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EOS Designs internal notes

Warning

Anything mentioned here is subject to change without notice. Use of avd_switch_facts or switch.* facts in custom templates is not supported and should be avoided.

Overview

Ansible Action Plugins

arista.avd.eos_designs_facts

The arista.avd.eos_designs_facts module is an Ansible Action Plugin providing the following capabilities:

  • Set avd_switch_facts fact containing switch facts per switch.
  • Set avd_topology_peers fact containing a list of downlink switches per host. This list is built based on the uplink_switches from all other hosts.
  • Set avd_evpn_overlay_peers fact containing a list of EVPN overlay peers per host. This list is built based on the evpn_route_servers and mpls_route_reflectors from all other hosts.
  • Set avd_evpn_overlay_peers fact containing a list of EVPN or MPLS overlay peers per host. This list is built based on the evpn_route_servers and mpls_route_reflectors from all other hosts.

The plugin is designed to run_once. With this, Ansible will set the same facts on all devices, so all devices can lookup values of any other device without using the slower hostvars.

The facts can also be copied to the “root” switch variable in a task run per device (see example below).

The module is used in arista.avd.eos_designs to set facts for devices, which are then used by Python modules loaded in arista.avd.eos_designs_structured_config to generate the structured_configuration.

Arguments

  template_output: <true | false | default -> false>
  conversion_mode: <"warning" | "info" | "debug" | "quiet" | "disabled" | default -> "debug">
  validation_mode: <"error" | "warning" | "info" | "debug" | "disabled" | default -> "warning">
  cprofile_file: <Filename for storing cprofile data used to debug performance issues>

See the full argument spec here

Output data model

ansible_facts:
  avd_switch_facts:
    <switch_1>:
      switch:
        < switch.* facts used by eos_designs >
    <switch_2>:
      ...
  avd_topology_peers:
    <uplink_switch_1>:
      - <downlink_switch_1>
      - <downlink_switch_2>
      - <downlink_switch_3>
    <uplink_switch_1>:
      ...
  avd_overlay_peers:
    <route_server_1>:
      - <route_server_client_1>
      - <route_server_client_2>
      - <route_server_client_3>
    <route_server_2>:
      - <route_server_client_1>
      - <route_server_client_2>
      - <route_server_client_3>

The facts can be inspected in a file per device by running the arista.avd.eos_designs role with --tags facts,debug.

Internal structure

arista.avd.eos_designs_structured_config

TODO

Python packages

AvdFacts

The AvdFacts class serve as a base class for EosDesignsFacts as well as the many AvdStructuredConfig* classes.

The purpose of AvdFacts subclasses is to return a dictionary when the render method is called.

The class is also partially emulating a dict type by exposing keys() and get() methods and exposing all public attributes as cached_property. This allows for a class instance to be used as part of a deeper data model, where our utility tools can traverse deeper data models using dot-notation. It also allows for partial rendering of data, since only the accessed attributes/cached_properties will be rendered.

The base class has a few important methods:

  • keys() return a list of attributes not beginning with an underscore and where the attribute is decorated with cached_property. These attributes represent the keys in the emulated dict.
  • render() loop over every attribute returned by keys() and return a dict with all the returned cached_properties, except cached_property with a value of None which will be skipped.
  • get(key, default=None) returns the value of the requested “key” (cached_property) if the “key” is in the list returned by keys(). Otherwise the default value is returned.

See the source code here

get_structured_config

TODO

EosDesignsFacts

EosDesignsFacts is based on AvdFacts, so make sure to read the description there first.

The class is instantiated once per device. Methods may use references to other device instances using hostvars.avd_switch_facts, which is a dict of EosDesignsfacts instances covering all devices.

See the source code here

SharedUtils

See the source code here

AvdStructuredConfig*

AvdStructuredConfig* classes are based on AvdFacts, so make sure to read the description there first.

The generation of the final structured_config is split into multiple python modules which are subclasses of AvdFacts. Each class is loaded in get_structured_config and rendered. All the results are deepmerged into the final structured_config.

