The right way 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 accessible domestically? What about integrating CML right into a CI/CD pipeline, which incorporates the creation and destruction of all the pipeline, together with CML?

You may assume one reply to those issues can be to make use of CML within the cloud. And also you’d be proper. Nonetheless, up till not too long ago, the one supported platforms to run CML had been both on naked steel servers or on VMware vSphere.

We have now heard requests to have CML Software program-as-a-Service (SaaS), and we’re working laborious to make this a actuality sooner or later. Our first step on this course is to supply tooling and automation so you may deploy your CML occasion into Amazon Internet Providers (AWS)! This tooling is accessible as of immediately on GitHub.

Setting expectations

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

• Tooling is at present solely supported on AWS. We’re engaged on making this additionally accessible on Azure in a subsequent launch.
• It solely helps an all-in-one deployment. Subsequent releases might embrace deployment of a number of situations to kind a CML cluster.
• This strategy wants a bare-metal taste to help all node sorts. Steel flavors are costlier than virtualized situations; nevertheless, AWS doesn’t help virtualization extensions on their non-bare-metal flavors. That is totally different from Azure.
• You might want to convey your personal AWS occasion AND your personal CML license. No pay-as-you-go consumption mannequin is accessible as of immediately.
• CML software program and reference platform recordsdata from the “refplat ISO” should be made accessible in a bucket.
• Automation should run domestically in your pc, significantly a Linux machine with Terraform.

As a result of nature of CML’s perform, the flexibility to run it within the cloud won’t ever be low cost (as in free-tier). CML requires loads of assets, reminiscence, disk, and CPU, which comes at a value, no matter whether or not you run it domestically in your laptop computer, in your information middle, or within the cloud. The thought behind the cloud is to simplify operation and supply elasticity however not essentially to economize.

Assembly software program necessities

The software program necessities you’ll have to 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 instrument, which is a Bash script)
• a Terraform set up
• the AWS CLI bundle (awscli with the aws command)
• the CML software program bundle (.pkg) and the CML reference platform ISO from CCO/cisco.com

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

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

Getting up and working

When 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.

Listed below 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. Add the binary recordsdata (photos and software program) into the created bucket (as soon as or every time 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 convey up an occasion
   5. Wait 5-10 minutes for the system to grow to be prepared; the handle of the controller is offered consequently (“output” from Terraform)
   6. Use CML within the cloud and revenue!

When you’re executed, tear down the cloud infrastructure by executing terraform destroy.

Be aware: Whereas no price is incurred if you find yourself not working CML situations, you’ll nonetheless have to pay for storing the recordsdata contained in the created S3 bucket.

Taking the subsequent steps

Whereas CML AWS automation tooling is a primary step towards CML SaaS, the tooling in its present kind may not suit your wants precisely due to price for bare-metal situations or the present dependency on AWS. Or you may want a pay-as-you-go service or one thing else. Tell us!

Simply keep in mind subsequent steps are forward! Keep tuned, and inform us what you assume within the meantime. We’re extraordinarily focused on 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 difficulty tracker mission.

Assets

 

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