Tag: Open Source

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Ansible Playbook for VyOS and BGP Routing

I am currently looking into different possibilities for Open Source alternatives to commercial routers from Cisco or Juniper to use in Amazon AWS Transit VPCs. One option is to completely build the software router by myself with a Debian Linux, FRR (Free Range Routing) and StrongSwan, read my post about the self-build software router: Open Source Routing GRE over IPSec with StrongSwan and Cisco IOS-XE

A few years back I was working with Juniper JunOS routers and I thought I’d give VyOS a try because the command line which is very similar.

I replicated the same Vagrant topology for my Ansible Playbook for Cisco BGP Routing Topology but used VyOS instead of Cisco.

Network overview:

Here are the repositories for the Vagrant topology https://github.com/berndonline/vyos-lab-vagrant and the Ansible Playbook https://github.com/berndonline/vyos-lab-provision.

The Ansible Playbook site.yml is very simple, using the Ansible vyos_system for changing the hostname and the module vyos_config for interface and routing configuration:

---

- hosts: all

  connection: local
  user: '{{ ansible_ssh_user }}'
  gather_facts: 'no'

  roles:
    - hostname
    - interfaces
    - routing

Here is an example from host_vars rtr-1.yml:

---

hostname: rtr-1
domain_name: lab.local

loopback:
  dum0:
    alias: dummy loopback0
    address: 10.255.0.1
    mask: /32

interfaces:
  eth1:
    alias: connection rtr-2
    address: 10.0.255.1
    mask: /30

  eth2:
    alias: connection rtr-3
    address: 10.0.255.5
    mask: /30

bgp:
  asn: 65001
  neighbor:
    - {address: 10.0.255.2, remote_as: 65000}
    - {address: 10.0.255.6, remote_as: 65000}
  networks:
    - {network: 10.0.255.0, mask: /30}
    - {network: 10.0.255.4, mask: /30}
    - {network: 10.255.0.1, mask: /32}
  maxpath: 2

The template interfaces.j2 for the interface configuration:

{% if loopback is defined %}
{% for port, value in loopback.items() %}
set interfaces dummy {{ port }} address '{{ value.address }}{{ value.mask }}'
set interfaces dummy {{ port }} description '{{ value.alias }}'
{% endfor %}
{% endif %}

{% if interfaces is defined %}
{% for port, value in interfaces.items() %}
set interfaces ethernet {{ port }} address '{{ value.address }}{{ value.mask }}'
set interfaces ethernet {{ port }} description '{{ value.alias }}'
{% endfor %}
{% endif %}

This is the template routing.j2 for the routing configuration:

{% if bgp is defined %}
{% if bgp.maxpath is defined %}
set protocols bgp {{ bgp.asn }} maximum-paths ebgp '{{ bgp.maxpath }}'
{% endif %}
{% for item in bgp.neighbor %}
set protocols bgp {{ bgp.asn }} neighbor {{ item.address }} ebgp-multihop '2'
set protocols bgp {{ bgp.asn }} neighbor {{ item.address }} remote-as '{{ item.remote_as }}'
{% endfor %}
{% for item in bgp.networks %}
set protocols bgp {{ bgp.asn }} network '{{ item.network }}{{ item.mask }}'
{% endfor %}
set protocols bgp {{ bgp.asn }} parameters router-id '{{ loopback.dum0.address }}'
{% endif %}

The output of the running Ansible Playbook:

PLAY [all] *********************************************************************

TASK [hostname : write hostname and domain-name] *******************************
changed: [rtr-3]
changed: [rtr-2]
changed: [rtr-4]
changed: [rtr-1]

TASK [interfaces : write interfaces config] ************************************
changed: [rtr-4]
changed: [rtr-1]
changed: [rtr-3]
changed: [rtr-2]

TASK [routing : write routing config] ******************************************
changed: [rtr-2]
changed: [rtr-4]
changed: [rtr-3]
changed: [rtr-1]

