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Introduction to IOS-XR Ansible

In the nutshell, Ansible is an automation tool for configuring system, deploying software, and orchestrating services. Unlike Puppet and Chef which is an agent-based architecture, Ansible does not require daemon running or agent pre-installed on the target nodes to interact with a server. Ansible could be specified to run either on a local server or on a remote node.

The different between local and remote connection mode in Ansible is basically where the script (so-called Ansible module) is being run. For the remote mode, Ansible automatically attempts to establish SSH connection to the remote node. Once established, it transfers the script and runs it on the remote node. The script responds to the server in JSON formatted text. This mode requires setting up third-party namespace (TPNNS) on the IOS-XR node.

As for the local mode, Ansible run the module script on the local server. The script has to establish a connection to the remote node itself. The local mode module uses Ansible network module to establish SSH connection to the IOS-XR console to run CLI command.

There are 6 different ways to access IOS-XR in local mode.

  1. Console CLI - connect to IOS-XR console through SSH port 22 and use CLI commands.
  2. TPNNS CLI - connect to IOS-XR Linux shell through SSH port 57722 and use helper programs, /pkg/bin/xr_cli or /pkg/sbin/config.
  3. Raw XML - connect to IOS-XR console through SSH port 22 to exchange XML construct with IOS-XR xml agent.
  4. Raw NETCONF 1.0 - connect to IOS-XR console through SSH port 22 to exchange NETCONF 1.0 XML construct with IOS-XR netconf agent.
  5. Raw NETCONF 1.1 - connect to IOS-XR console through SSH port 830 to exchange NETCONF 1.1 XML construct with IOS-XR netconf-yang agent.
  6. YDK NETCONF - use the Cisco YDK API service to manage IOS-XR device through SSH port 830.

Managing the IOS-XR device in the remote mode required TPNNS through SSH port 57722 with the helper programs, /pkg/bin/xr_cli and /pkg/sbin/config, to deliver CLI commands and configuration to the IOS-XR, respectively. This remote mode connection is identical to TPNNS CLI running in local mode except for how the SSH connection is being established and where the script is run.

Understand connection variants

With different variants for local and remote modes mentioned earlier, before implementing Ansible modules, one needs to be aware of their limitation.

Linux-based vs. QNX-based IOS-XR

  • QNX-based IOS-XR can only run in local mode
  • Earlier version of Linux-based IOS-XR also can only run in local mode due to incomplete Python libraries
  • Linux-based IOS-XR (eXR 6.0.2 or later) can run both remote and local modes

CLI vs. XML/NETCONF

  • With CLI mode, you can do all CLI commands as you would do interactively.
  • The XML/NETCONF mode allows you to use Cisco XML or NETCONF commands in XML construct to configure IOS-XR.

Console CLI vs. TPNNS CLI

  • Console CLI allows you to do all CLI commands as you would do interactively.
  • TPNNS CLI can either be implemented in local or remote mode. It connects to IOS-XR Linux shell and requires helper programs, /pkg/bin/xr_cli or /pkg/sbin/config, to deliver CLI commands or configure IOS-XR, respectively. Currently, "commit replace" is not supported by /pkg/sbin/config.

Raw XML/NETCONF vs. YDK NETCONF

  • Raw NETCONF mode allows you to configure IOS-XR using NETCONF commands in RPC XML construct through standard SSH port 22 with termination sequence ]]>]]> and port 830 with ## termination sequence. The response is also in RPC XML construct.
  • Alternatively, you can use YDK python API to configure IOS-XR through SSH port 830. The API automatically generates the RPC XML construct based on the YANG model provided.

NOTE: IOS-XR NETCONF 1.1 XML construct is based on Cisco IOS-XR YANG model which is currently limited, e.g. it doesn’t support SMU package installation. Although limited, the Cisco IOS-XR YANG definitions will continue to grow as more definitions are added and would be a preferred method for accessing IOS-XR.

Dependencies

Directories structure

iosxr-ansible
├── config
├── local
│   ├── common
│   ├── library
│   └── samples
│       ├── cli
│       ├── tpnns
│       ├── xml
│       └── ydk
└── remote
    ├── library
    └── samples
        └── install

Directory               Description

config                  Contains sample IOS-XR configuration files
local/library           Contains Ansible modules for local mode
local/samples/cli       Contains sample playbooks using Console CLI
local/samples/tpnns     Contains sample playbooks using TPNNS access method
local/samples/xml       Contains sample RPC XML used with iosxr_netconf_send
local/samples/ydk       Contains sample playbooks using YDK API's
local/common            Contains IOS-XR common Python functions
remote/library          Contains Ansible modules for remote mode
remote/samples          Contains sample playbooks using Namespace Shell CLI
remote/samples/install  Contains additional playbooks showing direct access
                        to IOS-XR using shell

IOS-XR setup

NOTE: Some of these instruction may require root access for setting IOS-XR.

