Learn How to Get Started with DNA Center Templates

DNA Center is maturing into a very robust tool for the network administrator. The lessons learned over a decade from Prime guided us toward a tool that will transform the future of networks. Prime has served many organizations for over a decade; DNA Centers’ capabilities and unique UI make it a robust successor. Additionally, DNA Center can easily accomplish various network automation tasks that would ordinarily take days to achieve. Lastly, to aid in understanding DNA Center’s capabilities, we provide a helpful DNA Center template tutorial.

Secondly, an area where DNA Center excels is in the area of automation. DNA Center uses a simple hierarchical workflow mechanism that enables the deployment of network settings, credentials, images, and templates to the network. DNA Center’s hierarchical approach to intent automates and provides policy continuity. 

Finally, many will probably find the whole prospect of change and the development of automation templates a daunting task. It may seem cumbersome to revisit today’s methods to build configurations. As a result, reviewing their construction and changing their deployment approach may feel a little overwhelming. 

How?

To aid customers in the transition toward automation, we have put together a set of small helpful tutorials within a Github repository. As a result, we hope to demystify some of the complexities of setting up plug-and-play and help guide customers through the complexities. In this way, the tutorial provides a glimpse into the fundamentals of building velocity templates and provides examples that you can download and expand from. These sample templates and JSON files are supplied for easy import into DNA Centers’ template editor for quicker adoption.

Firstly, we delve into the concepts of building templates and methodologies for using both Onboarding and DayN templates at length. Secondly, answers to many of the questions that come up during automation workshops are explained. The hope is that you find the information both helpful and informative. Thus, information is included, which will hopefully give a well-rounded explanation of automation methods and concepts.

To deploy Intent, we use combinations of either one or multiple templates and the Design Settings and Policies within the UI. Lastly, Day N methods allow for one or multiple templates by using composite templates that combine many regular templates into one logical flow.

Additionally:

1. Intent is a combination of configuration templates, configuration, policy, code, and settings.
2. Logical constructs modify or choose between various results via decision (‘IF’) statements.
3. Looping structures within the template allow for repetition of configuration
4. Variables may be used when the device is being onboarded or provisioned