Ansible Links

http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/index.html — Ansible Documentation

http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/modules_by_category.html — Module categories

http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/list_of_all_modules.html — All Ansible Modules

http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/YAMLSyntax.html — YAML Syntax … read this a few times, it’ll come

in handy
http://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/playbooks.html — Ansible Playbooks

https://zaiste.net/posts/ansible_101/ — A nice 5 minute hands-on intro to Ansible

https://gist.github.com/andreicristianpetcu/b892338de279af9dac067891579cad7d — Ansible cheatsheet, a great

reference point for just about any bit of Ansible code you’d need to write
https://www.ansible.com/blog/ansible-best-practices-essentials — Best practices

https://serversforhackers.com/c/an-ansible2-tutorial — Detailed Ansible tutorial with explaination and code.

https://gist.github.com/phred/2897937 — pedantically commented playbook

Run Your First Command

ansible all -i vyos.example.net, -c ansible.netcommon.network_cli -u my_vyos_user -k -m vyos.vyos.vyos_facts -e
ansible_network_os=vyos.vyos.vyos

The flags in this command set seven values:

 the host group(s) to which the command should apply (in this case, all)
 the inventory (-i, the device or devices to target - without the trailing comma -i points to an inventory file)
 the connection method (-c, the method for connecting and executing ansible)

Modules
 cli_backup module – Back up device configuration from network devices over
network_cli
 cli_command module – Run a cli command on cli-based network devices
 cli_config module – Push text based configuration to network devices over network_cli
 grpc_config module – Fetch configuration/state data from gRPC enabled target hosts.
 grpc_get module – Fetch configuration/state data from gRPC enabled target hosts.
 net_get module – Copy a file from a network device to Ansible Controller
 net_ping module – Tests reachability using ping from a network device
  net_put module – Copy a file from Ansible Controller to a network device
 netconf_config module – netconf device configuration
 netconf_get module – Fetch configuration/state data from NETCONF enabled network
devices.
 netconf_rpc module – Execute operations on NETCONF enabled network devices.
 network_resource module – Manage resource modules
 restconf_config module – Handles create, update, read and delete of configuration data
on RESTCONF enabled devices.
 restconf_get module – Fetch configuration/state data from RESTCONF enabled devices.
 telnet module – Executes a low-down and dirty telnet command

Become Plugins
 enable become – Switch to elevated permissions on a network device
Cache Plugins
 memory cache – RAM backed, non persistent cache.
Cliconf Plugins
 default cliconf – General purpose cliconf plugin for new platforms
Connection Plugins
 grpc connection – Provides a persistent connection using the gRPC protocol
 httpapi connection – Use httpapi to run command on network appliances
 libssh connection – Run tasks using libssh for ssh connection
 netconf connection – Provides a persistent connection using the netconf protocol
 network_cli connection – Use network_cli to run command on network appliances
 persistent connection – Use a persistent unix socket for connection
Filter Plugins
 comp_type5 filter – The comp_type5 filter plugin.
 hash_salt filter – The hash_salt filter plugin.
 parse_cli filter – parse_cli filter plugin.
 parse_cli_textfsm filter – parse_cli_textfsm filter plugin.
 parse_xml filter – The parse_xml filter plugin.
 pop_ace filter – Remove ace entries from a acl source of truth.
 type5_pw filter – The type5_pw filter plugin.
 vlan_expander filter – The vlan_expander filter plugin.
 vlan_parser filter – The vlan_parser filter plugin.
Httpapi Plugins
 restconf httpapi – HttpApi Plugin for devices supporting Restconf API
Netconf Plugins
 default netconf – Use default netconf plugin to run standard netconf commands as per
RFC

 the user (-u, the username for the SSH connection)

 the SSH connection method (-k, please prompt for the password)
 the module (-m, the Ansible module to run, using the fully qualified collection name (FQCN))
All Modules
https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.9/modules/list_of_all_modules.html
 ios_facts – Collect facts from remote devices running Cisco IOS
https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/2.9/modules/ios_facts_module.html#ios-facts-module

Ansible Galaxy
https://galaxy.ansible.com/ui/repo/published/ansible/netcommon/?
extIdCarryOver=true&sc_cid=701f2000001OH7YAAW

 an extra variable ( -e, in this case, setting the network OS value)

ADHOC COMMAND
IOS_FACTS
(venv-ansible) jerin@jerin:/$ ansible all -i devnetsandboxiosxe.cisco.com,192.168.234.135, -c
ansible.netcommon.network_cli -u jerin -k -m cisco.ios.ios_facts -e ansible_network_os=cisco.ios.ios
SSH password:
[WARNING]: ansible-pylibssh not installed, falling back to paramiko
192.168.234.135 | SUCCESS => {
"ansible_facts": {
"ansible_net_api": "cliconf",
"ansible_net_gather_network_resources": [],
"ansible_net_gather_subset": [
"default"
],
"ansible_net_hostname": "R1",
"ansible_net_image": "tftp://255.255.255.255/unknown",
"ansible_net_iostype": "IOS",
"ansible_net_model": "7206VXR",
"ansible_net_operatingmode": "autonomous",
"ansible_net_python_version": "3.10.12",
"ansible_net_serialnum": "4279256517",
"ansible_net_system": "ios",
"ansible_net_version": "15.2(4)M7",
"ansible_network_resources": {}
},
"changed": false
}
devnetsandboxiosxe.cisco.com | SUCCESS => {
 "ansible_facts": {
"ansible_net_api": "cliconf",
"ansible_net_gather_network_resources": [],
"ansible_net_gather_subset": [
"default"
],
"ansible_net_hostname": "iosxe",
"ansible_net_image": "bootflash:packages.conf",
"ansible_net_iostype": "IOS-XE",
"ansible_net_model": "C8000V",
"ansible_net_operatingmode": "autonomous",
"ansible_net_python_version": "3.10.12",
"ansible_net_serialnum": "9OBXJHNNU5V",
"ansible_net_system": "ios",
"ansible_net_version": "17.12.02",
"ansible_network_resources": {}
},
"changed": false

