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Tomas de Leon
Cisco Employee
Cisco Employee

HOW TO CONFIGURE AN INTERFACE DESCRIPTION FOR A SWITCH IN ACI MODE?

The following technote is written against Application Policy Infrastructure Controller Version 2.2(1o). The following information may not apply to earlier versions of the Application Policy Infrastructure Controller but methods mentioned in this technote should work with the most recent ACI releases.

Adding a description to an interface on a switch in ACI mode can be accomplished using various methods. Each method will add the description to interface in a slightly different way and may present a different expected result.

Glossary of nodes and interfaces used for the following examples:

ID Pod Version Name
---- ---- --------------- -------------------------
121 1 n9000-12.2(1o) rtp-f1-p2-leaf1
121 1 n9000-12.2(1o) rtp-f1-p2-leaf2

Interface Ethernet 1/81 on the above switches
Port 1/81 is a member of the Access Block of the Interface Selector "deadbeef-ospf99-intSel"


iNXOS APIC CLI Method
The APIC CLI method is the most common and easiest way to add an "unique" description to a particular interface.

Steps to add a description using the CLI:

* SSH to the APIC as an admin user

* Use the iNXOS CLI commands to add the desired "description" for the desired physical interface.

* Use the CLI & the APIC Admin UI to verify the description was successfully added to the desired physical interface(s).

For example:

apic1# show running-config leaf 121 interface ethernet 1/81
# Command: show running-config leaf 121 interface ethernet 1/81
# Time: Thu Mar 16 15:42:00 2017
leaf 121
interface ethernet 1/81
# channel-group deadbeef-ospf99-intSel_PolGrp vpc
exit
exit

apic1# show running-config leaf 122 interface ethernet 1/81
# Command: show running-config leaf 122 interface ethernet 1/81
# Time: Thu Mar 16 15:42:19 2017
leaf 122
interface ethernet 1/81
# channel-group deadbeef-ospf99-intSel_PolGrp vpc
exit
exit

apic1# configure
apic1(config)# leaf 121
apic1(config-leaf)# interface ethernet 1/81
apic1(config-leaf-if)# description 'leaf 121 description added-by-cli'
apic1(config-leaf-if)# show running-config
# Command: show running-config leaf 121 interface ethernet 1 / 81
# Time: Thu Mar 16 15:46:19 2017
leaf 121
interface ethernet 1/81
description 'leaf 121 description added-by-cli'
# channel-group deadbeef-ospf99-intSel_PolGrp vpc
exit
exit

rtp-f1-p1-apic1(config)# leaf 122
rtp-f1-p1-apic1(config-leaf)# interface ethernet 1/81
rtp-f1-p1-apic1(config-leaf-if)# description 'leaf 122 description added-by-cli'
rtp-f1-p1-apic1(config-leaf-if)# show running-config
# Command: show running-config leaf 122 interface ethernet 1 / 81
# Time: Thu Mar 16 15:47:48 2017
leaf 122
interface ethernet 1/81
description 'leaf 122 description added-by-cli'
# channel-group deadbeef-ospf99-intSel_PolGrp vpc
exit
exit

Note: The above configuration commands only adds the DESCRIPTION to the INTERFACE NOT to the ACCESS PORT BLOCK Interface description in the Access Policies Interface Selector for these interfaces.

From the Leaf nodes:

rtp-f1-p2-leaf1# show interface ethernet 1/81 | grep description
Port description is leaf 121 description added-by-cli

rtp-f1-p2-leaf2# show interface ethernet 1/81 | grep description
Port description is leaf 122 description added-by-cli


From the APIC Admin UI:

< see attached PDF document >

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
APIC ADMIN UI Method
The APIC Admin UI method can be used to add an “group" description to interfaces which are a member of an Access Port Block. The Access Port Block is configured in the Interface Selector of the desired Interface Profile.

Steps to add a description using the APIC Admin UI:

* HTTP or HTTPS to the APIC UI and login as an admin user.

* Navigate to desire Interface Profile & desired Interface Selector. FABRIC-> ACCESS POLICIES-> INTERFACE POLICIES-> PROFILES-> LEAF PROFILES-> “Target Interface Selector Profile”.

* Expand the “Target Interface Selector Profile” and double click on the ACCESS PORT SELECTOR.

* Highlight & double click on the desire ACCESS PORT BLOCK. Add the desired "description" for the interface(s) in the Access Port Block.

* Click SUBMIT to save changes.

* Use the CLI & the APIC Admin UI to verify the description was successfully added to the desired physical interface(s).


From the Leaf nodes:

rtp-f1-p2-leaf1# show interface ethernet 1/81 | grep description
Port description is Access Port Block description added-by-ui

rtp-f1-p2-leaf2# show interface ethernet 1/81 | grep description
Port description is Access Port Block description added-by-ui


From the APIC Admin UI:

< see attached PDF document >


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REST API Method
The REST API method can be used to add an “group" description to interfaces which are a member of an Access Port Block. The Access Port Block is configured in the Interface Selector of the desired Interface Profile. Using the REST API application like POSTMAN, you can post a description to an Access Port Block.

Sample POST Syntax:

APIC IP Address = 1.2.3.4

POST
https://1.2.3.4/api/node/mo/uni.xml

PAYLOAD
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><imdata totalCount="1"><infraPortBlk descr="Access Port Block description added-by-rest-api" dn="uni/infra/accportprof-deadbeef-ospf99-swProf_ifselector/hports-deadbeef-ospf99-intSel-typ-range/portblk-block1" fromCard="1" fromPort="81" name="block1" nameAlias="" toCard="1" toPort="81"/></imdata>

RESPONSE
200 OK
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<imdata totalCount="0"></imdata>


From the Leaf nodes:

rtp-f1-p2-leaf1# show interface ethernet 1/81 | grep description
Port description is Access Port Block description added-by-rest-api

rtp-f1-p2-leaf2# show interface ethernet 1/81 | grep description
Port description is Access Port Block description added-by-rest-api


From the APIC Admin UI:

< see attached PDF document >


RESOURCES:

Using the APIC CLI
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/aci/apic/sw/1-x/cli/nx/cfg/b_APIC_NXOS_CLI_User_Guide/b_APIC_NXOS_CLI_User_Guide_chapter_010.html

Cisco APIC NX-OS Style CLI Command Reference, Release 2.2(1)
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/aci/apic/sw/2-x/cli/nx/cr221/b_APIC_NXOS_CLI_Cmd_Reference_221/b_APIC_NXOS_CLI_Cmd_Reference_chapter_01.html

Cisco APIC REST API Configuration Guide
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/switches/datacenter/aci/apic/sw/2-x/rest_cfg/2_1_x/b_Cisco_APIC_REST_API_Configuration_Guide.html

Comments
hejna
Level 1
Level 1

Hello Tomas,

 

Please, could You also add another chapter regarding description on Fabric interfaces (Spine-Leaf), APIC 10G ports, iVXLAN Tunnel and VLAN interfaces etc.

 

Thank You,

Regards

Jakub

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