Network

Deploy Containerlab Stack

Nested-virt hypervisor, n9kv + cat8kv, inventory sync

View on GitHub
Author: Matthew Fernandez

Deploy Containerlab Stack

Provisions a self-contained Cisco lab on AWS: nested-virt EC2 hypervisor, containerlab topology (n9kv + cat8kv), and ContainerLab Inventory sync. This is the starting point for the network Configure, Report, Backup, and DISA STIG demos.

Prerequisites

  • If using RHDP (demo.redhat.com): Run APD ǀ Multi-demo setup (or APD ǀ Single demo setup and choose network). AWS and AAP credentials are pre-configured for you.
  • If using your own installation: Run APD ǀ Single demo setup and choose network. Configure the AWS credential with your Access Key and Secret Key.

Survey prompts

Prompt Variable Type Required
AWS Region clab_aws_region multiplechoice Yes
Instance Type clab_aws_instance_type multiplechoice Yes
Owner clab_aws_owner_tag text Yes

Options: region us-east-2 / us-west-2; instance type c8i.2xlarge (default) / c8i.4xlarge.

  1. Provision Hypervisor — Creates VPC, subnet, security group, keypair, and launches a RHEL 9 EC2 instance with nested virtualization
  2. Deploy Topology — Installs podman and containerlab, pulls Cisco images, and starts n9kv (NX-OS) + cat8kv (IOS-XE)
  3. Sync ContainerLab Inventory — Imports the hypervisor and sets device connection details for demo job templates
  4. Submit Feedback — Opens only if hypervisor provisioning fails

Provisioning takes approximately 10–15 minutes while device images pull and virtual devices boot.

Job templates

Template Playbook Description
NETWORK ǀ Deploy Containerlab Stack network/setup.yml Workflow that provisions hypervisor, deploys topology, and syncs inventory
NETWORK ǀ Containerlab ǀ Provision Hypervisor network/provision_hypervisor.yml Creates AWS networking and the nested-virt EC2 hypervisor
NETWORK ǀ Containerlab ǀ Deploy Topology network/deploy_containerlab.yml Installs containerlab and starts the n9kv + cat8kv topology

Why it matters

  • Replaces external Cisco DevNet sandbox dependencies with a fully self-contained lab
  • Nested virtualization on AWS lets you run real NX-OS and IOS-XE images under containerlab
  • Dynamic inventory + SSH Proxy credentials give AAP a clean path to the lab devices
  • One workflow brings up everything the day-2 network demos need

Presenter walkthrough

  1. Show the survey: Region, instance size, and owner tag — explain how surveys keep self-service provisioning safe.
  2. Launch: Start NETWORK ǀ Deploy Containerlab Stack. Call out the three success path nodes: hypervisor → topology → inventory sync.
  3. While it runs: Explain nested virt, containerlab, and the two platforms (NX-OS n9kv on port 2122, IOS-XE cat8kv on port 2123).
  4. Inventory sync: After success, open ContainerLab Inventory and show the hypervisor/device hosts.
  5. Transition: Run NETWORK ǀ Containerlab ǀ Configure Devices, then Report, Backup, or DISA STIG.

See other Network demos

Browse all Network demos →

Workflow

graph LR
  S["🏠 Start"]
  S --> A
  A["🖥️ Provision Hypervisor"] --> B["📦 Deploy Topology"]
  B --> C["🔄 Sync ContainerLab Inventory"]
  A -. "on failure" .-> D["📋 Submit Feedback"]
  style A fill:#1e3a5f,stroke:#4a90d9,color:#fff
  style B fill:#1e3a5f,stroke:#4a90d9,color:#fff
  style C fill:#162c46,stroke:#58a6ff,color:#fff
  style D fill:#4a1a1a,stroke:#ef4444,color:#fff
  style S fill:#212427,stroke:#8a8d90,color:#fff
← All demos