Red Hat Ansible for Network Automation

Create a vars file defining the variables that will be used.

1. Create a vars file named vars/startup-data.yml that defines a layer3_data variable and an interface_data variable as shown here:

   layer3_data:
     cs01:
       - { name: Loopback1, ipv4: 172.16.0.1/32 }
       - { name: GigabitEthernet4, ipv4: 172.16.10.1/30 }
   
   interface_data:
     cs01:
       GigabitEthernet1:
         description: outside
       GigabitEthernet4:
         description: inside

Compose a playbook with a play that satisfies the business requirements as stated by Jasper.

1. Create a playbook named startup.yml as shown here:

   ---
   - name: define the startup example.com layer3 network
     hosts: cs01
     vars:
       mgmt_intf: GigabitEthernet1
       server_ipv4: 172.16.10.2/30
     vars_files:
       - vars/startup-data.yml
   
     tasks:
   
     - name: remove old layer3 interface data
       ios_l3_interface:
         aggregate: "{{ layer3_data[inventory_hostname] }}"
         state: absent
   
     - name: configure layer3 interfaces
       ios_l3_interface:
         aggregate: "{{ layer3_data[inventory_hostname] }}"
   
     - name: configure description of management interface
       # do management interface separately, do not shut down
       ios_interface:
         name: "{{ mgmt_intf }}"
         description: >
          {{ interface_data[inventory_hostname][mgmt_intf].description }}
   
     - name: configure interface description
       ios_interface:
         name: "{{ item.key }}"
         description: "{{ item.value.description }}"
         enabled: no
       when: not item.key == mgmt_intf
       with_dict: "{{ interface_data[inventory_hostname] }}"
   
     - name: bring interfaces up
       ios_interface:
         name: "{{ item.key }}"
         enabled: yes
       when: not item.key == mgmt_intf
       with_dict: "{{ interface_data[inventory_hostname] }}"
   
     - name: pause
       pause:
         seconds: 1
   
     - name: test connectivity to server
       ios_ping:
         dest: "{{ server_ipv4 | ipaddr('address') }}"
       register: result
   
     - name: show result
       debug:
         var: result

Perform the play in the playbook to enact the desired changes.

[student@workstation proj]$ ansible-playbook startup.yml

Execute ad hoc commands and verify that layer 3 addresses are mapped to interfaces as described in the tables found at the start of this exercise. Only one networking device appears in the Start Up scenario: cs01. Here the syntax of the command is shown for use with cs01:

[student@workstation proj]$ ansible -m ios_command \
> -a "commands='sh ip int br'" cs01