https://ciscotec.wordpress.

com/2016/02/23/iou-web/
Knowledge Base

iou-web
Posted by Pankaj Agrawal on February 23, 2016

Steps, how to setup your new VM with iou-web

1. First download archived vm machine from forum shares. TWO files. Use http://www.7-
zip.org for unzip it. Mouse right click on first archive file, choose 7z-> extract here.
2. Download VM Ware player, if you have not it, or use any existing virtual program. It can
Vbox, VM Player – free programs, or VM ware Workstation starting from vers 7 and up. Also it
can be installed on MAC using VM ware Fusion – not free.
3. Import new vm choosing xxxx.ovf file. Done.
4. Start vm, your vm machine should get IP address. This address will be management IP for
access through web.
5. Iou-web developers recommend to use Google chrome, but I know success on fireFox too.
6. Use http://192.168.XX.YY in the browser. Given IP from your vm.

Steps, how to setup your favorite telnet program for vm machine

1. Our know source use Putty for this. Therefore we can setup active diagram on click to open
console with Putty.
2. Be sure that you have putty.exe on your PC. If not find it in Google and download.
3. For dummies: Create Directory Putty on C:/Putty, place putty.exe in it.
4. Download windows .reg file, from iou-web official shares.
http://public.routereflector.com/iou-web/files/
5. Choose file what match your OS. Download it, or copy content to notepad and save it with
extention .reg
6. Edit this file, correct path to your Putty. For dummies it will be :
@=”\”C:\\PuTTY\\putty.exe\” %1″
7. This is exact string for dummies what should be in your .reg file. SAVE !
8. Install this file to your system, double click.
9. Go to browser setting, clean cache…close.
10. Now you can start your vm, open it in browser and it should opens your consoles with Putty
when you click on active diagram device.

Steps, how to start any lab in iou-web

1. Open any folder and find lab what you want to play
2. Click on lab.
3. IMORTANT ! Go to Tab devices, and press actions sixth button from left, looks like trash, for
All devices. This wil clean previous configs from NVRAMs, but not delete initial configs. Press
“Trash” named “Stop all devices and wipe and all configurations”
4. Now you can start your lab. It will load with all initial configs. BTW if you do not use point 3.
All configs what you did will be kept in NVRAMs even you shutdown vm. Nice, isn’t it? You
use your lab from point where you stopped in previous day…

Steps, how to import lab

1. Sometimes I present in shares just ready to import lab. It look like archive file. IMPORTANT!
Do not unzip it or do not use any archive program to open it. IT is ready to import file.
2. Download lab file, it looks like lab.gz.
3. Choose tab “Manage” – >“Import labs”

4. Press “ Choose file” find your downloaded lab, press “import”

5. Check boxes “Select all labs” and “Select all initial config packs””, in the Folder meny choose
where your lab will stored.
6. Press “Import Labs”
7. Go to tab “Laboratories” choose imported lab, press edit mode of this lab, small brown book
right side

8. Scroll down till section “devices”. In the menu “Apply an Initial Config Pack to all device:”
choose config pack for this lab.
9. In the menus for each device choose correct IOS, for switches L2 for routers L3.
10. Press “Save”
Steps, how to create new folder
1. For some order and better look work face, you can create folders, the using drag and drop
move any lab or folder into it.
2. Go to tab “Laboratories” choose icon ”Folder” with green “+”, Enter the name of folder, press
OK. (NOT just enter)
3. To delete folder, on the right side against folder you can see “Trash” button. Same story with
any other item, just press “Trash” and you can delete anything from your vm.
Steps, how to change or add IOS to iou-web
Our iou-web machine does NOT have limits how many ios are uploaded in it! You need not to
delete any uploaded IOS from it.
1. Download IOS files, The best collection is here:
http://certcollection.org/forum/topic/172857-current-iou-l2l3-linux-images/
All used IOS are in this pack. UNZIP this archive.
2. Choose tab “Manage” – >“Manage IOSes”
3. MANDATORY! In the field “Filename” paste the name of full filename, the best is just copy
filename, looks like “i86bi_linux-adventerprisek9-ms.152-4.M1”, DO NOT USE ANY symbols
like space, coma….. In this archive all IOS names are corrected and ready to use those names.
4. In the field named “Alias” write the short name of your IOS. This will appears when you will
choose it under menu in the edit mode of lab. Example “L3 15.2.4.1”. Spaces are allowed here.
Example for “i86bi_linux_l2-ipbasek9-ms.may8-2013-team_track” – Alias can be “L2
15.1.M8”. (M8 is from May 8)
5. Now, press button choose particular IOS file, press “OPEN”
6. Final – press button “Upload”
7. Now your IOS is uploaded. Let’s got to use it in lab. Go to tab “Laboratories” choose lab what
IOS have to be changed, press edit mode of this lab, small brown book right side.