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
rtr-1                      : ok=3    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0   
rtr-2                      : ok=3    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0   
rtr-3                      : ok=3    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0   
rtr-4                      : ok=3    changed=3    unreachable=0    failed=0

Like in all my other Ansible Playbooks I use some kind of validation, a simple ping check vyos_check_icmp.yml to see if the configuration is correctly deployed:

---

- hosts: all

  connection: local
  user: '{{ ansible_ssh_user }}'
  gather_facts: 'no'

  tasks:
    - name: validate connection from rtr-1
      vyos_command:
        commands: 'ping {{ item }} count 4'
      when: "'rtr-1' in inventory_hostname"
      with_items:
        - '10.0.255.2'
        - '10.0.255.6'

    - name: validate connection from rtr-2
      vyos_command:
        commands: 'ping {{ item }} count 4'
      when: "'rtr-2' in inventory_hostname"
      with_items:
        - '10.0.255.1'
        - '10.0.254.1'
        - '10.0.253.2'
...

The output of the icmp validation Playbook:

PLAY [all] *********************************************************************

TASK [validate connection from rtr-1] ******************************************
skipping: [rtr-3] => (item=10.0.255.2) 
skipping: [rtr-3] => (item=10.0.255.6) 
skipping: [rtr-2] => (item=10.0.255.2) 
skipping: [rtr-2] => (item=10.0.255.6) 
skipping: [rtr-4] => (item=10.0.255.2) 
skipping: [rtr-4] => (item=10.0.255.6) 
ok: [rtr-1] => (item=10.0.255.2)
ok: [rtr-1] => (item=10.0.255.6)

TASK [validate connection from rtr-2] ******************************************
skipping: [rtr-3] => (item=10.0.255.1) 
skipping: [rtr-3] => (item=10.0.254.1) 
skipping: [rtr-1] => (item=10.0.255.1) 
skipping: [rtr-3] => (item=10.0.253.2) 
skipping: [rtr-1] => (item=10.0.254.1) 
skipping: [rtr-1] => (item=10.0.253.2) 
skipping: [rtr-4] => (item=10.0.255.1) 
skipping: [rtr-4] => (item=10.0.254.1) 
skipping: [rtr-4] => (item=10.0.253.2) 
ok: [rtr-2] => (item=10.0.255.1)
ok: [rtr-2] => (item=10.0.254.1)
ok: [rtr-2] => (item=10.0.253.2)

TASK [validate connection from rtr-3] ******************************************
skipping: [rtr-1] => (item=10.0.255.5) 
skipping: [rtr-1] => (item=10.0.254.5) 
skipping: [rtr-2] => (item=10.0.255.5) 
skipping: [rtr-1] => (item=10.0.253.1) 
skipping: [rtr-2] => (item=10.0.254.5) 
skipping: [rtr-2] => (item=10.0.253.1) 
skipping: [rtr-4] => (item=10.0.255.5) 
skipping: [rtr-4] => (item=10.0.254.5) 
skipping: [rtr-4] => (item=10.0.253.1) 
ok: [rtr-3] => (item=10.0.255.5)
ok: [rtr-3] => (item=10.0.254.5)
ok: [rtr-3] => (item=10.0.253.1)

TASK [validate connection from rtr-4] ******************************************
skipping: [rtr-3] => (item=10.0.254.2) 
skipping: [rtr-3] => (item=10.0.254.6) 
skipping: [rtr-1] => (item=10.0.254.2) 
skipping: [rtr-1] => (item=10.0.254.6) 
skipping: [rtr-2] => (item=10.0.254.2) 
skipping: [rtr-2] => (item=10.0.254.6) 
ok: [rtr-4] => (item=10.0.254.2)
ok: [rtr-4] => (item=10.0.254.6)

TASK [validate bgp connection from rtr-1] **************************************
skipping: [rtr-3] => (item=10.255.0.4) 
skipping: [rtr-2] => (item=10.255.0.4) 
skipping: [rtr-4] => (item=10.255.0.4) 
ok: [rtr-1] => (item=10.255.0.4)