The class is instantiated once per device. Methods may use references to other device instances using hostvars.avd_switch_facts, which at the time where eos_designs_structured_config run, is a nested dict. It contains the output from EosDesignsFacts’s render() method.

Subclasses are typically using Mixin classes to split all the attributes/cached_properties into managable files.

Source code:

Facts set at runtime

avd_switch_facts

The following model is set as eos_designs_facts. Most keys are optional depending on the use case and configuration. The use of each key is tracked in the sections below.

avd_switch_facts:
  <hostname>:
    switch:
      bgp_as: <str>
      dc_name: <str>
      endpoint_trunk_groups: <list>
      endpoint_vlans: <str>
      evpn_multicast: <bool>
      evpn_role: <str>
      evpn_route_servers: <list[str]>
      group: <str>
      id: <int>
      inband_mgmt_subnet: <str>
      inband_mgmt_vlan: <int>
      is_deployed: <bool>
      loopback_ipv4_pool: <str>
      local_endpoint_trunk_groups: <list[str]>
      max_parallel_uplinks: <int>
      max_uplink_switches: <int>
      mlag_interfaces: <list[str]>
      mlag_ip: <str>
      mlag_l3_ip: <str>
      mlag_peer: <str>
      mlag_port_channel_id: <int>
      mlag_switch_ids:
        primary: <int>
        secondary: <int>
      mgmt_interface: <str>
      mgmt_ip: <int>
      mpls_lsr: <bool>
      mpls_overlay_role: <str>
      mpls_route_reflectors: <list[str]>
      overlay:
        peering_address: <str>
        evpn_mpls: <bool>
      platform: <str>
      router_id: <str>
      serial_number: <str>
      type: <str>
      underlay_routing_protocol: <str>
      uplink_ipv4_pool: <str>
      uplink_peers: <list[str]>
      uplinks: <list[dict]>
      vlans: <str>
      vtep_ip: <str>
      vtep_loopback_ipv4_pool: <str>

avd_switch_facts leveraged in eos_designs python_modules

These variables are read for all or some devices as part of structured_config generation, so they must be available in the avd_switch_facts object.

Variable Used in file
switch.type core_interfaces/utils.py
switch.type l3_edge/utils.py
switch.inband_mgmt_subnet inband_management/avdstructuredconfig.py
switch.inband_mgmt_vlan inband_management/avdstructuredconfig.py
switch.vlans network_services/utils_filtered_tenants.py
switch.vtep_ip network_services/vxlan_interface.py
switch.vlans network_services/vxlan_interface.py
switch.uplinks underlay/utils.py
switch.type underlay/utils.py
switch.is_deployed underlay/utils.py
switch.bgp_as underlay/utils.py
switch overlay/utils.py
switch.evpn_route_servers overlay/utils.py
switch.evpn_role overlay/utils.py
switch.mpls_route_reflectors overlay/utils.py
switch.bgp_as overlay/utils.py
switch.overlay.peering_address overlay/utils.py
switch.mpls_overlay_role overlay/utils.py
switch.overlay.evpn_mpls overlay/utils.py

switch.* leveraged for Jinja2 templates

These variables are historically used in builtin jinja2 templates so they should not be removed without warning. TODO: Only expose these in the Jinja2 templating environment used for custom templates. They would not be available outside of that, so any inline Jinja2 could not use these values.

