Cisco Catalyst Middle Template Labs – Superior Automation, Half 7

Overview

On this, the final episode of our ongoing Catalyst Middle Automation Collection, our focus is on superior automation strategies which permit us to unravel numerous use instances inside a community from Catalyst Middle. Throughout this lab, we are going to focus on the best way to modify numerous velocity templates to cope with particular use instances in order that Catalyst Middle provisioning can allow these use instances through automation. This permits you, the community administrator, the flexibility to unravel extra kinds of configuration points from Catalyst Middle 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 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 Middle 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’s 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 succeed in past what they presently perceive by attempting new ideas, actually push the boundaries of automation. Throughout this lab, we are going to cowl numerous subjects with regard to template logic to unravel numerous use instances. We cowl some earlier ideas with an in-depth deal with 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. Totally different strategies for the various use instances can be given explaining each the professionals and cons alongside the way in which. Develop your capabilities with this lab and take your skills to the subsequent degree. You’re solely inhibited by your individual creativeness.

Subjects

The varied subjects we are going to 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 Circumstances

We are going to cowl the Subjects above in a lot of use instances to indicate the aptitude and adaptability of the templating engine inside Catalyst Middle. Whereas we are going to 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 subjects in-depth;

We are going to achieve a sensible understanding of the steps related to organising Catalyst Middle and an surroundings to assist complicated, superior, common templates to ship gadget configuration throughout these labs. The labs goal to help engineers in quickly starting utilizing Catalyst Middle 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 embody 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 coated within the lab;

Autoconf

In these labs, we are going to 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 are deployed within the entry layer of a community. Machine 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.

Self-Destructing EEM scripts

Self-Destructing EEM scripts are people 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 give you many different makes use of for such a function.

IBNS 2.0 Configuration

Whereas not protecting all of the features of IBNS 2.0, we cowl the configuration that we might implement so as to permit 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 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 simple copy-to-paste window permitting you to import them into Catalyst Middle 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 assist you to use them as you please inside the time scheduled. As well as, this enables us a spot to start out working towards numerous ideas with out worry of impacting manufacturing environments.

Consequently, we hope to demystify among the complexities of organising automation and assist information clients via 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 manner, these self-guided labs present a glimpse into the basics of constructing velocity templates and provide examples you could obtain and increase from. As well as, the pattern templates and JSON recordsdata provided are for simple import into Catalyst Facilities’ template editor for faster adoption. Lastly, some scripts are ready-made excerpts of code that assist you to 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 unravel numerous use instances. 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 check and check out 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 assist you to run these labs and offers an surroundings to attempt the varied code samples. You might select to develop and export your code to be used in manufacturing environments. Additionally, this provides 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 transport tools, lead occasions, 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 shopper for VPN-less connectivity, entry in addition to AnyConnect VPN shopper connectivity for many who want it. You might select from labs hosted out of our San Jose Amenities by choosing US West. Select the Cisco Enterprise Community Sandbox. To entry this or some other content material, together with demonstrations, labs, and coaching in DCLOUD please work together with your Cisco Account staff or Cisco Companion Account Group straight. 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 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 Middle Templates earlier in Could 2021.

Extra Data

Catalyst Middle Template Labs

The beforehand named DNAC Template LABS inside the DNAC-TEMPLATES GitHub repository goal 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 will modify for our use and check on tools inside the LAB surroundings. Extra info inside the lab offers a well-rounded rationalization of Automation strategies with Templates. Lastly, the lab permits for purchasers to make use of Catalyst Middle workflows to follow 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 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 instances. Lastly, this surroundings will allow engineers to scale back the effort and time wanted to instantiate the community.

Consequently, 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 Middle 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 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 might be improved.

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