Cisco Catalyst Heart Template Labs – Superior Automation, Half 7

Overview

On this, the final episode of our ongoing Catalyst Heart Automation Sequence, our focus is on superior automation strategies which permit us to resolve varied use circumstances inside a community from Catalyst Heart. Throughout this lab, we’ll talk about tips on how to modify varied velocity templates to cope with particular use circumstances in order that Catalyst Heart provisioning can allow these use circumstances through automation. This allows you, the community administrator, the power to resolve extra kinds of configuration points from Catalyst Heart and to cope with the dynamics of an enterprise community.

Inside this sequence, we cowl the next;

1. PnP Preparation – explains the general Plug and Play arrange steps
2. Onboarding Templates – explains in-depth tips on how to deploy Day 0 templates
3. Day N Templates – dives into Day N template constructs with each common and composite templates and use circumstances
4. Software Policys – explores Software Policys and SD-AVC in Catalyst Heart and their use
5. Telemetry – explains tips on 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 study within the Superior Automation Lab?

That is an enablement kind module inside the Wired Automation lab and it permits prospects to achieve past what they at present perceive by attempting new ideas, actually push the boundaries of automation. Throughout this lab, we’ll cowl varied subjects with regard to template logic to resolve varied use circumstances. We cowl some earlier ideas with an in-depth concentrate on broadening their capabilities.

The idea of this lab is so that you can rebuild the common templates to solidify your understanding of templates, and so that you could be substitute them into the composite to check with. Completely different strategies for the various use circumstances will likely be given explaining each the professionals and cons alongside the best way. Develop your capabilities with this lab and take your talents to the following stage. You’re solely inhibited by your individual creativeness.

Matters

The assorted subjects we’ll contact on within the lab encompass the next:

1. Self-deleting EEM scripts
2. Working with Arrays and Strategies in Velocity
3. Utilizing Conditional Statements for Configuration
4. Velocity and Allow versus Interactive mode
5. Assigning port configuration in a stack
6. Autoconf vs Smartports
7. IBNS 2.0 configuration

Use Instances

We are going to cowl the Matters above in quite a few use circumstances to indicate the aptitude and suppleness of the templating engine inside Catalyst Heart. Whereas we’ll make the most of Velocity language the identical could be completed within the Jinja2 language.

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 covers these subjects in-depth;

We are going to acquire a sensible understanding of the steps related to organising Catalyst Heart and an surroundings to help complicated, superior, common templates to ship gadget configuration throughout these labs. The labs purpose 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 prospects a everlasting place to check out the common and composite templates and embrace configurations for varied use circumstances. Lastly, this surroundings will allow engineers to scale back the effort and time wanted to instantiate the community.

Further issues lined within the lab;

Autoconf

In these labs, we’ll use Autoconf which is an answer that can be utilized to handle port configurations for knowledge or voice VLAN, high quality of service (QoS) parameters, storm management, and MAC-based port safety on finish gadgets which might be deployed within the entry layer of a community. Gadget classification is enabled if you allow the Autoconf function utilizing the autoconf allow world configuration mode command. The gadget detection acts as an occasion set off, which in flip applies the suitable automated template to the interface. When the Autoconf function is enabled utilizing the autoconf allow command, the default Autoconf service coverage is utilized to all of the interfaces. For extra details about Autoconf.

Self-Destructing EEM scripts

Self-Destructing EEM scripts are those who delete themselves on termination. Throughout the EEM script, it has code that removes the EEM applet from the configuration, after which the configuration is written to NVRAM previous to terminating. 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 function.

IBNS 2.0 Configuration

Whereas not protecting all of the elements of IBNS 2.0, we cowl the configuration that we might implement as a way to permit 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 permit 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 straightforward copy-to-paste window permitting you to import them into Catalyst Heart just by pasting them into the editor.

How can I get began?

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

Consequently, we hope to demystify a number of the complexities of organising automation and assist information prospects by way of the caveats. Subsequently, to help prospects within the transition towards automation, we have now put collectively a set of small useful labs inside a GitHub repository. On this method, these self-guided labs present a glimpse into the basics of constructing velocity templates and supply examples that you may obtain and broaden from. As well as, the pattern templates and JSON information equipped are for straightforward import into Catalyst Facilities’ template editor for faster adoption. Lastly, some scripts are ready-made excerpts of code that will let you construct the surroundings 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 varied use circumstances. Second, we offer solutions and explanations to lots of the questions that come up throughout automation workshops. We hope that you just discover the data each useful and informative.

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

DCLOUD Lab Setting

To assist prospects succeed with Cisco Catalyst Heart automation, chances are you’ll 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 will let you run these labs and provides an surroundings to strive the varied code samples. It’s possible you’ll select to develop and export your code to be used in manufacturing environments. Additionally, this provides you an surroundings the place you’ll be able to safely POC/POV strategies and steps with out harming your manufacturing environments. The DCLOUD surroundings additionally negates the necessity for transport tools, lead instances, and licensing points wanted to get transferring quickly. Please do adhere to one of the best practices for the DCLOUD surroundings when utilizing it.

Lab Connectivity

The surroundings permits to be used with a web-based browser shopper for VPN-less connectivity, entry in addition to AnyConnect VPN shopper connectivity for individuals who desire it. It’s possible you’ll select from labs hosted out of our San Jose Amenities by deciding on US West. Select the Cisco Enterprise Community Sandbox. To entry this or another content material, together with demonstrations, labs, and coaching in DCLOUD please work together with your Cisco Account crew or Cisco Accomplice Account Workforce immediately. Your Account groups will schedule the session and share it so that you can use. As soon as booked comply with the information inside GitHub to finish the duties adhering to one of the best practices of the DCLOUD surroundings.

Content material

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

Further Info

Catalyst Heart Template Labs

The beforehand named DNAC Template LABS throughout the DNAC-TEMPLATES GitHub repository purpose to information you thru the standard steps required to allow the varied 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 take a look at on tools throughout the LAB surroundings. Further data throughout the lab gives a well-rounded rationalization of Automation strategies with Templates. Lastly, the lab permits for purchasers to make use of Catalyst Heart workflows to apply deploying Onboarding, DayN Templates, and Software Coverage automation on each Wired and Wi-fi Platforms.

The purpose 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 prospects a everlasting place to check out the configurations for varied use circumstances. Lastly, this surroundings will allow engineers to scale back the effort and time wanted to instantiate the community.

Consequently, 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 varied sections of this GitHub repository. Throughout the a number of folders are examples and rationalization readme information for reference. There at the moment are two units of labs, and these are being regularly expanded upon.

In conclusion, in the event you discovered this set of labs and repository useful,

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

We’d love to listen to what you suppose. Ask a query or depart a remark under.
And keep linked with Cisco on social!

Try our Cisco Networking video channel

Subscribe to the Networking weblog

Share: