Arista Warrior

Chapter 25. Zero-Touch Provisioning

When a fixed configuration Arista switch boots, and no startup-config is found, the switch will default to Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) mode (on EOS v3.7 and higher). Your first reaction to ZTP may be that it’s a pain in the ass, but I assure you it’s not, and I hope that by the end of this chapter, you’ll agree. In fact, it’s a seriously cool feature that can be used to great effect.

Have you ever installed a new switch out of the box? Chances are you mounted it and sat in the data center with a console cable, or you sat with it on your desk while your workmates plotted against you because of all the fan noise. Or consider the idea of remote installations. I’ve had many clients who have bought remote “smart” hands service, only to discover that those remote hands weren’t so smart after all. ZTP is designed to provide the ability to eliminate both situations, all through the use of standards-based Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP).

Note

Late in the production of this book, I received word that ZTP would be coming to chassis-based switches sometime soon after EOS v4.10, due to popular demand.

The reason I say that it can be a pain, is because when a new switch is powered up, and steps to use ZTP have not been taken, configuring the switch is next to impossible. Here’s the first indication that you’re in for a long day if you’ve no idea how Arista switches behave. When you hit Enter at the login prompt of a new switch, you’re greeted with ...