ZPE Cloud

Steps to Create a Dynamic Inventory

To create and manage device inventory via plugin, several steps are required. This guide covers the Nodegrid and ZPE Cloud plugin.

Prerequisites

Verify you are using the correct ansible and python binaries. Depending on your setup in Automation Gateway, it will change how you perform a few of the steps below.

First, if you are using the default python3 bin location at /usr/local/bin/python3 or /usr/bin/python3, ensure the location of the python3 binary matches your path:

which python3

Next, if you are using a Python VENV (virtual environment), you will want to source the VENV first:

source /opt/automation-gateway/.venv/bin/activate

Last, you will want to use the binary location of the Python VENV:

source /opt/automation-gateway/.venv/bin/activate && which python3

Sourcing the VENV first will ensure the ansible and python binaries are the correct ones being used by Automation Gateway.

Step 1: Install the Nodegrid collection

Perform the following actions to install the Nodegrid Collection:

1. Download the repository using the following command:
   git clone https://github.com/ZPESystems/Ansible.git
    
2. Enter into the ansible directory.
   cd Ansible
    
3. Build the library using the build.py script.
   python3 build.py
    
4. Install the collection with ansible-galaxy.
   ansible-galaxy collection install -r build/collections/requirements.yml --force
    
5. In the /etc/ansible/ansible.cfg file, define the key interpreter_python with the location of the Python interpreter. This is the minimal ansible.cfg recommended file content:

[defaults]

interpreter_python = /usr/bin/python3

gathering = explicit

host_key_checking = False

[ssh_connection]

ssh_args = -o ControlMaster=no -o ControlPersist=3600s -o PreferredAuthentications=publickey

Step 2: Install ZPE Cloud collection

Once the Nodegrid Collection is installed in the Automation platform, you must install the ZPE Cloud collection to access the ZPE Cloud features. The installation workflow involves the following steps:

1. Download and install the ZPE Cloud collection.
2. Set up a dynamic inventory.
3. Set up the connection plugin.

Step 3: Install the connection plugin

Before installing, ensure the following prerequisites are met:

• Nodegrid version 5.6.5 or higher is recommended.
• An account with ZPE Cloud based on which the inventory is created.

Follow these steps to install the ZPE Cloud collection:

1. On the Ansible controller, install the ZPE Cloud collection:

ansible-galaxy install zpe.zpecloud

 
2. Set up the zpecloud dynamic inventory plugin by creating a file called zpecloud.yml in the ansible inventory folder. Provide the following details:

plugin: zpe.zpecloud.zpecloud_nodegrid_inventory
url: https://zpecloud.com
username: youruser@email.com
password: yourpassword
organization: yourcompanyname

• If the URL field is left unassigned, then zpecloud.com is set as the default value.
• The organization field is required only if the user has more than one organization associated with the account. This field is case-sensitive.

 
3. Test the inventory connection using this command to display the list of available devices:

ansible-inventory --graph .

 
4. After setting up the Inventory plugin, you will need to set up the connection plugin by providing the same details as those provided during the inventory setup. This plugin is used to access the ZPE Cloud API. In the ansible inventory folder, create a group_vars folder and create a file called zpecloud_device_enrolled.yml and provide the following details:

"ansible_connection": zpe.zpecloud.zpecloud
"ansible_zpecloud_username": "youruser@email.com"
"ansible_zpecloud_password": "password"
"ansible_zpecloud_organization": "yourcompanyname" #
"ansible_python_interpreter": "/usr/bin/python3"

You now have all the required components installed and can start creating and running a playbook.

Step 4: Create and run a playbook

In this step, you will create a sample playbook executed against the online Nodegrid devices in the inventory and display the gathered default facts from the specific Nodegrid device.

1. In your Ansible playbook directory, create the following sample playbook file called zpecloud_get_facts.yml using the following content.

name: Get Ansible Facts
hosts: zpecloud_device_online
gather_facts: True
tasks:
   - name: Display Systems Facts
debug:
   var: ansible_facts

 
2. Once the playbook is created, use the following command to run it.

ansible-playbook zpecloud_get_facts.yml

Step 5: Make ZPE Cloud work with Automation Gateway

In Automation Gateway, navigate to Configuration → Automation Gateway → Ansible.

Under the section labeled Inventory File, set your path to the full path of your zpecloud.yml file:

/opt/automation-gateway/ansible/inventory/zpecloud.yml

Then restart Automation Gateway to initialize the new external (dynamic) inventory.

systemctl restart automation-gateway

Figure: ZPE Cloud Inventory File