npm package: @itentialopensource/file-transfer
Description: An Itential Automation Platform (IAP) file transfer workflow
Author: Itential Artifacts
Latest version: 0.4.10-2023.1.0

# File Transfer

## Table of Contents

* [Overview](#overview)
* [Features](#features)
* [Requirements](#requirements)
  * [Supported Device Types](#supported-device-types)
* [Known Limitations](#known-limitations)
* [How to Install](#how-to-install)
* [How to Run](#how-to-run)
* [Test environment](#test-environment)
  * [Test cases](#test-cases)
* [Additional Information](#additional-information)

## Overview

This artifact contains a set of workflows designed to transfer files to Cisco devices running IOS, IOS XR or NX-OS software. Each workflow iterates through a list of devices and issues the `copy` command to download the file from a remote file server using SCP.

<table><tr><td>
  <img src="./images/overview.png" alt="install" width="800px">
</td></tr></table>

### Workflows

#### IAP Artifacts Image Download

This is the primary parent workflow which performs the following tasks:

1. Collect all job variables
1. Test device availability and type
1. Call the appropriate child-workflow (per device)
1. Display full summary of devices and their file copy/verification outcome

#### Device Specific Workflows

The logic for the file transfer is offloaded to a child workflow, dependent upon the device type:

1. Issue the copy command
1. Perform file integrity check using md5
1. Handle errors including missing folders on the device, duplicate file names and integrity check failures

## Features

* Auto-check for device compatibility and type
* Iterate through list a of devices and download a specified file from the remote server using the selected protocol
* Supports secured protocols for file transfer
* MD5 file verification to confirm integrity of the downloaded file
* Skips the download process if the file already exists, and will perform integrity check
* Offers to copy-overwrite files that failed integrity test, and will try to download again
* Shows a conclusive report with a summary report of all devices, and their download status (or error)
* Verbose mode allows enhanced log messages
* Creates folder structure recursively on device if it doesn't exist

## Requirements

In order to use this artifact, users will have to satisfy the following pre-requisites:

* Itential Automation Platform
  * `^2021.2.x`

### Supported Device Types

* Cisco IOS
* Cisco IOS-XR
* Cisco NX-OS

All 3 device types have been tested in a setup with Cisco's NSO. We also tested devices running Cisco IOS with Ansible.

## Known Limitations

* This pre-built automation has only been tested with the SCP protocol
* The necessary folder structure can only be created for devices running Cisco NX-OS

## How to Install

Please ensure that you are running a supported version of the Itential Automation Platform (IAP) as listed above in the [Requirements](#requirements) section in order to install the artifact. If you do not currently have App-Artifacts installed on your server, please download the installer from your Nexus repository. Please refer to the instructions included in the App-Artifacts README to install it.

The artifact can be installed from within App-Artifacts. Simply search for the name of your desired artifact and click the install button as shown below:

<!-- REPLACE BELOW WITH IMAGE OF YOUR PUBLISHED ARTIFACT -->
<table><tr><td>
  <img src="./images/install.png" alt="install" width="600px">
</td></tr></table>
<!-- REPLACE ABOVE WITH IMAGE OF YOUR PUBLISHED ARTIFACT -->


## How to Run

In order to run the file transfer artifact, please make an HTTP POST request to `http://$IAP_HOST:$IAP_PORT/workflow_engine/startJobWithOptions/IAP%20Artifacts%20Image%20Download` where IAP_HOST is an IP address and IAP_PORT is the port. Postman and cURL are both good tools which can be used to perform this request.


### Required Job Variables

The following variables are required in the body of the request:

* `fileName`: name of the downloaded file to transfer
* `md5`: md5 signature of the downloaded file
* `host`: hostname or IP address of file server
* `protocol`: protocol to be used for transfer
* `hostPath`: the host's path to the downloaded file
* `destinationDrive`: the destination drive for the file to be transferred onto
* `destinationPath`: the destination path for the file to be transferred onto
* `hostUsername`: the username for the file server
* `hostPassword`: the password for the file server
* `devicesNames`: a string (of one device hostname) or array (of many device hostnames)
* `verbose`: a Boolean to enable or disable verbose mode during workflow
* `vrf`: select a vrf to be used in copy command (for NX devices)

