HPE Aruba Networking Central Dynamic Inventory Plugin

Overview

The central_inventory plugin is an Ansible dynamic inventory plugin that automatically discovers and organizes network devices from HPE Aruba Networking Central into structured Ansible inventory groups. This eliminates the need to manually maintain inventory files and ensures your Ansible inventory is always synchronized with your actual network infrastructure.

What It Does

The plugin connects to HPE Aruba Networking Central's API and:

Fetches all network devices from your Central account
Organizes devices into logical groups based on attributes like:
- Site location
- Device type (Switch, Gateway, Access Point)
- Device model
- Provisioning status
- Device group assignment
Extracts device metadata as host variables (IP addresses, serial numbers, firmware versions, etc.)
Stores Central credentials at the inventory level for reuse in playbooks
Optionally exports the inventory to a static YAML file

Configuration

Minimal Configuration

plugin: arubanetworks.hpeanw_central.central_inventory
central_base_url: https://internal.api.central.arubanetworks.com
central_client_id: your_client_id
central_client_secret: your_client_secret

Full Configuration Options

plugin: arubanetworks.hpeanw_central.central_inventory

# Authentication (choose one method)
central_base_url: https://internal.api.central.arubanetworks.com
central_access_token: your_access_token  # Method 1: Direct token

# OR
central_client_id: your_client_id        # Method 2: OAuth credentials
central_client_secret: your_client_secret

# Grouping options (default: ['site', 'device_type'])
groups:
  - site           # Groups by siteName
  - device_type    # Groups by deviceType (SWITCH, GATEWAY, ACCESS_POINT)
  - model          # Groups by device model
  - status         # Groups by status (ONLINE, OFFLINE)
  - group          # Groups by deviceGroupName

# Filtering options
filters:
  device_type:
    - ACCESS_POINT
    - SWITCH
  status:
    - ONLINE
  site:
    - Building_A
    - ADL-Collin

# Export to static file
output_file: /path/to/central_devices_inventory.yml

# Custom host variables using Jinja2
compose:
  ansible_host: ipv4
  is_online: status == 'ONLINE'

# Dynamic grouping
keyed_groups:
  - key: model
    prefix: model
  - key: softwareVersion
    prefix: version
    separator: '_'

How It Works

Authentication Flow

Token Reuse: If output_file exists, the plugin reads the stored central_access_token and reuses it
New Connection: If no token exists or is expired, it authenticates using:
- Provided central_access_token, OR
- OAuth with central_client_id and central_client_secret
Token Storage: The active token is stored in the output file for subsequent runs

Device Discovery

Connects to Central's Monitoring API
Fetches all devices using MonitoringDevices.get_all_device_inventory()
Applies any configured filters
Creates inventory groups based on device attributes
Assigns devices to appropriate groups
Exports to YAML if output_file is specified

Expected Output Format

Inventory Structure

The plugin generates a hierarchical inventory with:

all:
  vars:                    # Shared variables for all hosts
    central_base_url: ...
    central_access_token: ...
    central_client_id: ...
    central_client_secret: ...
  
  hosts:                   # All discovered devices
    <serialNumber>:        # Device serial as hostname
      <device_attributes>
  
  children:                # Dynamic groups
    site_<site_name>:      # Site-based groups
      hosts: ...
    type_<device_type>:    # Type-based groups
      hosts: ...
    model_<model>:         # Model-based groups
      hosts: ...

Example Output

Based on the generated inventory, here's what you can expect:

1. All-Level Variables (Shared Across All Hosts)

all:
  vars:
    central_base_url: https://internal.api.central.arubanetworks.com
    central_access_token: eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsImtpZCI6IjE2...
    central_client_id: e8e333303-f720-446a-8034-6bbf2f39039c
    central_client_secret: 4f722244464d416fac41f6b7ebc00ca5

2. Host Entries (Device Details)

Each device becomes a host with comprehensive metadata:

all:
  hosts:
    CNSKKLB00C:              # Serial number as hostname
      status: ONLINE
      deviceType: GATEWAY
      model: 9004-US
      deviceName: Aruba9004_63_89_1E
      macAddress: f0:1a:a0:63:89:1e
      ipv4: 0.0.0.0
      siteName: LSV-WPA3-PSK-Site
      siteId: '49171617624236032'
      deviceGroupName: ADL-Lucas
      softwareVersion: 10.7.2.2_94048
      firmwareVersion: 10.7.2.2_94048
      tier: ADVANCE_70XX
      persona: Mobility Gateway
      deviceFunction: Mobility GW
      isProvisioned: 'Yes'
      inventory_hostname: CNSKKLB00C
      group_names:
        - site_lsv_wpa3_psk_site
        - type_gateway

3. Dynamic Groups

Site-Based Groups:

all:
  children:
    site_building_a:
      hosts:
        CNSKKLB0DW:    # Gateway
        VNQ7KZD4P5:    # Access Point
    
    site_adl_collin:
      hosts:
        TW3BLZB0V5:    # Switch
        VNQ7KZD4JB:    # Access Point

