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

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Overview

On this episode of our ongoing Catalyst Heart Automation Sequence, our focus strikes to Relaxation-APIs and utilizing postman to automate the community. We’ll change our focus from templating to automation via Postman, a fantastic device to look at RESTful APIs in a single person interface. This can be 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 could be automated to carry out varied features we’ve got already lined. The lab is meant to assist drive the adoption of Relaxation-API and consists of a number of use instances to resolve widespread 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 deploy Day 0 templates
Day N Templates – dives into Day N template constructs with each common and composite templates and use instances
Software Policys – explores Software Policys and SD-AVC in Catalyst Heart and their use
Telemetry – explains deploy Telemetry for assurance
Superior Automation – explores Superior Automation strategies
Dynamic Automation – a deployment lab for dynamic automation

Catalyst Heart Relaxation-API Collections

Moreover, we’ve got supplied 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 finest use the Relaxation-APIs and increase the knowledge from developer.cisco.com.

On this lab, we’ll regularly add extra use instances 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 In upcoming modules, we can even delve into revealed and unpublished Relaxation-API and uncover and work with these to perform your orchestration wants.

Inside this lab modules, we cowl the next using collections for orchestration with the help of 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 machine discovery
Template Deployment – automating template deployment
Configuration Archive – automating configuration archiving
Retrieving Community Stock – amassing a community stock
Working Present Instructions – amassing 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. 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 varied automation strategies to point out the entire 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 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 resolve a number of use instances throughout this lab. We cowl some earlier ideas with an in-depth give attention to broadening their capabilities via the artwork of doing and inspecting.

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 attempt, modify, and get used to the assorted ideas and approaches.

Strategy

The Lab is constructed for minimal intervention utilizing issues like Relaxation-API run through Postman inside a set runner to shortly configure Catalyst Heart. This enables us to deploy Settings, Credentials, Uncover Units, Construct Websites, Buildings, Flooring, and assign the units to these websites. These are highly effective examples of what we will do, they usually display how shortly we will get Catalyst Heart up and operating using Relaxation-API utilizing only one device.

However wait, there’s 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 obligatory.

You may simply add the Public Workspace to Postman through the next hyperlink. This can assist you to 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, will likely be robotically added. (see picture under)

Public Catalyst Heart Use-Case API Assortment

We maintain 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 Instances

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

The assorted matters/use-cases we’ll contact on and deploy throughout the lab encompass 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 units
Automating the Provisioning of Common and Composite Templates to Units
Retrieving System Stock info
Orchestration of Configuration Archives
Retrieving Present Command outcomes from Catalyst Facilities Command Runner

With that, the lab makes use of these matters…

We’ll acquire 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 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 world 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 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 assist you to use them as you please throughout the time scheduled. As well as, this permits us a spot to begin training varied ideas with out concern of impacting manufacturing environments.

In consequence, we hope to demystify a few of the complexities of establishing automation and assist information prospects via the caveats. Due to this fact, to help prospects within the transition towards automation, we’ve got 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 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.

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 resolve varied use instances. 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 take a look at and check out these labs?

DCLOUD Lab Setting

To assist prospects succeed with Cisco Catalyst Heart automation, chances are 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:

The DCLOUD labs assist you to run these labs and provides an surroundings to attempt the assorted code samples. You might 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 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 shopper for VPN-less connectivity. Moreover, there’s AnyConnect VPN shopper connectivity for many who favor it. Select the Cisco Enterprise Community Sandbox. Moreover, chances are you’ll 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 together with your Cisco or Companion Account Staff. 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 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 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 Could 2021.

Extra Info

Catalyst Heart Template Labs

The beforehand named DNAC Template LABS throughout the DNAC-TEMPLATES GitHub repository goals to information you thru the everyday 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 take a look at on gear throughout the LAB surroundings. Extra info throughout 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 apply deploying Onboarding, DayN Templates, and Software Coverage automation on each Wired and Wi-fi Platforms.

The objective 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 prospects a everlasting place to check out the configurations for varied use instances. Lastly, this surroundings will allow engineers to cut back the effort and time wanted to instantiate the community.

In consequence, 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 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 assorted sections of this GitHub repository. Inside the a number of folders are examples and rationalization readme recordsdata for reference. There are actually two units of labs, and these are being regularly 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 area use instances (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 through Postman with Relaxation-API (enable 2.0 hrs)
Lab 7 CICD Orchestration – Covers Python with JENKINS orchestration through REST-API (enable 4.0 hrs)