1. Overview

2. Installation

3. Plugin Configuration

4. Collection module usage options

5. Setup and Configurations

6. Usage information

7. Examples

8. Issues and Inquiries

This repository is a set of Ansible modules and example playbooks for interacting with AXAPI v3 for configuration and monitoring of A10 ACOS-based hardware and virtual appliances. The module code and example playbooks are generated using a combination of Python code and Jinja templates.

We only support Ansible version >=2.9

This code is now being generated using the SDK generator at https://github.com/a10networks/sdkgenerator

a10-acos-axapi is collection of custom ansible modules crated by a10Networks. It can be installed using following ways, it is assumed that ansible is already installed and configured.

ansible-galaxy collection install a10.acos_axapi

Be sure to note the collection path found within the output of the above command. For example:

$ ansible-galaxy collection install a10.acos_axapi
Process install dependency map
Starting collection install process
Installing 'a10.acos_axapi:1.0.0' to '/opt/.ansible/collections/ansible_collections/a10/acos_axapi'

In this example the collection directory path is: /opt/.ansible/collections/ansible_collections/

git clone https://github.com/a10networks/a10-acos-axapi
cd a10-acos-axapi
ansible-galaxy collection build
ansible-galaxy collection install a10-acos_axapi*.tar.gz -p ./collections

• Methods to set collection path (Only one required)

1. Copy collection folder we got from tarball inside

   • ~/.ansible/collections
   • /usr/share/ansible/collections folder

2. Export following environment variables for new session

   ANSIBLE_COLLECTIONS_PATHS=<path-to-collections-folders>

3. Add below line in /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg File

   collections_paths=<path-to-collection1>:<path-to-collection2>

4. Keep your playbooks to run in relative to collection

   |── myplaybook.yml
   ├── collections/
   │   └── ansible_collections/
   │               └── a10/
   │                   └── acos_axapi/<collection structure lives here>
   

Add below line in the /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg file

action_plugins  = <collection-dir-path>/a10/acos_axapi/plugins/action

1. Copy action plugin into one of the following

   • ~/.ansible/plugins
   • /usr/share/ansible/plugins folder

2. Export following environment variables for new session

export ANSIBLE_ACTION_PLUGINS=<collection-dir-path>/a10/acos_axapi/plugins/action

3. Save this variable in .bashrc File

export ANSIBLE_ACTION_PLUGINS=<collection-dir-path>/a10/acos_axapi/plugins/action

collections:
  - a10.acos_axapi

tasks:
  - module_name:
    - argument
  - module_name:
    - argument

tasks:
  - a10.acos_axapi.module_name:
    - argument
  - a10.acos_axapi.module_name:
    - argument

Sample Inventory file:

[vthunder]
<vthunder host_name/ip_address>

[vthunder:vars]
ansible_username=<username>
ansible_password=<password>
ansible_port=<port>

If you want to use an Inventory file to perform respective configurations through a playbook, you don't need to specify ansible_host, ansible_username, ansible_password and ansible_port in the playbook.

For example,

- name: <Description of playbook>
  connection: local
  hosts: <inventory_hostname>
  collections:
    <a10.acos_axapi>
  tasks:
    - name: <Description of task>
      <module_name>:
        <resource_key>: <resource_val>
        <another_resource_key>: <another_resource_val>

Use the following command to run playbook using an Inventory file parameters:

ansible-playbook -i <path_to_inventory> <name_of_playbook>

If you don't want to use Inventory file, then specify ansible_host, ansible_username, ansible_password and ansible_port arguments into playbook itself with hosts as localhost. And then the configurations will be performed on provided ansible_host.

For example,

- name: <Description of playbook>
  connection: local
  hosts: localhost
  collections:
    <a10.acos_axapi>
  tasks:
    - name: <Description of task>
      <module_name>:
        ansible_host: {{ ansible_host }}
        ansible_username: {{ ansible_username }}
        ansible_password: {{ ansible_password }}
        ansible_port: {{ ansible_port }}
        <resource_key>: <resource_val>
        <another_resource_key>: <another_resource_val>

Use the following command to run the playbook with local arguments:

ansible-playbook <name_of_playbook>

Use the following command to run the playbook:

ansible-playbook -i <path_to_inventory> <name_of_playbook>

Action and module names are formatted based upon their API endpoint. For example, the virtual server endpoint is as follows: /axapi/v3/slb/virtual-server. As such, the action name is a10_slb_virtual_server and the module is a10_slb_virtual_server.py.

