AAP 2.6 Network Automation: Cisco, Arista, Juniper, and Multi-Vendor Management

Network Automation with AAP 2.6

AAP 2.6 provides enterprise-grade network automation for multi-vendor environments. Unlike server automation (SSH-based), network automation uses specialized connection plugins and collections designed for network device APIs and CLIs.

See also: Ansible Network Automation: Configure Cisco, Arista, and Juniper at Scale

Connection Methods

| Connection | Protocol | Use Case | |-----------|----------|----------| | ansible.netcommon.network_cli | SSH CLI | Traditional CLI-based devices | | ansible.netcommon.netconf | NETCONF (SSH) | Juniper, Nokia, structured config | | ansible.netcommon.httpapi | REST API | Arista eAPI, Cisco NX-API | | ansible.netcommon.libssh | SSH (libssh) | High-performance SSH |

Execution Environment for Network

---
version: 3
images:
  base_image:
    name: registry.redhat.io/ansible-automation-platform-26/ee-minimal-rhel9:latest
dependencies:
  galaxy:
    collections:
      - name: ansible.netcommon
        version: ">=7.0.0"
      - name: ansible.utils
        version: ">=5.0.0"
      - name: cisco.ios
        version: ">=9.0.0"
      - name: cisco.nxos
        version: ">=9.0.0"
      - name: cisco.asa
      - name: arista.eos
        version: ">=10.0.0"
      - name: junipernetworks.junos
        version: ">=9.0.0"
      - name: vyos.vyos
      - name: community.network
  python:
    - paramiko>=3.0
    - netmiko>=4.0
    - ncclient>=0.6
    - jmespath>=1.0
    - netaddr>=1.0
    - textfsm>=1.1
    - ntc-templates>=6.0
    - xmltodict>=0.13
  system:
    - openssh-clients [platform:rpm]
    - libxml2 [platform:rpm]
    - libxslt [platform:rpm]

See also: Using the AAP 2.6 Self-Service Portal for Network Automation

Inventory for Network Devices

Static Network Inventory

- name: Create network inventory
  ansible.platform.inventory:
    controller_host: "{{ gateway_url }}"
    controller_username: "{{ controller_user }}"
    controller_password: "{{ controller_pass }}"
    name: "Network Infrastructure"
    organization: "Network Operations"
    state: present
# Cisco IOS group
- name: Create Cisco IOS group
  ansible.platform.group:
    name: "cisco_ios"
    inventory: "Network Infrastructure"
    variables:
      ansible_network_os: cisco.ios.ios
      ansible_connection: ansible.netcommon.network_cli
      ansible_become: true
      ansible_become_method: enable
    state: present
# Arista EOS group
- name: Create Arista EOS group
  ansible.platform.group:
    name: "arista_eos"
    inventory: "Network Infrastructure"
    variables:
      ansible_network_os: arista.eos.eos
      ansible_connection: ansible.netcommon.httpapi
      ansible_httpapi_use_ssl: true
      ansible_httpapi_validate_certs: false
      ansible_become: true
      ansible_become_method: enable
    state: present
# Juniper Junos group
- name: Create Juniper Junos group
  ansible.platform.group:
    name: "juniper_junos"
    inventory: "Network Infrastructure"
    variables:
      ansible_network_os: junipernetworks.junos.junos
      ansible_connection: ansible.netcommon.netconf
    state: present

Network Credential

- name: Create network credential
  ansible.platform.credential:
    controller_host: "{{ gateway_url }}"
    controller_username: "{{ controller_user }}"
    controller_password: "{{ controller_pass }}"
    name: "Network SSH"
    organization: "Network Operations"
    credential_type: "Machine"
    inputs:
      username: "ansible"
      password: "{{ vault_network_password }}"
      become_password: "{{ vault_enable_password }}"
    state: present

Configuration Backup

Multi-Vendor Backup Playbook

---
- name: Backup network device configurations
  hosts: all
  gather_facts: false
tasks:
    - name: Backup Cisco IOS
      cisco.ios.ios_config:
        backup: true
        backup_options:
          filename: "{{ inventory_hostname }}_{{ ansible_date_time.date }}.cfg"
          dir_path: /var/backups/network/
      when: ansible_network_os == 'cisco.ios.ios'
- name: Backup Arista EOS
      arista.eos.eos_config:
        backup: true
        backup_options:
          filename: "{{ inventory_hostname }}_{{ ansible_date_time.date }}.cfg"
          dir_path: /var/backups/network/
      when: ansible_network_os == 'arista.eos.eos'
- name: Backup Juniper Junos
      junipernetworks.junos.junos_config:
        backup: true
        backup_options:
          filename: "{{ inventory_hostname }}_{{ ansible_date_time.date }}.cfg"
          dir_path: /var/backups/network/
      when: ansible_network_os == 'junipernetworks.junos.junos'
- name: Push backups to Git
      ansible.builtin.shell: |
        cd /var/backups/network/
        git add -A
        git commit -m "Network backup {{ ansible_date_time.iso8601 }}" || true
        git push
      delegate_to: localhost
      run_once: true