Variable Used in file
switch.type fabric-documentation.j2
switch.uplink_ipv4_pool fabric-documentation.j2
switch.loopback_ipv4_pool fabric-documentation.j2
switch.vtep_loopback_ipv4_pool fabric-documentation.j2
switch.node fabric-documentation.j2
switch.mgmt_ip fabric-documentation.j2
switch.platform fabric-documentation.j2
switch.serial_number fabric-documentation.j2
switch.underlay_routing_protocol fabric-documentation.j2
switch.type fabric-p2p-links.j2
switch.type fabric-topology.j2
switch.mpls_overlay_role interface_descriptions/loopback_interfaces/overlay-loopback.j2
switch.mpls_lsr interface_descriptions/loopback_interfaces/overlay-loopback.j2
switch.mlag_peer interface_descriptions/mlag/ethernet-interfaces.j2
switch.mlag_interfaces interface_descriptions/mlag/port-channel-interfaces.j2
switch.mlag_peer interface_descriptions/mlag/port-channel-interfaces.j2
switch.mlag_port_channel_id interface_descriptions/mlag/port-channel-interfaces.j2
switch.uplink_ipv4_pool ip_addressing/avd-v2-spine-p2p-uplinks-ip.j2
switch.id ip_addressing/avd-v2-spine-p2p-uplinks-ip.j2
switch.max_parallel_uplinks ip_addressing/avd-v2-spine-p2p-uplinks-ip.j2
switch.max_uplink_switches ip_addressing/avd-v2-spine-p2p-uplinks-ip.j2
switch.uplink_ipv4_pool ip_addressing/avd-v2-spine-p2p-uplinks-peer-ip.j2
switch.id ip_addressing/avd-v2-spine-p2p-uplinks-peer-ip.j2
switch.max_parallel_uplinks ip_addressing/avd-v2-spine-p2p-uplinks-peer-ip.j2
switch.max_uplink_switches ip_addressing/avd-v2-spine-p2p-uplinks-peer-ip.j2
switch.mlag_switch_ids.primary ip_addressing/mlag-ibgp-peering-ip-primary.j2
switch.mlag_switch_ids.primary ip_addressing/mlag-ibgp-peering-ip-secondary.j2
switch.uplink_ipv4_pool ip_addressing/p2p-uplinks-ip.j2
switch.id ip_addressing/p2p-uplinks-ip.j2
switch.max_uplink_switches ip_addressing/p2p-uplinks-ip.j2
switch.max_parallel_uplinks ip_addressing/p2p-uplinks-ip.j2
switch.uplink_ipv4_pool ip_addressing/p2p-uplinks-peer-ip.j2
switch.id ip_addressing/p2p-uplinks-peer-ip.j2
switch.max_uplink_switches ip_addressing/p2p-uplinks-peer-ip.j2
switch.max_parallel_uplinks ip_addressing/p2p-uplinks-peer-ip.j2

Other switch.* variables set in eos_designs_facts

Variable Reason
switch.evpn_multicast Since the code behind evpn_multicast has to check the mlag peer facts for ‘overlay_rd_type_admin_subfield’ we can either expose that field in facts, or perform the check inside eos_designs_facts.
switch.endpoint_trunk_groups Complex calculations leveraging data from peers leading to compact output, so instead of repeating in multiple areas, we do it once and store the result.
switch.endpoint_vlans Complex calculations leveraging data from peers leading to compact output, so instead of repeating in multiple areas, we do it once and store the result.
switch.local_endpoint_trunk_groups Complex calculations leveraging data from peers leading to compact output, so instead of repeating in multiple areas, we do it once and store the result.
switch.mlag_ip mlag_ip must be available to the mlag peer.
switch.mlag_l3_ip mlag_l3_ip must be available to the mlag peer.
switch.mgmt_ip mgmt_ip must be available to the mlag peer.
switch.uplink_peers These are used to generate the “avd_topology_peers” fact covering downlinks for all devices in eos_designs_facts action plugin.
switch.dc_name Used for underlay HER flood-list calculations when using scope dc_name
switch.bgp_as Known use of inline jinja in customer deployments
switch.group Known use of inline jinja in customer deployments
switch.hostname Known use of inline jinja in customer deployments
switch.id Known use of inline jinja in customer deployments
switch.mgmt_interface Known use of inline jinja in customer deployments
switch.mgmt_ip Known use of inline jinja in customer deployments
switch.router_id Known use of inline jinja in customer deployments