ACT Topology Generation

This role generates ACT topology files based on AVD structured config files.

The default is to look for structured configs in ./intended/structured_configs/ and output the result to ./act/

You have to build an AVD project first and run the eos_designs role to build the structured configs before this role can be used.

Example Playbook

Use the same top level group you have for your fabric for hosts, modify the input variables to the role to make the topology you want.

---
- name: Build ACT Topology
  hosts: ACT_FABRIC
  connection: local
  gather_facts: false

  tasks:
    - name: Generate ACT Topology File
      import_role:
        name: act-topgen

Role Defaults

---
# defaults file for act-topgen

# Input/Output directories and AVD structured config file format
structured_folder: "intended/structured_configs/"
avd_structured_config_file_format: yml
output_folder: "act/"
output_filename: "topology.yml"

# Versions
act_eos_version: "4.30.4M"
act_generic_os_version: "Rocky-8.5"
act_tools_os_version: "ubuntu-2204-lts"
act_cvp_version: "2023.1.3"

# Device (veos/generic) user/pass
act_device_user: "cvpadmin"
act_device_password: "arista1234"
# List other ports that all EOS devices should have.
# These cannot clash with ports already defined through the topology.
act_default_ports: []
# Adds device models from structured config metadata if present
act_use_device_models: true

# Extra node parameters
act_cvp_user: "root"
act_cvp_password: "cvproot"
act_cvp_instance_type: "singlenode"  # Currently the only supported type
act_cvp_ip: "192.168.0.5"
act_cvp_auto_configuration: true
act_cvp_size: medium # supported values are medium, large, xlarge
act_tools_server_ip: "192.168.0.6"
act_tools_server_size: medium # supported values are medium, large, xlarge
act_veos_size: medium # supported values are medium, large, xlarge

# Whether to add cvp and ansible node to topology
act_add_cvp: true
act_add_tools_server: true

# Whether to add nodes that are not defined in the fabric
# Example l3 peers, servers and other endpoints
act_add_connected_nodes: false
# For each peer_type that should be added,
# the ACT node_type needs to be defined
# Any peer_type that is not defined in this list
# will not be added as a node in the topology
act_connected_nodes_map:
  other: 'veos'
  # server: 'generic'
  # network_port: 'generic'
  # <peer_type in AVD>: <node_type in ACT>

act_connected_nodes_range: 192.168.0.128/25

# Extra nodes and links to add
act_additional_nodes: []
act_additional_links: []

# Use older style ACT topology connections (nodes[].neighbors)
act_use_old_connections: false

Inventory Update Script

Attached in this repo is also a script 'update-inv.py' that updates an ansible inventory based on the information in a downloaded ACT inventory file. This is useful as ACT generates randomized IP addresses for all nodes, and manually updating your ansible inventory after the lab is deployed is a total pain in the behind.

Usage:

python update-inv.py -i < path/to/ansible-inventory-to-update > -a < path/to/downloaded/act-inventory-file >