[Day 5] Cisco ISE Mastery Training: Installing Cisco ISE in VMware ESXi / EVENG

[Day 5] Cisco ISE Mastery Training: Installing Cisco ISE in VMware ESXi / EVENG

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Introduction

This session shows you how to deploy Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) in a lab environment using VMware ESXi (vSphere client) and EVE-NG. Installing ISE correctly matters because ISE is the enforcement and policy brain for NAC — mis-provisioned VMs, wrong disk types, or snapshot usage can break clustering, DB replication, or leave services in a degraded state. This workshop focuses on:

  • Pre-deployment checks and host configuration.
  • OVA (preferred) or ISO deployment flow on ESXi.
  • How to add ISE as a node in EVE-NG (ISO→qcow/ISO method).
  • The initial ISE setup wizard (console) and post-deploy validations (GUI + CLI).
  • Troubleshooting the common install pain points you’ll see in labs.

Problem Statement

In real networks:

  • ISE nodes are central — if an Admin node fails or a PSN is mis-installed, RADIUS/TACACS can break widely.
  • Common pain points during install: wrong VM sizing, unsupported snapshot/backup strategy, wrong NIC types, incorrect storage performance (IOPS) or thin provisioning, and DNS/NTP mismatches that cause AD join failures.

If you don’t follow proper install steps, you’ll waste hours debugging service start failures, AD-join problems, or replication faults. The goal of this lab is to install ISE in a repeatable, correct way so validation is quick and reliable.

Solution Overview

Correct installation practice prevents those issues:

  • Follow Cisco VM resource recommendations (vCPU, RAM, disk) and use recommended disk provisioning and storage IO guidelines.
  • Deploy using the OVA for ESXi (recommended). If using EVE-NG, upload the Cisco ISE ISO and register the node properly (rename to cdrom.iso).
  • Perform console initial setup (network, NTP, DNS, admin password) using the interactive setup tool — it’s one-time and required.
  • Validate via CLI & GUI: ping/DNS tests, show application status ise, and confirm the Admin GUI loads.

Load-bearing references (quick):

  • Cisco ISE VM & install requirements (OVA/ISO steps & storage I/O).
  • OVA import / ZTP notes for ESXi flows.
  • EVE-NG image upload and renaming steps. (eve-ng.net)
  • CLI verification: show application status ise / show version.

Sample Lab Topology

Goal: A single-node lab (PAN + PSN combined) for validation. For multi-node labs follow the same deploy steps for the other nodes and then join them together.

Components (VMware ESXi or EVE-NG):

  • ISE VM (single node for lab): 4 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, 300 GB (evaluation) – storage: thick provision recommended.
  • Windows Server 2019: Active Directory, DNS, DHCP (10.10.10.10)
  • CSR1000v: Router for Internet simulation / default gateway (10.10.10.1)
  • IOSv-L2 / Catalyst or physical switch: for wired port testing and RADIUS reachability
  • WLC (9800 or 5508 image / simulated) for WebAuth testing
  • Windows 10 client: wired test
  • Wi-Fi client (laptop): wireless test

IP summary (suggested):

  • Management network: 10.10.10.0/24
  • ISE: 10.10.10.5/24 (static)
  • AD/DNS: 10.10.10.10/24

Topology Layout:

Diagram: Use your favorite diagram tool (Visio/Draw.io). Keep ISE and AD on a management VLAN so they can reach each other directly.

Step-by-Step GUI Configuration Guide (ESXi & EVE-NG) — Do every validation step

Important: Captures/snapshots of a production ISE are not supported — do not rely on VMware snapshots for backups. Use ISE native backup.

Pre-deploy checklist (do not skip)

  1. Host prerequisites
    • Ensure VT-x/AMD-V is enabled in BIOS on the ESXi host.
    • Reserve CPU & RAM for the ISE VM (Cisco recommends reserving resources and thick provisioning for ISE VMs).
  2. Storage
    • Ensure consistent storage latency/IOPS — Cisco documents minimum read/write perf for the appliance and recommends fast disks for production.
  3. Networking
    • Create a management portgroup in vSphere & ensure DNS can resolve AD FQDNs.
  4. Files required
    • ISE OVA or ISO (download from Cisco software download), and if you use ZTP/extra config, have that image ready (for advanced flows).

