Python - How to Connect to a Cisco WLC (Aireos)

This is a very simple article just explaining how you can connect to a Cisco WLC (aireos) using a python script.

You could use this as a first step in developing more advanced Python scripts to monitor or configure your Cisco Wireless Lan Controllers.

I am still learning Python so this might not be the only and easiest way to do it!

Note: starting with version 8.8, you could interact with your Cisco WLC in a easier way using YANG models. See this presentation from Cisco Live: ​https://www.ciscolive.com/c/dam/r/ciscolive/us/docs/2018/pdf/BRKEWN-2050.pdf

Prerequisites

We will assume that you have already Python installed on your computer. I would also advise you to use virtual environment when developing Python scripts on your computer.

Here is the tutorial I have followed in order to setup my laptop (macOS) for Python programming: ​https://developer.cisco.com/learning/lab/dev-mac/step/1

Here are the program and libraries we will be using here:

• Python 3.7
• netmiko

Here is how I setup a virtual environment for Python 3.7 on my  laptop:

Here is how I installed the netmiko library within this new virtual environment:

Code - How To

Here is the Python code you will need to in order to connect via SSH to a Cisco WLC. Obviously you need to gather this information first:

• IP address of the WLC
  
• Username allowed to SSH into the WLC
  
• Password associated with that user 

In this example, we are using the object called ConnectHandler from the netmiko library to establish an SSH connection to the WLC (192.168.20.2).

​Once connected, we are sending the command "show ap summary" and we are displaying the output of this command.

Go a Step Further

Connecting to the Cisco WLC could be the first step in a more complex script. Therefore, I have done the following in order to ease the process:

1. Created a configuration file where I keep my WLC details (IP address, username and passwords)
2. Created a script that I called ssh_wlc.py that defines function that will establish the connection based on the WLC configuration file

I then re-use my script as a "library" whenever I work on a script and I need to connect to a Cisco WLC.

Note: Python 3.5+ is required here since we are using PEP 484 type hints.

Here is what my configuration file looks like (I used xml so it is easier to parse):

Here is what my ssh_wlc.py script looks like:

As I continue to learn more about Python, I will continue to share it with you guys on the blog.

If you know other alternatives to do the same thing, please feel free to add a comment.

Thank you!


​written by François Vergès