Users Guide

OS10 provisioning
OS10 supports automated switch provisioning — conguration and monitoring — using:
• RESTCONF API — REST-like protocol that uses HTTPS connections. Use the OS10 RESTCONF API to set up the conguration
parameters on OS10 switches with JavaScript Object Notation (JSON)-structured messages. You can use any programming language
to create and send JSON messages; see RESTCONF API.
• SmartFabric Services fabric automation — Automate the conguration of OS10 switches in Isilon backend, PowerEdge MX, and VxRail
turnkey solutions; see Dell EMC PowerEdge MX SmartFabric Services Conguration and Troubleshooting Guide.
• Linux DevOps ecosystem — OS10 provides access to an unmodied Linux (Debian) operating system that allows you to benet from
the Linux DevOps ecosystem. Programmers can write applications in Python or C/C++ to execute on an OS10 switch.
• Ansible — Third-party DevOps tool. Ansible is a powerful, open-source IT automation engine that provides a simple way to automate
application software and IT infrastructure. Ansible allows you to remove complexity from these environments and accelerate DevOps
initiatives; see Using Ansible and Example: Congure OS10 switch using Ansible.
Using Ansible
Ansible works by connecting to your nodes using SSH and pushing out small programs, called Ansible modules, to them. Ansible includes
hundreds of network modules to support a wide variety of network device vendors. Ansible uses a simple, powerful and agentless
automation framework. For more information, go to Network Automation with Ansible.
Dell EMC Networking Ansible solutions
Dell EMC Networking Ansible solutions are based on an open ecosystem that allows organizations to choose from industry-standard
network applications, network operating systems, and network hardware. Use Ansible to provision and manage Dell EMC switches for rapid
new device deployment and network conguration changes. Ansible also allows you to track running network device congurations against
a known baseline for both Dell EMC and third-party operating systems.
The Ansible modules for Dell EMC Networking solutions allow organizations to reduce the time and eort required to design, provision, and
manage networks by providing these benets:
• Agentless — No new software is required to install on switches.
• Powerful — End-to-end automation of the conguration of bare metal switches using the Dell EMC Open Automation framework.
• Easy-to-use — Dell EMC Networking modules ship with the Ansible distribution. There is nothing extra to install.
• Best practice — Uses CLI user authentication to centralize and monitor session management.
Dell EMC Networking Ansible modules
Ansible ships with a number of modules that can be executed directly on remote hosts or through playbooks. The collection of modules is
called the module library. Modules are discrete units of code that are used from the command line or in a playbook task. You can also write
your own modules.
Starting with Ansible 2.2, the Ansible core supports Dell EMC Networking modules. Use these modules to manage and automate Dell EMC
switches running OS6, OS9, and OS10. Dell EMC Networking modules are executed in local connection mode using CLI and SSH transport.
The following OS10 modules are integrated into the Ansible core:
• dellos10_command: Runs show commands or EXEC mode commands through Ansible. For example, show version command
output displays the current OS version running on a switch.
• dellos10_config: Runs OS10 conguration commands through Ansible.
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