Use Property Toolkit SVL groups to dynamically assign the IPAM Profiles from user selection

Overview

In this how to, we will cover how to setup and template your IPAM profiles so they can be made highly dynamic whilst reducing the amount of profiles you are creating. We will work through how to create your IPAM Profile, how to setup the dynamic nature using Property Definitions and Property Groups and how these can be used to build your IPAM Profile through your selections in your blueprint.

Considerations

Have licensed your IPAM/DNS
Have licensed Property Tool Kit
Have a good understanding of template engine
This ONLY applies from SovLabs version 2019.10.0 and onwards

Scenario

You require a Blueprint that based on several different criteria will dynamically set your network and domain

Select Production or Non Production to determine IP segment
Select Domain to set DNS Suffix

Procedure

Setting up your IPAM Profile

From your Catalog (1) search for IPAM Profile (2) and click on Request (3) in the Add IPAM Profile – SovLabs Module
Provide a meaningful Configuration label (1) and Description (2)
From the Type, select your IPAM endpoint type you will be using
Select your IPAM providers endpoint that you have already configured
Select the NIC number this will apply to (NOTE: The first network card on a VM is 0)
In the Subnets, Gateways, Network name and network mask. This is where you will utilise the template engine. Enter the values (1) you have setup in the previous steps to reflect the Dynamic nature of the network and press the green cross (2)
NOTE: These are the values you will use to populate from your Property Groups
Excluded IPs, if you have any enter them here, else leave this blank
IN DNS Configuration, enter the Primary and secondary DNS IP Addresses you will use (1), and you can Template the DNS Suffix and DNS Search Suffix (2) as these will match the domain you will choose.
You can configure WINS if you require, else this can be left blank
Click on Submit

Create SVL_ property Groups

In vRA fo to Administration (1) → Property Dictionary (2) → Property Groups (3) → and click on New (4)
Type in a Name starting with SVL_ for your first property group. In this example it is for Production
Enter a description as required (optional)
In properties click on New
You will now create the values that match your production environment and the IPAM Profile information you need
Subnet, Gateway and Network Name. Example below creates the Gateway then click OK. Repeat for the other properties
NOTE: These values MUST MATCH your IPAM properties template inputs you created
Click on OK
Repeat this for Non Production environment
You will end up with two property groups that contain different information for Subnet, Gateway and Network Name

Create your SVL_ Property Definition

Click on Administration (1) → Property Dictionary (2) → Property Definitions (3) and click on New (4)
In the Name, enter SVL_ followed by a name for his Definition (1) and a Label that will be displayed in your blueprint (2)
Set a description (Optional)
Set the data type to String (1) and the required to Yes (2)
Set the Display As to Dropdown (1) and the Values to Static List (2)
In the static list, click on New
In name enter a value (1), in this example it is Production and the value (2) references your Property group for production (SVL_<PropertyGroupName>) then click OK.
Repeat for the Non Production value
You will now have 2 options ready for your blueprint
Click on OK
Repeat the above steps for your Domain Selection property definition with the following exceptions:
1. You do not need to put SVL_ in front of the Property Definition Name as this is a standard property definition BUT the Name must match the template name in your IPAM Profile for DNS Suffix and/or Search Domain
2. Your domain selection will be simplified where Name for each drop down can reflect an environment ie; production, nonproduction, or, simply select put the name as your domain and the value to match this. See example below:

Adding to your Blueprint

Open your blueprint and go to Properties (1) → Property Groups (2) → and click on Add (3)
Search for your IPAM Profile which will begin with SovLabs-IPAMProfile-<tenant>_<IPAMTemplateName> and place a check next to it (1) then click on OK (2)
Now go to Properties (1) → Custom Properties (2) → and click on New (3)
In the Name property, search for the SVL_ property definition we created and select this from the drop down
In the Show in Request column, place a check on the box
Click on OK
Repeat steps 3 and 4 to add in the DNS Suffix selection you created earlier so you will have 2 additional Custom properties
Click on Finish
Now when you deploy your blueprint, you will have 2 additional options, Network selection for IPAM and the DNS Suffix list.
When you build the VM, in vRO you will be able to validate that the VM has obtained the IP Address from the correct network segment. If you copy the text from the payload you will see the following
(This is an example, yours will have your own values)
“Doco_DNS_Suffix”: “DocoDomain.net“,
“Doco_Gateway”: “10.11.12.1”,
“Doco_NetworkName”: “dvs_DocoDomain_112_10.11.12.0_24”,
“Doco_Subnet”: “10.11.12.0/24”,

“SVL_Doco_IPAM_Select”: “SVL_Doco_Production_IPAM”,