While some Dynamic Configuration Management tools are agent-less and rely on the CLI (Command Line Interface) or REST-based APIs (for example, NX-API REST), others require a specific agent to be present in order to configure the network device. For the agent-based tools, we want to provide a simplified way to on-board the agent autonomously during startup. The extensibility of POAP and PXE enables going beyond the software image and configuration download for a network device, and can provide the installation of such an agent during initial start-up.

As part of POAP/PXE, we have to extend the process to add configuration management agents to the network device. To include the agent installation in the overall start-up process, a post-processing command-file is required to facilitate the execution and installation of the agent environment.

The following are examples of the post-processing steps needed for enabling agent installation in the network device's bash shell.

• Enable feature bash-shell
• DNS configuration of bash-shell
• RPM installation
• Installation of configuration management agent

Depending on whether the agent is installed in the bash shell or in the guest shell (container), the post-processing command file content will vary.

POAP/PXE for Dynamic Configuration Management "Agent" Onboarding