Multi-Vendor Support Documentation¶

Overview¶

The Network Toolkit now supports multiple network vendors through a flexible, vendor-specific command sequence architecture. This allows you to manage devices from different vendors using their native command syntax while maintaining a unified interface.

Supported Vendors¶

Currently Implemented¶

MikroTik RouterOS (mikrotik_routeros) - Primary focus, fully featured
Cisco IOS-XE (cisco_iosxe) - Switches and routers
Cisco NX-OS (cisco_nxos) - Data center switches
Arista EOS (arista_eos) - Data center and campus switches
Juniper JunOS (juniper_junos) - Enterprise switches and routers

Extensibility¶

The architecture is designed to easily support additional vendors by:

Adding new vendor sequence directories
Creating vendor-specific command mappings
Updating the platform configuration

Architecture¶

Vendor-Specific Sequences¶

Sequences are organized by vendor platform following Scrapli naming conventions:

config/sequences/
├── mikrotik_routeros/
│   └── common.yml
├── cisco_iosxe/
│   └── common.yml
├── cisco_nxos/
│   └── common.yml
├── arista_eos/
│   └── common.yml
└── juniper_junos/
    └── common.yml

Sequence Resolution Order¶

When executing a sequence, the toolkit follows this priority order:

Global sequences (highest priority) - Defined in sequences.yml
Vendor-specific sequences - Based on device's device_type
Device-specific sequences (lowest priority) - Defined in device configuration

Device Configuration¶

Each device must specify its vendor type:

devices:
  mikrotik-switch:
    host: "10.0.1.10"
    device_type: "mikrotik_routeros" # Determines which sequences to use
    # ... other config

  cisco-switch:
    host: "10.0.1.20"
    device_type: "cisco_iosxe" # Uses Cisco IOS-XE sequences
    # ... other config

Command Sequences¶

Common Sequences Across Vendors¶

All vendors support these standardized sequence names with vendor-appropriate commands:

system_info - Complete system information gathering
health_check - Basic health monitoring
quick_status - Quick device status overview
interface_status - Detailed interface information
network_overview - Network configuration overview
security_audit - Security configuration review
connectivity_test - Network connectivity testing

Vendor-Specific Command Examples¶

MikroTik RouterOS¶

system_info:
  commands:
    - "/system/identity/print"
    - "/system/resource/print"
    - "/system/routerboard/print"

Cisco IOS-XE¶

system_info:
  commands:
    - "show version"
    - "show inventory"
    - "show environment all"

Arista EOS¶

system_info:
  commands:
    - "show version"
    - "show inventory"
    - "show environment"

Configuration¶

Platform Configuration¶

The sequences.yml file defines vendor platform mappings:

vendor_platforms:
  mikrotik_routeros:
    description: "MikroTik RouterOS devices"
    sequence_path: "sequences/mikrotik_routeros"
    default_files: ["common.yml"]

  cisco_iosxe:
    description: "Cisco IOS-XE devices"
    sequence_path: "sequences/cisco_iosxe"
    default_files: ["common.yml"]

Device Groups by Vendor¶

You can create vendor-specific device groups:

groups:
  cisco_devices:
    description: "All Cisco devices (IOS-XE and NX-OS)"
    match_tags:
      - "cisco"

  mikrotik_devices:
    description: "All MikroTik devices"
    match_tags:
      - "mikrotik"

Usage Examples¶

Running Vendor-Specific Sequences¶

# Run system_info on a MikroTik device (uses MikroTik commands)
nw run sw-mikrotik system_info

# Run system_info on a Cisco device (uses Cisco commands)
nw run sw-cisco system_info

# Run on a group with mixed vendors (automatically uses correct commands)
nw run all_switches health_check

Listing Sequences by Vendor¶

# List all sequences for all vendors
nw list sequences

# List sequences for a specific vendor
nw list sequences --vendor mikrotik_routeros

# List sequences by category
nw list sequences --category monitoring

# Verbose output with command details
nw list sequences --vendor cisco_iosxe --verbose

Managing Multi-Vendor Groups¶

# List devices by vendor
nw list devices | grep cisco
nw list devices | grep mikrotik

# Run operations on vendor-specific groups
nw run cisco_devices health_check
nw run mikrotik_devices system_info

Adding New Vendors¶

Step 1: Create Vendor Directory¶

mkdir -p config/sequences/new_vendor

Step 2: Create Sequence File¶

Create config/sequences/new_vendor/common.yml:

sequences:
  system_info:
    description: "System information for New Vendor"
    category: "information"
    timeout: 60
    commands:
      - "show system"
      - "show version"
      # ... vendor-specific commands

Step 3: Update Platform Configuration¶

Add to sequences.yml:

vendor_platforms:
  new_vendor:
    description: "New Vendor devices"
    sequence_path: "sequences/new_vendor"
    default_files: ["common.yml"]

Step 4: Configure Devices¶

Add devices with the new vendor type:

devices:
  new-device:
    device_type: "new_vendor"
    # ... other configuration

Best Practices¶

1. Consistent Sequence Names¶

Use standardized sequence names across vendors for common operations:

system_info, health_check, quick_status
interface_status, network_overview
security_audit, connectivity_test

2. Vendor-Specific Categories¶

Use consistent categories:

information - Data gathering
monitoring - Health checks
troubleshooting - Diagnostic commands
security - Security auditing

3. Command Timeouts¶

Set appropriate timeouts for different vendors:

Some vendors may need longer timeouts for complex commands
Consider device performance characteristics

4. Error Handling¶

Different vendors may have different:

Command syntax variations
Error message formats
Connection characteristics

5. Testing¶

Always test new vendor sequences:

# Test individual commands first
nw run new-device "show version"

# Then test sequences
nw run new-device system_info

Migration from Single-Vendor¶

Existing Installations¶

Legacy single-file sequences.yml configurations are no longer supported; use modular sequences/ files. - Gradual migration path available - No breaking changes to existing functionality

Migration Steps¶

Move existing sequences to sequences/mikrotik_routeros/common.yml
Update sequences.yml with vendor platform definitions
Add new vendor sequences as needed
Update device configurations with explicit device_type

Troubleshooting¶

Common Issues¶

Sequence Not Found¶

Error: Sequence 'system_info' not found for device type

Solution: Ensure the device's device_type matches a configured vendor platform.

Wrong Commands Executed¶

Issue: Device receives commands for wrong vendor Solution: Verify device_type in device configuration matches actual device vendor.

Missing Vendor Sequences¶

Issue: No sequences found for vendor Solution: Check that vendor sequence files exist and are properly formatted.

Debug Commands¶

# Check device configuration
nw info device-name

# List available sequences for device's vendor
nw list sequences --vendor cisco_iosxe

# Test with verbose logging
nw --verbose sequence device-name system_info