See also: Ansible NETCONF Connection Plugin: Network Configuration Protocol Complete Guide

Configuration Management

Cisco IOS Configuration

- name: Configure Cisco IOS switches
  hosts: cisco_ios
  gather_facts: false
tasks:
    - name: Configure hostname and domain
      cisco.ios.ios_hostname:
        config:
          hostname: "{{ inventory_hostname }}"
          domain_name: example.com
- name: Configure NTP
      cisco.ios.ios_ntp_global:
        config:
          servers:
            - server: 10.1.1.1
              prefer: true
            - server: 10.1.1.2
- name: Configure SNMP
      cisco.ios.ios_snmp_server:
        config:
          communities:
            - name: "{{ vault_snmp_community }}"
              ro: true
              acl_v4: SNMP_ACL
          hosts:
            - host: 10.1.1.100
              version: "2c"
              community_string: "{{ vault_snmp_community }}"
- name: Configure interfaces
      cisco.ios.ios_l3_interfaces:
        config:
          - name: Loopback0
            ipv4:
              - address: "{{ loopback_ip }}/32"
          - name: GigabitEthernet0/1
            ipv4:
              - address: "{{ mgmt_ip }}/24"
- name: Configure ACLs
      cisco.ios.ios_acls:
        config:
          - afi: ipv4
            acls:
              - name: MGMT_ACCESS
                aces:
                  - grant: permit
                    protocol_options:
                      tcp:
                        ssh: true
                    source:
                      address: 10.0.0.0
                      wildcard_bits: 0.0.0.255
                    destination:
                      any: true
                    sequence: 10
                  - grant: deny
                    source:
                      any: true
                    destination:
                      any: true
                    sequence: 999

Arista EOS Configuration

- name: Configure Arista EOS switches
  hosts: arista_eos
  gather_facts: false
tasks:
    - name: Configure BGP
      arista.eos.eos_bgp_global:
        config:
          as_number: "{{ bgp_asn }}"
          router_id: "{{ loopback_ip }}"
          neighbors:
            - neighbor_address: "{{ bgp_peer_ip }}"
              remote_as: "{{ bgp_peer_asn }}"
              description: "Uplink to Core"
              send_community:
                standard: true
                extended: true
- name: Configure VLANs
      arista.eos.eos_vlans:
        config:
          - vlan_id: 100
            name: Management
            state: active
          - vlan_id: 200
            name: Production
            state: active
          - vlan_id: 300
            name: DMZ
            state: active

Juniper Junos Configuration

- name: Configure Juniper Junos
  hosts: juniper_junos
  gather_facts: false
tasks:
    - name: Configure system settings
      junipernetworks.junos.junos_config:
        lines:
          - set system host-name {{ inventory_hostname }}
          - set system domain-name example.com
          - set system name-server 10.1.1.1
          - set system name-server 10.1.1.2
          - set system ntp server 10.1.1.1 prefer
          - set system syslog host 10.1.1.100 any warning
- name: Configure firewall filter
      junipernetworks.junos.junos_config:
        src: templates/junos-firewall.j2
        comment: "Ansible managed - {{ ansible_date_time.iso8601 }}"
        confirm: 2  # Auto-rollback after 2 minutes if not confirmed

Network Compliance Auditing

Compliance Check Playbook

---
- name: Network compliance audit
  hosts: all
  gather_facts: false
vars:
    compliance_results: []
tasks:
    - name: Gather device facts
      ansible.netcommon.cli_command:
        command: "{{ show_version_cmd }}"
      register: version_output
      vars:
        show_version_cmd: "{{ 'show version' if ansible_network_os != 'junipernetworks.junos.junos' else 'show version brief' }}"
- name: Check NTP is configured
      ansible.netcommon.cli_command:
        command: "{{ ntp_cmd }}"
      register: ntp_config
      vars:
        ntp_cmd: "{{ 'show ntp associations' if ansible_network_os == 'cisco.ios.ios' else 'show ntp status' }}"
- name: Verify SSH is enabled
      ansible.netcommon.cli_command:
        command: "show ip ssh"
      register: ssh_config
      when: ansible_network_os == 'cisco.ios.ios'
- name: Check running vs startup config
      cisco.ios.ios_command:
        commands:
          - show archive config differences system:running-config nvram:startup-config
      register: config_diff
      when: ansible_network_os == 'cisco.ios.ios'
- name: Flag unsaved changes
      ansible.builtin.debug:
        msg: "WARNING: {{ inventory_hostname }} has unsaved configuration changes!"
      when:
        - ansible_network_os == 'cisco.ios.ios'
        - config_diff.stdout[0] | length > 0
- name: Generate compliance report
      ansible.builtin.template:
        src: templates/compliance-report.j2
        dest: "/var/reports/network/{{ inventory_hostname }}_compliance.html"
      delegate_to: localhost

