Welcome to NITA, an open source platform for automating the building and testing of complex networks.
The major change in this version is that all components now run within pods under the control of Kubernetes, rather than as Docker containers. Consequently we have updated the way that Ansible runs because it is now controlled by Kubernetes instead of Docker.
Please refer to the README for more details.
The simplest way to install nita-ansible is by installing the nita repositories, which can be done by running the install.sh script located and in the parent nita repo as described here. You can also install nita-ansible as a standalone Docker container, which can run independently of the NITA containers that are running under Kubernetes.
Note that the nita-ansible container is ephemeral, i.e. it is started and stopped by Jenkins when it is needed for a job. However, you can start an instance of a new Ansible container and access it via the shell simply be running the following command:
user@host$ nita-cmd ansible cli
If you don't see a command prompt, try pressing enter.
nita-ansible:~# exit
exit
pod "nita-ansible" deleted
user@host$:warning: Unlike docker, many of the arguments needed by kubectl are defined in YAML files rather than being passed on the command line. For example, if you wish to mount a volume in a container from the host, you will need to define it in a YAML file. We use a python script create_ansible_job_k8s.py (see link) to create the required job_yaml, and you can use this as an example if you want to create your own ansible containers.
If you want to run a standalone Ansible container with your own playbooks and/or roles, we recommend doing so as a Docker container, described below.
We provide the ability for you to run Ansible as a standalone Docker container, without having to use the other parts of NITA that are controlled by Kubernetes, such as Jenkins, Robot Framework or the Webapp. This is very handy if you want to be able to quickly just run an instance of Ansible with your own playbooks or roles, as is explained below.
Starting with Ansible 2.10, juniper.device and junipernetworks.junos ansible collections are available. This collection has been included in the requirements.yml file and will be built into the NITA container automatically. The existing juniper.junos role is still supported and works with Ansible 2.10. For more information on this transition see https://www.juniper.net/documentation/us/en/software/junos-ansible/ansible/topics/concept/junos-ansible-modules-overview.html and https://galaxy.ansible.com/juniper/device. Juniper.junos roles has been removed and are superceded by the newer collections. If the old roles are still required, simply uncomment the line from the standalone Dockerfile:
RUN ansible-galaxy install Juniper.junos -p /etc/ansible/roles/The network-roles that the Docker container copies over have been updated to remove the dependencies on the old roles and will use the collections.
This Docker container holds Ansible executables, related libraries, and files for managing Juniper devices using Ansible. The NITA framework uses the nita-ansible container to run ansible playbooks included with the framework. Nita-ansible can also be used as a standalone container for executing your own playbooks. Simply put your inventory file and playbooks into a new project folder on the system hosting the Docker container. You will also want to put a bash script to execute the ansible-playbook command.
A simple project folder with a single playbook may look like this:
-rw-rw-r-- 1 auser auser 972 Jun 4 16:21 playbook.yml
-rw-rw-r-- 1 auser auser 148 Jun 4 10:42 hosts
-rwxrwxr-x 1 auser auser 136 Jun 4 16:22 runme.shThe runme.sh should execute the playbook pointing to the hosts file as follows:
#!/bin/bash
ansible-playbook -i hosts playbook.ymlTo use the standalone nita-ansible Docker container with your project folder, simply use the docker run command, mounting your project folder onto the Docker container and passing the command to run your script like the example below:
docker run -u root -v /project_folder:/container_folder:rw --rm -it --name ansible juniper/nita-ansible:<version> /bin/bash -c "cd /container_folder; ./runme.sh"You can execute the playbook into a bash shell and troubleshoot from the project folder mounted inside the Docker container if your playbooks are not operating correctly by issuing the docker run command above with just the bash shell (remove everything after /bin/bash).