Command line

(venv-ansible) jerin@jerin:~$ ansible all -i devnetsandboxiosxe.cisco.com,192.168.234.135, -c

ansible.netcommon.network_cli -u jerin -k -m cisco.ios.ios_command -e ansible_network_os=cisco.ios.ios -a
"commands='show version | i uptime'"
SSH password:
[WARNING]: ansible-pylibssh not installed, falling back to paramiko
192.168.234.135 | SUCCESS => {
"changed": false,
"stdout": [
"R1 uptime is 2 hours, 54 minutes"
],
"stdout_lines": [
[
"R1 uptime is 2 hours, 54 minutes"
]
]
}
devnetsandboxiosxe.cisco.com | SUCCESS => {
"changed": false,
"stdout": [
"iosxe uptime is 2 days, 10 minutes"
],
"stdout_lines": [
[
"iosxe uptime is 2 days, 10 minutes"
]

Creating host’s file

(venv-ansible) jerin@jerin:~$ touch hosts
(venv-ansible) jerin@jerin:~$ cat hosts
192.168.234.135
devnetsandboxiosxe.cisco.com

venv-ansible) jerin@jerin:~$ ansible all -i hosts -c ansible.netcommon.network_cli -u jerin -k -m

cisco.ios.ios_facts -e ansible_network_os=cisco.ios.ios
SSH password:
[WARNING]: ansible-pylibssh not installed, falling back to paramiko
192.168.234.135 | SUCCESS => {
"ansible_facts": {
"ansible_net_api": "cliconf",
"ansible_net_gather_network_resources": [],
"ansible_net_gather_subset": [
"default"
],
"ansible_net_hostname": "R1",
"ansible_net_image": "tftp://255.255.255.255/unknown",
 "ansible_net_iostype": "IOS",
"ansible_net_model": "7206VXR",
"ansible_net_operatingmode": "autonomous",
"ansible_net_python_version": "3.10.12",
"ansible_net_serialnum": "4279256517",
"ansible_net_system": "ios",
"ansible_net_version": "15.2(4)M7",
"ansible_network_resources": {}
},
"changed": false

Ansible Configuration Settings

https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/reference_appendices/config.html

The configuration file

Changes can be made and used in a configuration file which will be searched for in the following order: PRIORITY
ORDER
 ANSIBLE_CONFIG (environment variable if set)
 ansible.cfg (in the current directory)
 ~/.ansible.cfg (in the home directory)
 /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg

Export ANSIBLE_CONFIG
(venv-ansible) jerin@jerin:~$ export ANSIBLE_CONFIG=/home/jerin/ansible.cfg
(venv-ansible) jerin@jerin:~$ echo $ANSIBLE_CONFIG
/home/jerin/ansible.cfg

Inventory folder creation.

Inside config file change path of inventory

Magic variables
https://docs.ansible.com/ansible/latest/reference_appendices/special_variables.html

ansible_config_file
The full path of used Ansible configuration file
Lab_hosts is configured with the local under ansible_connection module

Calling the same test_host for collecting the facts

Starting with Playbook

Inventory file creation. In INI

Using CLI in Ansible

ansible_connection: ansible.netcommon.network_cli
ansible_network_os: cisco.ios.ios
ansible_user: myuser
ansible_password: !vault...
ansible_become: true
ansible_become_method: enable
ansible_become_password: !vault...
ansible_ssh_common_args: '-o ProxyCommand="ssh -W %h:%p -q bastion01"'
Converting INI to YML inventory file conversion
(venv-ansible) jerin@jerin:~$ ansible-inventory -i inventory/lab_hosts -y --list
 all:
children:
routers:
children:
vios_group:
hosts:
R1:
ansible_become: 'true'
ansible_become_method: enable
ansible_become_password: jerin123
ansible_connection: ansible.netcommon.network_cli
ansible_host: 192.168.234.135
ansible_network_os: cisco.ios.ios
ansible_password: jerin123
ansible_user: jerin
R2:
ansible_become: 'true'
ansible_become_method: enable
ansible_become_password: jerin123
ansible_connection: ansible.netcommon.network_cli
ansible_host: 192.168.234.136
ansible_network_os: cisco.ios.ios
ansible_password: jerin123
ansible_user: jerin
R3:
ansible_become: 'true'
ansible_become_method: enable
ansible_become_password: jerin123
ansible_connection: ansible.netcommon.network_cli
ansible_host: 192.168.234.137
ansible_network_os: cisco.ios.ios
ansible_password: jerin123
ansible_user: jerin

Playbook Variables

Not all strings are valid Ansible variable names. A variable name can only include letters, numbers, and
underscores. Python keywords or playbook keywords are not valid variable names. A variable name
cannot begin with a number.