Change Management Workflow

Use AAP workflow templates for network change management:

[Pre-Change Backup] → [Validate Change Request]
                            ↓ success
                    [Approval: Network Lead]
                            ↓ success
                    [Deploy to Lab]
                            ↓ success
                    [Verify Lab]
                         ↓ success      ↓ failure
                [Deploy to Production]  [Rollback Lab]
                     ↓ success   ↓ failure
                [Post-Change Verify] [Rollback Production]
                     ↓ success       ↓ always
                [Close Change Ticket] [Alert Network Team]

Rollback Playbook

- name: Rollback network configuration
  hosts: "{{ target_devices }}"
  gather_facts: false
tasks:
    - name: Rollback Cisco IOS
      cisco.ios.ios_config:
        replace: config
        src: "/var/backups/network/{{ inventory_hostname }}_{{ rollback_date }}.cfg"
      when: ansible_network_os == 'cisco.ios.ios'
- name: Rollback Juniper (automatic with commit confirmed)
      junipernetworks.junos.junos_config:
        rollback: 1
        comment: "Rollback initiated by AAP - {{ ansible_date_time.iso8601 }}"
      when: ansible_network_os == 'junipernetworks.junos.junos'
- name: Verify connectivity after rollback
      ansible.netcommon.cli_command:
        command: "ping {{ mgmt_gateway }} repeat 5"
      register: ping_result
      failed_when: "'!!!!!' not in ping_result.stdout"
      when: ansible_network_os == 'cisco.ios.ios'

Resource Modules (Declarative Approach)

Resource modules provide idempotent, declarative network configuration:

- name: Declarative interface configuration
  cisco.ios.ios_l2_interfaces:
    config:
      - name: GigabitEthernet0/1
        mode: access
        access:
          vlan: 100
      - name: GigabitEthernet0/2
        mode: trunk
        trunk:
          allowed_vlans: "100,200,300"
          native_vlan: 1
    state: replaced  # Ensure exact match

States available for resource modules:

| State | Behavior | |-------|----------| | merged | Add/update config (default) | | replaced | Replace specific resource config | | overridden | Replace all resources of this type | | deleted | Remove specific config | | gathered | Read current config (no changes) | | parsed | Parse offline config text | | rendered | Generate device commands without applying |

FAQ

How do I handle devices that don't support collections?

Use ansible.netcommon.cli_command and ansible.netcommon.cli_config for generic CLI-based management. These work with any device that has SSH CLI access.

Can AAP manage network devices through a jump host?

Yes. Use ansible_ssh_common_args: '-o ProxyJump=jumphost.example.com' or configure hop nodes in Automation Mesh to place execution nodes in the same network as the devices.

How do I test network changes safely?

Use Juniper's commit confirmed (auto-rollback timer), Cisco's configure replace with archive, or AAP workflow templates with lab verification before production. Resource modules with state: rendered let you preview commands without applying.

Should I use CLI or API connections?

APIs (NETCONF, eAPI, NX-API) are preferred when available — they provide structured data, transactional commits, and better error handling. CLI is universal but requires parsing unstructured text output.

Can I automate network device firmware upgrades?

Yes. Use ansible.netcommon.net_put or vendor-specific modules to upload firmware, then schedule reboot with verification. Always include rollback procedures and test in lab first.

Conclusion

AAP 2.6 provides a unified platform for multi-vendor network automation. From configuration backup and compliance auditing to automated deployments with change management workflows, AAP transforms network operations from manual CLI sessions into repeatable, auditable, self-service automation.

Related Articles

• AAP 2.6 Architecture and Components: Complete Guide • AAP 2.6 Execution Environments: Build, Manage, and Deploy Custom EEs • AAP 2.6 Workflow Templates: Advanced Multi-Step Automation Guide • AAP 2.6 Automation Mesh: Distributed Execution Across Sites and Networks • AAP 2.6 Self-Service Portal for Network Teams