...
As with CCS, you use Perl/Python for change automation and custom Issue analysis. Perl/Python scripting possesses far greater capabilities, providing access to all aspects of the Perl or Python programming language, including the Perl/Python API, at runtime. NetMRI’s Job Wizard also supports the use of Perl/Python scripts. You use your preferred text editor or IDE to write and debug the Perl or Python script before copying the text into the appropriate field in the Job Wizard.
Infoblox strongly recommends testing all Perl/Python scripts before running them in the appliance.
Perl/Python scripting can be leveraged for use in custom issues, change scripts and analysis scripts.
...
As previously noted in this chapter, NetMRI provides a dedicated virtual machine environment, called the Sandbox, where Perl scripts are automatically run on behalf of the user. Perl also provides access to operating system internals, interacting with appliance services, performing data I/O operations, and reading from and writing to blocks of appliance memory.
The sandbox runs an instance of the same operating system kernel as the NetMRI appliance, which is a standard Unix variant, with the normal operating system utilities and file system. You can install Perl modules from CPAN into the sandbox environment and use them for scripting. You can install any Perl distributions, executables and modules into the sandbox environment. The NetMRI sandbox environment provides a Perl interpreter and supporting modules to support script execution.
The NetMRI Sandbox is available in two forms. Physical appliances with 8 GB of RAM or more automatically run the sandbox as a virtual machine inside of NetMRI. In this configuration, the sandbox is referred to as a local sandbox. All other platforms, including virtual platforms, cannot run a local sandbox. To take advantage of Perl scripting functionality, these platforms support a separate sandbox VM configuration, which must be set up and registered with NetMRI. In this configuration, this is referred to as a remote sandbox.
NetMRI appliances with 8GB or more of RAM can also use a remote sandbox to increase available resources to the local sandbox (e.g. CPU, memory, disk, etc) to solve more complex use cases. In those cases, the sandbox resources are governed by the hypervisor.
You download the Sandbox VM image from Infoblox Support.
Platforms supporting a local sandbox automatically perform the necessary setup and configuration steps; platforms that need a remote sandbox require a manual setup and configuration process. The topic Setting up a Remote Sandbox describes describes remote sandbox setup and configuration.
...
Note: A remote sandbox VM is not automatically upgraded when NetMRI is upgraded. If you deploy a remote sandbox and later upgrade NetMRI, the remote sandbox continues to report and run its originally deployed version. Though it is typically unnecessary to upgrade the remote sandbox when you upgrade your appliance (unless you are upgrading When you upgrade between major versions, for example from 6, from 7.3.3 to 7.4 to 6.5)1, you do so by downloading a corresponding must download a new Sandbox VM downloadable file from Infoblox and then redeploying redeploy the remote sandbox. When you upgrade between minor versions, for example, from 7.4.1 to 7.4.2, you do not need to redeploy the sandbox. An exception to this is the upgrade to the 7.4.3 minor version which requires the remote sandbox redeployment. Backup any customizations made to the remote sandbox (installed Perl scripts, libraries, configuration, etc...) before redeployment.
...
| Anchor | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Anchor | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
NetMRI admins can determine whether creators of configuration management jobs can self-approve their Perl/CCS script jobs, or require a NetMRI super admin to approve jobs execution. For a quick refresher on administrator accounts and the Roles they inhabit, see Understanding Users and Roles, as user accounts have a close relationship to job execution.
You can define the minimum script run level at which the appliance requires user-provided CLI credentials when scheduling or running a job.
...