayed.

Vista Manager Menu update

Applies to all Vista Manager EX installations

From version 3.14.0 onwards, the left-hand menu has been reworked. The Vista Manager side menu has moved from a license-based order to a feature-based grouping to improve navigation.

The AMF Plus menu has been split into three categories: Intent Networks, WAN, Health Monitoring.

An 'AMF+' [badge] now appears next to any feature that requires an AMF Plus license.

SD-WAN and other WAN related items have moved under the WAN heading.

Important Considerations Before Upgrading

This section describes changes that may affect Vista Manager EX or your network's behavior if you upgrade. Please read it carefully before upgrading.

Manual polling recommended if upgrading

Applies to all Vista Manager EX installations

From version 3.11.0 onwards, it is recommended to poll the network manually after upgrading Vista Manager EX. This ensures Vista Manager EX acquires functionality added in the new release, including functionality dependent on device information. Otherwise, features may fail to detect devices and will not work as intended. To poll manually, use the [Refresh Topology button] on the Network Map.

Traffic map data not restored

When upgrading Vista Manager EX, traffic map data from earlier versions will not be imported.

Upgrading versions earlier than 3.9.0

If a backup was created on a version earlier than 3.9.0, and the user wishes to upgrade to a new version, the backup must first be installed on version 3.9.0, and then exported again. The new backup can then be uploaded to a later version of Vista Manager (such as v3.14.0).

Upgrading directly to 3.14.0 (e.g., from 3.7.0 to 3.14.0 without upgrading to 3.9.0 first) may result in data corruption or incompatibility issues.

Alternatively, a fresh install of the newer version can be performed, configuring it from scratch.

Health Monitoring sensor widgets are empty after upgrading from 3.13.x

After upgrading from 3.13.x, sensor gauge widgets will be empty on the Health Monitoring page's flexible dashboard. If any latest or historical temperature widgets were created for specific devices, these widgets need to be re-created after upgrading.

Internet Explorer 11 compatibility

When using the Vista Manager EX integrated map with Internet Explorer 11, performance may be slower, particularly with large maps. Therefore, it is recommended to use a different browser, especially for large networks.

Virtualization support

The Vista Manager EX virtual appliance is not supported on VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi) 5.5. Please upgrade to VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi) 6.0, 6.5, 6.7, 7, or 8 if you wish to use this version of Vista Manager EX.

Vista Manager plugins

Do not delete a plugin from Vista Manager during a version upgrade. No de-registering or re-registering of plugins is required during this stage.

Fibre monitoring feature permissions

Note that on a new installation of Vista Manager EX, Active Fibre Monitoring permissions will need to be enabled for users. This can be done on the User Management page.

Disabling Internet Breakout disables all PBR rules

Internet Breakout uses policy-based routing (PBR) rules. When Vista Manager EX is used to disable Internet Breakout, it disables all PBR rules, including:

• Rules created by SDWAN.
• Rules created by Internet Breakout.
• Rules created manually through the CLI.

Obtaining User Documentation

Vista Manager Installation Guides, User Guides, and Release Notes for Vista Manager EX are available on the Allied Telesis documentation website, alliedtelesis.com.

AMF Plus

For full AlliedWare Plus documentation, see the online documentation library. For AMF Plus documentation, the library includes the following documents:

• The AMF Plus Feature Overview and Configuration Guide.
• The AMF Plus Datasheet.
• The AMF Plus Cloud Installation Guide.

Upgrading Vista Manager as a Windows-based installation

Windows-based Vista Manager has two optional plug-ins. These can be upgraded at the same time as Vista Manager EX.

Obtain the executable files

1. Download Vista Manager EX from the Allied Telesis Support Portal. If installing the AWC and/or SNMP plug-ins, download these files from the same location.
   • The Vista Manager EX installation executable is named atvmexXXXbXXw.exe, with 'X' denoting the version and build numbers.
   • The AWC plug-in is named atawcXXXbXXw.exe.
   • The SNMP plug-in is named atsnmpXXXbXXw.exe. Do not rename these files, as the installation requires them to be in this format.
2. Place the executables for Vista Manager and any desired plug-ins in a single folder. This folder must be accessible from the machine where Vista Manager will be installed.

Backup Vista Manager EX and the plug-ins

Backup Vista Manager EX

1. Log in to Vista Manager and select the System Management page.
2. On the Database Management page, click the [Backup button] next to the Backup tab.
3. Click [Backup again] to confirm the backup. This action automatically downloads a tar file backup to your default download location.

Backup the SNMP plug-in

1. If the SNMP plug-in is installed, log on locally to the Vista Manager EX Server on your Windows device.
2. Stop the SNMP server services using the shortcut or by running the following command line: "<Vista Install Path>\Plugins\AT-SNMP\NetManager\bin\svrcmd.bat" svrstop
3. Run the backup utility using the shortcut or by running the following command line: "<Vista Install Path>\Plugins\AT-SNMP\NetManager\bin\SMBackup.exe". Follow the on-screen instructions.

Backup the AWC plug-in

1. If the AWC plug-in is installed, log on locally to the Vista Manager EX server.
2. Stop the AWC server services using the shortcut or by running the following command line: "<Vista Install Path>\Plugins\AT-AWC\root\stopserver.bat"
3. Run the backup/restore utility using the shortcut or by running the following command line: "<Vista Install Path>\Plugins\AT-AWC\tools\maintenance\maintenance.bat"
4. Select the backup tab and follow the on-screen instructions.

