Automating Cisco Router/Switches Configuration with Ansible: Simplified Networking for Beginners

Introduction: Are you tired of manually configuring your network devices, spending hours grappling with command-line interfaces, and risking errors with every keystroke? Say hello to Ansible, your new best friend in network automation! In this post, we’ll explore how Ansible can revolutionize your network management, making tasks like configuring Cisco routers a breeze even for beginners.

Understanding YAML and the Hosts File: Before we dive into Ansible, let’s understand two key components: YAML and the hosts file.

YAML (YAML Ain’t Markup Language): YAML is a human-readable data serialization language commonly used for configuration files. In the context of Ansible, YAML files define the tasks you want Ansible to perform. YAML’s simple syntax makes it easy to understand and write, even for those unfamiliar with programming languages. Each task is defined using key-value pairs, making it intuitive and straightforward.

Example YAML Configuration:

- name: Configure Cisco router
  hosts: cisco_routers
  connection: network_cli
  tasks:
    - name: Configure OSPF
      ios_config:
        lines:
          - router ospf 1
          - network 192.168.1.0 0.0.0.255 area 0
          - network 10.0.0.0 0.255.255.255 area 0

The Hosts File: The hosts file is where you define the devices you want Ansible to manage and their corresponding connection details. Each device entry includes information such as the hostname, IP address, authentication credentials, and network operating system. This file acts as Ansible’s inventory, allowing it to target specific devices for configuration tasks.

Example Hosts File:

[cisco_routers]
router1 ansible_host=172.16.0.200 ansible_user=cisco ansible_password=cisco ansible_become=yes ansible_become_method=enable ansible_become_password=cisco
router2 ansible_host=172.16.0.201 ansible_user=cisco ansible_password=cisco ansible_become=yes ansible_become_method=enable ansible_become_password=cisco@123

Conclusion: With Ansible, network automation becomes accessible to everyone, regardless of their programming skills or technical background. By leveraging YAML files to define tasks and the hosts file to specify target devices, you can streamline network management tasks and ensure consistency across your infrastructure. Say goodbye to manual configurations and hello to a more efficient and reliable network management experience with Ansible!

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Avinash Karnani

I am working in an IT company and having 10+ years of experience into Cisco IP Telephony and Contact Center. I have worked on products like CUCM, CUC, UCCX, CME/CUE, IM&P, Voice Gateways, VG224, Gatekeepers, Attendant Console, Expressway, Mediasense, Asterisk, Microsoft Teams, Zoom etc. I am not an expert but i keep exploring whenever and wherever i can and share whatever i know. You can visit my LinkedIn profile by clicking on the icon below.

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