rConfig Vector – Troubleshooting

rConfig Vector Troubleshooting: Installation, Connectivity, and Performance Issues

The rConfig Vector is a powerful solution for managing and monitoring network device configurations across distributed systems. While it is designed to be efficient and reliable, common issues may arise during installation or operation. This guide aims to help you troubleshoot and resolve such problems quickly and effectively.

Common Installation Issues

Service Setup

Symptoms:

• Service fails to start or encounters errors during startup

Diagnosis:

Verify service status:

# Linux
systemctl status rconfig-vector-agent

# Windows
sc query rconfigvectoragent

Resolution:

Ensure the service is properly configured with the correct permissions. The service requires root access on Linux or Windows Administrator privileges to write logs and temporary files locally. Verify that the service is enabled and set to run on startup.

# Linux - Enable service
systemctl enable rconfig-vector-agent
systemctl start rconfig-vector-agent

# Windows - Set service to automatic
sc config rconfigvectoragent start= auto

Disk Permissions Issues

Symptoms:

• Unable to write logs, temporary backups, or database files
• Permission denied errors in logs

Diagnosis:

Check directory permissions:

# Linux
ls -la appDir/Data/Logs
ls -la appDir/Data/Files
ls -la appDir/Data/Db

Resolution:

Check that the directories appDir/Data/Logs, appDir/Data/Files, and appDir/Data/Db have the correct write permissions. On Linux, use chmod to set appropriate permissions, and on Windows, ensure the service has write access to these directories. Verify that there is sufficient disk space available.

# Linux - Set permissions
chmod 755 appDir/Data/Logs
chmod 755 appDir/Data/Files
chmod 755 appDir/Data/Db

# Check disk space
df -h

Network Connectivity Issues

Firewall or Port Blocking

Symptoms:

• Unable to communicate with devices or the Vector server
• Connection timeout errors

Diagnosis:

Test connectivity to Vector server:

# Test HTTPS connectivity
curl -I https://vector-server.example.com

# Test specific port
telnet vector-server.example.com 443

Resolution:

Check the following potential blockers:

• Host firewall settings
• Network firewalls
• Any network security appliances in place

Ensure that outbound traffic to the Vector server is allowed on the necessary ports.

# Linux - Allow outbound HTTPS
firewall-cmd --permanent --add-port=443/tcp
firewall-cmd --reload

# Ubuntu
ufw allow out 443/tcp

SSL/TLS and Packet Loss Issues

Symptoms:

• Communication disruptions due to incorrect SSL setup or network issues
• TLS handshake failures
• Intermittent connection drops

Diagnosis:

Test SSL/TLS configuration:

openssl s_client -connect vector-server.example.com:443

Resolution:

• Verify that SSL is configured correctly and using TLS 1.2 or higher
• Test the network for packet loss and resolve any connectivity issues that may impact performance

# Test for packet loss
ping -c 100 vector-server.example.com

# Test network latency
traceroute vector-server.example.com

Source IP Address Issues

Symptoms:

• Agent unable to establish a connection due to source IP mismatch
• Authentication failures

Diagnosis:

Verify source IP address:

# Check public IP address
curl ifconfig.me

# Check all network interfaces
ip addr show

Resolution:

Verify that the source IP address of the agent matches the IP configured on the Vector server.

• If the agent is behind a NAT device, ensure that the correct external IP is configured
• For systems with multiple IP addresses, confirm that the expected source IP is being used for communication

Update agent configuration on Vector server with correct source IP address.

Network Device Config Backup Errors

Backup Fails or Skipped Devices

Symptoms:

• Backups incomplete or failing during execution
• Devices skipped during backup runs

Diagnosis:

Check backup logs:

# View recent backup logs
tail -100 appDir/Data/Logs/backup.log

# Search for errors
grep -i error appDir/Data/Logs/backup.log

Resolution:

• Check the backup log files located under appDir/Data/Logs for errors
• Enable debugging for the agent from the Vector server configuration page. Once enabled, the next agent sync will start generating verbose output in the logs
• As of Vector Agent version 1, advanced debugging may be required for complex issues. This could involve installing Go on a test system and running custom scripts as instructed by the rConfig support team. For further assistance, see the Contacting Support section

Performance Bottlenecks

High CPU/Memory Usage

Symptoms:

• System performance issues or service crashes
• Agent becomes unresponsive

Diagnosis:

Monitor resource usage:

# Linux - Check CPU and memory
top -p $(pgrep rconfig-vector)

# Detailed memory usage
ps aux | grep rconfig-vector

Resolution:

Monitor server resources and optimize task queue configurations. Adjust worker count on Vector server to match available system resources.

