I’ve been playing around with Netmiko this weekend as I would like to try and rewrite all my old bash- & expect-scripts at work to python instead (if I ever will find the time)… :)
Just starting out I felt like it was incredibly slow however and was pretty disappointed when for ex. pushing out config from a file to multiple devices compared to expect. Perhaps I did something wrong but it also looks like there’s several ways to speed things up so I thought I should give it another go.
I’m using simple topology with three routers and some basic config allowing ssh-login:
- R1 192.168.15.10
- R2 192.168.15.11
- R3 192.168.15.12
login_supersimple.py
We start by importing netmiko’s ConnectHandler, specify some “show commands” we’d like to run and lastly we need to specify what type of device we’re going to connect to and login credentials.
One very simple way to do this is using a dictionary for each device:
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from netmiko import ConnectHandler
from getpass import getpass
R1 = {
"host": "192.168.15.10",
"username": "joco02",
"password": getpass(),
"device_type": "cisco_ios",
}
We then use the dictionary when calling our ConnectHandler to provide all necessary info for logging in and setting the correct device type.
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connection = ConnectHandler(**R1)
print(connection.find_prompt())
connection.disconnect()
Results:
$ python login_supersimple.py
Password:
R1#
login_simple.py
We can also skip using the dictionary and specify connection parameters manually instead. Here i’m sending multiple commands to multiple devices using only lists. In a later post I thought we could try and use a YAML-file for our devices and connection parameters.
from netmiko import ConnectHandler
from datetime import datetime
from getpass import getpass
SH_COMMANDS = [
“show ip route”, “show ip interface brief”
]
DEVICES = [“192.168.15.10”, “192.168.15.11”, “192.168.15.12”]
USERNAME = “joco02”
PASSWORD = getpass()
def show_commands(devices, commands):
for device in devices:
start_time = datetime.now()
connection = ConnectHandler(
device_type=”cisco_ios”, host=device,
username=USERNAME, password=PASSWORD)
hostname = connection.find_prompt()
device_result = [“{0} {1} {0}”.format(“=” * 20, hostname)]
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for command in commands:
command_result = connection.send_command(command)
device_result.append("{0} {1} {0}".format("=" * 20, command))
device_result.append(command_result)
device_result_string = "nn".join(device_result)
connection.disconnect()
device_result_string += "nElapsed time: " + str(datetime.now() - start_time)
yield device_result_string
def main():
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results = show_commands(DEVICES, SH_COMMANDS)
for result in results:
print(result)
if name == “main”:
main()
Results:
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$ python login_simple.py
Password:
==================== R1# ====================
==================== show ip route ====================
Codes: L - local, C - connected, S - static, R - RIP, M - mobile, B - BGP
D - EIGRP, EX - EIGRP external, O - OSPF, IA - OSPF inter area
N1 - OSPF NSSA external type 1, N2 - OSPF NSSA external type 2
E1 - OSPF external type 1, E2 - OSPF external type 2
i - IS-IS, su - IS-IS summary, L1 - IS-IS level-1, L2 - IS-IS level-2
ia - IS-IS inter area, * - candidate default, U - per-user static route
o - ODR, P - periodic downloaded static route, H - NHRP, l - LISP
a - application route
+ - replicated route, % - next hop override
Gateway of last resort is 192.168.15.254 to network 0.0.0.0
S* 0.0.0.0/0 [1/0] via 192.168.15.254
10.0.0.0/8 is variably subnetted, 16 subnets, 2 masks
C 10.10.0.0/24 is directly connected, Loopback0
L 10.10.0.1/32 is directly connected, Loopback0
C 10.10.1.0/24 is directly connected, Loopback1
L 10.10.1.1/32 is directly connected, Loopback1
C 10.10.2.0/24 is directly connected, Loopback2
L 10.10.2.1/32 is directly connected, Loopback2
C 10.10.3.0/24 is directly connected, Loopback3
L 10.10.3.1/32 is directly connected, Loopback3
O 10.11.0.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.11, 23:58:37, Ethernet0/0
O 10.11.1.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.11, 23:58:27, Ethernet0/0
O 10.11.2.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.11, 23:58:27, Ethernet0/0
O 10.11.3.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.11, 23:58:27, Ethernet0/0
O 10.12.0.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.12, 23:58:15, Ethernet0/0
O 10.12.1.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.12, 23:58:05, Ethernet0/0
O 10.12.2.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.12, 23:58:05, Ethernet0/0
O 10.12.3.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.12, 23:58:05, Ethernet0/0
192.168.15.0/24 is variably subnetted, 2 subnets, 2 masks
C 192.168.15.0/24 is directly connected, Ethernet0/0
L 192.168.15.10/32 is directly connected, Ethernet0/0
==================== show ip interface brief ====================
Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol
Ethernet0/0 192.168.15.10 YES manual up up
Ethernet0/1 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet0/2 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet0/3 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet1/0 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet1/1 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet1/2 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet1/3 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial2/0 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial2/1 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial2/2 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial2/3 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial3/0 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial3/1 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial3/2 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial3/3 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Loopback0 10.10.0.1 YES manual up up
Loopback1 10.10.1.1 YES manual up up
Loopback2 10.10.2.1 YES manual up up
Loopback3 10.10.3.1 YES manual up up
Elapsed time: 0:00:06.128156
==================== R2# ====================
==================== show ip route ====================
Codes: L - local, C - connected, S - static, R - RIP, M - mobile, B - BGP
D - EIGRP, EX - EIGRP external, O - OSPF, IA - OSPF inter area
N1 - OSPF NSSA external type 1, N2 - OSPF NSSA external type 2
