Help us improve your experience.

Let us know what you think.

Do you have time for a two-minute survey?

 
 

Arista Device Agent

Although the preferred method of installing device system agents is from the Apstra GUI, you can manually install Apstra agents from the CLI. Only in rare exceptions would you need to manually install agents, which requires more effort and is error-prone. Before manually installing agents, you should have an in-depth understanding of the various device states, configuration stages, and agent operations . For assistance, contact Juniper Support.

Note:

You can also use Apstra ZTP to automatically boot and install agents and prerequisite configuration on switches. Using Apstra ZTP is simpler and easier to support at scale than manually installing agents.

Initial Arista EOS Configuration

Disable ZTP

If you are provisioning the switch without ZTP (ZTP Disabled), ensure that the ZTP process is disabled before proceeding. After logging into the switch for the first time, run the command zerotouch disable. This requires a device reload.

Configure AAA and network-admin User

To install or manage the agent, a network-admin user must be configured on the device with a known password.

Configure IP Address and Management VRF

Note:

If you are installing an onbox agent, you don't need to configure the management VRF. If it's needed, the agent installer automatically configures the management VRF.

The agent uses the management VRF. Move any management interfaces from the default (none) VRF into the management VRF.

The agent uses the Management1 interface by default. On modular chassis such as the Arista 7504 or 7508, the management interface is Management0 - check your platform to see if management interfaces appear as Management1 or Management1/1, Management1/2, and Management0. Management0 is a shared management interface between both supervisors.

CAUTION:

If you are logging into this switch remotely, make sure you have an out-of-band connection prior to issuing the vrf forwarding management command under an interface. This immediately removes the IP address from the NIC and potentially locks you out of your system.

Configure DNS for EOS

Apstra server discovery supports DNS-based discovery if you are manually configuring the agent. By default, the aos-config file looks for tbt://aos-server:29731 - accordingly, you can use a DNS nameserver to resolve aos-server.

Configure HTTP API for EOS

Note:

If you are installing an onbox agent, you don't need to configure HTTP API. If it's needed, the agent installer automatically configures the HTTP API.

HTTP API and Unix sockets are used to connect to the EOS API for configuration rendering and telemetry commands. The API must be made available for both the default route and the management VRF. The agent connects using the unix-socket locally on the filesystem.

Configure multi-agent for EVPN

To run EVPN with Arista devices running EOS 4.22, you must run the service routing protocols model multi-agent. You must also reboot the device to apply the configuration.

To ensure that it is added to the pristine configuration of the device, we recommend that you add multi-agent configuration to the device before installing the agent. After adding the configuration, save the device configuration and reload the device.

Decommission Device

  1. From the left navigation menu of the Apstra GUI, navigate to Devices > Managed Devices and select the check box for the device to decommission.
  2. Click the DECOMM button (above the table), then click Confirm to change the admin state and return to the table view.
  3. With the device still selected, click the Delete system(s) button, then click Confirm to remove the device and return to the table view.

Remove Apstra Package from Device

Uninstall Agent using EOS CLI

Erasing the startup-configuration does not delete the installed EOS extension files. You must explicitly remove the agent. Follow these steps in order.

Uninstall Agent using Bash

To use the Bash CLI you, must edit /mnt/flash/boot-extensions to remove the reference to the extension and delete the extension from /mnt/flash/.extensions/aos-device-agent.i386.rpm - This filename is unique depending on the installed Apstra version.

Remove Remaining Apstra Data from System

Apstra-related data is retained on the filesystem in a few locations. Manually remove these data as shown below:

CAUTION:

If you don't remove Apstra files (especially /mnt/flash/.aos/ which includes checkpoint files), the next time you install Apstra software, the last configuration that was rendered (including any quarantine configuration) replaces the existing configuration which could shut down all interfaces.

When you're removing Apstra data be sure to remove /mnt/flash/.aos/.

Save Config File

For the extension to be removed from bootup, run the command wr mem to ensure the extension no longer appears in boot-extensions. If the RPM is still installed in available extensions, the agent may start up again .

Restart System

After uninstalling the Apstra software, reboot the system. To ensure the extension is removed from the boot extension, select 'yes' to save configuration.

When you remove the agent, configuration that is running on the switch is not modified or changed in any way; the network is not disrupted.

Manually Install Arista Device Agent

CAUTION:

Manually installing agents requires an in-depth understanding of various device states, configuration stages and agent operation. Since it requires more effort and is error-prone we recommend manual installation in rare cases only. We, instead, recommend using the Apstra GUI to automatically install agents. To proceed with manually installation see sections below. For assistance, contact Juniper Support.

Download Agent Installer

The agent is available over HTTPs from the Apstra server from the base URL https://aos-server/device_agent_images/aos_device_agent.run

Install Arista Device Agent

Run the command aos_device_agent.run to install the agent.

Device Agent Configuration File

The Arista device agent manages the running-configuration file. No other configuration files are modified throughout the agent lifecycle. You can directly edit the configuration file located at /mnt/flash/aos-config. See Agent Configuration file for parameters. After updating the file, restart the agent.

Arista Agent Troubleshooting

Apstra Log Files

Apstra logs to a number of files in the /var/log/aos directory.

Confirm that the agent package is installed.

Verify Agent is Running

DNS Resolution Failure

The agent is sensitive to the DNS resolution of the metadb connection. Ensure that the IP and/or DNS from the config file is reachable from the device management port.

List Running Processes

List the Apstra agent processes that run alongside other management components on the switch with the ps wax command.

‘Unable to Connect’ error during Installation

When you install an Arista EOS device agent, you might receive an Unable to connect: Connection refused error.

This error could be caused from:

  • the SDK not running
  • the unix-socket not listening
  • attempting to run the device installer in the management VRF.

To resolve this error, switch the routing-contexts to default.