Introduction:

In this blog post, I will be discussing my experience with Cisco NSO (Network Service Orchestrator) and how I successfully deployed it in my homelab environment. NSO is a powerful tool that allows administrators to manage and configure network devices using a centralized platform. In this article, I will be sharing my steps for setting up NSO on a Dell Poweredge R610 with Ubuntu on VMware ESXi, and how I used it to write configurations for a Cisco router.

Getting Started with NSO:

To get started with NSO, I first needed to download the software from the Cisco website. After downloading the software, I installed it on my Dell Poweredge R610 using Ubuntu on VMware ESXi. The installation process was straightforward, and I was able to complete it quickly.

Once NSO was installed, I was able to access it through a web-based interface. The interface is intuitive and easy to use, with clear and concise menus and options. I was able to easily navigate the interface and find the options I needed to configure my network devices.

Configuring Network Devices:

To configure my network devices using NSO, I first needed to add them to the system. This involved selecting the device from a list of available devices, and then specifying the IP address and other configuration details for the device. Once the device was added, I was able to access its configuration page and make changes as needed.

I used NSO to write configurations for a Cisco router, which involved setting up the routing protocols, defining access control lists, and configuring the firewall. The process was straightforward, and I was able to complete it quickly and easily using the intuitive interface provided by NSO.

Commiting Changes:

Once I had made all of the necessary changes to my network devices, I needed to commit those changes so that they would take effect on the devices. This involved selecting the changes I wanted to commit, and then clicking the “Commit” button to apply the changes to the devices.

I also used the “Commit Manager” feature in NSO to review the changes I had made before committing them. This allowed me to double-check my work and make sure that all of the changes I had made were correct and accurate.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, my experience with Cisco NSO was very positive. The software is easy to use and intuitive, making it simple to configure network devices using a centralized platform. I was able to easily set up and manage my network devices using NSO, and I am confident that it will be a valuable tool for any network administrator looking to streamline their configuration management processes.