A — Deploying Cisco ISE on VMware ESXi (OVA method) — preferred

Step 1 — Deploy OVA

  1. Open vSphere Client (HTML5) → Hosts & Clusters → choose the target host/cluster.
  2. Right-click → Deploy OVF Template → Browse to the Cisco ISE .ova file.
    [Screenshot: vSphere Deploy OVF Template Screen]
  1. Accept the EULA, choose the VM name (e.g., ISE-PAN-LAB), pick datastore.
    Important: Choose Thick Provision Eager Zeroed if storage allows; otherwise use Thick Lazy Zeroed — Cisco recommends not using thin for production. Reserve CPU/memory.
    [Screenshot: vSphere OVA Storage Selection]
  1. Map networks: assign the ISE VM NIC to the management portgroup you created.
    [Screenshot: vSphere Network Mapping]
  1. Finish and power on the VM.

Step 2 — (Optional) insert ZTP ISO (if you have a ZTP config)

  • Attach the ZTP ISO to the VM CD drive before powering on, per Cisco instructions for zero-touch config flows.

Step 3 — Open the VM console

  • The ISE appliance boots and invokes the setup program (interactive CLI). Wait for the prompt.
    [Screenshot: ISE Console During Setup]

Step 4 — Console Initial Setup (one-time interactive wizard)
When the console setup runs, provide:

  • Management IP (e.g., 10.10.10.5) / netmask / gateway
  • Hostname (ise-lab.domain.local)
  • DNS server (10.10.10.10)
  • NTP server (pool.ntp.org or your AD server)
  • Admin GUI password (you will create it during setup)
    These entries are provided via the interactive prompts described in the ISE install guide.
    [Screenshot: ISE Setup Wizard – Network Entry]

Step 5 — Wait for services

  • The appliance will perform first-boot tasks and start services; this can take several minutes (be patient — 15–60+ minutes depending on node size). Use the console to watch messages.
    [Screenshot: ISE Boot Messages]

Validation (ESXi/ISE):

Cisco ISE CLI Verification Commands – Initial Setup Validation
ise/admin# ping 10.10.10.1
Purpose: Checks basic IP connectivity to a default gateway or network device.
Expected Output: Replies with minimal latency and no packet loss.

ise/admin# nslookup ad.domain.local 10.10.10.10
Purpose: Confirms DNS resolution of your Active Directory FQDN via a specific DNS server (10.10.10.10).
Expected Output: Shows resolved IP address of ad.domain.local.

ise/admin# show application status ise
Purpose: Displays the running state of ISE application processes.
Expected Output:
All essential processes should show Running.
Example:
Application Server Running Database Running M&T Session Database Running Certificate Authority Running

ise/admin# show version
Purpose: Displays the current installed version of Cisco ISE and build info.
Expected Output:
Example:
Cisco Identity Services Engine Version: 3.2.0.542

Final Validation:
The show application status ise output must eventually show all required processes in Running state. If any are stuck in Initializing or Stopped, troubleshooting is required before proceeding with configuration.

  • From your workstation, open browser: https://10.10.10.5/admin (or https://10.10.10.5/) and confirm the ISE Admin portal loads on HTTPS 443.
    [Screenshot: ISE Admin Login Page]
  • If the Admin GUI is unreachable but show application status ise lists processes running, try tech netstat | inc 443 on ISE (or check firewall between your workstation and VM).

Step 6 — Upload License & Apply

  • GUI: Administration → System → Licensing → Upload Evaluation or permanent licenses.
    [Screenshot: ISE Licensing Upload]

Step 7 — Create Backup Immediately

  • Use ISE’s built-in backup functionality (Administration → System → Backup). Do not use hypervisor snapshots to back up ISE.

B — Adding Cisco ISE to EVE-NG (ISO flow)

Note: EVE-NG does not include vendor images. You must upload a Cisco ISE ISO into the EVE filesystem and create the node. The steps below follow the EVE how to pattern. (eve-ng.net)

Step 1 — Prepare the EVE host

  1. SSH to EVE server as root. Create an image folder: mkdir -p /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/ise-<version>/
  2. Upload the Cisco ISE ISO using WinSCP/SFTP to that folder.

Step 2 — Rename & fix

  1. Inside EVE: cd /opt/unetlab/addons/qemu/ise-<version>/ mv ise-<version>.SPA.x86_64.iso cdrom.iso /opt/unetlab/wrappers/unl_wrapper -a fixpermissions (The cdrom.iso name is expected by EVE templates). (eve-ng.net)

Step 3 — Create node in EVE GUI

  • In the EVE web UI, add a new qemu node using the ISE template (choose the folder you created), set vCPU/RAM (4 vCPU, 16GB), link to networks, and start the node. Open the console.

