Cisco Catalyst Heart Template Labs – Dynamic Automation, Half 8

Overview

On this episode of our ongoing Catalyst Heart Automation Sequence, our focus is on utilizing a number of dynamic approaches to automating the community. We now have beforehand, within the collection, concentrated our efforts on particular ideas regarding automation. Nonetheless, on this Self-Paced Standalone Lab, we are going to begin to mix numerous concepts to present you a extra in-depth have a look at what is feasible by way of automation offered by Catalyst Heart. We are going to automate the entry layer with Dynamic templates, which might auto-provision ports based mostly on PoE occasions. Throughout this lab, we are going to make the most of numerous velocity templates mentioned in Lab 7 to cope with particular use instances in order that Catalyst Heart provisioning can allow these use instances through automation. This allows you, the community administrator, with the potential to resolve extra forms of configuration points from Catalyst Heart and to cope with the dynamics of an enterprise community.

Not like the earlier Labs within the collection, this lab is a self-contained lab and has no dependencies on any of the earlier labs. Whilst you can add ideas from Labs 5 and 6 to this lab, it’s designed to haven’t any pre-configuration. It makes use of numerous automation strategies to point out the entire artwork of the attainable in a non-Software program Outlined Entry method.

Inside this collection, we cowl the next;

1. PnP Preparation – explains the general Plug and Play arrange steps
2. Onboarding Templates – explains in-depth find out how to deploy Day 0 templates
3. Day N Templates – dives into Day N template constructs with each common and composite templates and use instances
4. Utility Policys – explores Utility Policys and SD-AVC in Catalyst Heart and their use
5. Telemetry – explains find out how to deploy Telemetry for assurance
6. Superior Automation – explores Superior Automation strategies
7. Dynamic Automation – a deployment lab for dynamic automation

What is going to I be taught within the Dynamic Automation Lab?

That is an enablement kind module inside the Wired Automation lab, and it permits clients to succeed in past what they presently perceive by attempting new ideas, actually pushing the boundaries of automation. We are going to cowl numerous subjects about template logic to resolve a number of use instances throughout this lab. We cowl some earlier ideas with an in-depth give attention to broadening their capabilities.

The idea of this lab is so that you can construct the atmosphere from Discovery and PnP by way of to deployment. Permitting a protected place so that you can attempt, modify, and get used to the assorted ideas and approaches.

Method

Preparation

The Lab is constructed for minimal intervention making use of issues like Relaxation-API run through Postman inside a group runner to rapidly configure Catalyst Heart. This permits us to deploy Settings, Credentials, Uncover Gadgets, Construct Websites, Buildings, Flooring, and assign the gadgets to these websites. It is a highly effective instance of what could be carried out, as a result of it demonstrates how rapidly you will get Catalyst Heart up and operating using Relaxation-API utilizing only one software.

For the Microsoft Home windows atmosphere, DNS and DHCP providers are carried out utilizing a PowerShell script for velocity of implementation. This permits us to rapidly add DHCP Scopes and DNS Entries for the required providers within the lab atmosphere.

However wait there’s extra…

Templates

We use templates inside the lab to configure all of the {hardware} gear, in preparation for the Plug and Play onboarding of the entry swap, after which deploy the DayN Composite template to utterly configure the swap in essentially the most dynamic means attainable permitting for the usage of low-impact mode depending on what kind of gadget is plugged into the swap. All templates and initiatives for Catalyst Heart within the lab are downloaded as JSON recordsdata and imported permitting for minimal arrange time.

There are such a lot of superior configurations provided inside the lab that point must be spent after set as much as delve into and perceive all of them. Upon getting mastered all these ideas you ought to be on the level the place you’ll be able to cope with most automation duties demanded in trendy enterprise networks.

