get started with Ansible Network Automation (FREE cisco router lab)
About this video
A hands-on introduction to using Ansible for network automation on Cisco routers and switches, pitched at people with no programming background. Chuck installs Ansible on a CentOS box, disables host key checking for the lab, and then builds an inventory file using two free, always-on Cisco DevNet sandbox routers running IOS XE. He explains the group variables that differ from managing Linux servers: the login credentials, a network_cli connection type, the network OS set to ios, and a non-default SSH port of 8181 given in the sandbox details. After a ping-module check, he runs an ad hoc ios_command to pull ‘show ip interface brief’ from both routers at once, illustrating the leverage of one command across many devices. He then runs a YAML playbook with two tasks — setting a login banner via the ios_banner module and adding loopback 21 via the ios_interface module — verifies the changes by logging into a router, and shows that re-running the playbook makes no further changes because Ansible checks for the desired state first. Finally he edits the playbook to change the state to absent, removes the lab configuration, and encourages viewers to practice in DevNet.
Key takeaways
- Ansible can manage Cisco routers and switches without requiring Python or programming knowledge
- Network devices need inventory variables Linux hosts do not: network_cli connection, the device OS, credentials, and any non-default SSH port such as 8181
- Cisco DevNet’s free always-on sandboxes provide real IOS XE routers to practice on without a home lab
- A single ad hoc command or playbook can apply the same task to a whole group of routers at once
- Playbooks are idempotent in effect: re-running one makes no changes once the desired state is already present, unlike pasting config repeatedly
Episode details: published May 9, 2020 · 15:02 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are NetworkChuck’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.
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