Understanding Quick Templates
Quick templates is a way to create a base build for devices. This feature enables you to use a CLI-based text editor to define your network configuration in the form of a template that you can apply to multiple devices in your network in addition to the profile assignment feature. Because quick templates are driven by Device Management Interface (DMI) schema, you can use them to set all the configuration parameters for any supported device.
By using these quick templates, you can configure, for example, routing protocols such as BGP, OSPF, ISIS, or even static routes by specifying the device configuration. You can append or add the system commands or the user-defined commands in the form of the variables in the CLI-based text editor. The user-defined commands support variables in the format $(variable_name), which must be populated with data when you apply a template to a device.
The variable name defined for each CLI must be unique. Otherwise,
you cannot assign different values to those variables even though
they are used in different CLIs. For example, if a variable say $(description) is used in two CLIs set vlans $(name) description
$(description) and set snmp description $(description), you will not be able to define different values to the descriptions.
To define different values, you must change the variable name for
one of the commands.
The Table 1 shows data types supported for the values entered for variables.
Data Type |
Description |
|---|---|
Container |
Holds other data types. |
String |
Contains character strings. |
Integer [Number] |
Specifies a numeric value without a fractional component. |
Boolean |
Has two possible values: true and false. True if checked and False if unchecked. |
Enumeration |
Defines a variable to be a set of predefined constants. The variable is equal to one of the values that have been predefined for it. |
Choice |
Provides a radio button. Check the radio button to use the configuration option in the template. |
String - Key [column in a table] |
Identifies the uniqueness of the record in the table. If the table has a key specified , only one record with the given key could exist. |
The Save option in the Create Quick Templates page enables you to save and also validate a template. If there are any conflicts in the configuration, you must resolve the conflicting variables in the configuration elements manually, before you deploy the configuration to the devices. Upon successful validation (and after you apply a template to a device), you can deploy the configurations (specified in the templates) to the devices. You can choose to deploy the configuration immediately, or at a later time. Depending upon the approval mode selected for your deployment, you can either deploy the changes directly or you can get an approval from the approver before deploying the changes. For more information about types of approval modes supported for deployments in Network Director, see Setting Up User and System Preferences.
Benefits of Quick Templates
Configuring a large number of devices can be tedious and time-consuming. Quick templates can apply necessary configurations on multiple devices at the same time, helping you save time and effort.
Modifying configurations across multiple devices may lead to configuration errors. Deploying configuration using quick templates simplifies device configurations and reduces configuration errors.