Dive into Leveraging

Python on IOS-XE

Adrian Iliesiu – Corporate Technology Engineer

DEVNET-2556
DEVNET-2556

Guest Shell
Guest Shell Application
Linux Shell Environment On Your Switch or Router
• Maintain IOS-XE system integrity
• Isolated User Space
• Fault Isolation
• Resource Isolation
Linux
• On-box rapid prototyping applications
• Device-level API Integration
• Scripting (Python) Guest Shell
• Linux Commands
• Application Hosting Open Application Container
API
• Integrate into your Linux workflow
Network OS
• Integrated with IOS-XE

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Preparing the Vagrant Image
Initial Setup of Local Image for Lab
1. From csr1kv# prompt:
1. guestshell run bash
2. sudo yum install -y git
3. git clone [Link]
4. ./DevNet2556/[Link]

2. Exit Guest Shell

1. exit
2. copy bootflash:[Link] running-config
3. write mem

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Guest Shell Overview
Guest Shell is a decoupled execution space running within a Linux Container
(LXC)
From within the Guest Shell the network-admin has the following capabilities:
• Access to the network over Linux network interfaces
• Access to bootflash
• Access to IOS CLI
• The ability to install and run python scripts.
• The ability to install and run 32-bit and 64-bit Linux applications.

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DEVNET-2556

Python on Guest Shell

Why Python on IOS-XE?
• Python is the de-facto automation
language of the day
• Easy to learn but powerful programming
language
• Helps overcome operational
shortcomings of CLI
• Provides programmatic access to
device’s configuration

[Link]

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Cisco’s Python Enhancements
IOS-XE 16.5 operating system enables the Python API
• Interactive python prompt
• Running python script
• Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP)
• Embedded Event Manager (EEM)

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Let’s Get Started
Open a Browser and go to:

[Link]

Then, click on “Modules” link

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Module 6 – NETCONF & YANG
What is NETCONF?
• “NETCONF is a protocol defined by the IETF to “install, manipulate, and delete
the configuration of network devices”. NETCONF operations are realised on top
of a Remote Procedure Call (RPC) layer using an XML encoding and provides a
basic set of operations to edit and query configuration on a network device”
• [Link]
• NETCONF RFCs
• [Link] (NETCONF RFC)
• [Link] (NETCONF over SSH)
• [Link] (NETCONF notifications)

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What is YANG?
• ”YANG is a data modeling language used to model configuration and state
data manipulated by the NETCONF protocol.”
• [Link]
• RFC 6020 - [Link]

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Q. Why Do We Even Need a Modeling Framework?

We’ve all seen this one, right?

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A. Simplicity and Automation
• Without a modeling framework, every device and device type must be
configured using a different set of rules.
• How would an automation tool program different device types?
• How would an automation tool determine the structure of data for various device
types?

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Taking a Look at a YANG Model

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Elements of Using
NETCONF

Device login info

Opening a
NETCONF session

YANG model info

NETCONF request:
“get_config”

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Module 7 – A Deeper Look at
NETCONF
Elements of Using
NETCONF
Define class object
two variables returned per object:
name & description

Definition to extract
data from parsed
YANG info

Iterate through GE
interfaces
Iterate through
Loopback interfaces

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Module 8 – Bringing it All Together
On-Box Python Use Case
• Device has standard QoS policy for egress shaping
• Multiple egress links provide application routing
• If a WAN link fails, want to resize QoS policy since overall bw is reduced

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On-Box Python Use Case
• Use EEM to monitor for Syslog Message about failed link
• Python running on Guest Shell will execute the Python script
• NETCONF will validate the link being modified is a “WAN” link and is operational
• Python API will execute CLI change to modify the QoS policy on the remaining
“WAN” link

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 Elements of Python
Use Case
Define class object
three variables returned per object:
name, description & state

Open a NETCONF
session and return config

Definition to extract
data from parsed
YANG info and return
data

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 Elements of Python
Use Case (cont.)

Iterate through all

interfaces and return
object data

Match the correct

interface and adjust the
QoS setting

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Q&A
 Complete Your Online
Session Evaluation
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Thank you