Converting policy expressions using the NSPEPI tool 编辑

Note:

You can download the NSPEPI and preconfig check tool from the public GitHub. For more information, see GitHub NEPEPI page and README page for detailed instructions to download, install, and use the tools. We recommend customers to use the tools available in GitHub for the most complete and up-to-date version.

Classic policy-based features and functionalities are deprecated from NetScaler 12.0 build 56.20 onwards. As an alternative, Citrix recommends you to use the Advanced policy infrastructure. As part of this effort, when you upgrade to Citrix ADC 12.1 build 56.20 or later, you must replace the Classic policy-based features and functionalities to its corresponding non-deprecated features and functionalities. Also, you must convert Classic policies and expressions to Advanced policies and expressions. Also, all new Citrix ADC features support only Advanced policy infrastructure.

The nspepi tool can perform the following:

1. Convert Classic policy expressions to Advanced policy expressions.
2. Convert certain Classic policies and their entity bindings to Advanced policies and bindings.
3. Convert a few more deprecated features to their corresponding non-deprecated features.
4. Convert classic filter commands to advanced filter commands.

Note:

After the nspepi tool successfully converts the ns.conf config file, the tool displays the converted file as a new file with a prefix, “new_”. If the converted config file has errors or warnings, you must manually fix them as part of the conversion process. Once converted, you must test the file in the test environment and then use it to replace the actual ns.conf config file. After testing, you must reboot the appliance for the newly converted or fixed ns.conf config file.

Features that only support Classic policies or expressions are deprecated and they can be replaced by the corresponding non-deprecated features.

Note:

Information pertaining to the older version of the nspepi tool is available in a PDF format. For more information, see Classic policy conversion using nspepi tool prior to 12.1-51.16 PDF.

Conversion warnings and error files

Before you use the tool for your conversion, there are few warnings to keep in mind:

1. All warnings and errors are output to the console. There is a warning file created where the configuration files are stored.
2. The warnings and error file has the same name as the input file but with a prefix “warn_” added to the file name. During expression conversion (when using -e), the warnings show up in the current directory with a name “warn_expr”.

Note:

This file is in a standard log file format, with date/time stamp and log level. Previous instances of the file are kept with suffixes like “.1”, “.2”, and so forth as the tool is run multiple times. At most 10 instances will be kept.

Converted file format

When converting a configuration file (using “-f”), the converted file is put into the same directory as where the input configuration file exists with the same name but a prefix “new_”.

Commands or features handled by the nspepi conversion tool

Following are the commands handled during the auto conversion process.

• The following Classic policies and their expressions are converted to Advanced policies and expressions. The conversion includes entity bindings and global bindings.

1. add appfw policy
2. add cmp policy
3. add cr policy
4. add cs policy
5. add tm sessionPolicy
6. add filter action
7. add filter policy
8. filter policy binding to load balancing, content switching, cache redirection, and global.

Note:

However, for “add tm sessionPolicy”, you cannot bind to global override in Advanced policies.

• The rule parameter configured in “add lb virtual server” is converted from Classic expression to Advanced expression.
• The SPDY parameter configured in the “add ns httpProfile” or the “set ns httpProfile” command is changed to “-http2 ENABLED”.
• Named expressions (“add policy expression” commands). Each Classic named policy expression is converted to its corresponding Advanced named expression with “nspepi_adv_” set as the prefix. In addition, usage of named expressions for the converted Classic expressions is changed to the corresponding Advanced named expressions. In addition, every named expression has two named expressions, where one is Classic and the other one is Advanced (as shown below).
• Tunnel TrafficPolicy conversion is supported.
• Handling builtin-in classic policy bindings in CMP, CR, and Tunnel.
• Patclass feature is converted to Pat set feature.
• “-pattern” parameter in the “add rewrite action” command is converted to use “-search” parameter.
• SYS.EVAL_CLASSIC_EXPR is converted to the equivalent non-deprecated advanced expression. These expressions can be seen in any command where advanced expressions are allowed.
• Q and S prefixes of advanced expressions are converted to equivalent non-deprecated advanced expressions. These expressions can be seen in any command where advanced expressions are allowed.

For example:

add policy expression classic_expr ns_true
Converts to:
add policy expression classic_expr ns_true
add policy expression nspepi_adv_classic_expr TRUE
<!--NeedCopy-->