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NVUE Snippets

NVUE supports both snippets and flexible snippets:

  • Use snippets to add configuration to either the /etc/frr/frr.conf or /etc/network/interfaces file.
  • Use flexible snippets to manage any other text file on the system.

  • A snippet configures a single parameter associated with a specific configuration file.
  • You can only set or unset a snippet; you cannot modify, partially update, or change a snippet.
  • Setting the snippet value replaces any existing snippet value.
  • Cumulus Linux supports only one snippet for a configuration file.
  • Only certain configuration files support a snippet.
  • NVUE does not parse or validate the snippet content and does not validate the resulting file after you apply the snippet.
  • PATCH is only the method of applying snippets and does not refer to any snippet capabilities.
  • As NVUE supports more features and introduces new syntax, snippets and flexible snippets become invalid. Before you upgrade Cumulus Linux to a new release, review the What's New for new NVUE syntax and remove the snippet if NVUE introduces new syntax for the feature that the snippet configures.

Snippets

Use snippets if you configure Cumulus Linux with NVUE commands, then want to configure a feature that does not yet support the NVUE Object Model. You create a snippet in yaml format, then add the configuration to either the /etc/frr/frr.conf or /etc/network/interfaces file with the nv config patch command.

The nv config patch command requires you to use the fully qualified path name to the snippet .yaml file; for example you cannot use ./ with the nv config patch command.

/etc/frr/frr.conf Snippets

Example 1: Top Level Configuration

NVUE does not support configuring BGP to peer across the default route. The following example configures BGP to peer across the default route from the default VRF:

  1. Create a .yaml file with the following snippet:

    cumulus@switch:~$ sudo nano bgp_snippet.yaml
    - set:
        system:
          config:
            snippet:
              frr.conf: |
                ip nht resolve-via-default
    
  2. Run the following command to patch the configuration:

    cumulus@switch:~$ nv config patch bgp_snippet.yaml
    
  3. Run the nv config apply command to apply the configuration:

    cumulus@switch:~$ nv config apply
    
  4. Verify that the configuration exists at the end of the /etc/frr/frr.conf file:

    cumulus@switch:~$ sudo cat /etc/frr/frr.conf
    ...
    ! end of router ospf block
    !---- CUE snippets ----
    ip nht resolve-via-default
    

Example 2: Nested Configuration

NVUE does not support configuring EVPN route targets using auto derived values from RFC 8365. The following example configures BGP to enable RFC 8365 derived router targets:

  1. Create a .yaml file with the following snippet:

    cumulus@switch:~$ sudo nano bgp_snippet.yaml
    - set:
        system:
          config:
            snippet:
              frr.conf: |
                router bgp 65517 vrf default
                  address-family l2vpn evpn
                    autort rfc8365-compatible
    

Make sure to use spaces not tabs; the parser expects spaces in yaml format.

  1. Run the following command to patch the configuration:

    cumulus@switch:~$ nv config patch bgp_snippet.yaml
    
  2. Run the nv config apply command to apply the configuration:

    cumulus@switch:~$ nv config apply
    
  3. Verify that the configuration exists at the end of the /etc/frr/frr.conf file:

    cumulus@switch:~$ sudo cat /etc/frr/frr.conf
    ...
    ! end of router bgp 65517 vrf default
    !---- CUE snippets ----
    router bgp 65517 vrf default
    address-family l2vpn evpn
    autort rfc8365-compatible
    

The snippets for FRR write content to the /etc/frr/frr.conf file. When you apply the configuration and snippet with the nv config apply command, the FRR service goes through and reads in the /etc/frr/frr.conf file.