TASK [validate bgp connection from rtr-4] **************************************
skipping: [rtr-3] => (item=10.255.0.1) 
skipping: [rtr-1] => (item=10.255.0.1) 
skipping: [rtr-2] => (item=10.255.0.1) 
ok: [rtr-4] => (item=10.255.0.1)

PLAY RECAP *********************************************************************
rtr-1                      : ok=2    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0   
rtr-2                      : ok=1    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0   
rtr-3                      : ok=1    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0   
rtr-4                      : ok=2    changed=0    unreachable=0    failed=0

As you see, the configuration is successfully deployed and BGP connectivity between the nodes.

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Getting started with Ansible AWX (Open Source Tower version)

Ansible released AWX a few weeks ago, an open source (community supported) version of their commercial Ansible Tower product. This is a web-based graphical interface to manage Ansible playbooks, inventories, and schedule jobs to run playbooks.

The Github repository you find here: https://github.com/ansible/awx

Let’s start with the installation of Ansible AWX, very easy because everything is dockerized and see the install guide for more information.

Modify the inventory file under the installer folder and change the Postgres data folder which is otherwise located under /tmp, also change Postgres DB username and password if needed. I would recommend binding AWX to localhost and put an Nginx reverse proxy in front with SSL encryption.

Changes in the inventory file:

postgres_data_dir=/var/lib/postgresql/data/
host_port=127.0.0.1:8052

Start the build of the Docker container:

ansible-playbook -i inventory install.yml

After the Ansible Playbook run completes, you see the following Docker container:

berndonline@lab:~/awx/installer$ docker ps
CONTAINER ID        IMAGE                     COMMAND                  CREATED             STATUS              PORTS                                NAMES
26a73c91cb04        ansible/awx_task:latest   "/tini -- /bin/sh ..."   2 days ago          Up 24 hours         8052/tcp                             awx_task
07774696a7f2        ansible/awx_web:latest    "/tini -- /bin/sh ..."   2 days ago          Up 24 hours         127.0.0.1:8052->8052/tcp             awx_web
981f4f02c759        memcached:alpine          "docker-entrypoint..."   2 days ago          Up 24 hours         11211/tcp                            memcached
4f4a3141b54d        rabbitmq:3                "docker-entrypoint..."   2 days ago          Up 24 hours         4369/tcp, 5671-5672/tcp, 25672/tcp   rabbitmq
faf07f7b4682        postgres:9.6              "docker-entrypoint..."   2 days ago          Up 24 hours         5432/tcp                             postgres
berndonline@lab:~/awx/installer$

Install Nginx:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install nginx
sudo rm /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/default

Create Nginx vhosts configuration:

sudo vi /etc/nginx/sites-available/awx

server {
    listen 443 ssl;
    server_name awx.domain.com;

    ssl on;
    ssl_certificate /etc/nginx/ssl/awx.domain.com-cert.pem;
    ssl_certificate_key /etc/nginx/ssl/awx.domain.com-key.pem;

    location / {
        proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:8052;
        proxy_set_header Host $host;
        proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
        proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
    }
}

Create symlink in sites enable to point to awx config:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/awx /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/awx

Reload Nginx to apply configuration:

sudo systemctl reload nginx

Afterwards you are able to login with username “admin” and password “password”:

I created a simple job for testing with AWX, you first start to create a project, credentials and inventories. The project points to your Git repository:

Under the job you configure which project, credentials and inventories to use:

Once saved you can manually trigger the job, it first pulls the latest playbook from your version control repository and afterwards executes the configured Ansible playbook:

The job details look very similar if you run an playbook on the CLI:

Ansible AWX is a very useful tool if you need to manage different Ansible playbooks and do job scheduling if you are not already using other tools like Jenkins or Gitlab-CI. But even then it is a good addition to use AWX to run ad-hoc playbooks.

Check out my new articles about Automate Ansible AWX configuration using Tower-CLI and Build Ansible Tower Container.

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