Gen IT Network Configuration Generator

Taking the 'Work' out of Networks.

Excel

Maximum devices, templates, variables

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Can you please elaborate on what the maximum number of devices allowed refers to? Is this the total number of devices I can put in the Excel sheet to generate configurations for? What if I have multiple templates with different devices in each templates. Is it a cumulative number shared between templates, or is it per template at time of generation?

1st off, the license figures refer to a per spreadsheet limit. There is no restriction on the number of spreadsheets that can be referenced.
For a standard licence, Gen.IT will import up to 20 devices, 50 templates and 150 variables when selecting/loading the spreadsheet, there is no restriction on the number of rows per spreadsheet.
Assuming each row of the spreadsheet refers to a site/office/building:
  • Each site can be associated with up to 20 devices
  • Each device can be include up to 50 templates
  • Each template can reference up to 150 unique variables.
 
Example:
 
    • Site 1 (NewYork Office) may have a 2 x 3900 core routers and 2 x 3750 layer 3 switches 
      • Device S1CoreRouterPri, templates:
        • 3x00_Base
          • Variable : Hostname
          • Variable : MgntIP
        • 3900_Interfaces
        • 3x00_Security
        • 3x00_QoS
        • 3900_RouterPri
          • Variable : Router1toSwitch1_IP
          • Variable : Router1toRouter2_IP
      • Device S1CoreRouterSec, templates:
        • 3x00_Base
          • Variable : Hostname
          • Variable : MgntIP
        • 3900_Interfaces
        • 3x00_Security
        • 3x00_QoS
        • 3900_RouterSec
          • Variable : Router2toSwitch2_IP
          • Variable : Router2toRouter1_IP
      • Device S1SwitchPri, templates:
        • 3750_Base
          • Variable : Hostname
          • Variable : MgntIP
        • 3750_Interfaces
        • 3750_Security
        • 3750_SwitchL3Pri
          • Variable : Switch1toRouter1_IP
          • Variable : Switch1toSwitch2_IP
          • Variable : Vlan1Primary_IP
          • Variable : Vlan1HSRP_IP
          • Variable : Vlan2Primary_IP
          • Variable : Vlan2HSRP_IP
      • Device S1SwitchSec, templates:
        • 3750_Base
          • Variable : Hostname
          • Variable : MgntIP
        • 3750_Interfaces
        • 3750_Security
        • 3750_SwitchL3Sec
          • Variable : Switch2toRouter2_IP
          • Variable : Switch2toSwitch1_IP
          • Variable : Vlan1Secondary_IP
          • Variable : Vlan1HSRP_IP
          • Variable : Vlan2Secondary_IP
          • Variable : Vlan2HSRP_IP
 
  • Site 2 (LA Office) may have a 2 x 3800 core routers and 2 x 3750 layer 3 switches 
    • Device S2CoreRouterPri, templates:
      • 3x00_Base
        • Variable : Hostname
        • Variable : MgntIP
      • 3800_Interfaces
      • 3x00_Security
      • 3x00_QoS
      • 3800_RouterPri
        • Variable : Router1toSwitch1_IP
        • Variable : Router1toRouter2_IP
    • Device S2CoreRouterSec, templates:
      • 3x00_Base
        • Variable : Hostname
        • Variable : MgntIP
      • 3800_Interfaces
      • 3x00_Security
      • 3x00_QoS
      • 3800_RouterSec
        • Variable : Router2toSwitch2_IP
        • Variable : Router2toRouter1_IP
    • Device S2SwitchPri, templates:
      • 3750_Base
        • Variable : Hostname
        • Variable : MgntIP
      • 3750_Interfaces
      • 3750_Security
      • 3750_SwitchL3Pri
        • Variable : Switch1toRouter1_IP
        • Variable : Switch1toSwitch2_IP
        • Variable : Vlan1Primary_IP
        • Variable : Vlan1HSRP_IP
        • Variable : Vlan2Primary_IP
        • Variable : Vlan2HSRP_IP
    • Device S2SwitchSec, templates:
      • 3750_Base
        • Variable : Hostname
        • Variable : MgntIP
      • 3750_Interfaces
      • 3750_Security
      • 3750_SwitchL3Sec
        • Variable : Switch2toRouter2_IP
        • Variable : Switch2toSwitch1_IP
        • Variable : Vlan1Secondary_IP
        • Variable : Vlan1HSRP_IP
        • Variable : Vlan2Secondary_IP
        • Variable : Vlan2HSRP_IP
 
    • Site 3 (Boston Office) may have a 1 x 3800 core routers and 1 x 3750 layer 2 switches
      • Device S3CoreRouter, templates:
        • 3x00_Base
          • Variable : Hostname
          • Variable : MgntIP
        • 3800_Interfaces
        • 3x00_Security
        • 3x00_QoS
        • 3800_Router
          • Variable : Router1toSwitch1_IP
      • Device S3Switch, templates:
        • 3750_Base
          • Variable : Hostname
          • Variable : MgntIP
        • 3750_Interfaces
        • 3750_Security
        • 3750_SwitchL2
          • Variable : Switch1toRouter1_IP
          • Variable : Vlan1Primary_IP
          • Variable : Vlan2Primary_IP
So you would need the following devices:
  • CoreRouterPri
  • CoreRouterSec
  • SwitchPri
  • SwitchSec
With the following templates:
  • 3x00_Base
  • 3x00_QoS
  • 3800_Interfaces
  • 3900_Interfaces
  • 3900_RouterPri
  • 3900_RouterSec
  • 3800_RouterPri
  • 3800_RouterSec
  • 3800_Router
  • 3750_Base
  • 3750_Interfaces
  • 3750_Security
  • 3750_SwitchL3Pri
  • 3750_SwitchL3Sec
  • 3750_SwitchL2
With the following Variables:
  • Hostname
  • MgntIP
  • Router1toSwitch1_IP
  • Router1toRouter2_IP
  • Router2toSwitch2_IP
  • Router2toRouter1_IP
  • Switch1toRouter1_IP
  • Switch1toSwitch2_IP
  • Vlan1Primary_IP
  • Vlan1Secondary_IP
  • Vlan1HSRP_IP
  • Vlan2Primary_IP
  • Vlan2Secondary_IP
  • Vlan2HSRP_IP
  • Switch2toRouter2_IP
  • Switch2toSwitch1_IP
So the above setup requires 4 devices, 15 templates, and 16 variables. Additional sites identical to Sites 1,2 or 3 would all use the same devices, templates and variables.

Why Excel?

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What is the significance of Excel spreadsheets, why are they used?

Gen.IT uses excel spreadsheets as the source of all information. Users are required to create templates and configure variables and data within the spreadsheets. The reasoning behind this is that users can take advantage of the number crunching ability of excel. i.e.

My site summary addressing starts at 10.1.1.0/24. Using the macro’s developed for Gen.IT, I calculate the subnet mask, primary, secondary & vrrp address for the subnet. ‘=ipchange(10.1.1.0,1)’ will give 10.1.1.1.

Using excel also allows users to functions like lookup tables or references to other sheets to obtain information. i.e:

Lookup from sheet ‘Site sizes’ and if site is specified as ‘small’ use /26 for subnet mask, else if the site is ‘large’, use /23.

or

Lookup sitename for site XXX from the table in sheet YYY and give me the summary IP address for site XXX. From that same table, lookup the number of vlan’s required, and use Compound Templates to generate the required layer 3 interfaces.

Typically, the configuration for a single site or device would be defined within a single row on one or more spreadsheets. It is a simple process to then copy the row, change a few values, and be ready to generate the configuration for a new site or device.