Cisco Tools

[Rno]

Hello,
I'm managing over 1500 Cisco devices, and I'm tired to do the upgrade manually.
So I'm looking to develop a news plugin to do it.

a few question to make usfuel for other:
1: the upgrade will be based on the sysSnmpObjId, so I will have to match in a table to define which version go for which objid.
2: the GUI to make that configuration, should it be under template, or Automation ? I think it's better on automation but don't wan't to
3: the tools will have the following option (this option will be answered on the 'config' ->'misc' or a new section call Cisco Tools (that will leave me some space for other option):
reboot after upgrade
do the upgrade in a sequential order or in parallel (how many at time)
remove old version from the flash
4: the upgrade is either started based on a console access or snmp config, in case of console access the device need to have 3 more fields: login password and console type (ssh/telnet), and a default need to be on the plugin config page


Other idea / advise ?

[TheWitness]

You mean like the MikroTik plugin that tells you when your software and firmware are out of date, and then allows you to upgrade the Switch/Router automatically?

[TheWitness]

I left the network world over a decade ago. Would have written something by now if I had not left it.

[Howie]

If you have 1500 devices on support, I would hope you get a decent discount on Cisco's tools for this kind of thing!

But it looks like Ansible might also be able to help https://cs7networks.co.uk/2019/09/23/an ... -upgrades/

(you didn't mention if they were IOS, NXOS, XR or whatever - the newer ones already have agents to schedule updates though)

[Rno]

No deal from Cisco, and to often they provide you with the software for free, but then you have to pay for the maintenance, and after that you realize you have to upgrade all your equipment when you upgrade the management tools, because it doesn't support your old IOS anymore!! We already have that problem with The wifi part!

Thanks for the link, Ansible is one way, but I try to keep only one database with all my tools. And I try to avoid any export/import of DB to use an external tools

[TheWitness]

Boy, I remember the days when I used Cisco tools. I was not too happy with them at the time. So I wrote MacTrack. These days, I would expect their tools to be pretty good. I know that RonyTomen would basically say everything needs to use Telemetry and why are you using Cacti or snmp any more. Cacti still has a place, at least I hope so. Hey, being that I'm stuck in a cage right now, it at least allows me to stay focused. (Customer plugin and nothing about Networking I'm afraid). Stay well, both of you.

[Rno]

I did look to other software to manage my network, but so far I always come back to cacti.
It allow me to create my own plugin as I wish, and give me the possibility to do my metric on what I want.

So so far so good!!

[Pucho]

I guess what you're looking for is Ansible and/or some sort of napalm/nornir. Google for networktocode and you'll find lots of options. https://www.networktocode.com/

There are a few new options like eNMS, or netpalm, which is an abstraction of napalm. eNMS gives you workflows which is great or you could also do it with Airflow, the workflod/scheduling part of it.

Not sure what do you use as SoT but if you're happy moving away from PHP, netbox + enms or Ansible and others of the sort will give great improvement. All python, jinja2 templates, json, yaml.

I'd say, don't reinvent the wheel. There are GREAT options out there to do that and when I say GREAT I mean it, don't waste your time re inventing the wheel unless it's for the sake of learning, but up to you.

I'd only use Cacti for graphing.

[Howie]

^^ Agreed with Pucho. Netbox is an excellent choice for an inventory. Don't write what you can get pre-written. Ansible can use an external data source for its inventories.

Disclaimer: I don't deal with Networking, or actually any hardware, these days. But learning the real cost of writing your own software, especially if you leave/change job, or the organisation grows, is a worthwhile lesson!

[TheWitness]

Here here Howie, I've been monkeying around with Cacti for nearly 20 years now (and some things are still broken). When we are young and ambitious, we have the 'take the hill' approach to life, and as a result do lots of open source. Sometimes we are just trapped by "no budget" as I was when I started on Cacti back in 2002. But as we get more seasoned (read old), it sure would have something that just works, and where you don't have to dust off your php, or python skills to make work. That's just life.

I do love Python though, with the exception of the crazy Fortran like indentation and lack of bracketing. It does force you to write cleaner code though, which I appreciate, and drives you to break things into functions or classes. But, I stick with PHP as much as I can, well, just because. I'm going to keep doing this as long as I can, and hope not to get bitten by Covid.

[MrRat]

Cisco Prime Infrastructure is the tools for this.

[ARC1450]

Boy, I remember the days when I used Cisco tools. I was not too happy with them at the time. So I wrote MacTrack. These days, I would expect their tools to be pretty good. I know that RonyTomen would basically say everything needs to use Telemetry and why are you using Cacti or snmp any more. Cacti still has a place, at least I hope so. Hey, being that I'm stuck in a cage right now, it at least allows me to stay focused. (Customer plugin and nothing about Networking I'm afraid). Stay well, both of you.

I'm still in the field. Cisco's tools really haven't changed; they just look glossier now with MOAR JAVA that requires arcane Java versions and/or old browser versions.

Most of what needs done on Cisco gear can be done better, faster, and cleaner with tools written by other people. It's a shame, really.