**Note that when getting information, changes made to the playbook will not result in a create, update or delete as the state has been put into no-op.

- name: <Description of playbook>
  connection: local
  hosts: <inventory_hostname>
  collections:
    <a10.acos_axapi>
  tasks:
    - name: <Description of task>
      <module_name>:
        <resource_key>: <resource_val>
        <another_resource_key>: <another_resource_val>

- name: <Description of playbook>
  connection: local
  hosts: <inventory_hostname>
  tasks:
    - name: <Description of task>
      <a10.acos_axapi.module_name>:
        <resource_key>: <resource_val>
        <another_resource_key>: <another_resource_val>

- name: <Description of playbook>
  connection: local
  hosts: <inventory_hostname>
  tasks:
    - name: <Description of task>
      <a10.acos_axapi.module_name>:
        <resource_key>: <resource_val>
        <another_resource_key>: <another_resource_val>
        state: absent

- name: <Description of playbook>
  connection: local
  hosts: <inventory_hostname>
  tasks:
    - name: <Description of task>
      <a10.acos_axapi.module_name>:
        <resource_key>: <resource_val>
        <another_resource_key>: <another_resource_val>
        state: noop
        get_type: single

- name: <Description of playbook>
  connection: local
  hosts: <inventory_hostname>
  tasks:
    - name: <Description of task>
      <a10.acos_axapi.module_name>:
        <resource_key>: <resource_val>
        <another_resource_key>: <another_resource_val>
        state: noop
        get_type: list

- name: <Description of playbook>
  connection: local
  hosts: <inventory_hostname>
  tasks:
    - name: <Description of task>
      <a10.acos_axapi.module_name>:
        <resource_key>: <resource_val>
        <another_resource_key>: <another_resource_val>
        state: noop
        get_type: oper

- name: <Description of playbook>
  connection: local
  hosts: <inventory_hostname>
  tasks:
    - name: <Description of task>
      <a10.acos_axapi.module_name>:
        <resource_key>: <resource_val>
        <another_resource_key>: <another_resource_val>
        state: noop
        get_type: stats

- name: <Description of playbook>
  connection: local
  hosts: <inventory_hostname>
  tasks:
    - name: <Description of task>
      <a10.acos_axapi.module_name>:
        a10_partition: {{ partition_name }}
        <resource_key>: <resource_val>
        <another_resource_key>: <another_resource_val>

- name: <Description of playbook>
  connection: local
  hosts: <inventory_hostname>
  tasks:
    - name: <Description of task>
      <a10.acos_axapi.module_name>:
        a10_device_context_id: {{ device_context_id }}
        <resource_key>: <resource_val>
        <another_resource_key>: <another_resource_val>

Note: Only available in modules with file_path argument

- name: <Description of playbook>
  connection: local
  hosts: <inventory_hostname>
  tasks:
    - name: <Description of task>
      <a10.acos_axapi.module_name>:
        file_path: "/path/to/file"
        <resource_key>: <resource_val>
        <another_resource_key>: <another_resource_val>

Check mode can be specified in two ways:

- name: <Description of playbook>
  connection: local
  hosts: <inventory_hostname>
  tasks:
    - name: <Description of task>
      <a10.acos_axapi.module_name>:
        <resource_key>: <resource_val>
        <another_resource_key>: <another_resource_val>
        check_mode: yes

or

$ ansible-playbook -i <path_to_inventory> <playbook_name>.yml --check-mode

$ ansible-doc -M <collection-dir-path> <module_name>

Please see (https://github.com/a10networks/a10-acos-axapi/tree/master/examples) for example playbooks.

For all issues, please send an email to support@a10networks.com