Cisco Catalyst Heart Template Labs – Superior Automation, Half 7

Overview

On this, the final episode of our ongoing Catalyst Heart Automation Collection, our focus is on superior automation strategies which permit us to resolve numerous use instances inside a community from Catalyst Heart. Throughout this lab, we’ll talk about the best way to modify numerous velocity templates to cope with particular use instances in order that Catalyst Heart provisioning can allow these use instances through automation. This permits you, the community administrator, the flexibility to resolve extra forms of configuration points from Catalyst Heart and to cope with the dynamics of an enterprise community.

Inside this collection, we cowl the next;

1. PnP Preparation – explains the general Plug and Play arrange steps
2. Onboarding Templates – explains in-depth the best way 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. Software Policys – explores Software Policys and SD-AVC in Catalyst Heart and their use
5. Telemetry – explains the best way 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 sort module inside the Wired Automation lab and it permits clients to achieve past what they at present perceive by attempting new ideas, actually push the boundaries of automation. Throughout this lab, we’ll cowl numerous matters with regard to template logic to resolve numerous use instances. 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 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 instances might be given explaining each the professionals and cons alongside the best way. Develop your capabilities with this lab and take your skills to the subsequent stage. You’re solely inhibited by your personal creativeness.

Subjects

The assorted matters we’ll contact on within the lab include 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 Circumstances

We are going to cowl the Subjects above in numerous use instances to indicate the potential and adaptability of the templating engine inside Catalyst Heart. Whereas we’ll make the most of Velocity language the identical might 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 matters in-depth;

We are going to achieve a sensible understanding of the steps related to organising Catalyst Heart and an surroundings to help advanced, superior, common templates to ship system configuration throughout these labs. The labs purpose to help engineers in quickly starting utilizing Catalyst Heart automation and assist them work in direction of a worldwide 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 surroundings will allow engineers to scale back the effort and time wanted to instantiate the community.

Extra 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 can be deployed within the entry layer of a community. Gadget classification is enabled once you allow the Autoconf function utilizing the autoconf allow international configuration mode command. The system detection acts as an occasion set off, which in flip applies the suitable computerized 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. Inside 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 give you many different makes use of for such a function.

IBNS 2.0 Configuration

Whereas not overlaying all of the facets of IBNS 2.0, we cowl the configuration that we might implement as a way 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 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 help 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 concern of impacting manufacturing environments.

In consequence, 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, now we have 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 supply examples that you could obtain and increase from. As well as, the pattern templates and JSON information provided are for straightforward import into Catalyst Facilities’ template editor for faster adoption. Lastly, some scripts are ready-made excerpts of code that help you construct the surroundings to check.

Inside 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 most 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 take a look at and check out these labs?

DCLOUD Lab Setting

To assist clients succeed with Cisco Catalyst Heart automation, you might 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 help you run these labs and offers an surroundings to attempt the varied code samples. You could select to develop and export your code to be used in manufacturing environments. Additionally, this offers you an surroundings the place you possibly can safely POC/POV strategies and steps with out harming your manufacturing environments. The DCLOUD surroundings additionally negates the necessity for delivery gear, lead instances, and licensing points wanted to get transferring quickly. Please do adhere to the very best practices for the DCLOUD surroundings when utilizing it.

Lab Connectivity

The surroundings permits to be used with a web-based browser consumer for VPN-less connectivity, entry in addition to AnyConnect VPN consumer connectivity for individuals who want it. You could select from labs hosted out of our San Jose Services by choosing US West. Select the Cisco Enterprise Community Sandbox. To entry this or every other content material, together with demonstrations, labs, and coaching in DCLOUD please work together with your Cisco Account crew or Cisco Companion Account Group 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 the very best practices of the DCLOUD surroundings.

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 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.

Extra Info

Catalyst Heart Template Labs

The beforehand named DNAC Template LABS inside 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 gear inside the LAB surroundings. Extra data inside the lab offers a well-rounded rationalization of Automation strategies with Templates. Lastly, the lab permits for purchasers to make use of Catalyst Heart workflows to observe deploying Onboarding, DayN Templates, and Software 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 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 surroundings will allow engineers to scale back the effort and time wanted to instantiate the community.

In consequence, you’ll achieve 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. Inside the a number of folders are examples and rationalization readme information for reference. There are actually two units of labs, and these are being frequently expanded upon.

In conclusion, if you happen to discovered this set of labs and repository useful,

please fill in feedback and suggestions on the way it may very well be improved.

We’d love to listen to what you assume. Ask a query or go away a remark beneath.
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