Cisco Catalyst Heart Template Labs – Relaxation-APIs – Half 9

Overview

On this episode of our ongoing Catalyst Heart Automation Collection, our focus strikes to Relaxation-APIs and utilizing postman to automate the community. We are going to change our focus from templating to automation by Postman, an awesome instrument to look at RESTful APIs in a single consumer interface. This can be a Self-Paced Standalone Lab, the place we’ll construct upon the foundational data acquired within the earlier labs. For this lab, we’ll consider Catalyst Heart configuration and the way Catalyst Heart will be automated to carry out numerous features we now have already coated. The lab is meant to assist drive the adoption of Relaxation-API and consists of a number of use circumstances to unravel widespread orchestration wants when utilizing Catalyst Heart.

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 circumstances
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

Catalyst Heart Relaxation-API Collections

Moreover, we now have offered a Postman Public Workspace the place all of the Relaxation-API Collections are included in order that engineers can quickly entry and arrange their environments. “Generally seeing is believing.” We hope these new instruments assist clarify the best way to finest use the Relaxation-APIs and increase the data from developer.cisco.com.

On this lab, we’ll frequently add extra use circumstances to reply particular orchestration wants, however at all times in Postman, the place they could be analyzed and seen in operation for inclusion in no matter automation or orchestration system requires them. In upcoming modules, we can even delve into revealed and unpublished Relaxation-API and the best way to uncover and work with these to perform your orchestration wants.

Inside this lab modules, we cowl the next using collections for orchestration with assistance from a comma-separated values (CSV) file;

1. Postman Orientation – orientates you to Postman and helps put together the instruments
2. Constructing Hierarchy – the orchestration of constructing hierarchy
3. Assign Settings and Credentials – assigning settings and credentials
4. Machine Discovery – orchestrating machine discovery
5. Template Deployment – automating template deployment
6. Configuration Archive – automating configuration archiving
7. Retrieving Community Stock – gathering a community stock
8. Working Present Instructions – gathering present command outcomes

In contrast to most earlier Labs within the sequence, this lab is self-contained and has no dependencies on any earlier labs. Whilst 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 indicate the whole artwork of the doable from Software program-Outlined Networking.

What’s going to I study within the Relaxation-API Orchestration Lab?

That is an enablement-type lab, permitting engineers and designers to succeed in past what they at present perceive by attempting new ideas and pushing the boundaries of automation and orchestration. We are going to cowl numerous subjects about Relaxation-API logic to unravel a number of use circumstances throughout this lab. We cowl some earlier ideas with an in-depth deal with broadening their capabilities by the artwork of doing and analyzing.

The idea of this lab is so that you can construct the surroundings from the bottom up, from Design to Discovery to Template Deployment. Using DCLOUD or the DevNet Sandbox permits a secure place so that you can attempt, modify, and get used to the varied ideas and approaches.

Strategy

The Lab is constructed for minimal intervention utilizing issues like Relaxation-API run through Postman inside a group runner to rapidly configure Catalyst Heart. This permits us to deploy Settings, Credentials, Uncover Gadgets, Construct Websites, Buildings, Flooring, and assign the gadgets to these websites. These are highly effective examples of what we will do, and so they display how rapidly we will get Catalyst Heart up and working using Relaxation-API utilizing only one instrument.

However wait, there’s extra…

We provisioned a comma-separated worth (CSV) file to be used with the Postman collections to make it straightforward to construct the design and deploy templates the place vital.

You may simply add the Public Workspace to Postman through the next hyperlink. This may help you quickly begin utilizing the Relaxation-API suite created for this lab. Click on the next hyperlink and log into your Postman account, and the workspace, together with the collections and the surroundings, shall be routinely added. (see picture under)

Public Catalyst Heart Use-Case API Assortment

We hold Postman Public Workspace updated with the lab in order that the lab helps doc the gathering, and the collections assist drive the lab.  Throughout the Workspace are at present a number of collections and an surroundings.

Use Instances

We are going to cowl numerous subjects in a number of use circumstances primarily based on lab modules to indicate the potential and suppleness of the Relaxation-APIs with Catalyst Heart.

The varied subjects/use-cases we’ll contact on and deploy inside the lab encompass the next:

1. Utilizing Relaxation-API to configure Catalyst Heart Design and Settings utilizing a CSV file
2. Automation of assigning Credentials throughout the community
3. Orchestrating Discovery to onboard community gadgets
4. Automating the Provisioning of Common and Composite Templates to Gadgets
5. Retrieving Machine Stock data
6. Orchestration of Configuration Archives
7. Retrieving Present Command outcomes from Catalyst Facilities Command Runner

With that, the lab makes use of these subjects…

We are going to achieve a sensible understanding of the steps related to using Relaxation-API whereas organising a Catalyst Heart and an surroundings to assist advanced, superior, common templates to ship machine configuration throughout these labs. The labs purpose to help engineers in quickly starting to make use of 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 circumstances. Lastly, this surroundings will allow engineers to cut back the effort and time wanted to instantiate the community.

Beginning…

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 permits us a spot to start out practising numerous ideas with out concern of impacting manufacturing environments.

In consequence, we hope to demystify among the complexities of organising automation and assist information clients by the caveats. Due to this fact, to help clients within the transition towards automation, we now have put collectively a set of small useful labs inside a GitHub repository. This manner, these self-guided labs present a glimpse into the basics of constructing velocity templates and supply examples you possibly can obtain and increase from. As well as, the pattern templates and JSON recordsdata 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.

On this sensible lab, REST-API Orchestration, we step-by-step delve into superior automation strategies and methods to make the most of them to unravel 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 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 clients 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 help you run these labs and provides an surroundings to attempt the varied code samples. It’s possible you’ll 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 tools, lead instances, and licensing points wanted to maneuver quickly. Please adhere to one of the best 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’s AnyConnect VPN shopper connectivity for many who favor it. Select the Cisco Enterprise Community Sandbox. Moreover, it’s possible you’ll select from our RTP Services labs by choosing US West. To entry this or different content material, demonstrations, and labs in DCLOUD, please instantly work together with your Cisco or Companion Account Workforce. 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 REST-API Orchestration lab content material is positioned inside the present DNAC-TEMPLATES repository to present a one-stop store for all the mandatory 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 Might 2021.

Further Data

Catalyst Heart Template Labs

The beforehand named DNAC Template LABS inside the DNAC-TEMPLATES GitHub repository goals 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 inside the LAB surroundings. Further data inside the lab supplies a well-rounded rationalization of Automation strategies with Templates. Lastly, the lab permits for patrons 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 circumstances. Lastly, this surroundings will allow engineers to cut 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 could assist throughout faultfinding to find out what’s failing in a deployment.

New Catalyst Heart Lab Content material

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 are actually two units of labs, and these are being frequently expanded upon.

This newer and extra modular lab method is designed to take care of and consists of ideas from the legacy labs in a more moderen extra modular format.

1. Lab 1 Wired Automation – Covers inexperienced and brown subject use circumstances (enable 4.0 hrs)
2. Lab 2 Wi-fi Automation – Covers conventional wi-fi automation (enable 4.0 hrs)
3. Lab 4 Relaxation-API Orchestration – Covers automation of Cisco Catalyst Heart through Postman with Relaxation-API (enable 2.0 hrs)
4. Lab 7 CICD Orchestration – Covers Python with JENKINS orchestration through REST-API (enable 4.0 hrs)

We are going to share extra labs and content material in an ongoing effort to satisfy all of your automation wants with Catalyst Heart.

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 suppose. Ask a query or go away a remark under.
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