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’ll change our focus from templating to automation by Postman, a terrific software to look at RESTful APIs in a single person interface. It is a Self-Paced Standalone Lab, the place we’ll construct upon the foundational information acquired within the earlier labs. For this lab, we’ll focus on Catalyst Heart configuration and the way Catalyst Heart will be automated to carry out varied capabilities we have now already coated. The lab is meant to assist drive the adoption of Relaxation-API and consists of a number of use circumstances to unravel frequent orchestration wants when utilizing Catalyst Heart.

Inside this collection, we cowl the next;

PnP Preparation – explains the general Plug and Play arrange steps
Onboarding Templates – explains in-depth how one can deploy Day 0 templates
Day N Templates – dives into Day N template constructs with each common and composite templates and use circumstances
Software Policys – explores Software Policys and SD-AVC in Catalyst Heart and their use
Telemetry – explains how one can deploy Telemetry for assurance
Superior Automation – explores Superior Automation methods
Dynamic Automation – a deployment lab for dynamic automation

Catalyst Heart Relaxation-API Collections

Moreover, we have now 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. “Typically seeing is believing.” We hope these new instruments assist clarify how one can finest use the Relaxation-APIs and increase the knowledge 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 In upcoming modules, we may even delve into revealed and unpublished Relaxation-API and how one can uncover and work with these to perform your orchestration wants.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;

Postman Orientation – orientates you to Postman and helps put together the instruments
Constructing Hierarchy – the orchestration of constructing hierarchy
Assign Settings and Credentials – assigning settings and credentials
System Discovery – orchestrating system discovery
Template Deployment – automating template deployment
Configuration Archive – automating configuration archiving
Retrieving Community Stock – gathering a community stock
Working Present Instructions – gathering present command outcomes

In contrast to most earlier Labs within the collection, this lab is self-contained and has no dependencies on any 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 varied automation methods to point out the whole artwork of the potential from Software program-Outlined Networking.

What is 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 the moment perceive by attempting new ideas and pushing the boundaries of automation and orchestration. We’ll cowl varied matters 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. The usage of DCLOUD or the DevNet Sandbox permits a secure place so that you can strive, modify, and get used to the assorted ideas and approaches.

Strategy

The Lab is constructed for minimal intervention utilizing issues like Relaxation-API run by way of Postman inside a group runner to shortly 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, they usually show how shortly we will get Catalyst Heart up and operating using Relaxation-API utilizing only one software.

However wait, there may be extra…

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

You possibly can simply add the Public Workspace to Postman by way of the next hyperlink. This may can 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, might be routinely added. (see picture under)

Public Catalyst Heart Use-Case API Assortment

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

Use Circumstances

We’ll cowl varied matters in a number of use circumstances primarily based on lab modules to point out the aptitude and adaptability of the Relaxation-APIs with Catalyst Heart.

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

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

With that, the lab makes use of these matters…

We’ll achieve a sensible understanding of the steps related to using Relaxation-API whereas establishing a Catalyst Heart and an surroundings to assist advanced, superior, common templates to ship system configuration throughout these labs. The labs purpose to assist 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 varied use circumstances. Lastly, this surroundings will allow engineers to scale 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 can help you use them as you please throughout the time scheduled. As well as, this enables us a spot to start out practising varied ideas with out worry of impacting manufacturing environments.

Because of this, we hope to demystify a few of the complexities of establishing automation and assist information clients by the caveats. Due to this fact, to assist clients within the transition towards automation, we have now put collectively a set of small useful labs inside a GitHub repository. This fashion, these self-guided labs present a glimpse into the basics of constructing velocity templates and provide examples you’ll be able to obtain and develop from. As well as, the pattern templates and JSON information 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 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 varied 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 Atmosphere

To assist clients succeed with Cisco Catalyst Heart automation, you could 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:

The DCLOUD labs can help you run these labs and provides an surroundings to strive the assorted code samples. Chances are you’ll develop and export your code to be used in manufacturing environments. Additionally, this offers you an surroundings the place you’ll be able to safely POC/POV strategies and steps with out harming your manufacturing environments. The DCLOUD surroundings additionally negates the necessity for transport gear, lead instances, and licensing points wanted to maneuver quickly. Please adhere to the perfect practices for the DCLOUD surroundings when utilizing it.

Lab Connectivity

The surroundings permits for a web-based browser consumer for VPN-less connectivity. Moreover, there may be AnyConnect VPN consumer connectivity for individuals who want it. Select the Cisco Enterprise Community Sandbox. Moreover, you could select from our RTP Services labs by deciding on US West. To entry this or different content material, demonstrations, and labs in DCLOUD, please immediately work along with your Cisco or Accomplice Account Workforce. 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 perfect practices of the DCLOUD surroundings.

Content material

The REST-API Orchestration lab content material is positioned throughout the current DNAC-TEMPLATES repository to provide a one-stop store 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 Heart Templates earlier in Might 2021.

Further Info

Catalyst Heart 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 assorted 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 surroundings. Further data throughout the lab offers 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 purpose 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 clients a everlasting place to check out the configurations for varied use circumstances. Lastly, this surroundings will allow engineers to scale back the effort and time wanted to instantiate the community.

Because of this, you’ll achieve 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.

New Catalyst Heart Lab Content material

Please use this menu to navigate the assorted 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.

This newer and extra modular lab strategy is designed to cope with and consists of ideas from the legacy labs in a more moderen extra modular format.

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

We’ll share further labs and content material in an ongoing effort to meet all of your automation wants with Catalyst Heart.

In conclusion, if you happen to 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 depart a remark under.
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