Cisco Catalyst Middle Template Labs – Dynamic Automation, Half 8

Overview

On this episode of our ongoing Catalyst Middle Automation Sequence, our focus is on utilizing a number of dynamic approaches to automating the community. Now we have beforehand, within the collection, concentrated our efforts on particular ideas regarding automation. Nonetheless, on this Self-Paced Standalone Lab, we’ll begin to mix numerous concepts to offer you a extra in-depth have a look at what is feasible via automation supplied by Catalyst Middle. We’ll automate the entry layer with Dynamic templates, which may auto-provision ports primarily based on PoE occasions. Throughout this lab, we’ll make the most of numerous velocity templates mentioned in Lab 7 to cope with particular use circumstances in order that Catalyst Middle provisioning can allow these use circumstances by way of automation. This permits you, the community administrator, with the potential to resolve extra sorts of configuration points from Catalyst Middle 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. When you can add ideas from Labs 5 and 6 to this lab, it’s designed to don’t have any pre-configuration. It makes use of numerous automation strategies to point out the whole artwork of the attainable in a non-Software program Outlined Entry strategy.

Inside this collection, we cowl the next;

1. PnP Preparation – explains the general Plug and Play arrange steps
2. Onboarding Templates – explains in-depth deploy Day 0 templates
3. Day N Templates – dives into Day N template constructs with each common and composite templates and use circumstances
4. Utility Policys – explores Utility Policys and SD-AVC in Catalyst Middle and their use
5. Telemetry – explains 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 Dynamic Automation Lab?

That is an enablement kind module inside the Wired Automation lab, and it permits clients to achieve past what they presently perceive by attempting new ideas, actually pushing the boundaries of automation. We’ll cowl numerous matters about template logic to resolve a number of use circumstances throughout this lab. We cowl some earlier ideas with an in-depth concentrate on broadening their capabilities.

The idea of this lab is so that you can construct the surroundings from Discovery and PnP via to deployment. Permitting a secure place so that you can strive, modify, and get used to the varied ideas and approaches.

Method

Preparation

The Lab is constructed for minimal intervention making use of issues like Relaxation-API run by way of Postman inside a set runner to rapidly configure Catalyst Middle. This enables 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 might be completed, as a result of it demonstrates how rapidly you will get Catalyst Middle up and working using Relaxation-API utilizing only one instrument.

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

However wait there may be extra…

Templates

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

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

Matters

The varied matters we’ll contact on and deploy throughout the lab include the next:

1. Integrating Catalyst Middle and Identification Providers Engine by way of PxGrid
2. Utilizing Relaxation-API to configure Catalyst Middle by way of 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  Identification Service Engine (ISE) Profiling and Insurance policies

Use Instances

We’ll cowl the Matters above in a number of use circumstances to point out the potential and suppleness of the templating engine inside Catalyst Middle. On this lab we make the most of Velocity language. Equally, we are able to make the most of the Jinja2 language though not on this lab. These had been the matters 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 matters;

We’ll acquire a sensible understanding of the steps related to organising a Catalyst Middle and an surroundings to help complicated, superior, common templates to ship gadget configuration throughout these labs. The labs intention to assist engineers in quickly starting utilizing Catalyst Middle automation and assist them work in the direction of a worldwide template technique. Moreover, these labs will give clients a everlasting place to check out the common and composite templates and embody configurations for numerous use circumstances. Lastly, this surroundings 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 approach within the entry layer of a community. Gadget classification is enabled if you allow the Autoconf function utilizing the autoconf allow international 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. Autoconf and service-policies at the moment can’t 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 could make use of different strategies to make the interface Dynamic.

EEM scripts

EEM scripts use some type of occasion to set off them. Throughout the EEM script, you may reconfigure interfaces, ship occasion notifications by way of electronic mail and rather 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 impression 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 function.

Self-Destructing EEM scripts

Self-Destructing EEM scripts are people 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 function.

IBNS 2.0 Configuration

Whereas not masking all of the elements of IBNS 2.0, we cowl the configuration that we could 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 Middle for legacy networks enable organizations that want to automate their infrastructure the possibility 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 Middle 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 mean you can use them as you please throughout the time scheduled. As well as, this permits us a spot to begin working towards numerous ideas with out concern of impacting manufacturing environments.

Consequently, we hope to demystify a few of the complexities of organising automation and assist information clients via the caveats. Subsequently, to assist clients within the transition towards automation, we now have put collectively a set of small useful labs inside a GitHub repository. On this approach, 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 develop 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 mean you can 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 numerous use circumstances. Second, we offer solutions and explanations to lots of the questions that come up throughout automation workshops. We hope that you simply discover the knowledge each useful and informative.

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

DCLOUD Lab Setting

To assist clients succeed with Cisco Catalyst Middle automation, it’s possible 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 mean you can run these labs and offers an surroundings to strive the varied code samples. You could select to develop and export your code to be used in manufacturing environments. Additionally, this provides you an surroundings the place you may safely POC/POV strategies and steps with out harming your manufacturing environments. The DCLOUD surroundings additionally negates the necessity for delivery tools, lead occasions, and licensing points wanted to get shifting quickly. Please do adhere to the most effective practices for the DCLOUD surroundings when utilizing it.

Lab Connectivity

The surroundings permits for a web-based browser shopper for VPN-less connectivity. Moreover, there may be AnyConnect VPN shopper connectivity for many who want it. Select the Cisco Enterprise Community Sandbox. Moreover, it’s possible you’ll select from our San Jose and RTP Services labs by both deciding on US East or US West. To entry this or different content material, demonstrations, and labs in DCLOUD, please instantly work along with your Cisco or Accomplice Account Group. 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 most effective practices of the DCLOUD surroundings.

Content material

The Wired Automation labs, Superior Automation module content material is situated throughout the present DNAC-TEMPLATES repository to offer 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 put up on Cisco Blogs about Catalyst Middle Templates earlier in Might 2021.

Extra Info

Catalyst Middle Template Labs

The beforehand named DNAC Template LABS throughout the DNAC-TEMPLATES GitHub repository goals to information you thru the standard steps required to allow the varied automation duties delivered by Catalyst Middle. This lab will give examples of templates utilized in Catalyst Middle that we are able to modify for our use and check on tools throughout the LAB surroundings. Extra info throughout the lab offers a well-rounded clarification of Automation strategies with Templates. Lastly, the lab permits for patrons to make use of Catalyst Middle workflows to observe deploying Onboarding, DayN Templates, and Utility Coverage automation on each Wired and Wi-fi Platforms.

The purpose of this lab is for it to be a sensible information to assist engineers to quickly start utilizing Catalyst Middle 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 circumstances. Lastly, this surroundings will allow engineers to cut 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 could assist throughout faultfinding to find out what’s failing in a deployment.

Catalyst Middle Labs

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

In conclusion, for those who discovered this set of labs and repository useful,

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

We’d love to listen to what you assume. Ask a query or depart a remark under.
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