Democratize Network Automation

Overview

In this lab we will review how we can provide access to network automation capabilities to any user of our company, democratizing the access to network automation to anyone, not needing any scripting or automation skills.

Not everyone in the company has access to create their own monitors/objects in SevOne, normally only admins do. However, in other to increase efficiency in internal processes, it would be good to have some kind of portal that allows people to create their own monitors, without the need of giving full access to the SevOne platform.

In this lab we are allowing users to create TCP monitors (PortShaker) on demand using the Automation Center, therefore they don't need admin access to the SevOne portal, they can create the TCP monitors on their own in a very easy way, reducing the waste of time and hassle on the SevOne admins.

Monitor New Metrics in SevOne - Adding PortShaker Monitor

If SevOne authentication has already been created, please skip this block of actions and continue to step 4.

1. Log into SANO automation platform

2. Go to Authentications

3. Click Create Authentication

   a. Name: SevOne

   b. Service: SevOne

   c. Protocol: http:// (<-- important)

   d. Host: 10.0.0.10

   e. Username: admin

   f. Password: SevOne

4. Go to Workflows

5. Click Create Workflow

   a. Name: Your Name - Create PortShaker

   b. Layout type: Sequence

6. Add variables to Start

   a. NMSCredentials

   i. Name: NMSCredentials
   
   ii. Type: Authentication -> SevOne
   
   iii. Default Value: "admin/SevOne"

   a. Device_Name

   i. Name: Device_Name
   
   ii. Type: String
   
   iii. Default Value: "NMS"
   
   iv. In
   
   v. Required

   a. Port

   i. Name: Port
   
   ii. Type: Number
   
   iii. Default Value: 22
   
   iv. In
   
   v. Required

   a. Service_Name

   i. Name: Service_Name
   
   ii. Type: String
   
   iii. Default Value: "SSH"
   
   iv. In
   
   v. Required

   a. Action

   i. Name: Action
   
   ii. Type: String
   
   iii. Default Value: "add"
   
   iv. In
   
   v. Required

7. Change to Flow View

8. On the left hand side panel, search for SevOne, Click on SevOne -> REST v3 -> Metadata

9. Select Metadata Devices (POST) and drop it after the building block START

10. Change name of the building block to Find_Device

11. Click on the building block to open the right hand side panel and complete it with these options:

    a. authKey: $NMSCredentials

    b. body -> name -> value: $Device_Name

12. Add a new building block, SevOne -> REST v3 -> Metadata -> Metadata Plugins (POST)

13. Change name of the building block to Find_Plugin

14. Click on the building block to open the right hand side panel and complete it with these options:

    a. authKey: $NMSCredentials

    b. body -> names -> click on the pencil icon and paste the following text:

(without the quotes) " [{

"fuzzy": true,

"value": "PortShaker"

}] "

15. Add a new building block, SevOne -> REST v3 -> Metadata -> Metadata Object Types (POST)

16. Change name of the building block to Find_Object_Type

17. Click on the building block to open the right hand side panel and complete it with these options:

    a. authKey: $NMSCredentials

    b. body -> pluginId: $Find_Plugin.result.plugins[0].id

18. Add a new building block, Common -> If

    a. Change name of the building block to Add_or_Remove

    b. Click on the building block to open the right hand side panel:

    i. condition: $Action == "add"

19. On the TRUE branch of the if, add a new building block, SevOne -> REST v2 -> Objects -> Create Object

20. Change name of the building block to SevOne_Create_PortShaker

21. Click on the building block to open the right hand side panel and complete it with these options:

    a. authKey: $NMSCredentials

    b. deviceId: $Find_Device.result.devices[0].id

    c. object:

    i. name: $Service_Name
    
    ii. description: $Service_Name
    
    iii. pluginId: $Find_Plugin.result.plugins[0].id
    
    iv. pluginOjbectTypeId: $Find_Object_Type.result.objectTypes[0].id

22. Add a new building block, Common -> Assign

    a. Change the name to Result

    b. variable: $result

    c. value: $SevOne_Create_Portshaker.result

23. Add a new building block, SevOne -> REST v2 -> Discovery -> Run Discover Device

24. Change name of the building block to SevOne_Discover

25. Click on the building block to open the right hand side panel and complete it with these options:

    a. authKey: $NMSCredentials

    b. id: $Find_Device.result.devices[0].id

    c. localOnly: false

26. Now let's focus on the FALSE branch of the if

27. Add a new building block, SevOne -> REST v3 -> Metadata -> Metadata Object (POST)

28. Change name to Find_Object

29. Click on the building block to open the right hand side panel and complete it with these options:

    a. authKey: $NMSCredentials

    b. body: i. deviceIds: [ $Find_Device.result.devices[0].id ]

    ii. name -> value: $Service_Name
    
    iii. objectTypeIds: [ $Find_Object_Type.result.objectTypes[0].id ] 

30. Add a new building block, SevOne -> REST v2 -> Objects -> Delete Object by Id

31. Change name to SevOne_Delete_Object

32. Click on the building block to open the right hand side panel and complete it with these options:

    a. authKey: $NMSCredentials

    b. deviceId: $Find_Device.result.devices[0].id

    c. id: $Find_Object.result.objects[0].id

33. Add a new building block, Common -> Assign

    a. Change the name to Result2

    b. variable: $result

    c. value: $SevOne_Delete_object.result.body

34. If there is any other building block after these, please delete it

Automation Center

1. Go to Automation Center

2. Click on Create Panel

   a. Title: TCP Port Monitor

3. Click on Create tile

   a. Select workflow: Your Name - Create PortShaker

4. Click Next

5. Title: Add TCP Port

6. Click Next

7. Select override on:

   a. Device_Name

   b. Port

   c. Service_Name

   d. Action -> change value to "add"

8. Select Hide on

   a. Action

9. Click on Create tile

   a. Select workflow: Your Name - Create PortShaker

10. Click Next

11. Title: Delete TCP Port

12. Click Next

13. Select override on:

    a. Device_Name

    b. Service_Name

14. Select Hide on

    a. Port

    b. Action

Review

1. Go to Automation Center

2. Click on TCP Port Monitor

3. Click on Add TCP Port

   a. You may change the device name, port and service name if you want to, otherwise leave the default values

4. Click Execute