8. Scroll down till section “Devices”. Column “IOS”: Use menu against each device and choose
other IOS, or new uploaded IOS. When done for all, press “Save” DO NOT MESS L3 IOS for
L2 devices or vice versa!
9. IMPORTANT! After this action do the section: “Steps, If you want to start TS lab from
scratch with faults!!!”

Steps, how to change initial config pack if there are more than one
10. Go to tab “Laboratories” choose imported lab, press edit mode of this lab, small brown book
right side

11. Scroll down till section “devices”. In the menu “Apply an Initial Config Pack to all device:”
choose OTHER config pack for this lab. This config pack should match this lab. You cannot
import any other config pack and try to add it to your lab. 100% lab will be screwed then, if
those wasn’t created on same lab topology.
12. Press “Save”
13. Go to tab Laboratories and click on this lab “INE TS” here

14. IMORTANT! Go to Tab devices, and press actions sixth button from left, looks like trash,
for All devices. This wil clean previous configs from NVRAMs, but not delete initial configs.
Press “Trash” named “Stop all devices and wipe and all configurations”

15. DONE, now you can start your lab with new applied initial config pack.
Steps, If you want to start TS lab from scratch with faults!!!
1. You should clean up your saved configs from NVRAMS.
2. Go to particular LAB, MPLS, for example, TAB “devices”, on the top of device list are
management buttons, Mass start, mass stop, etc.
3. Find mass button like Trash “Stop all devices and wipe all configurations”.
Press it.

4. It will erase all previously saved configs in NVRAMS and vlan.dat. This command will NOT
erase my preconfigs from labs.

Start devices.All should work.

How to create OWN labs in IOU WEB

1. TAB laboratories, right upper corner ICON “New LAB”

2. Fill fields: NAME, Description – mandatory, your choice
3. Field TIME – not mandatory and it can be turned on any time. It is timer what you can setup
for your lab just for time management, let’s say 120 minutes. When you will start a lab in upper
left corner you can countdown of time.
4. Checked box “Display diagram”. If it is checked you will see default diagram with devices of
your created lab. Option uncheck is used if you will create your own active picture – clickable
devices. As I did on my all labs. But about this tuning later
5. Big field “Additional info” can be used to place questions for lab. All info will appears later as
description TAB when you will use this lab. But I prefer better to use pdfs.
6. IMPORTANT: Netmap field. Here you will create your device connections with interfaces.

IOU WEB supports two cards only: NM-4E and NM-4T.

