engleski

Automation of Network Device Configuration Using Zero-Touch Provisioning - A Case Study

The installation of new network devices in the production environment represents a process of several steps. First of all, it is necessary to connect the hardware and then define all the necessary global and local parameters by using the Command Line Interface (CLI) and so for each device in the implementation separately. With the development of automation models within the concept of Software De-fined Networks (SDN), the Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) occurs as a potential solution to reduce the complexity of installation of a new network infrastructure. The ZTP model can be used to reduce time and costs of installing new devices in the network. This paper presents a case study of implementing the ZTP model on the example of Cisco CSR1000v network device in the local area network. The initial step was the creation of the network environment in the emulation software Emulated Virtual Environment Next Generation. In the network environment the necessary servers were defined and the device that supports the ZTP model was assigned. Then it was necessary to create a script in the Python programming language and upload it to the appropriate server. At startup the device downloads the script from the server. The script is then executed, and as the result of this process, the appropriate configuration on the device is applied. After the imple- mentation of the ZTP model and review of the results, the potential that enables such a solution in networks of much larger scales is evident. The application of this model would certainly simplify the process of installing new devices on the network. The applied ZTP model and the created one’s own script have proven significant saving in the installation time (over 95%), at the same time achieving also a saving in the costs of employees, and affecting a reduction in human error. The results of this paper can contribute to better understanding of the process of implementing the ZTP model with the aim of its more widespread application.

Zero-Touch Provisioning ; Software Defined Networking ; Cisco IOS XE

Part of the Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering book series (LNICST, volume 382)