New Post: Expect() Not Behaving When Connecting to Cisco Nexus

Hello-

I am using expect to run a command on some Cisco devices. I have found that expect will put all the command output into a string for certain devices and won't for others. For example Expect works with an IOS Router or Catalyst switch. However it doesn't work correctly if one connects to a NXOS(nexus) switch. Basically when connecting to the Nexus device the command output gets lost. It never shows up in the output expect string. I have also not been able to get the information by using read or readline. The latter is true for any Expect connection that I have tried though.

I have two examples of compilable code below that have associated output. Expect1.cs connects to an IOS Router. Expect2.cs connects to a NXOS 3064 switch. If someone thinks I should be able to use read and readline in conjuction with expect please let know how it is supposed to be used. Everything I have tried results in empty strings.

Thanks in Advance.

//Expect1.cs
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
using Renci.SshNet;

//C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5\csc.exe /t:exe /r:C:\Users\ande\Desktop\CSharp\Renci.SshNet.dll Expect1.cs

namespace ExpectTest
{
  class Expect
  {
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
      string prompt = @".+#$";
      SshClient shell = new SshClient("IOS Router Device or Catalyst IOS", "user", "pass");
      shell.Connect();
      if (shell.IsConnected)
    {
      Console.WriteLine("Connected");
    }
      var stream = shell.CreateShellStream("dumb",80, 24, 800, 600, 1024);
      var a = stream.Expect(new Regex(prompt), new TimeSpan(0, 0, 5));
      Console.WriteLine(a);
      stream.WriteLine("show ip arp");
      var r = stream.Expect(new Regex(prompt), new TimeSpan(0, 0, 5));
      Console.WriteLine(r);
    }
  }
}

/*OUTPUT
C:\Users\ande\Desktop\CSharp>.\Expect1.exe
Connected

NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE
Unauthorized access and/or use prohibited. All access and/or use subject to monitoring.
NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE NOTICE

device-name line 645

3945-Router1#
show ip arp
Protocol  Address          Age (min)  Hardware Addr   Type   Interface
Internet  10.5.224.1            162   0000.0c07.acfa  ARPA   GigabitEthernet0/1
Internet  10.5.224.2              3   4403.a7a5.2281  ARPA   GigabitEthernet0/1
Internet  10.5.224.3              0   0006.f619.e8bc  ARPA   GigabitEthernet0/1
Internet  10.5.224.116            -   c067.af42.5f01  ARPA   GigabitEthernet0/1
3945-Router1#
*/

//Expect2.cs
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Text.RegularExpressions;
using Renci.SshNet;

//C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v3.5\csc.exe /t:exe /r:C:\Users\ande\Desktop\CSharp\Renci.SshNet.dll Expect2.cs

namespace ExpectTest
{
  class Expect
  {
    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
      //string prompt = @".+#$";
      SshClient shell = new SshClient("NXOS Device", "user", "pass");
      shell.Connect();
      if (shell.IsConnected)
    {
      Console.WriteLine("Connected");
    }
      var stream = shell.CreateShellStream("dumb",80, 24, 800, 600, 1024);
      //var a = stream.Expect(new Regex(prompt), new TimeSpan(0, 0, 5));
      var a = stream.Expect("NX3064_01#", new TimeSpan(0, 0, 5));
      Console.WriteLine(a);
      stream.WriteLine("show ip arp");
      //var r = stream.Expect(new Regex(prompt), new TimeSpan(0, 0, 5));
      var r = stream.Expect("NX3064_01#", new TimeSpan(0, 0, 5));
      Console.WriteLine(r);
    }
  }

//If regular expressions are used for expect, both a and r are empty
//If a regular expression for a is used and a name or regex is used for the second, r stays empty.


/*OUTPUT
C:\Users\ande\Desktop\CSharp>.\Expect2.exe
Connected

Cisco Nexus Operating System (NX-OS) Software
TAC support: http://www.cisco.com/tac
Copyright (c) 2002-2013, Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
The copyrights to certain works contained in this software are
owned by other third parties and used and distributed under
license. Certain components of this software are licensed under
the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2.0 or the GNU
Lesser General Public License (LGPL) Version 2.1. A copy of each
such license is available at
http://www.opensource.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.php and
http://www.opensource.org/licenses/lgpl-2.1.php
NX3064_01#*/
}