Use Ansible to Install Software on Junos Devices

When you use the software or juniper_junos_software module to install software on Junos devices, you can download the software package to the Ansible control node, and the modules, by default, copy the package to the target device before performing the installation. For mixed Virtual Chassis environments, the packages must reside on the Ansible control node. For standalone devices or non-mixed Virtual Chassis environments, you can also instruct the module to install a software image that already resides on the target Junos device or resides at a URL that is reachable from the target device.

Table 2 outlines the module arguments that you must set depending on the software package location. The module must always include either the local_package, pkg_set, or remote_package argument. The no_copy argument defaults to false, which instructs the module to copy the software package from the specified location on the control node to the target device.

Table 2: Module Arguments for Software Package Location

Software Package Location	no_copy Parameter	local_package or pkg_set Parameter	remote_package Parameter
Ansible control node	Omit or set to false	For standalone devices or non-mixed Virtual Chassis environments: Set local_package to the file path, including the filename, of the software package on the local control node. File paths are relative to the playbook directory.	(Optional) File path on the target device to which the software package is copied. The default directory is /var/tmp. If remote_package includes a filename, it must match the filename specified in local_package.
		For mixed Virtual Chassis environments: Set pkg_set to a list of the file paths, including the filenames, of one or more software packages on the local control node. File paths are relative to the playbook directory.	–
Remote Location	–	–	URL from the perspective of the target Junos device from which the software package is installed.
Target device	Set to true	–	File path on the target device where the software package must already reside. The default directory is /var/tmp.

If the software package resides on the Ansible control node, include the local_package argument to install software on a standalone Junos device or on members in a non-mixed Virtual Chassis, or include the pkg_set argument to install software on the members in a mixed Virtual Chassis. The module argument specifies the absolute or relative file path to the software package or packages on the local control node.

The local_package argument is a single string specifying the software image path. The pkg_set argument contains a list of strings that specify the necessary software image paths, in no particular order, for the various Virtual Chassis members. For example:

By default, when you include the local_package or pkg_set argument, the module copies any software packages to the /var/tmp directory on the target Junos device (individual device or Virtual Chassis primary device). If you want to copy the local_package image to a different directory, define the remote_package argument and specify the target directory. If the remote_package argument includes a filename, the filenames of the local_package and remote_package arguments must be identical, or the module generates an error.

If the software package already resides on the target Junos device, the module must include the no_copy: True argument as well the remote_package argument, which specifies the file path to an existing software package on the target device. If remote_package does not specify a directory, the default is /var/tmp.

If the software package resides at a location other than the Ansible control node or target device, the module must include the remote_package argument and specify the location of the software package. The value of remote_package is a URL from the perspective of the target Junos device. For information about acceptable URL formats, see Format for Specifying Filenames and URLs in Junos OS CLI Commands.

To use Ansible to install a software package on a Junos device, execute the software or juniper_junos_software module, and provide any necessary arguments. For example:

When you execute the software or juniper_junos_software module, it performs the following operations:

The Juniper Networks software modules perform operations over a NETCONF session. The default time for a NETCONF RPC to time out is 30 seconds. During the installation process, certain operations increase the RPC timeout interval as follows:

• Copying and installing the package on the device—1800 seconds (30 minutes)

• Computing the checksum—300 seconds (5 minutes)

• Performing a storage cleanup—300 seconds (5 minutes)

In some cases, the installation process, checksum calculation, or storage cleanup might exceed these time intervals. You can change the timeout value for these operations by setting the install_timeout, checksum_timeout, and cleanfs_timeout arguments to the required number of seconds in the module’s argument list. For example:

When you use the software or juniper_junos_software module to install software on a device, the module invokes the appropriate RPC for the given installation arguments, for example, the <request-package-add> RPC for standard Junos OS installations, the <request-vmhost-package-add> RPC for VM host upgrades, the <request-package-in-service-upgrade> RPC for unified ISSU scenarios, and so on. The modules support explicit arguments for many of the installation options, for example, the validate option. The modules also support the kwargs argument, which enables you to include any additional options that are supported by the RPC but which do not have an equivalent module argument. The kwargs argument takes a dictionary of key/value pairs of additional supported options.

For the current list of options supported by the modules, see the API reference documentation for that module. For a list of all available options for a specific RPC, see the documentation for the equivalent command or search for the RPC’s request tag in the Junos XML API Explorer.

Note:

The modules should only include installation options that are supported on the target Junos device.

In the following playbook, the software module installs a new software image on the target hosts. The module includes the kwargs argument with unlink: True. This argument, which removes the software package from the directory after a successful upgrade, is equivalent to including the <unlink/> option in the <request-package-add> RPC.

On devices that have Routing Engines with VM host support, Junos OS runs as a virtual machine (VM) over a Linux-based host (VM host). A VM host upgrade, which upgrades the host OS and compatible Junos OS, requires a VM Host Installation Package (junos-vmhost-install-x.tgz) and is performed using the request vmhost software add operational mode command, which corresponds to the <request-vmhost-package-add> RPC.

The software and juniper_junos_software modules support the vmhost: True argument for performing a VM host upgrade. When the argument is present, the module performs the installation using the <request-vmhost-package-add> RPC.

The following playbook upgrades and reboots the Junos OS and host OS on the devices:

The software and juniper_junos_software modules support performing a unified in-service software upgrade (unified ISSU) or a nonstop software upgrade (NSSU) on devices that support the feature and meet the necessary requirements. For more information about the unified ISSU and NSSU features, see the software documentation for your product.

The unified ISSU feature enables you to upgrade between two different Junos OS releases with no disruption on the control plane and with minimal disruption of traffic. To perform a unified in-service software upgrade, the software or juniper_junos_software module must include the issu: True argument. For example:

The NSSU feature enables you to upgrade the Junos OS software running on a switch or Virtual Chassis with redundant Routing Engines with minimal disruption to network traffic. To perform a nonstop software upgrade, the software or juniper_junos_software module must include the nssu: True argument. For example: