Streamline Your Network with Ansible's Automation

Simplify network configuration management, application deployment, and task automation

TCPWAVE

Turbocharge your network automation, cloud orchestration, and DevOps efforts with our simplified solution.

TCPWave offers a module for Ansible Integration, enabling businesses to automate TCPWave IP Address Management System (TIMS) using Ansible playbooks with secure REST APIs. TIMS REST APIs use encrypted access, eliminating the need for plain text user ID or password. TIMS provides two mechanisms for REST API Authentication, session token-based, and certificate-based authentication. Session token-based authentication generates a long-lived session token associated with an admin user and source IP, inheriting user permissions. Certificate-based authentication provides access to TIMS using a trusted authority-signed certificate, allowing interaction with multiple systems. These features make TCPWave's TIMS and Ansible Integration an efficient and secure way to manage IP address management, reducing administrative workload and increasing productivity.

Automation

  • Ansible enables businesses to automate a wide range of tasks, reducing manual workload and allowing IT staff to focus on more critical tasks, leading to improved productivity.

Flexibility

  • Ansible offers flexibility in terms of usage, making it suitable for a wide range of use cases, including cloud provisioning, software deployment, and application management.

Security

  • Ansible ensures IT environment security with strong features, like secure communication protocols, sensitive data encryption, and granular access controls against cyber threats.

Standardization

  • Ansible ensures standardized IT environments, reducing errors and security risks by consistently configuring and managing all systems and applications

Cost-effectiveness

  • As an open-source tool, Ansible does not require any licensing fees, making it a cost-effective solution for businesses of all sizes.

We offer a module for Ansible Integration, allowing businesses to automate TCPWave IP Address Management System (TIMS) using Ansible playbooks with secure and powerful REST APIs used by TIMS GUI, CLI interfaces, and cloud orchestration layers. TIMS REST APIs are designed to be secure and allow only encrypted access without the need for any plain text user ID or password.Here are a few examples of how to use Ansible playbooks to invoke our REST APIs.

Session Token Authentication

This section explains the steps to generate session token in TIMS GUI along with screenshots.

  1. Click Administration tab
  2. Select Security Management from the drop-down
  3. Click Session Token Management label as shown:
    TCPWave-Ansible
  4. Select Security Management from the drop-down
  5. Click Add in the Session Token Management grid
  6. System displays Generate Session Token pop-up window
  7. Enter the Application, Address and Description fields as shown:
    TCPWave-Ansible
  8. Select Security Management from the drop-down
  9. Click OK
  10. A new token is generated which can only be accessed from the given IP address as shown:
    TCPWave-Ansible

Example: The following example explains the Session Token Authentication method to invoke the TCPWave REST API using Ansible Playbooks:

name: Tasks to interact with TCPWave IPAM
hosts: localhost
tasks:
- name: Create an Object
uri:
url: "https://10.1.10.240:7443/tims/rest/object/add"
method: POST
headers:
Content-Type: application/json
TIMS-Session-Token: 6f708f8c-fac6-4e51-9901-c84c4c1b2843
body: "{{ lookup('file','org.json') }}"
status_code: 204
body_format: json
validate_certs: no

Certificate Authentication

This section explains the steps how to create user certificates in TIMS GUI along with screenshots. To import the user certificates into the TIMS GUI, follow the given steps:

  1. Click Administration tab
  2. Select Security Management from the drop-down
  3. Click User Certificates label as shown:
    TCPWave-Ansible
  4. Click Upload in the User Certificates grid
  5. System displays Import Certificate pop-up window
  6. Upload the Certificate File by clicking icon
  7. Select the Associate Admin from the drop-down
  8. Click OK then System imports and lists the Certificate in User Certificates grid

Example: The following example explains invoking the TCPWave REST API using Ansible Playbooks via Certification Authentication method:

name: Tasks to interact with TCPWave IPAM
hosts: localhost
tasks:
- name: Create an Object
uri:
url: "https://10.1.10.240:7443/tims/rest/object/add"
method: POST
headers:
Content-Type: application/json
client_cert: "/tmp/ansible/keys/ipam_client.crt"
client_key: "/tmp/ansible/keys/ipam_client.key"
body: "{{ lookup('file','org.json') }}"
status_code: 204
body_format: json
validate_certs: no

In conclusion, Ansible plays a critical role in network automation with TCPWave IPAM by allowing businesses to automate tasks, standardize configurations, improve productivity, and reduce administrative workload. With our Rest APIs and Ansible integration, businesses can easily manage their IP address management system and automate tasks using secure and powerful REST APIs that TIMS GUI, CLI interfaces, and cloud orchestration layers use. By leveraging Ansible's automation capabilities, businesses can achieve enhanced efficiency, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness, while ensuring robust security features and standardized IT environments. Ansible and our IPAM provide an integrated solution that enables businesses to manage their networks more efficiently and securely, ensuring optimal resource utilization and improved response times.