Type-Based Groups:

all:
  children:
    type_switch:
      hosts:
        TW3BLZB0VB:
        TW3BLZB0V5:
        SG38LMY056:
        SG38LMY07R:
    
    type_gateway:
      hosts:
        CNSKKLB00C:
        CNSKKLB09T:
        CNSKKLB0DW:
    
    type_access_point:
      hosts:
        VNQ7KZD4MS:
        VNQ7KZD4P5:
        VNQ7KZD4J7:

Available Host Variables

Each device includes the following variables:

Core Identifiers

serialNumber - Device serial number
macAddress - Device MAC address
deviceName - Friendly name
id - Unique device ID
scopeId - Device scope identifier

Network Information

ipv4 - IPv4 address (null if unprovisioned)
status - Current status (ONLINE, OFFLINE, null)
siteName - Assigned site name
siteId - Site identifier

Device Classification

deviceType - SWITCH, GATEWAY, ACCESS_POINT
deviceFunction - Functional role (e.g., "Mobility GW", "Campus AP")
persona - Device persona (e.g., "Access Switch", "Campus Access Point")
model - Device model (e.g., "6200F", "9004-US", "AP-615-US")
partNumber - Part number
tier - Subscription tier (e.g., "ADVANCED_SWITCH_6200", "ADVANCE_70XX")

Software & Provisioning

softwareVersion - Installed software version
firmwareVersion - Firmware version
isProvisioned - "Yes" or "No"
deployment - Deployment type (Standalone, Campus AP, etc.)

Organizational

deviceGroupName - Assigned device group
deviceGroupId - Group identifier
role - Device role (if assigned)
stackId - Stack ID (null for non-stacked devices)

Use Cases

1. Automated Device Configuration

Target specific device types:

ansible-playbook configure_switches.yml -i central_inventory.yml --limit type_switch

2. Site-Specific Deployments

Deploy configurations to specific sites:

ansible-playbook deploy.yml -i central_inventory.yml --limit site_building_a

3. Status-Based Operations

Target only online devices:

# In your inventory config
filters:
  status:
    - ONLINE

4. Accessing Central Credentials in Playbooks

The plugin stores credentials at the all group level, making them available in your playbooks:

- name: Make Central API call
  arubanetworks.hpeanw_central.central_api:
    base_url: "{{ central_base_url }}"
    access_token: "{{ central_access_token }}"
    endpoint: /monitoring/v2/devices

5. Device Auditing

Generate reports on device status, versions, and provisioning:

ansible-inventory -i central_inventory.yml --list > device_audit.json

Group Naming Convention

The plugin sanitizes group names to be Ansible-compatible:

Spaces → underscores (Building A → building_a)
Hyphens → underscores (LSV-WPA3 → lsv_wpa3)
Lowercase conversion
Numeric prefixes get g_ prefix (6300 → g_6300)

Group Prefixes:

site_ - Site-based groups
type_ - Device type groups
model_ - Model-based groups
status_ - Status-based groups
group_ - Device group-based groups

Troubleshooting

Authentication Failures

Verify central_base_url matches your region
Check client ID/secret or token validity

Provide feedback

Saved searches

Use saved searches to filter your results more quickly

HPE Aruba Networking Central Dynamic Inventory Plugin

Overview

What It Does

Configuration

Minimal Configuration

Full Configuration Options

How It Works

Authentication Flow

Device Discovery

Expected Output Format

Inventory Structure

Example Output

1. All-Level Variables (Shared Across All Hosts)

2. Host Entries (Device Details)

3. Dynamic Groups

Available Host Variables

Core Identifiers

Network Information

Device Classification

Software & Provisioning

Organizational

Use Cases

1. Automated Device Configuration

2. Site-Specific Deployments

3. Status-Based Operations

4. Accessing Central Credentials in Playbooks

5. Device Auditing

Group Naming Convention

Troubleshooting

Authentication Failures

Related Documentation

FilesExpand file tree

central_inventory_plugin.md

Latest commit

History

central_inventory_plugin.md

File metadata and controls

HPE Aruba Networking Central Dynamic Inventory Plugin

Overview

What It Does

Configuration

Minimal Configuration

Full Configuration Options

How It Works

Authentication Flow

Device Discovery

Expected Output Format

Inventory Structure

Example Output

1. All-Level Variables (Shared Across All Hosts)

2. Host Entries (Device Details)

3. Dynamic Groups

Available Host Variables

Core Identifiers

Network Information

Device Classification

Software & Provisioning

Organizational

Use Cases

1. Automated Device Configuration

2. Site-Specific Deployments

3. Status-Based Operations

4. Accessing Central Credentials in Playbooks

5. Device Auditing

Group Naming Convention

Troubleshooting

Authentication Failures

Related Documentation