Ansible ios_command: copy tftp: flash: keeps sending IOS file data until timeout

[Frankie Soto]

Hi!

I am trying to automate the process of upgrading IOS on Cisco devices.

Everything seems to be working fine until the process of copying the file begins.

The issue I am encountering is that ansible keeps sending data (I assume it keeps sending the same file a couple of times in a stream) to the IOS device.

I noticed this issue when I logged in to one of the switches to which I am trying to upgrade and saw how the file keeps growing and growing, to up to four times its size (i.e. filesize is ~ 21k but it was growing already on th 80k+).

Process ends when the "timeout" time is reached.  Subsequently, the file gets deleted from the switch, as the switches interprets that the file transfer was interrupted.

Here is y core.  Any help will be much appreciated:

---

- hosts: [HOSTS]

  gather_facts: yes

  connection: local

  vars:

    compliant_ios_version: 15.2(4)E8

    new_ios_bin: c3560cx-universalk9-mz.152-4.E8.bin

    new_ios_md5: bf2f1960b1fe0a05bdc69e17d82fcfed

    should_reboot: YES

  vars_prompt:

  - name: username

    prompt: "Enter username: "

    private: no

  - name: password

    prompt: "Enter password: "

    private: yes

  - name: auth_pass

    prompt: "Enter enable secret: "

    private: yes

  tasks:

  - name: gathering HOSTS facts

    ios_facts:

      username: "{{ username }}"

      password: "{{ password }}"

      authorize: yes

      auth_pass: "{{ auth_pass }}"

      timeout: 30

    register: all_facts

  - name:  Verifying if file exists in flash

    ios_command:

      commands:

        - command: dir | include "{{ new_ios_bin }}"

      username: "{{ username }}"

      password: "{{ password }}"

      authorize: yes

      auth_pass: "{{ auth_pass }}"

      timeout: 30

    register: new_ios_on_flash

  - name:  Debugging new_ios_on_flash

    debug:

      msg: new ios is flash is "{{ new_ios_on_flash }}"

  - name: Starting IOS upgrade process

    block:

    - name: Upgrade IOS images if not compliant

      block:

      - name:  Download new IOS image if it is not already on flash

        ios_command:

          commands:

            - command: 'copy tftp://55.44.246.96/c3560cx-universalk9-mz.152-4.E8.bin flash:'

              prompt: 'c3560cx-universalk9-mz.152-4.E8.bin'

              answer: "\r"

          username: "{{ username }}"

          password: "{{ password }}"

          authorize: yes

          auth_pass: "{{ auth_pass }}"

          timeout: 600

      when: new_ios_on_flash.stdout[0] == ""

    - name: Checking MD5 hash

      ios_command:

        commands:

        - command: "verify /md5 flash:/{{ new_ios_bin }}"

        username: "{{ username }}"

        password: "{{ password }}"

        authorize: yes

        auth_pass: "{{ auth_pass }}"

        timeout: 3000

      register: md5_result

    - name:  Set boot var if MD5 matches

      block:

      - name:  Changing boot var

        ios_config:

          lines:

            - default boot system

            - boot system flash:/"{{ new_ios_bin }}"

          username: "{{ username }}"

          password: "{{ password }}"

          authorize: yes

          auth_pass: "{{ auth_pass }}"

          save_when: always

          timeout: 150

        register: new_ios_on_flash

      - name:  Setting boot var

        ios_command:

          commands:

          - command: "reload at 23:00\ny"

          username: "{{ username }}"

          password: "{{ password }}"

          authorize: yes

          auth_pass: "{{ auth_pass }}"

          timeout: 30

      when: md5_result.stdout[0][-32:] == new_ios_md5

    when: ansible_net_version != compliant_ios_version

[Mysimpia]

Ansible version : 2.9

Python version : 3.7.5

I also tried many times with sftp or scp with ios_command module but no luck. Instead, as shown below, net_put successfully copied the file over to the Cisco switch. The ansible_ssh_user and ansible_ssh_pass needs to be set in inventory file.

One issue I'm facing with the net_put module is that next task using ios_command after the copying fails to be executed. It gave error message "ConnectionError(to_text(msg, errors='surrogate_then_replace'), code=code)".

 

- name: Upgrade NM switch Firmware

  hosts: nm_switch
  connection: network_cli
  remote_user: cisco

- name: Copy over ios image
  net_put:
    src: "{{ nm_sw_image_file }}" # Need ansible_ssh_user and ansible_ssh_pass set up.
  vars:
    ansible_command_timeout: 3600 # default time out is 30 sec. Image copy takes about 30 min

[Gerry Maddock]

I had the same issue, I ended up using scp:

- name: COPY OVER IOS IMAGE

        command: "firmwarename.bin {{inventory_hostname}}:flash:/firmwarename.bin"

I ran a separate playbook 1st to enable scp on the switches.

On Sunday, June 16, 2019 at 11:02:24 AM UTC-4, Frankie Soto wrote:

[Gerry Maddock]

Below is the playbook to enable scp on switches/routers:

 tasks:

    - name: IOS CONFIG 1a

      ios_config:

        lines:

          - ip scp server enable