By default if you choose both NM cards, first always will be Ethernet, doesn’t matter how many
cards, and then follows Serial NM cards.
Examples:
2xNM-4E and 2xNM-4T in sh run looks like: e0/0-0/3, e1/0-1/3, s2/0-2/3, s3/0-3/3.
1xNM-4E and 2xNM-4T in sh run looks like: e0/0-0/3, s1/0-1/3, s2/0-2/3
1xNM-4E and 1xNM-4T in sh run looks like: e0/0-0/3, s1/0-1/3
1xNM-4E and 0xNM-4T in sh run looks like: e0/0-0/3
0xNM-4E and 2xNM-4T in sh run looks like: s0/0-0/3, s1/0-1/3
Last example if Ethernet cards are “0” then Serial will place first slot and will start from 0/x
For switches you should add Ethernet cards only, Serial is “0”.
4x1xNM-4E and 0xNM-4T in sh run looks like: e0/0-0/3, e1/0-1/3, e2/0-2/3, e2/0-2/3
.Use “0” in Ethernet card fields are necessary…if you will leave it empty, it will add 8 NM
cards to your device
Let’s say we want to create lab:
a) R1 e0/0 con to R2 e0/0;
b) R1 s1/0 con to R3 s0/0 (here you can see that R3 has no Ethernet NM at all, therefore Ethernet
field is “0”)
c) R1 e0/1 con to SW1 e0/0
d) R2 e0/1 con to SW1 e0/1
Syntax for this lab will be:
1:0/0 2:0/0
1:1/0 3:0/0
1:0/2 4:0/0
2:0/1 4:0/1
No press ADD and NEW additional fields will opens:
7. Now You can see section named “Devices”,
a) As first is menu “Apply an Initial Config Pack to all device” – this will be used later when we
create it.
b) Here we will add device NAME, choose correct IOS and add interfaces for each of device.
Continue lab first device is R1, second is R2, third R3 and forth is SW. Fill these names in the
fields.
c) In IOS drop-down menu choose your favorite L3 or L2 IOS for particular device.
d) Fill RAM and NVRAM, I recommend for 15.x series IOS use 256 RAM and 64 for NVRAM
e) And now very important point, add interfaces for each device. As I wrote in p. 6. If you will
add 1 as Ethernet you get 4 Ethernet in device, if add 2 you have 8 Ethernet. Same with serials. If
you don’t need any of type just say “0”. Do not leave empty, it will add 8 NMs by default to your
device.
f) Continue our test LAB, for R1 we need 2 Eth connections and 1 Ser, fill fields 1 and 1, for R2
needs eth only, fill 1 and 0, for R3 needs serial only – 0 and 1, SW need 2 Ethernet connections
and we have enough with 1 eth and 0 serial.
g) Next two checkboxes, do not check L2 keepalive if you use router-switch combinations in lab,
this works with switch labs only. Next watchdog I check always.
h) Drop-down menu picture you can choose what device icon you want to see, router or switch,
FR switch…
i) Boot delay is advanced option and you can add time in seconds when this device start to boot
after mass start, if R1 boot delay is 20, that’s mean that all devices start immediately after press
start, but R1 will start boot after 20 sec. You can leave this field empty.
j) Initial config menu will be used later when you get your config pack.
8. Next section is “Pictures” also is useful. You can upload your own drawn pictures in .png
format. I use visio for creating pictures then convert to .png and upload to iou-web. If you have
already uploaded pic, just check box for pic what you want to see for lab.
LAB Configuration PACK setup or initial
1. Press save your new Lab is ready. Now we can start it first time, configure some initials
manually or copy from source (be careful with interface matching).
2. Start all routers and input all configurations what you want to see in pack under each device.
For example, for INE lab, copy/paste preconfigs to each device through console.
3. Save all configs on console “wr” for all devices. Now you have saved startup-configs for each,
and if you reload devices these will show you what is configured.
4. IMPORTANT: on each device type this command: ” copy running-config unix: ” This like
a prototype as in real device disk0:. You can look a content of each device “dir unix:”, same as in
real hw. Now You have saved config as file under disk “unix:”
5. IMPORTANT: no you should use mass action button Copy all unix://running-config files to
database (third button in mass actions, like grey icon with green arrow)
6. Bingo, we got pack for your new lab. Go to tab Laboratories and you will see a created new
config pack with the same name as your LAB.
7. After start devices with your config pack, under dir unix: you will see one more file like
“config-00001”. This is file from where device gets startup config now. Number at the end is
device number. For R3 it will be config-00003, etc… PACK is ready!
8. You can go to LAB edit mode (small book on the right side beside trash) on the section
devices menu “Apply an Initial Config Pack to all device” choose your config pack with same
name as LAB. Save.
9. Then in tab “Devices” use mass action button “stop all devices and wipe all configurations”
(like trash). Now your new created lab starts with your config pack.

How to create multiple configuration packs for one lab.

1. Little bit complicate but when know how, no problems at all.
2. Choose labs which you want to get multiple initial configs, let’s take INE lab.
3. First step, IMPORTANT, Go to lab edit mode and rename LAB, Field “Name”, this name will
be for your new initial pack. Example “INE RS BGP initial”. Save. This change option can be
used during all devices running.
4. Now, do all changes on the devices through the console, of course say “wr”. IMPORTANT:
for switches USE vtp transparent mode only, other option, server or client you will lose VLANS
in the initial (this can be corrected later manually, see part additional below). IMPORTANT, for
all devices, even you didn’t change some.
5. On the each devices do: copy running-config unix:
6. Go to tab “Laboratories” -> Devices, find mass button third from left “Copy all
unix://running-config files to database”, grey icon with green arrow.
7. You config pack is created in the same folder where is lab placed.
8. For the next config pack, you needn’t stop devices, do the points 3 – 6
9. So far you can create lot of config packs for one lab, finally you can go to lab edit mode and
rename it as you with: like INE RS, and use any of your created pack on it.
10. Now, go to LAB edit mode (small book on the right side beside trash) on the section devices
menu “Apply an Initial Config Pack to all device” choose your created config pack with given
names, example: “INE RS BGP Initial”. Save.
11. Then in tab “Devices” use mass action button “stop all devices and wipe all configurations”
(like trash). Now your created lab INE RS will start with your config pack.

