This blog post was written by Michael Earls
While working in IT, I came across a program called Expect, Expect is a tool for automating interactive applications such as telnet, ftp, password, fsck, login, tip, etc. Expect is also useful for testing out theses same applications, I'm not a professional programer or ever played one on TV. At the time, I was looking for a way to automate route and switch backups, push out small configuration templates for SNMP and modify the backdoor passwords once a month for security. This simple program introduced me to the world of programing and how to automate boring or mundane tasks. The world of programming has changed with different languages with similar format but the tasks are still the same. In the next few sections, I will show the associated Cisco ACI (Application-Centric Infrastructure) device command line and the API with the given output.
If your new to Python or new to setting up your own environment with the ACI Toolkit associated functions, please reference this link (ACI-Toolkit).
In this Part 1 series we will cover a few basic commands to show the power of the API and associated device command line.
Accessing the CLI:
Access the secure shell (SSH) client, open an SSH connection to the out-of-band management IP address that was configured durning the initial setup.
$ ssh apic-admin@10.10.10.10Application Policy Infrastructure Controller
apic-admin@10.10.10.10's password:
In the example below we are pulling the local physical interface stats on Leaf-101 Ethernet Slot 1 Port 18.
~> show interface brief leaf-101 physical eth1:18
# layer-1-physical-interface-configuration
interface : eth1/18
admin-state : up
usage : epg,infra
bandwidth : 0
delay : 1
mdix : auto
medium : broadcast
mtu : 9000
router-mac : n/a
speed : 10-gbps
auto-negotiation : on
dot1q-ether-type : 0x8100
layer : switched
mode : trunk
description :
ethpmcfgfailedbmp :
ethpmcfgfailedts : 00:00:00:00.000
ethpmcfgstate : 0
name :
switchingstate : enabled
cfg-access-vlan : vlan-13
cfg-native-vlan : unknown
bundle-index : po3
oper-duplex : full
oper-state : up
oper-state-reason : connected
backplane-mac : 50:87:89:A2:56:04
last-link-st-change : 2015-11-30T17:47:40.311-06:00
oper-router-mac : 00:00:00:00:00:00
oper-mdix : auto
oper-mode : trunk
oper-speed : 10-gbps
reset-counter : 8
load-interval-1 : 30
load-interval-2 : 300
load-interval-3 : 0
eee-lat : variable
eee-lpi : aggressive
eee-state : not-applicable
portcap-speed : 1000,10000,auto
channeling-state : channeling ~>
Here is the same command using the REST API
url: 10.10.10.10/api/node/mo/topology/pod-1/node-101/sys/phys-[eth1/18]/HDeqptEgrTotal5min-0.json
{
"bytesAvg": "244",
"bytesCum": "38591693",
"bytesMax": "3232",
"bytesMin": "0",
"bytesPer": "7321",
"bytesRate": "24.373760",
"bytesRateAvg": "26.076521",
"bytesRateMax": "355.008787",
"bytesRateMin": "0.000000",
"bytesRateSpct": "0",
"bytesRateThr": "",
"bytesRateTr": "15.957305",
"bytesSpct": "0",
"bytesThr": "",
"bytesTr": "4128",
"childAction": "",
"cnt": "30",
"dn": "topology/pod-1/node-101/sys/phys-[eth1/18]/HDeqptEgrTotal5min-0",
"index": "0",
"lastCollOffset": "300",
"modTs": "never",
"pktsAvg": "1",
"pktsCum": "316068",
"pktsMax": "35",
"pktsMin": "0",
"pktsPer": "59",
"pktsRate": "0.196428",
"pktsRateAvg": "0.212366",
"pktsRateMax": "3.844464",
"pktsRateMin": "0.000000",
"pktsRateSpct": "0",
"pktsRateThr": "",
"pktsRateTr": "0.151017",
"pktsSpct": "0",
"pktsThr": "",
"pktsTr": "40",
"repIntvEnd": "2015-12-02T09:19:45.187-06:00",
"repIntvStart": "2015-12-02T09:14:44.823-06:00",
"status": "",
"utilAvg": "0",
"utilMax": "0",
"utilMin": "0",
"utilSpct": "0",
"utilThr": "",
"utilTr": "0"
}
In this example we are issuing a show version command to find out software version, node names, node type, etc.