E1 - OSPF external type 1, E2 - OSPF external type 2
i - IS-IS, su - IS-IS summary, L1 - IS-IS level-1, L2 - IS-IS level-2
ia - IS-IS inter area, * - candidate default, U - per-user static route
o - ODR, P - periodic downloaded static route, H - NHRP, l - LISP
a - application route
+ - replicated route, % - next hop override
Gateway of last resort is 192.168.15.254 to network 0.0.0.0
S* 0.0.0.0/0 [1/0] via 192.168.15.254
10.0.0.0/8 is variably subnetted, 16 subnets, 2 masks
O 10.10.0.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.10, 1d00h, Ethernet0/0
O 10.10.1.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.10, 23:58:53, Ethernet0/0
O 10.10.2.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.10, 23:58:53, Ethernet0/0
O 10.10.3.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.10, 23:58:43, Ethernet0/0
C 10.11.0.0/24 is directly connected, Loopback0
L 10.11.0.1/32 is directly connected, Loopback0
C 10.11.1.0/24 is directly connected, Loopback1
L 10.11.1.1/32 is directly connected, Loopback1
C 10.11.2.0/24 is directly connected, Loopback2
L 10.11.2.1/32 is directly connected, Loopback2
C 10.11.3.0/24 is directly connected, Loopback3
L 10.11.3.1/32 is directly connected, Loopback3
O 10.12.0.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.12, 23:58:21, Ethernet0/0
O 10.12.1.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.12, 23:58:11, Ethernet0/0
O 10.12.2.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.12, 23:58:11, Ethernet0/0
O 10.12.3.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.12, 23:58:11, Ethernet0/0
192.168.15.0/24 is variably subnetted, 2 subnets, 2 masks
C 192.168.15.0/24 is directly connected, Ethernet0/0
L 192.168.15.11/32 is directly connected, Ethernet0/0
==================== show ip interface brief ====================
Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol
Ethernet0/0 192.168.15.11 YES manual up up
Ethernet0/1 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet0/2 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet0/3 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet1/0 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet1/1 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet1/2 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet1/3 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial2/0 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial2/1 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial2/2 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial2/3 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial3/0 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial3/1 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial3/2 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial3/3 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Loopback0 10.11.0.1 YES manual up up
Loopback1 10.11.1.1 YES manual up up
Loopback2 10.11.2.1 YES manual up up
Loopback3 10.11.3.1 YES manual up up
Elapsed time: 0:00:06.205272
==================== R3# ====================
==================== show ip route ====================
Codes: L - local, C - connected, S - static, R - RIP, M - mobile, B - BGP
D - EIGRP, EX - EIGRP external, O - OSPF, IA - OSPF inter area
N1 - OSPF NSSA external type 1, N2 - OSPF NSSA external type 2
E1 - OSPF external type 1, E2 - OSPF external type 2
i - IS-IS, su - IS-IS summary, L1 - IS-IS level-1, L2 - IS-IS level-2
ia - IS-IS inter area, * - candidate default, U - per-user static route
o - ODR, P - periodic downloaded static route, H - NHRP, l - LISP
a - application route
+ - replicated route, % - next hop override
Gateway of last resort is 192.168.15.254 to network 0.0.0.0
S* 0.0.0.0/0 [1/0] via 192.168.15.254
10.0.0.0/8 is variably subnetted, 16 subnets, 2 masks
O 10.10.0.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.10, 1d00h, Ethernet0/0
O 10.10.1.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.10, 23:58:59, Ethernet0/0
O 10.10.2.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.10, 23:58:49, Ethernet0/0
O 10.10.3.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.10, 23:58:49, Ethernet0/0
O 10.11.0.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.11, 23:58:49, Ethernet0/0
O 10.11.1.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.11, 23:58:39, Ethernet0/0
O 10.11.2.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.11, 23:58:39, Ethernet0/0
O 10.11.3.0/24 [110/11] via 192.168.15.11, 23:58:39, Ethernet0/0
C 10.12.0.0/24 is directly connected, Loopback0
L 10.12.0.1/32 is directly connected, Loopback0
C 10.12.1.0/24 is directly connected, Loopback1
L 10.12.1.1/32 is directly connected, Loopback1
C 10.12.2.0/24 is directly connected, Loopback2
L 10.12.2.1/32 is directly connected, Loopback2
C 10.12.3.0/24 is directly connected, Loopback3
L 10.12.3.1/32 is directly connected, Loopback3
192.168.15.0/24 is variably subnetted, 2 subnets, 2 masks
C 192.168.15.0/24 is directly connected, Ethernet0/0
L 192.168.15.12/32 is directly connected, Ethernet0/0
==================== show ip interface brief ====================
Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol
Ethernet0/0 192.168.15.12 YES manual up up
Ethernet0/1 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet0/2 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet0/3 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet1/0 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet1/1 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet1/2 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Ethernet1/3 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial2/0 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial2/1 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial2/2 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial2/3 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial3/0 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial3/1 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial3/2 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Serial3/3 unassigned YES NVRAM administratively down down
Loopback0 10.12.0.1 YES manual up up
Loopback1 10.12.1.1 YES manual up up
Loopback2 10.12.2.1 YES manual up up
Loopback3 10.12.3.1 YES manual up up
Elapsed time: 0:00:05.982471
Around 6 seconds per device isn’t that bad when we’re not even using threading or asyncio to speed things up. There is probably other parameters that can be tuned inside netmiko as well, i’ve seen delay-values that defaults to 1 second for example but we’ll save that for a later post.