Additional:
12. After some requests, if you want to inject own faults into existing config pack is easy:
a) Go to tab Laboratories, choose CONFIG (grey icon, usually under lab icon) what should be
corrected, against it use small icon (books) to edit mode.
b) Do the necessary changes on each of device or couple of them. Each time after change in one
device press “Save”
c) Here, for the switches you can change the vtp mode, set vtp password, add vlans. Use Server
mode only with added vlans. Client mode doesn’t accept vlans.
Set timer countdown option for TS labs.
1. We have a time feature in IOU web, but this is for your time management only. Nothing will
happens if time will reach “0”.
2. Choose lab what you want to do, example MPLSv3
3. Go to lab edit mode, at the top find field “Time”. By default there is “0” configured, and that’s
mean time is off.
4. Change 0 to minutes what you want, let’s say 120 minutes for TS. I recommend to add extra 5
minutes while your devices boot up, because timer starts to tick just you enter the lab. We
change 0 to 125. Press “Save”.

5. Done, timers started. On the right upper web face part you will see timer.

6. Do switch off timer, change minutes to “0”

7. Please understand that timer option is in the test way.

Advanced IOU WEB LAB tuning to use own picture as active diagram.
8. Upload your picture in .png format to iou web.
9. Go to LAB edit mode and check box of this picture for lab.
10. Pictures also have edit mode, find your picture which you want to tune as active workdesk
and press edit (small book on right side)
11. You are in the edit mode of PIC. Name of pic you can change or leave as it.
12. You can add additional info for picture, but it is not needed.
13. IMPORTANT: Next field “Map” will be filled automatically and we will correct it little
later.
14. IMPORTANT: Scroll down till you see your picture. NOW ATTENTION! Use your mouse
and click one time on each device in the center. Follow the order click R1 then R2, R3, R4…
SW1…FR. IN THE middle of icon. Do not click anywhere…because each of clicks are saved in
map field! After click on all devices scroll back to field MAP.
15. Now you see the lines with coordinates with each of your click. And if you followed order
you know that firs device is R1…second R2…SW… NOW all is what you need is correct
manually console port for each device. (By default all are 2000).
First line looks like” <area shape=’circle’ coords=’375,254,30′ href=’telnet://{{IP}}:2000′>”.
Just change console port to 2001 for R1, in the next line change to 2002. Save.
If your console port are different use numbers what you have for each device.
Written by UldisD
16. Now you go to LAB edit mode and uncheck Display diagram box, because you have your
own active diagram. Save.
17. Clear cache of your browser!!! Close browser, open it…and your lab with new face should
work…

Cloud connections in IOU WEB.

1. Amazing thing is Clouds in IOU WEB. You can connect your lab to real Internet, GNS3, vm
hosts, Servers or even create terminal access server to access remotely your LAB. IOU web with
VM ware workstation supports up to 8 clouds.
2. If you are using my vm v17 it is tuned to use up to 3 clouds. VM has 4 Ethernet adapters. First
is used to be as web management interface. All other can be used to connect anything.
3. Let’s create the Real Internet LAB. R1 e0/0 connected to Cloud. Syntax for this lab is:
1:0/0 900:0/0
I use 900, 901, 902 numbers for cloud.
4. In the field NAME 901 write Cloud or as you wish.
5. Menu IOS leave as it empty
6. IMPORTANT: in the field Ethernet write “eth1”.
For cloud 902 Ethernet field will be “eth2”, for cloud 903 – “eth3”.
In the iou web eth0 is used for web management interface
“eth1” is interface on your VM “Network Adapter 2”
“eth2” is interface on your VM “Network Adapter 3”
“eth3” is interface on your VM “Network Adapter 4”
Those can be bridged mode or NAT. By default in my vm “Network Adapter 2” is NAT.
Bridged mode the best is use for GNS connection or to your real Inside LAN.
7. The Picture menu choose “Cloud” – MANDATORY!!!
8. NAT mode you cloud will give IP from NAT pool of your vm. You can configure ip dhcp
address on Ethernet connected to cloud.
9. Bridged mode is much better. You can connect your cloud and iou routers to your real LAN.
In my case I have VM “Network Adapter 2” bridged with my PC NIC, and router in IOU getting
IP address from my LAN and real Router.
10. Using bridged interfaces you can connect GNS topology, ASA, IDS, and Juniper to iou web.
Tested it works!
11. Don’t forget that Network adapters on vm settings can be unchecked to start on boot. If you
want to use them, check connect on start up, and connect