Matters

The assorted subjects we are going to contact on and deploy inside the lab encompass the next:

1. Integrating Catalyst Heart and Id Providers Engine through PxGrid
2. Utilizing Relaxation-API to configure Catalyst Heart through Postman Command Runner
3. Using Discovery to onboard community gadgets
4. Provisioning Common and Composite Templates to Found Gadgets
5. Pattern PowerShell scripts to simplify DHCP and DNS deployment
6. Plug and Play (PnP) Onboarding of Gadgets
7. Common and Composite Templates for Routers and Switches
8. Autoconf and Embedded Occasion Supervisor
9. IBNS 2.0 configuration
10. Working with  Id Service Engine (ISE) Profiling and Insurance policies

Use Circumstances

We are going to cowl the Matters above in a number of use instances to point out the potential and suppleness of the templating engine inside Catalyst Heart. On this lab we make the most of Velocity language. Equally, we will make the most of the Jinja2 language though not on this lab. These had been the subjects within the earlier lab we coated that are related:

1. Renaming interfaces
2. Constructing Stacks
3. Assigning port configuration
4. Autoconf port configuration
5. Non SDA IBNS 2.0 port configuration

With that, the lab makes use of these subjects;

We are going to acquire a sensible understanding of the steps related to organising a Catalyst Heart and an atmosphere to assist complicated, superior, common templates to ship gadget configuration throughout these labs. The labs goal to help engineers in quickly starting utilizing Catalyst Heart automation and assist them work in the direction of a world template technique. Moreover, these labs will give clients a everlasting place to check out the common and composite templates and embrace configurations for numerous use instances. Lastly, this atmosphere will allow engineers to cut back the effort and time wanted to instantiate the community.

Extra issues coated within the lab;

Autoconf

In these labs, we use Autoconf, an answer that manages port configurations for knowledge or voice VLAN, high quality of service (QoS) parameters, storm management, and MAC-based port safety on finish gadgets to deploy configuration in an automatic means within the entry layer of a community. Machine classification is enabled once you allow the Autoconf characteristic utilizing the autoconf allow international configuration mode command. The gadget detection acts as an occasion set off, which in flip applies the suitable computerized template to the interface. When the Autoconf characteristic is enabled utilizing the autoconf allow command, the default Autoconf service coverage is utilized to all of the interfaces. For extra details about Autoconf. Autoconf and service-policies at the moment can not co-exist on the identical interface and so for interfaces which have templates statically assigned to the interface with service-policy attachment for authentication we might make use of different strategies to make the interface Dynamic.

EEM scripts

EEM scripts use some form of occasion to set off them. Throughout the EEM script, you’ll be able to reconfigure interfaces, ship occasion notifications through e mail and far more. On this lab we use EEM scripts to reconfigure interfaces on a down occasion to a base closed authentication template, and modify them to low affect mode when a PoE Energy up occasion is detected. The makes use of for such a script are quite a few, and this lab covers one particular use case however an imaginative thoughts can provide you with many different makes use of for such a characteristic.

Self-Destructing EEM scripts

Self-Destructing EEM scripts are those who delete themselves on termination. Throughout the EEM script, code removes the EEM applet from the configuration, after which writes the configuration to NVRAM. The makes use of for such a script are quite a few, and this lab covers one particular use case however an imaginative thoughts can provide you with many different makes use of for such a characteristic.

IBNS 2.0 Configuration

Whereas not masking all of the facets of IBNS 2.0, we cowl the configuration that we might implement so as to enable for automating host onboarding inside a non-SD-Entry campus community. These ideas whereas not constructed into a proper UI inside Catalyst Heart for legacy networks enable organizations that want to automate their infrastructure the prospect to automate.

The format of the code inside all these sections of the lab is in a simple copy-to-paste window permitting you to import them into Catalyst Heart just by pasting them into the editor.

Beginning…

Inside DCLOUD, a number of sandbox-type labs can be found. These self-contained environments are there to let you use them as you please inside the time scheduled. As well as, this enables us a spot to start out training numerous ideas with out worry of impacting manufacturing environments.

