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 varied use instances inside a community from Catalyst Heart. Throughout this lab, we’ll talk about find out how to modify varied velocity templates to cope with particular use instances in order that Catalyst Heart provisioning can allow these use instances by way of automation. This permits you, the community administrator, the power to resolve extra forms 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 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 methods
7. Dynamic Automation – a deployment lab for dynamic automation

What’s going to I be taught within the Superior Automation Lab?

That is an enablement sort module inside the Wired Automation lab and it permits prospects to achieve past what they at the moment perceive by making an attempt new ideas, actually push the boundaries of automation. Throughout this lab, we’ll cowl varied matters with regard to template logic to resolve varied 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 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 subsequent degree. You’re solely inhibited by your personal creativeness.

Matters

The assorted matters 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 lot of use instances to point out 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 acquire a sensible understanding of the steps related to establishing Catalyst Heart and an atmosphere to help advanced, superior, common templates to ship system configuration throughout these labs. The labs purpose to assist engineers in quickly starting utilizing Catalyst Heart automation and assist them work in direction of a worldwide 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 instances. Lastly, this atmosphere will allow engineers to cut 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 information 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 once you allow the Autoconf characteristic utilizing the autoconf allow world configuration mode command. The system detection acts as an occasion set off, which in flip applies the suitable automated 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.

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 give you many different makes use of for such a characteristic.

IBNS 2.0 Configuration

Whereas not protecting all of the facets of IBNS 2.0, we cowl the configuration that we might implement in an effort 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 can help you use them as you please throughout the time scheduled. As well as, this enables us a spot to begin working towards varied ideas with out worry of impacting manufacturing environments.

Consequently, we hope to demystify a few of the complexities of establishing automation and assist information prospects by means of the caveats. Due to this fact, to assist prospects within the transition towards automation, now we 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 may 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 can help 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 varied 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 data each useful and informative.

The place can I check and check out these labs?

DCLOUD Lab Surroundings

To assist prospects succeed with Cisco Catalyst Heart 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 can help you run these labs and offers an atmosphere 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 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 transferring quickly. Please do adhere to the most effective practices for the DCLOUD atmosphere when utilizing it.

Lab Connectivity

The atmosphere 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 choose it. You could 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 every other content material, together with demonstrations, labs, and coaching in DCLOUD please work along with your Cisco Account crew or Cisco Associate 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 most effective practices of the DCLOUD atmosphere.

Content material

The Wired Automation labs, Superior Automation module content material is situated throughout the current 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 atmosphere. The repository was featured in a earlier publish on Cisco Blogs about Catalyst Heart Templates earlier in Could 2021.

Extra Info

Catalyst Heart Template Labs

The beforehand named DNAC Template LABS throughout the DNAC-TEMPLATES GitHub repository purpose to information you thru the everyday 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 check on gear throughout the LAB atmosphere. Extra data throughout the lab supplies a well-rounded clarification of Automation strategies with Templates. Lastly, the lab permits for patrons to make use of Catalyst Heart workflows to apply 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 assist engineers to quickly start utilizing Catalyst Heart automation and assist them work in direction of a deployment technique. Moreover, this lab will give prospects a everlasting place to check out the configurations for varied use instances. Lastly, this atmosphere will allow engineers to cut back the effort and time wanted to instantiate the community.

Consequently, you’ll acquire expertise in establishing 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 clarification readme recordsdata for reference. There are actually two units of labs, and these are being regularly 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.

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