pyATS & Genie

Device Connections

Because we are in the business of network test automation, pyATS is
designed around the concept of testbeds: where you describe your devices under testing in YAML format.

This testbed YAML file provides many sections for you to describe your physical devices, and how they link together to form the topology.

yaml
Copy# a simpe testbed yaml containing a single device

devices:                # all device definition goes under devices block
  csr1000v-1:           # start a device definition with its HOSTNAME
    type: router
    os: iosxe           # this tells the engine what type of OS its connected to
    credentials:
        default:                         # login credentials
            username: devnetuser
            password: Cisco123!
    connections:        # give the block on how to connect to its mgmt interface
      mgmt:
        protocol: ssh
        ip: 172.25.192.90

You can now connect to this testbed device, and issue commands. Let's check it in shell:

bash
Copybash$ pyats shell --testbed-file our-testbed-file.yaml
Welcome to pyATS Interactive Shell
==================================
Python 3.6.8 (default, Jun 19 2019, 15:21:54)
[GCC 4.2.1 Compatible Apple LLVM 10.0.1 (clang-1001.0.46.4)]

>>> from pyats.topology import loader
>>> testbed = loader.load('our-testbed-file.yaml')
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>> testbed
<pyats.topology.testbed.Testbed object at 0x10ef4a898>
>>> testbed.devices
TopologyDict({'csr1000v-1': <Device csr1000v-1 at 0x10fc7c080>})
>>> device = testbed.devices['csr1000v-1']
>>> device.connect()
# ... output ...
>>> device.execute('show version')
# ... output ...
>>>

For more information on how to use the various connection mechanisms delivered as part of the infrastructure, see sub-sections on the left navigation panel.

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