  • Create default crypto key on your XRV9K VMs (select default 2048 bits)
  RP/0/RP0/CPU0:ios# crypto key generate rsa 
  RP/0/RP0/CPU0:ios# show crypto key mypubkey rsa
  • Configure IOS-XR as shown in ss1.cfg and ss2.cfg for both XRV9K VMs. Make any necessary changes, such as, management IP address and hostname Here are required configuration
  RP/0/RP0/CPU0:ios# conf t
  RP/0/RP0/CPU0:ios(config)# ssh server v2
  RP/0/RP0/CPU0:ios(config)# ssh server netconf vrf default
  RP/0/RP0/CPU0:ios(config)# ssh server logging
  RP/0/RP0/CPU0:ios(config)# xml agent ssl
  RP/0/RP0/CPU0:ios(config)# xml agent tty
  RP/0/RP0/CPU0:ios(config)# netconf agent tty
  RP/0/RP0/CPU0:ios(config)# netconf-yang agent ssh
  RP/0/RP0/CPU0:ios(config)# commit
  • Optional SSH key setup allows user to connect to IOS-XR without password. First, generate base64 SSH key file on Ansible Server and copy it to your tftpboot directory.
  cut -d" " -f2 ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub | base64 -d > ~/.ssh/id_rsa_pub.b64
  cp ~/.ssh/id_rsa_pub.b64 /tftpboot
  • After IOS-XR is ready, at IOS-XR console prompt, import SSH key as followed
  RP/0/RP0/CPU0:ios# crypto key import authentication rsa tftp://192.168.1.1/id_rsa_pub.b64
  RP/0/RP0/CPU0:ios# show crypto key authentication rsa
  • Now make sure you can connect to both XRV9K VMs management port from Linux host
  ssh [email protected]
  ssh [email protected] "show run"

  ssh-copy-id -i ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub -p 57722 [email protected]
  • If your Linux server support HTTPS and you want a secure communication during SMU package installation, you can import your certificate from Linux to IOS-XR. The IOS-XR certificate store is in /etc/ssl/certs/ca-certificates.crt. Basically, you just need to cut and paste your certificate text to this file.

Local mode setup and test

  • Edit and source Ansible, YDK, and Python environment to point to your installed applications
  cd iosxr-ansible/local
  vi ansible_env
  source ansible_env
  • Edit "ansible_hosts" file to change "ss-xr" host IP to your 2 XRV9K VMs
  [ss-xr]
  192.168.1.120 ansible_ssh_user=cisco
  192.168.1.121 ansible_ssh_user=cisco
  • Run sample playbooks
    • Some of sample playbooks will require changes to fit your need e.g. edit iosxr_install_package.yml to change location of your package.
  cd samples
  ansible-playbook iosxr_get_config.yml
  ansible-playbook iosxr_clear_log.yml
  ansible-playbook iosxr_cli.yml -e 'cmd="show interface brief"'
  ansible-playbook iosxr_netconf_send.yml -e "xml_file=xml/nc11_show_install_active.xml"

Remote mode setup and test

  • Configure Ansible configuration to use port 57722 by editing your ansible config file (default is /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg) with following values
    [defaults]
    remote_port = 57722
  • Edit Ansible and Python environment as needed in ansible_env and source it
  cd iosxr-ansible/remote
  vi ansible_env
  source ansible_env
  • Edit "ansible_hosts" file to change "ss-xr" host IP to your 2 XRV9K VMs
  [ss-xr]
  192.168.1.120 ansible_ssh_user=cisco
  192.168.1.121 ansible_ssh_user=cisco
  • Run sample playbooks
    • Some of sample playbooks will require changes to fit your need e.g. edit iosxr_install_package.yml to change location of your package.
  cd samples
  ansible-playbook iosxr_get_config.yml
  ansible-playbook iosxr_cli.yml -e 'cmd="show interface brief"'

Local Mode Modules Description

  • iosxr_clear_config - Clear all configurations on IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_clear_log - Clear system log
  • iosxr_cli - Run a command on IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_diff_config - Compare a given configuration file with the running configuration
  • iosxr_get_config - Show running configuration on IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_get_facts - Get status and information from IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_install_config - Commit a configuration file on IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_install_key - Install BASE64 crypto key on IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_install_package - Install SMU package on IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_nc10_send - Send NETCONF 1.0 XML file to IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_nc11_send - Send NETCONF-YANG 1.1 XML file to IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_reload - Reload IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_rollback - Rollback configuration on IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_upgrade_package - Upgrade packages on IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_xml_send - Performs Cisco XML request to IOS-XR device
  • xr32_install_package - Run install commands on IOS-XR device

Sample Modules using Cisco YDK services

  • iosxr_show_install_active - show active package
  • iosxr_show_install_committed - show committed package
  • iosxr_show_install_inactive - show inactive package in the repository
  • iosxr_show_install_last_log - show installation log
  • iosxr_show_install_log - show installation log
  • iosxr_show_install_request - show current install request
  • iosxr_show_install_version - show current software install version

Remote Mode Modules Description

  • iosxr_clear_log - Clear system log
  • iosxr_cli - Run a command on IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_get_config - Show running configuration on IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_get_facts - Get status and information from IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_install_config - Commit configuration file on IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_install_package - Install SMU package on IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_reload - Reload IOS-XR device
  • iosxr_rollback - Rollback configuration on IOS-XR device

IOS-XR platforms tested

  • XRv9K (sunstone)
  • ASR9K (classic 32-bit QNX IOS-XR)
  • NCS1K (rosco)
  • NCS5500 (fretta)

Ansible Test Setup

  • 1 or more IOS-XR device(s)
  • 1 Linux server (ubuntu 15.10)
  • Create network connection between IOS-XR device and Linux server