Pyeapi Configuration File¶
The pyeapi configuration file is a convenient place to store node connection information. By keeping connection information central, your pyeapi scripts can effortlessly reference nodes without any manual import of credentials or location information. Therefore, the pyeapi configuration file becomes a reflection of your switch inventory and the way in which the EOS Command API is enabled on the node. The following explains how to craft your pyeapi configuration file to address specific implementation styles.
Contents
eapi.conf Parameters¶
The following configuration options are available for defining node entries:
| host: | The IP address or FQDN of the remote device. If the host parameter is omitted then the connection name is used |
|---|---|
| username: | The eAPI username to use for authentication (only required for http or https connections) |
| password: | The eAPI password to use for authentication (only required for http or https connections) |
| enablepwd: | The enable mode password if required by the destination node |
| transport: | Configures the type of transport connection to use. Valid values are:
|
| port: | Configures the port to use for the eAPI connection. A default port is used if this parameter is absent, based on the transport setting using the following values:
|
When is an eapi.conf file needed?¶
It’s important to understand the nuances of the pyeapi configuration file so you can simplify your implementation. Here’s a quick summary of when the eapi.conf file is needed:
| Transport | eapi.conf Required | Script run from | Authentication Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| http | Yes | On/Off-switch | Yes |
| https | Yes | On/Off-switch | Yes |
| https_certs | Yes | On/Off-switch | Yes (Auth done via certs, not un/pw) |
| http_local | Yes | On-switch only | No |
| socket | No | On-switch only | No |
Where should the file be placed?¶
| Search Order | Search Location |
|---|---|
| 1 | Environment Variable EAPI_CONF=/path/to/eapi.conf |
| 2 | $HOME/.eapi.conf |
| 3 | /mnt/flash/eapi.conf |
Note
There is a slight difference in #2 .eapi.conf versus
#3 eapi.conf
eapi.conf for On-box Implementations¶
This method would be used to run a pyeapi script on-box. In this mode, eAPI can be configured to require or not require authentication depending upon how you enabled EOS Command API.
Notice from the table above, that if EOS Command API Unix Sockets are enabled, or HTTP Local, you get the benefit of not needing to pass in credentials since the connection can only be made from localhost and it assumes the user has already authenticated to get on the switch.
Using Unix Sockets¶
This is the preferred method. The default transport for pyeapi is socket
and the default host is localhost. Therefore, if running a pyeapi script
on-box and have Unix Sockets enabled, you do not need an eapi.conf, nor do you
need to pass any credentials (quite handy!).
Note
Unix Sockets are supported on EOS 4.14.5+
Using HTTP Local¶
As the table above indicates, a pyeapi configuration file is required in
/mnt/flash/eapi.conf. It would contain something like:
[connection:localhost]
transport: http_local
Pay attention: once eapi.conf exists, the respective protocol method must be
configured on the box. E.g., for the above eapi.conf sample, the following
configuration must also exist:
switch(config)#management http-server
switch(config-mgmt-http-server)#protocol http localhost
Using HTTP or HTTPS¶
As the table above indicates, a pyeapi configuration file is required in
/mnt/flash/eapi.conf. It would contain something like:
[connection:localhost]
transport: http[s]
username: admin
password: admin
eapi.conf for Off-box Implementations¶
This method would be used to run a pyeapi script from another server. In this mode, eAPI will require authentication. The only real option is whether you connect over HTTP or HTTPS.
Note
The socket and http_local transport options are not
applicable.
Notice from the table above, that if EOS Command API Unix Sockets are enabled, or HTTP Local, you get the benefit of not needing to pass in credentials since the connection can only be made from localhost and it assumes the user has already authenticated to get on the switch.
Using HTTP or HTTPS¶
As the table above indicates, a pyeapi configuration file is required in
$HOME/.eapi.conf. It would contain something like:
[connection:veos01]
transport: http
username: paul
password: nottelling
[connection:veos03]
transport: https
username: bob
password: mysecret
[connection:veos04]
host: 192.168.2.10
transport: https
username: admin
password: admin
Note
avoid using localhost name in the connection description (i.e.: [connection:localhost]).
The name localhost is reserved solely for on-box connection method and it won’t work when
connecting off-box
Using HTTPS with Certificates¶
The https_certs transport options allows users to do authentication for pyeapi with certificates instead of username/password. This requires functional certificate chains are setup, copied to the proper location and trusted by EOS beforehand. The ca_file parameter is optional. If provided the switches certificate will also be validated against the provided CA cert. If no CA cert is provided then no server side validation will be done.
[connection:veos01]
transport: https_certs
cert_file: /path/to/certificate/file
key_file: /path/to/private/key/file
ca_file: /path/to/CA/certificate/file
[connection:veos02]
transport: https_certs
cert_file: /path/to/certificate/file
key_file: /path/to/private/key/file
The DEFAULT Section¶
The [DEFAULT] section can be used to gather globally applicable settings. Say that all of your nodes use the same transport or username, you can do something like:
[connection:veos01]
[connection:veos03]
transport: https
username: bob
password: mysecret
[connection:veos04]
host: 192.168.2.10
[DEFAULT]
transport: https
username: admin
password: admin