Excessive Device Polling

Symptoms:

• Network congestion or delayed configuration updates
• Overlapping backup jobs

Diagnosis:

Review scheduled task timing:

• Check agent sync interval
• Review queue download rate
• Verify job execution times in queue history

Resolution:

Adjust polling intervals and review scheduled jobs. Ensure there is enough time between device job intervals to prevent overlap or overloading. This timing is variable and can depend on the number of devices and the frequency of polling. Proper scheduling helps avoid jobs crossing over or interfering with each other.

API Integration Issues

API Call Timeouts

Symptoms:

• API requests fail or take longer than expected
• Connection timeout errors

Diagnosis:

Test API connectivity:

# Test API endpoint
curl -X GET https://vector-server.example.com/api/status \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_TOKEN"

Check agent logs for timeout errors:

grep -i timeout appDir/Data/Logs/agent.log

Resolution:

• Check network connectivity to the API server and increase timeout settings if necessary
• Enable debugging for the agent from the Vector server configuration page. Once enabled, the next agent sync will start generating verbose output in the logs
• Advanced debugging may be required for complex API issues. This could involve installing Go on a test system and running custom scripts as instructed by the rConfig support team. For further assistance, see the Contacting Support section

Incorrect API Responses

Symptoms:

• Unexpected or missing data returned by the API
• Invalid JSON responses

Diagnosis:

Review API response in logs:

# Check for API errors
grep -i "api response" appDir/Data/Logs/agent.log

Resolution:

• Verify API endpoint URLs, authentication, and request parameters
• Enable debugging for the agent from the Vector server configuration page. Once enabled, the next agent sync will start generating verbose output in the logs
• Advanced debugging may be required for complex issues. This could involve installing Go on a test system and running custom scripts as instructed by the rConfig support team. For further assistance, see the Contacting Support section

Logging and Monitoring

All logs generated by the Vector Agent are stored locally and uploaded to the Vector server at scheduled intervals.

Local Log Locations

Operational Logs: appDir/Data/Logs

Temporary Config Backups: appDir/Data/Files

Temporary Databases: appDir/Data/Db

Viewing Logs on the Vector Server

Logs uploaded to the server can be accessed from Settings > Agent page on the Vector Server dashboard.

Log File Descriptions

Log File	Purpose	Contents
agent.log	General agent operations	Agent startup, sync operations, API calls
backup.log	Device backup operations	Device connection attempts, backup successes/failures
queue.log	Job queue processing	Job retrieval, worker pool management
error.log	Error messages	All error conditions and exceptions

Queue Troubleshooting

The queue is a critical component of rConfig Vector, responsible for tracking and managing jobs.

Accessing the Queue

Navigate to Settings > Agent page on the Vector Server to view the queue.

Understanding the Queue

Waiting Jobs: Jobs waiting to be retrieved by agents.

Past Jobs: Jobs that have already been processed and sent to agents.

Common Queue Issues

Stuck Jobs

Symptoms:

• Jobs that remain in the waiting state
• Jobs not being picked up by agents

Resolution:

Verify the agent’s connection and log files for any errors.

# Check agent status
systemctl status rconfig-vector-agent

# Review agent logs
tail -50 appDir/Data/Logs/agent.log

Delayed Job Execution

Symptoms:

• Jobs take longer than expected to execute
• Queue backlog building up

Resolution:

Check the agent’s system resources and the frequency of scheduled tasks. Adjust worker count and queue download rate on Vector server.

Failed Jobs

Symptoms:

• Jobs marked as failed in the queue
• Devices not being backed up

Note

The hardcoded default is to attempt a download only once. If the download fails, the job is marked as invalid and is not retried by the agent. This behavior can be modified in the device template under the ‘connect’ section by adding a new key-value pair called retries and setting its value higher than one. However, this is generally not recommended, as it aligns with the default settings of rConfig Pro.

Resolution:

Review the job-specific error messages available in the job history section of the queue. Common causes include:

• Device authentication failures
• Network connectivity issues
• Device prompt mismatch
• Timeout errors

Contacting Support

Before reaching out to support, gather the following:

System Information:

• Operating system and version
• Vector Agent version
• Hardware specifications (CPU, RAM, disk space)

Log Files:

• Agent logs from appDir/Data/Logs
• Specific error messages or stack traces
• Queue status and job history

Issue Details:

• When the issue started occurring
• Frequency of the issue (constant, intermittent, specific times)
• Steps to reproduce the problem
• Recent changes to configuration or environment

Support Channels:

Email: [email protected]

Online Support Portal: https://support.rconfig.com/

Include in your support request:

• Brief description of the issue
• Relevant log excerpts
• Screenshots if applicable
• Steps already taken to troubleshoot

Conclusion

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you should be able to troubleshoot most issues related to rConfig Vector. For any unresolved problems, please contact our support team. Your feedback helps us improve and enhance rConfig Vector for all users.

Related Documentation

• Vector Agent Installation - Install and configure Vector Agents
• Adding Agents - Configure agents on Vector Server
• Vector Server Installation - Deploy Vector Server infrastructure
• Vector Overview - Understanding Vector architecture