Step 4 — Run ISE console setup

  • The ISE ISO will boot and run the same interactive setup wizard. Provide IP, DNS, NTP, hostname, admin credentials as for ESXi.

Validation (EVE-NG):

  • From the EVE console run the same ISE CLI checks: ping 10.10.10.1 nslookup ad.domain.local 10.10.10.10 show application status ise show version
  • From your laptop (or a routed connection), browse to https://<ISE-IP>/admin and login.

Post-deploy Checks (GUI + CLI validation summary)

CLI commands (ISE node) — run these as soon as setup completes:

  • show application status ise — check all ISE services.
  • show version — confirm installed version.
  • ping <gateway> and nslookup <AD-FQDN> — basic network/DNS checks.
  • application reset-passwd ise admin — (if you need to reset web GUI password from console). (packetmischief.ca)

GUI checks

  • Admin login success at https://<ISE-IP>/admin.
  • Administration → System → Deployment — confirm node persona (PAN/PSN/MNT) and green status.
  • Operations → RADIUS → Live Logs — after you configure a NAD (switch), verify RADIUS hits.

ESXi host checks

  • Ensure VM shows expected resource reservation & no snapshots present. If backups are required, use ISE backup, not hypervisor snapshots.

FAQs

1. What is the minimum hardware requirement to install Cisco ISE on VMware/EVE-NG?

  • Lab Minimum (for basic features):
    • 4 vCPU
    • 12 GB RAM
    • 200 GB HDD
  • Recommended (for profiling, posture, guest portals):
    • 4–8 vCPU
    • 16–32 GB RAM
    • 300 GB+ HDD
  • CLI Check: show system resources
  • GUI Check:
    • Navigate: Administration → System → Maintenance → System Summary
    • Look for CPU/Memory Utilization.

2. Can I run Cisco ISE in EVE-NG without ESXi?

  • Yes — EVE-NG supports ISE installation directly as a VM.
  • Requirement: EVE-NG Pro or Community with nested virtualization enabled.
  • Tip: Ensure the underlying physical CPU supports VT-x/AMD-V.
  • Validation: grep -E 'vmx|svm' /proc/cpuinfo

3. Why does my ISE installation hang at “Application Server is starting”?

  • Usually caused by insufficient CPU/RAM allocation or slow disk I/O.
  • Fix:
    • Increase CPU/RAM.
    • Use SSD storage for faster boot.
  • CLI Check: show application status ise Ensure all services are running.

4. Do I need to configure an IP address during installation, or can I do it later?

  • You must configure:
    • IP address
    • Hostname (FQDN)
    • DNS
    • NTP server
  • These settings are critical for AD integration later.
  • Change later if needed: conf t interface GigabitEthernet 0 ip address x.x.x.x y.y.y.y Then update in Administration → Deployment in GUI.

5. How do I verify ISE services after first boot?

  • CLI: show application status ise Look for all services in running state.
  • GUI:
    • Login → Administration → System → Deployment
    • Status column should show Running for the node.

6. My ISE web GUI is not loading — what should I check?

  • Possible causes:
    • HTTPS service not running.
    • Firewall blocking TCP 443.
  • CLI Fix: application stop ise application start ise or restart: reload
  • Validation:
    • Access via: https://ISE_FQDN:443/admin
    • Ping FQDN from client.

7. What’s the default ISE admin username/password?

  • No default — set during installation.
  • If forgotten:
    • Console into VM → Reboot → Select ISE Recovery Mode → Reset password.
  • Command method: application reset-passwd ise admin

8. Can I integrate ISE with Active Directory immediately after install?

  • Yes — but ensure:
    • Correct time sync with AD.
    • DNS resolution works for domain controllers.
  • CLI Check: show ntp nslookup dc.domain.local
  • GUI Path: Administration → Identity Management → External Identity Sources → Active Directory.

9. How can I backup my ISE lab installation?

  • GUI:
    • Administration → Maintenance → Backup & Restore → Backup
    • Store backup on FTP/SFTP server.
  • CLI: backup LAB_BACKUP repository MYREPO
  • Tip: In a lab, you can snapshot the VM in VMware/EVE-NG before changes.

10. How do I confirm ISE is reachable from switches/WLC?

  • Ping Test: ping ise.domain.local
  • RADIUS Test (from switch): test aaa group radius <username> <password> new-code
  • GUI Validation in ISE:
    • Operations → RADIUS → Live Logs — Look for test request entries.

YouTube Link

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