Because of this, we hope to demystify a few of the complexities of organising automation and assist information clients by way of the caveats. Due to this fact, to help clients within the transition towards automation, we’ve got put collectively a set of small useful labs inside a GitHub repository. On this means, these self-guided labs present a glimpse into the basics of constructing velocity templates and provide examples that you would be able to obtain and increase from. As well as, the pattern templates and JSON recordsdata equipped are for straightforward import into Catalyst Facilities’ template editor for faster adoption. Lastly, some scripts are ready-made excerpts of code that let you construct the atmosphere to check.

Throughout the Wired Automation lab, within the Superior Automation module, we step-by-step delve into superior automation strategies and methods to make the most of them to resolve numerous use instances. Second, we offer solutions and explanations to lots of the questions that come up throughout automation workshops. We hope that you simply discover the data each useful and informative.

The place can I check and take a look at these labs?

DCLOUD Lab Surroundings

To assist clients succeed with Cisco Catalyst Heart automation, you could make the most of the above labs as they’ve been designed to work inside DCLOUD’s Cisco Enterprise Networks {Hardware} Sandbox Labs in both:

1. Cisco Enterprise Networks {Hardware} Sandbox West DC
2. Cisco Enterprise Networks {Hardware} Sandbox East DC

The DCLOUD labs let you run these labs and offers an atmosphere to attempt the assorted code samples. Chances are you’ll select to develop and export your code to be used in manufacturing environments. Additionally, this offers you an atmosphere the place you’ll be able to safely POC/POV strategies and steps with out harming your manufacturing environments. The DCLOUD atmosphere additionally negates the necessity for transport gear, lead instances, and licensing points wanted to get shifting quickly. Please do adhere to the very best practices for the DCLOUD atmosphere when utilizing it.

Lab Connectivity

The atmosphere permits for a web-based browser consumer for VPN-less connectivity. Moreover, there’s AnyConnect VPN consumer connectivity for individuals who desire it. Select the Cisco Enterprise Community Sandbox. Moreover, you could select from our San Jose and RTP Services labs by both choosing US East or US West. To entry this or different content material, demonstrations, and labs in DCLOUD, please straight work together with your Cisco or Companion Account Crew. Your Account groups will schedule the session and share it so that you can use. As soon as booked, observe the information inside GitHub to finish the duties adhering to the very best practices of the DCLOUD atmosphere.

Content material

The Wired Automation labs, Superior Automation module content material is positioned inside the present DNAC-TEMPLATES repository to present a one-stop-shop for all the mandatory instruments, scripts, templates, and code samples. Inside it are seven labs, which construct upon the tutorials to check the strategies in a lab atmosphere. The repository was featured in a earlier submit on Cisco Blogs about Catalyst Heart Templates earlier in Might 2021.

Extra Info

Catalyst Heart Template Labs

The beforehand named DNAC Template LABS inside the DNAC-TEMPLATES GitHub repository goals to information you thru the standard steps required to allow the assorted automation duties delivered by Catalyst Heart. This lab will give examples of templates utilized in Catalyst Heart that we will modify for our use and check on gear inside the LAB atmosphere. Extra data inside the lab gives a well-rounded rationalization of Automation strategies with Templates. Lastly, the lab permits for patrons to make use of Catalyst Heart workflows to follow deploying Onboarding, DayN Templates, and Utility Coverage automation on each Wired and Wi-fi Platforms.

The aim of this lab is for it to be a sensible information to help engineers to quickly start utilizing Catalyst Heart automation and assist them work in the direction of a deployment technique. Moreover, this lab will give clients a everlasting place to check out the configurations for numerous use instances. Lastly, this atmosphere will allow engineers to cut back the effort and time wanted to instantiate the community.

Because of this, you’ll acquire expertise in organising Plug and Play onboarding and templates and using all options. Moreover, you’ll use superior templating strategies and troubleshooting instruments. These might assist throughout faultfinding to find out what’s failing in a deployment.

Catalyst Heart Labs

Please use this menu to navigate the assorted sections of this GitHub repository. Throughout the a number of folders are examples and rationalization readme recordsdata for reference. There are actually two units of labs, and these are being frequently expanded upon.

In conclusion, when you discovered this set of labs and repository useful,

please fill in feedback and suggestions on the way it might be improved.

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