Implementing and Operating Cisco Enterprise Network Core Technologies (ENCOR) v1.2AutomationEasy
A network administrator needs to automate a repetitive task on a Cisco device where a specific CLI command must be executed every time an interface goes down. Which automation tool is best suited for this event-driven, on-device automation scenario?
- AEmbedded Event Manager (EEM)
- BPython Script on a management server
- CAnsible
- DCisco DNA Center
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Embedded Event Manager (EEM)
Embedded Event Manager (EEM) is designed for on-device, event-driven automation. It allows network devices to respond to specific events (like an interface going down) by executing predefined actions (like running a CLI command) directly on the device itself, without requiring an external controller.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. A Python script on a management server would require polling or external event notification, making it less efficient and responsive for immediate on-device event handling compared to EEM.
- C. Ansible is an external automation engine primarily used for configuration management and orchestration, not event-driven automation directly on the device.
- D. Cisco DNA Center is a network management and automation platform, but it's an external controller, not an on-device event handler for this specific scenario.
Embedded Event Manager (EEM)
EEM is a powerful and flexible feature embedded in Cisco IOS/IOS XE devices that allows for event-driven automation directly on the device. It detects specific events and executes policy actions.
- On-device automation.
- Event-driven (e.g., syslog messages, interface status, OID changes).
- Executes actions like CLI commands, Tcl scripts, or SNMP traps.
Memory trick: EEM acts like an internal alarm and robot on the device.