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Learn how to run Cisco Modeling Labs within the Cloud

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Learn how to run Cisco Modeling Labs within the Cloud

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Did you ever need to run Cisco Modeling Labs however didn’t have the {hardware} or software program to take action? Or have you ever wished to run a topology in your native deployment—however couldn’t since you didn’t have sufficient reminiscence out there domestically? What about integrating CML right into a CI/CD pipeline, which incorporates the creation and destruction of the whole 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 lately, the one supported platforms to run CML have been both on naked steel servers or on VMware vSphere.

We now have heard requests to have CML Software program-as-a-Service (SaaS), and we’re working onerous 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 out there as of immediately on GitHub.

Setting expectations

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

  • Tooling is presently solely supported on AWS. We’re engaged on making this additionally out there on Azure in a subsequent launch.
  • It solely helps an all-in-one deployment. Subsequent releases may embody deployment of a number of cases to kind a CML cluster.
  • This method wants a bare-metal taste to help all node sorts. Steel flavors are costlier than virtualized cases; nevertheless, AWS doesn’t help virtualization extensions on their non-bare-metal flavors. That is completely different from Azure.
  • It is advisable to convey your individual AWS occasion AND your individual CML license. No pay-as-you-go consumption mannequin is out there as of immediately.
  • CML software program and reference platform information from the “refplat ISO” must be made out there in a bucket.
  • Automation should run domestically in your laptop, notably a Linux machine with Terraform.

Because of the nature of CML’s perform, the power to run it within the cloud won’t ever be low cost (as in free-tier). CML requires lots 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 concept behind the cloud is to simplify operation and supply elasticity however not essentially to save cash.

Assembly software program necessities

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

  • a Linux machine (must also work on a Mac with the identical packages put in through Homebrew)
  • a Bash shell (in case you utilize the add instrument, 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 present 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 information out there 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.

Choose the distribution package deal circled within the following screenshot (the model could be completely different, nevertheless it ends in .pkg.zip), and also you’ll must unzip it for the add instrument to acknowledge it

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

Getting up and operating

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

Listed here are the elemental steps:

    1. Configure the required S3 bucket, consumer, insurance policies, secrets and techniques, and guidelines through AWS console (as soon as).
    2. Add the binary information (photographs and software program) into the created bucket (as soon as or each time new software program is out there).
    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 supplied because of this (“output” from Terraform)
    6. Use CML within the cloud and revenue!

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

Notice: Whereas no price is incurred if you end up not operating CML cases, you’ll nonetheless must pay for storing the information contained in the created S3 bucket.

Taking the following steps

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

Simply bear in mind subsequent steps are forward! Keep tuned, and inform us what you assume within the meantime. We’re 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 challenge tracker mission.

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