~> node type node id node name version
---------- ------- ---------- --------------
controller 1 apic-m1-07 1.1(2h)
controller 2 apic-m1-08 1.1(2h)
controller 3 apic-m1-09 1.1(2h)
leaf 101 leaf-101 n9000-11.1(2h)
leaf 102 leaf-102 n9000-11.1(2h)
spine 111 spine-111 n9000-11.1(2h)
spine 112 spine-112 n9000-11.1(2h)
~>
Here is the same command using the REST API expect it shows a ton more relevant data on the given Leafs and Spine nodes.
{
"response": {
"totalCount": "28",
"imdata": [{
"topSystem": {
"attributes": {
"address": "10.10.10.10",
"childAction": "",
"configIssues": "",
"currentTime": "2015-12-02T15:00:03.171-06:00",
"dn": "topology/pod-1/node-101/sys",
"fabricId": "1",
"fabricMAC": "00:22:BD:F8:19:FF",
"id": "101",
"inbMgmtAddr": "0.0.0.0",
"lcOwn": "local",
"modTs": "2015-09-21T16:32:12.669-06:00",
"mode": "unspecified",
"monPolDn": "uni/fabric/monfab-default",
"name": "leaf-101",
"oobMgmtAddr": "172.26.30.115",
"podId": "1",
"role": "leaf",
"serial": "8",
"state": "in-service",
"status": "",
"systemUpTime": "71:23:34:58.000"
}
}
}, {
"maintUpgJob": {
"attributes": {
"childAction": "",
"creationDate": "2015-09-21T15:26:12.188-06:00",
"desiredVersion": "",
"dn": "topology/pod-1/node-101/sys/fwstatuscont/upgjob",
"endDate": "2015-09-21T15:26:12.188-06:00",
"fwGrp": "",
"fwPolName": "",
"grpPriKey": "",
"iUrl": "",
"installId": "",
"installStage": "InstallNotStarted",
"instlProgPct": "0",
"internalLabel": "",
"lcOwn": "local",
"maintGrp": "",
"modTs": "2015-09-21T15:26:12.122-06:00",
"monPolDn": "uni/fabric/monfab-default",
"numAttempts": "0",
"polName": "",
"scheduler": "",
"startDate": "2015-09-21T15:26:12.188-06:00",
"status": "",
"upgradeStatus": "notscheduled",
"upgradeStatusStr": ""
}
}
}, {
"firmwareRunning": {
"attributes": {
"biosTs": "2014-09-09T18:00:00.000-06:00",
"biosVer": "07.17",
"childAction": "",
"descr": "version 11.1(2h) [build 11.1(2h)]",
"dn": "topology/pod-1/node-101/sys/fwstatuscont/running",
"internalLabel": "e52826b12f28a7f77010cca46e1cdc4edf7009c4",
"ksFile": "bootflash:aci-n9000-dk9.11.1.2h.bin",
"modTs": "never",
"mode": "normal",
"peVer": "1.1(2h)",
"status": "",
"sysFile": "bootflash:///auto-s",
"ts": "2015-08-16T20:21:00.000-06:00",
"type": "switch",
"version": "n9000-11.1(2h)"
}
}
}, {
"eqptCh": {
"attributes": {
"childAction": "",
"descr": "Nexus C9396PX Chassis",
"dn": "topology/pod-1/node-101/sys/ch",
"id": "1",
"mfgTm": "2014-05-18T18:00:00.000-06:00",
"modTs": "2015-09-21T15:26:13.734-06:00",
"model": "N9K-C9396PX",
"monPolDn": "uni/fabric/monfab-default",
"operSt": "online",
"operStQual": "Chassis came online",
"rev": "1",
"role": "leaf",
"ser": "",
"status": "",
"vendor": "Cisco Systems, Inc."
}
}
}]
}
}
For those interested in more command line options using the current device software, check out Cisco Techzone. https://techzone.cisco.com/t5/Application-Centric/Cisco-ACI-CLI-Commands-quot-Cheat-Sheet-quot/ta-p/638196