Standalone nita-ansible contains many built-in roles for building Juniper configuration files related to an EVPN VXLAN IP fabric. An example of a project using these roles can be found at https://github.com/Juniper/nita-webapp/tree/main/examples/evpn_vxlan_erb_dc. When invoking the Docker container to use these roles an additional output directory needs to be mounted for the configuration files to be built and stored in the /container_build_folder (the example uses /var/tmp/build) folder as follows:
docker run -u root -v /project_folder:/container_folder:rw -v /local_output_folder:/container_build_folder --rm -it --name ansible juniper/nita-ansible:<version> /bin/bash -c "cd /container_folder; ./runme.sh"When invoking these built-in roles the build-folder needs to be passed to the ansible as a variable in the runme.sh file like this:
ansible-playbook -i hosts playbook.yaml --extra-vars "build_dir=container_build_folder"Builds the configuration stanzas that make up a Junos eBGP IP fabric underlay. It includes configurations for forwarding, routing, and policy options as well as interfaces participating in the fabric and BGP protocol configuration. In the sample Excel file included with the NITA package for EVPN data center, the tabs that hold the variable information include "underlay_ebgp+", "core_interfaces+", "underlay_ebgp+"
Invoking this role from ansible playbook can be accomplished as follows:
- hosts: switches
connection: local
roles:
- { role: junos_qfx_common }
- { role: ebgp_ip_fabric }Builds the configuration stanzas that make up a Junos policy and routing options for leaf nodes. It also checks the leaf_type variable and if it is type "border" will create the policy to export default routes via both EVPN and OSPF. Invoking this role from an ansible playbook can be accomplished as follows:
- hosts: leaves
connection: local
roles:
- { role: evpn_vxlan_common }Included in the evpn_vxlan_common role is junos_commit_config role which includes examples for using juniper.junos roles (commented out) and juniper.device collection (see ansible 2.10 and greater above)
Builds the configuration stanzas that make up a eBGP routing for DCI connectivity. In the sample Excel file included with the NITA package for EVPN data center, the tab that holds the variable is "dci_ebgp+". Invoking this role from an ansible playbook can be accomplished as follows:
- hosts: leaves
connection: local
roles:
- { role: evpn_vxlan_dci }Builds the configuration stanzas that make up iBGP EVPN overlay configuration for leafs in spine/leaf IP fabric. Also includes configuration for related switch-options stanza in Junos (vtep source interface, route-distinguisher, vrf-target). In the sample Excel file included with the NITA package for EVPN data center, the tabs that hold the variable information include "evpn_ibgp+" and "base". Invoking this role from an ansible playbook can be accomplished as follows:
- hosts: leaves
connection: local
roles:
- { role: evpn_vxlan_erb_leaf }Builds the configuration stanzas that make up iBGP EVPN overlay "lean" spines as iBGP route-reflectors for family evpn signaling. Of particular interest the configuration implicitly allows all neighbors from the defined loopback_subnet. This means all the leafs will initiate the BGP connection. In the sample Excel file included with the NITA package for EVPN data center, the tabs that hold the variable information include "evpn_ibgp+" and "base". Invoking this role from an ansible playbook can be accomplished as follows:
- hosts: spines
connection: local
roles:
- { role: evpn_vxlan_erb_spine }Builds the configuration stanzas that make up L2 port information for devices connected to leafs in an EVPN VXLAN IP Fabric. Configures ports, ESIs, VLANs, LAGs, and IP addresses. In the sample Excel file included with the NITA package for EVPN data center, the tabs that hold the variable information include "evpn_port+" and "base". Invoking this role from an ansible playbook can be accomplished as follows:
- hosts: leaves
connection: local
roles:
- { role: evpn_vxlan_port }Builds the configuration stanzas that make up VNI information for EVPN VXLAN configuration. In the sample Excel file included with the NITA package for EVPN data center, the tabs that hold the variable information include "vnis+". Invoking this role from an ansible playbook can be accomplished as follows:
- hosts: leaves
connection: local
roles:
- { role: evpn_vxlan_vni }Builds the configuration stanzas that make up VRF for EVPN VXLAN configuration. In the sample Excel file included with the NITA package for EVPN data center, the tabs that hold the variable information include "vrfs+" (and indirectly "vnis+". The example datacenter uses route-targets and does not create unique policies for each VRF. Invoking this role from an ansible playbook can be accomplished as follows:
- hosts: leaves
connection: local
roles:
- { role: evpn_vxlan_vrf }Builds the configuration stanzas that make that includes configuration stanzas common to all junos devices. Configures ethernet device aggregation in chassis, grpc under system services, management interface (will configure DHCP if no IP address is assigned), static routes under routing-options, and snmp. It is invoked:
- hosts: switches
pre_tasks:
connection: local
roles:
- { role: junos_common }This includes the configuration templates for the base Junos config portion of a QFX switch. In the sample Excel file included with the NITA package for EVPN data center, the tabs that hold the variable information related to this role include "base" and "password_hashes".
Invoking this role from ansible playbook can be accomplished as follows:
- hosts: switches
connection: local
roles:
- { role: junos_qfx_common }This includes the configuration templates for the base Junos config portion of an switch. In the sample Excel file included with the NITA package for EVPN data center, the tabs that hold the variable information related to this role include "base", "password_hashes", "vrfs+", and "firewall_port+".
Invoking this role from ansible playbook can be accomplished as follows:
- hosts: firewalls
pre_tasks:
connection: local
roles:
- { role: junos_common }
- { role: srx_common }
- { role: srx_firewall }Once the device configuration files have been built and stored in the build folder, this role will manually commit the configuration files to their respective Junos device. Invokes as follows:
- hosts: all
connection: local
gather_facts: no
roles:
- { role: junos_commit_config }If you need additional roles for your playbooks, create a folder in project directory called roles and copy the appropriate files from your local ansible installation's role folder. Ansible will look in /container_folder/roles for any roles that are not already installed in the Docker container itself.
This role is not actually included in the default container build but is an example of a role that can be added via the project. This role is located at https://github.com/Juniper/nita-webapp/tree/main/examples/ebgp_wan and NITA loads it under the roles folder in the project folder.
This role contains junos configuration statements for the MX router in the WAN role in the NITA example project.
More complex examples of project folders can be found in the larger NITA project itself, particularly at https://github.com/Juniper/nita/tree/main/examples.
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