Example 3: EVPN Multihoming FRR Debugging

NVUE does not support configuring FRR debugging for EVPN multihoming. The following example configures FRR debugging:

  1. Create a .yaml file and add the following traditional snippet:

    cumulus@switch:~$ sudo nano mh_debug_snippet.yaml
    - set:
        system:
          config:
            snippet:
              frr.conf: |
                debug bgp evpn mh es
                debug bgp evpn mh route
                debug bgp zebra
                debug zebra evpn mh es
                debug zebra evpn mh mac
                debug zebra evpn mh neigh
                debug zebra evpn mh nh
                debug zebra vxlan
    
  2. Run the following command to patch the configuration:

    cumulus@switch:~$ nv config patch mh_debug_snippet.yaml
    
  3. Run the nv config apply command to apply the configuration:

    cumulus@switch:~$ nv config apply
    
  4. Verify that the configuration exists in the /etc/frr/frr.conf file:

    cumulus@switch:~$ sudo cat /etc/frr/frr.conf
    ...
    !---- NVUE snippets ----
    debug bgp evpn mh es
    debug bgp evpn mh route
    debug bgp zebra
    debug zebra evpn mh es
    debug zebra evpn mh mac
    debug zebra evpn mh neigh
    debug zebra evpn mh nh
    debug zebra vxlan
    

The traditional snippets for FRR write content to the /etc/frr/frr.conf file. When you apply the configuration and snippet with the nv config apply command, the FRR service goes through and reads in the /etc/frr/frr.conf file.

/etc/network/interfaces Snippets

MLAG Timers Example

NVUE supports configuring only one of the MLAG service timeouts (initDelay). The following example configures the MLAG peer timeout to 400 seconds:

  1. Create a .yaml file and add the following snippet:

    cumulus@switch:~$ sudo nano mlag_snippet.yaml
    - set:
        system:
          config:
            snippet:
              ifupdown2_eni:
                peerlink.4094: |
                  clagd-args --peerTimeout 400
    
  2. Run the following command to patch the configuration:

    cumulus@switch:~$ nv config patch mlag_snippet.yaml
    
  3. Run the nv config apply command to apply the configuration:

    cumulus@switch:~$ nv config apply
    
  4. Verify that the configuration exists in the peerlink.4094 stanza of the /etc/network/interfaces file:

    cumulus@switch:~$ sudo cat /etc/network/interfaces
    ...
    auto peerlink.4094
    iface peerlink.4094
     clagd-args --peerTimeout 400
     clagd-peer-ip linklocal
     clagd-backup-ip 10.10.10.2
     clagd-sys-mac 44:38:39:BE:EF:AA
     clagd-args --initDelay 180
    ...
    

Traditional Bridge Example

NVUE does not support configuring traditional bridges. The following example configures a traditional bridge called br0 with the IP address 11.0.0.10/24. swp1, swp2 are members of the bridge.

  1. Create a .yaml file and add the following snippet:

    cumulus@switch:~$ sudo nano bridge_snippet.yaml
    - set:
        system:
         config:
           snippet:
             ifupdown2_eni:
               eni_stanzas: |
                 auto br0
                 iface br0
                   address 11.0.0.10/24
                   bridge-ports swp1 swp2
                   bridge-vlan-aware no
    
  2. Run the following command to patch the configuration:

    cumulus@switch:~$ nv config patch bridge_snippet.yaml
    
  3. Run the nv config apply command to apply the configuration:

    cumulus@switch:~$ nv config apply
    
  4. Verify that the configuration exists at the end of the /etc/network/interfaces file:

    cumulus@switch:~$ sudo cat /etc/network/interfaces
    ...
    auto br0
    iface br0
      address 11.0.0.10/24
      bridge-ports swp1 swp2
      bridge-vlan-aware no
    

Flexible Snippets

Flexible snippets are an extension of regular snippets that let you manage any text file on the system. You can add content to an existing text file or create a new text file and add content.

Flexible snippets do not support:

  • Binary files.
  • Symbolic links.
  • More than 1MB of content.
  • More than one flexible snippet in the same destination file.

Cumulus Linux runs flexible snippets as root. Exercise caution when creating and editing flexible snippets.

