How to run Cisco Modeling Labs within the Cloud

Did you ever wish to run Cisco Modeling Labs however didn’t have the {hardware} or software program to take action? Or have you ever needed to run a topology in your native deployment—however couldn’t since you didn’t have sufficient reminiscence obtainable regionally? What about integrating CML right into a CI/CD pipeline, which incorporates the creation and destruction of the whole pipeline, together with CML?

You would possibly assume one reply to those issues could be to make use of CML within the cloud. And you’d be proper. However, up till lately, the one supported platforms to run CML have been both on naked steel servers or on VMware vSphere.

We have heard requests to have CML Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), and we’re working exhausting to make this a actuality sooner or later. Our first step on this path is to supply tooling and automation so you possibly can deploy your CML occasion into Amazon Web Services (AWS)! This tooling is accessible as of at this time on GitHub.

Setting expectations

With this primary step of automation and tooling comes just a few limitations, together with:

• Tooling is presently solely supported on AWS. We’re engaged on making this additionally obtainable on Azure in a subsequent launch.
• It solely helps an all-in-one deployment. Subsequent releases may embrace deployment of a number of cases to type a CML cluster.
• This method wants a bare-metal taste to help all node varieties. Metal flavors are costlier than virtualized cases; nonetheless, AWS doesn’t help virtualization extensions on their non-bare-metal flavors. This is totally different from Azure.
• You must deliver your personal AWS occasion AND your personal CML license. No pay-as-you-go consumption mannequin is accessible as of at this time.
• CML software program and reference platform recordsdata from the “refplat ISO” must be made obtainable in a bucket.
• Automation should run regionally in your pc, significantly a Linux machine with Terraform.

Due to the character of CML’s perform, the flexibility to run it within the cloud won’t ever be low-cost (as in free-tier). CML requires a whole lot of assets, reminiscence, disk, and CPU, which comes at a price, no matter whether or not you run it regionally in your laptop computer, in your information middle, or within the cloud. The concept behind the cloud is to simplify operation and supply elasticity however not essentially to save cash.

Meeting software program necessities

The software program necessities you’ll must efficiently use the tooling embrace:

• a Linux machine (also needs to work on a Mac with the identical packages put in by way of Homebrew)
• a Bash shell (in case you employ the add device, which is a Bash script)
• a Terraform set up
• the AWS CLI package deal (awscli with the aws command)
• the CML software program package deal (.pkg) and the CML reference platform ISO from CCO/cisco.com

An current CML controller satisfies the primary two necessities, and you should utilize that to put in Terraform and the AWS CLI. It additionally has the reference platform recordsdata obtainable to repeat to an AWS S3 bucket. You additionally should obtain the CML distribution package deal from the Cisco help web site and duplicate it to the AWS S3 bucket.

For extra element, check with the “Upload script” part of the README.md that’s included within the cml-cloud repository.

Getting up and working

Once you’ve put in the necessities and copied the recordsdata, you’ll discover the precise process straight ahead and meticulously documented within the README.md.

Here are the basic steps:

1. 1. Configure the required S3 bucket, person, insurance policies, secrets and techniques, and guidelines by way of AWS console (as soon as).
   2. Upload the binary recordsdata (photographs and software program) into the created bucket (as soon as or at any time when new software program is accessible).
   3. Configure the tooling by enhancing the config.json file (as soon as).
   4. Run terraform plan adopted by terraform apply to deliver up an occasion
   5. Wait 5-10 minutes for the system to turn into prepared; the tackle of the controller is supplied in consequence (“output” from Terraform)
   6. Use CML within the cloud and revenue!

Once you’re accomplished, tear down the cloud infrastructure by executing terraform destroy.

Note: While no value is incurred if you find yourself not working CML cases, you’ll nonetheless must pay for storing the recordsdata contained in the created S3 bucket.

Taking the subsequent steps

While CML AWS automation tooling is a primary step towards CML SaaS, the tooling in its present type may not suit your wants precisely due to value for bare-metal cases or the present dependency on AWS. Or you may want a pay-as-you-go service or one thing else. Let us know!

Just bear in mind subsequent steps are forward! Stay tuned, and inform us what you assume within the meantime. We are extraordinarily eager about how helpful (or not) this primary iteration of cloud tooling is to you and your group and, going ahead, what your particular necessities are. Please attain out to us on the GitHub concern tracker venture.

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