Note: The default location of <Vista Install Path> is C:\Program Files (x86)\Allied Telesis\AT-Vista Manager EX.

Uninstall the existing version

1. Log on to your Windows device as the same user who performed the installation.
2. Stop the server. Select "AT-Vista Manager EX" and then "AT-Vista Manager EX - Stop Server" from the Windows menu.
3. From the Windows menu, select "AT-Vista Manager EX" then "AT-Vista Manager EX - Uninstall".
4. The AT-Vista Manager EX uninstaller will start.
5. Click the [Uninstall button] to proceed with the uninstall.
6. If a dialogue box prompts you to restart the system, select the [Restart the system option] or [Restart later option] and click the [Finish button].
7. Delete the installation folder. The default installation folder is: C:\Program Files (x86)\Allied Telesis\AT-Vista Manager EX.
8. Reboot the system.

Install the new version

1. From your Windows device, execute the Vista Manager EX installation program atvmexXXXbXXw.exe. Note: Administrator privileges are required to run the installer.
2. The Introduction dialog displays: This wizard will guide you through the installation of the latest version of Vista Manager EX. Click [Next button].
3. The License Agreement dialog displays: Read the software license agreement terms and conditions. If you agree to accept the terms of the license agreement, select the [I accept the terms of the License Agreement checkbox] and click [Next button].
4. The Choose Install Folder dialog displays: Select a destination location using the [destination location input] and click [Next button].
5. The Choose Install Set dialog displays: Select [Full Install option] from the drop-down list. By default, all plug-ins are selected. Clear the [clear checkbox] for any plug-ins you do not wish to install. Click [Next button].
6. The Plug-In Configuration dialog displays: Select [Do not create a public key option] unless you intend to use the plug-ins in standalone mode. Refer to the Installation Guide for more information on standalone mode. Click [Next button].
7. The Registration Server IP Address dialog displays: Select from the [IP address list] of IP addresses already configured on the Windows machine, or input a valid IP address in the [IP address input field]. Click [Next button].
8. The Pre-Installation Summary dialog displays: Review the [Pre-Installation Summary section] to ensure your Product Name, Install Folder, Shortcut Folder, Product Features, Plugin Installer Name, and Registration IP Address are correct. Then, click the [Install button].
9. The Installing... dialog displays progress.
10. The NPCAP installer dialog appears. Click the [I Agree button] to proceed with the install.
11. Click [Install button].
12. The Npcap installation will proceed. Click [Next button].
13. Click [Finish button] to close the Npcap installer. Vista Manager will resume the rest of the download.
14. Once the installation is complete, the Install Complete dialog will be displayed. Check that the installation has completed successfully and click the [Done button].

Restore the Vista Manager database

After the upgrade is complete, the Vista Manager database needs to be restored. Use the following procedure:

1. Log in to Vista Manager. Enter the [Username field] as "manager" and the [Password field] as "friend". Click the [Login button].
2. Click the [upload backup file button].

   Caution: Your serial number and license information are part of your database backup. Uploading the backup file during an upgrade preserves your serial number and ensures licensing continues to work without interruption. If you configure a new instance of Vista Manager EX without uploading your backup, a new serial number will be generated, and your existing licensing will no longer work. You will need to contact Allied Telesis support to generate a new license. Therefore, it is STRONGLY recommended that you upload your database backup to ensure your licensing remains functional.

3. Select the database backup to upload. Click [Choose File button], browse to your Vista Manager database backup, and click [Next button]. The Vista Manager database will be restored.

Restore the SNMP plug-in

1. If the SNMP plug-in is installed, log on locally to the Vista Manager EX server.
2. Stop the SNMP server services using the shortcut or by running the following command line: "<Vista Install Path>\Plugins\AT-SNMP\NetManager\bin\svrcmd.bat" svrstop
3. Run the restore utility using the shortcut or by running the following command line: "<Vista Install Path>\Plugins\AT-SNMP\NetManager\bin\SMRestore.exe". Follow the on-screen instructions.

Restore the AWC plug-in

1. If the AWC plug-in is installed, log on locally to the Vista Manager EX server.
2. Stop the AWC server services using the shortcut or by running the following command line: "<Vista Install Path>\Plugins\AT-AWC\root\stopserver.bat"
3. Run the backup/restore utility using the shortcut or by running the following command line: "<Vista Install Path>\Plugins\AT-AWC\tools\maintenance\maintenance.bat"
4. Select the restore tab on the dialog and follow the on-screen instructions.

Note: By default, restoring the AWC database does not restore the system configuration. System configuration can be restored by checking the [Restore System Configuration checkbox] in the backup/restore utility.

It is recommended to check the [Restore System Configuration checkbox] to restore the following system configuration settings:

• Database Settings: Maximum Memory Usage, Data Retention Period Settings.
• Associated Client History, Client Location Estimation History, IDS Report History.
• Network Map Settings: Wireless Client Update-Interval.
• Client Location Estimation History data.

The system configuration contains settings tailored to the machine that created the backup. If restoring the backup on a different machine, particularly one with a lower specification, it is recommended not to restore the system configuration.

Note: The default location of <Vista Install Path> is C:\Program Files (x86)\Allied Telesis\AT-Vista Manager EX.

Upgrading Vista Manager on VST-APL

See the Vista Manager Network Appliance (VST-APL) Release Note.

Upgrading Vista Manager on VST-VRT

See the Vista Manager Virtual (VST-VRT) Release Note.

Troubleshooting

See the Troubleshooting chapter in the Vista Manager EX User Guide.