To create flexible snippets:

  1. Create a file in yaml format and add each flexible snippet you want to apply in the format shown below.

    cumulus@leaf01:mgmt:~$ sudo nano <filename>.yaml>
    - set:
        system:
         config:
           snippet:
             <snippet-name>:
               file: "<filename>"
               permissions: "<umask-permissions>"
               content: |
                 # This is my content
               services:
                  <name>:
                    service: <service-name>
                    action: <action>
    

    NVUE appends the flexible snippet at the end of an existing file. If the file does not exist, NVUE creates the file and adds the content.

    • You can only set the umast permissions to a new file that you create. Adding the permissions: line is optional. The default umask persmissions are 644.
    • You can add a service with an action, such as start, restart, or stop. Adding the services: lines is optional. The SNMP example below restarts the snmpd service.

TACACS+ Client Example

The following example creates a snippet called tacacs-config in a file called tacacs.yaml. The snippet adds the server 192.168.0.30 and the shared secret tacacskey to the /etc/tacplus_servers file.

  1. Create the tacacs.yaml snippet:

    cumulus@leaf01:mgmt:~$ sudo nano tacacs.yaml
    - set:
        system:
         config:
           snippet:
             tacacs-config:
               file: "/etc/tacplus_servers"
               content: |
                 secret=tacacskey
                 server=192.168.0.30
    
  2. Run the following command to patch the configuration:

    cumulus@switch:~$ nv config patch tacacs.yaml
    
  3. Run the nv config apply command to apply the configuration:

    cumulus@switch:~$ nv config apply
    

NVUE appends the snippet at the end of the /etc/tacplus_servers file.

SNMP Example

The following example creates a snippet called snmp-config in a file called snmp.yaml. The snippet adds content to the /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf file to:

  • Configure the switch to listen on any interface on the management VRF.
  • Create a read-only community.
  • Restart the snmpd service.
  1. Create the snmp.yaml snippet:

    cumulus@leaf01:mgmt:~$ sudo nano snmp.yaml
    - set:
        system:
          config:
            snippet:
              snmp-config:
                file: /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf
                content: |
                  # Listen on any interface on MGMT VRF
                  agentaddress udp:@mgmt:161
                  # Create a Read-Only Community
                  rocommunity cumuluspassword default
                services:
                  snmp:
                    service: snmpd
                    action: restart
    
  2. Run the following command to patch the configuration:

    cumulus@switch:~$ nv config patch snmp.yaml
    
  3. Run the nv config apply command to apply the configuration:

    cumulus@switch:~$ nv config apply
    

NVUE appends the snippet at the end of the /etc/snmp/snmpd.conf file.

Remove a Snippet

To remove a traditional or flexible snippet, edit the snippet’s .yaml file to change set to unset, then patch and apply the configuration. Alternatively, you can use the REST API DELETE and PATCH methods.

The following example removes the MLAG timer traditional snippet created above to configure the MLAG peer timeout:

  1. Edit the mlag_snippet.yaml file to change set to unset:

    cumulus@switch:~$ sudo nano mlag_snippet.yaml
    - unset:
        system:
          config:
            snippet:
              ifupdown2_eni:
    
  2. Run the following command to patch the configuration:

    cumulus@switch:~$ nv config patch mlag_snippet.yaml
    
  3. Run the nv config apply command to apply the configuration:

    cumulus@switch:~$ nv config apply
    
  4. Verify that the peer timeout parameter no longer exists in the peerlink.4094 stanza of the /etc/network/interfaces file:

    cumulus@switch:~$ sudo cat /etc/network/interfaces
    ...
    auto peerlink.4094
    iface peerlink.4094
     clagd-peer-ip linklocal
     clagd-backup-ip 10.10.10.2
     clagd-sys-mac 44:38:39:BE:EF:AA
     clagd-args --initDelay 180
    ...