### Example Payloads

If using Postman to make the call, you may use the following example JSON objects as reference for the post call body:

#### IOS

```json
{
  "description": "ios device file download workflow from postMan",
  "variables": {
    "md5":"c9c4419a70c685a52fcsb85620420f09",
    "fileName": "file.name",
    "protocol": "scp",
    "host": "192.168.1.211",
    "hostPath": "//path/to/directory/",
    "destinationDrive": "bootflash",
    "destinationPath": "",
    "hostUsername": "user1",
    "hostPassword": "user!@Password",
    "devicesNames": ["csr1kv1-ESXi","csr1kv2-ESXi"],
    "verbose": true,
    "vrf": ""
  }
```

#### IOS XR

```json
{
  "description": "xr device file download workflow from postMan",
  "variables": {
    "md5": "c9c4419a70c685a52fcsb85620420f09",
    "fileName": "file.name",
    "protocol": "scp",
    "host": "192.168.1.211",
    "hostPath": "/root/",
    "destinationDrive": "harddisk",
    "destinationPath": "",
    "hostUsername": "user1",
    "hostPassword": "user1.Password",
    "devicesNames": ["ESXi-IOS-XRv9k"],
    "verbose": true
  }
}
```

#### NX-OS

```json
{
  "description": "nx device file download workflow from postMan",
  "variables": {
    "md5": "c9c4419a70c685a52fcsb85620420f09",
    "fileName": "file.name",
    "protocol": "scp",
    "host": "192.168.1.211",
    "hostPath": "/root/",
    "destinationDrive": "bootflash",
    "destinationPath": "/new/folder/path/",
    "hostUsername": "user1",
    "hostPassword": "user1.Password",
    "devicesNames": ["cisco-nx"],
    "verbose": true,
    "vrf": "management"
  }
}
```

You can also run it as a child job via Parent workflow as depicted below when using IAP Instance.

<table><tr><td>
  <img src="./images/Workflow.png" alt="install" width="600px">
</td></tr></table>

You can use the following example as reference when providing values for the job Variables in the child job.

<table><tr><td>
  <img src="./images/jobVariables.png" alt="install" width="400px">
</td></tr></table>

## Test Environment

* NSO Ver: 4.7.1
* NEDs Ver:
  * cisco-ios: 5.8.3
  * cisco-xr: 7.0.10
  * cisco-nx: 5.7.5
  * itential-tools: 1.14.2
* Devices Ver:
  * ios: 16.03.07
  * xr: 6.3.3
  * nx: 9.2(2)
* IAP version 2020.1

### Test Cases

1.  device name is string                              ios-✅  xr-✅   nx-✅   
2.  device names are strings within array              ios-✅  xr-✅   nx-✅   
3.  device name does not exist                         ios-✅  xr-✅   nx-✅   
4.  no available space on device                       ios-❌  xr-❌   nx-❌     
5.  target folder does not exist on device             ios-❌  xr-❌   nx-✅   
6.  multiple target folders do not exist on device:    ios-❌  xr-❌   nx-✅   
7.  file already exist                                 ios-✅  xr-✅   nx-✅   
8.  file failed md5 checksum (corrupted file)          ios-✅  xr-✅   nx-✅   
9.  copy command timeout                               ios-❌  xr-❌   nx-❌     
10. md5 checksum timeout                               ios-❌  xr-❌   nx-❌     
11. download protocol: scp                             ios-✅  xr-✅   nx-✅   
12. download protocol: ftp                             ios-❌  xr-❌   nx-❌     
13. wrong file server ip / hostname                    ios-✅  xr-✅   nx-✅   
14. file server is ip address / hostname               ios-✅  xr-✅   nx-✅   
15. wrong file server credentials                      ios-✅  xr-✅   nx-✅   
16. file does not exist on file server                 ios-✅  xr-✅   nx-✅   
17. wrong vrf name                                     ios-❌  xr-❌   nx-❌     
18. Devices managed by Cisco NSO                       ios-✅  xr-✅   nx-✅  
19. Devices managed by Ansible manager                 ios-✅  xr-❌   nx-❌     

## Additional Information
Please use your Itential Customer Success account if you need support when using this artifact.