Netmiko output blank - paloalto_panos

[nathaniel-mills]

Hi,

I run Netmiko for bulk packet captures in AWS. It works well but there is never output when using the Palo Alto (paloalto_panos) device type. Output for Cisco works well. An example would be:

from netmiko import ConnectHandler

print("Connecting to Palo Alto to show clock")

virtual_palo = {
    'device_type': 'paloalto_panos',
    'host':   '192.168.1.100',
    'username': 'automationadmin',
    'password': 'ciscothenpalo123',
}
net_connect = ConnectHandler(**virtual_palo)

output = net_connect.send_command('show clock')
print(output)

print("Connecting to Cisco Switch to show clock")

cisco_switch = {
    'device_type': 'cisco_ios',
    'host':   '192.168.1.101',
    'username': 'automationadmin',
    'password': 'ciscothenpalo123',
}
net_connect = ConnectHandler(**cisco_switch)

output = net_connect.send_command('show clock')
print(output)

This is just an example by the way, I don't run the scripts to show the clock :-). The output would be:

python3 test_script.py
Connecting to Palo Alto to show clock

Connecting to Cisco Switch to show clock
10:18:46.830 BST Tue Jul 19 2022

You see the issue. By the way this is my Netmiko version:

pip show netmiko
Name: netmiko
Version: 4.1.1
Summary: Multi-vendor library to simplify legacy CLI connections to network devices
Home-page: https://github.com/ktbyers/netmiko
Author: Kirk Byers
Author-email: ktbyers@twb-tech.com
License: MIT
Location: /usr/local/lib/python3.9/site-packages
Requires: ntc-templates, paramiko, pyserial, pyyaml, scp, setuptools, tenacity, textfsm

PAN-OS:

vm-license: VM-100
vm-cap-tier: 6.5 GB
vm-cpu-count: 2
vm-memory: 7857036
vm-mode: Amazon AWS
cloud-mode: cloud
sw-version: 10.1.5-h1

Any help would be great thanks.

[ktbyers]

Can you capture the log output and post it here:

https://github.com/ktbyers/netmiko/blob/develop/COMMON_ISSUES.md#enable-netmiko-logging-of-all-reads-and-writes-of-the-communications-channel

You can obscure anything in the log that is confidential to your environment.

[nathaniel-mills]

Thanks,

Please see attached file: test.log

[ktbyers]

@nathaniel-mills Does it work if you do?

from netmiko import ConnectHandler

print("Connecting to Palo Alto to show clock")

virtual_palo = {
    'device_type': 'paloalto_panos',
    'host':   '192.168.1.100',
    'username': 'automationadmin',
    'password': 'ciscothenpalo123',
}
net_connect = ConnectHandler(**virtual_palo)

output = net_connect.send_command('show clock', expect_string=r"#")
print(output)

print("Connecting to Cisco Switch to show clock")

Note, I added the expect_string argument to the send_command() call.

[nathaniel-mills]

So 😄 ... It didn't work as per your tweak, however it does work with:

output = net_connect.send_command('show clock', expect_string=r">")
print(output)

Or:

output = net_connect.send_command_timing('show clock')
print(output)

My colleague just pointed out a gap of lines before and after the actual time when jumping in on the CLI:

automationadmin@ip-192-168-1-100> show clock

Thu Jul 21 00:57:10 PDT 2022

automationadmin@ip-192-168-1-100> exit

I think the expect string is a good "fix". I guess I just misunderstood the exact workings of the command. By the way last question if I may. What would be the ideal expect string to look out for in my case?

1. ">"
2. "PDT"

[ktbyers]

The expect_string should probably be the trailing character for the prompt:

So in the log file you posted earlier:

LON-CGH-SWA-041#

You would use a r"#".

In the device above, you would use a r">".

If you have a mix of devices that use either a # or > then probably a regex like: r"[>#]" would work.

This really shouldn't have been required i.e. it means there is something still going wrong in Netmiko, but the above will potentially work as a workaround.

[nathaniel-mills]

Thanks a bunch for this. The switch was Cisco which ends with the #, however above that in the logs the Palo Alto ends with the >. I'll definitely settle with the workaround and I suppose a future release may address this long term.

Thanks again!

[nathaniel-mills]

Current workarounds:

output = net_connect.send_command('show clock', expect_string=r">")
print(output)

Or:

output = net_connect.send_command_timing('show clock')
print(output)

[ktbyers]

I am going to re-open this issue (as it does indicate there is an underlying Netmiko bug which should be fixed).

[GayanDilanka]

Hi for me also below one worked

output = net_connect.send_command('show clock', expect_string=r">") print(output)

[sliddjur]

expect_string=r">" seem to solve everything in regards to palo alto issues and netmiko

[SecretSkills01]

Hello ! I've tried the workaround on our PaloAlto while in config mode, but it does not seem to work. current_peer_address = net_connect.send_command("show network ike gateway GW-Test peer-address", expect_string=r"#")

Any idea on it? In the Logs I see that the command has sucessfully run but my variable current_peer_address keeps being empty. The trailing character for the prompt while in config mode is "#".

[ktbyers]

@SecretSkills01 You probably need to post your Netmiko session_log and a broader section of your code.