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Custom Commands

By default, Forward Enterprise collects only the device configuration and state needed to model the network’s behavior and to populate the Forward NQE data model.

The list of commands used to collect the required data is published in the CLI Commands page.

Forward Enterprise also provides the ability to run custom commands (not in that list). The output of custom commands is exposed via the Forward NQE.

caution

For security reasons, not all commands are allowed. Commands that would change the device configuration, for instance, are strictly not allowed!

Custom commands can be added via the Forward Enterprise GUI or via the REST APIs.

Add a custom command via the Forward Enterprise GUI​

To add a custom command via the Forward Enterprise GUI, navigate to the Collection page --> Custom commands tab. Click on Add command group.

Add Custom Commands GUI

Then:

  • provide a unique group name
  • enter the commands you would like to collect, one per line
  • select the platforms you want to collect from using the OS connection types list
  • click on Add

Add Custom Commands GUI

Repeat the same process for each combination of custom commands and OS connection types needed.

The custom command groups are shown in a sortable and searchable table format. Add Custom Commands GUI

Each group can be disabled/enabled using the Active toggle.

Add a custom command via the Forward Enterprise REST APIs​

To add custom commands via the Forward Enterprise REST APIs, you can use the PATCH /api/networks/{networkId}/collectionSettings REST API endpoint.

tip

The collectionSettings endpoint is not documented in the API Docs page yet. It will be documented in a future release.

Here is a sample request body:

{
    "customCommands": [
        {
            "deviceConnTypes": [
                "cisco_nxos_ssh",
                "juniper_junos_ssh"
            ],
            "commands": [
                "show system uptime"
            ]
        },
        {
            "deviceConnTypes": [
                "cisco_nxos_ssh"
            ],
            "commands": [
                "show license",
                "show host"
            ]
        }
    ]
}

Custom commands example​

The following screenshot shows an example of custom commands collected on a Cisco CSR 1000v device: Custom Commands Example

Allowed custom commands​

For a full list of allowed custom commands for each device connection type, see CLI Custom Commands.