Network Locations Configuration Object

Overview

The network_locations Ansible module provides functionality to manage network location objects within Palo Alto Networks' Strata Cloud Manager (SCM). Network locations represent geographic regions and are used for routing decisions, service connectivity, and resource allocation. This module primarily provides read capabilities and limited management functions, as network locations are often system-defined.

Core Methods

Method	Description	Parameters	Return Type
`list()`	Lists available network locations	`filters: Dict[str, Any]`	`List[NetworkLocationModel]`
`get()`	Retrieves location by ID	`location_id: str`	`NetworkLocationModel`
`fetch()`	Retrieves location by value	`value: str`	`NetworkLocationModel`

Network Locations Model Attributes

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
`id`	str	System	Unique identifier for the network location
`value`	str	System	Location value/code (e.g., "us-east-1")
`display`	str	System	Display name of the location (e.g., "US East")
`continent`	str	System	Continent where the location is situated
`country`	str	System	Country code where the location is situated
`city`	str	System	City where the location is situated
`state`	str	System	State/province where the location is situated
`latitude`	float	System	Latitude coordinates
`longitude`	float	System	Longitude coordinates
`tier`	int	System	Service tier of the location
`type`	str	System	Type of location ("default", "custom", etc.)
`status`	str	System	Current status of the location

Exceptions

Exception	Description
`InvalidObjectError`	Invalid request data or format
`MissingQueryParameterError`	Missing required parameters
`ObjectNotPresentError`	Network location not found
`AuthenticationError`	Authentication failed
`ServerError`	Internal server error

Basic Configuration

The Network Locations module requires proper authentication credentials to access the Strata Cloud Manager API.

- name: Basic Network Locations Configuration
  hosts: localhost
  gather_facts: false
  vars:
    provider:
      client_id: "your_client_id"
      client_secret: "your_client_secret"
      tsg_id: "your_tsg_id"
      log_level: "INFO"
  tasks:
    - name: Get network locations
      cdot65.scm.network_locations_info:
        provider: "{{ provider }}"
      register: locations

    - name: Display available locations
      debug:
        var: locations.network_locations

Usage Examples

Listing All Network Locations

This example retrieves and displays all available network locations in the SCM environment.

- name: List all network locations
  cdot65.scm.network_locations_info:
    provider: "{{ provider }}"
  register: all_locations

- name: Display location information
  debug:
    msg: "{{ item.display }} ({{ item.value }}) - {{ item.continent }}, {{ item.country }}"
  loop: "{{ all_locations.network_locations }}"

Filtering Network Locations by Continent

This example retrieves network locations within a specific continent.

- name: Get European network locations
  cdot65.scm.network_locations_info:
    provider: "{{ provider }}"
    continent: "Europe"
  register: europe_locations

- name: Display European locations
  debug:
    msg: "{{ europe_locations.network_locations | map(attribute='display') | list }}"

Finding a Specific Location

This example searches for a specific network location by its value code.

- name: Find specific network location
  cdot65.scm.network_locations_info:
    provider: "{{ provider }}"
    value: "us-east-1"
  register: location_info

- name: Display location details
  debug:
    var: location_info.network_locations[0]
  when: location_info.network_locations | length > 0

Using Location Information in Other Resources

This example demonstrates how to use network location information to configure other resources.

- name: Get available network locations
  cdot65.scm.network_locations_info:
    provider: "{{ provider }}"
  register: locations

- name: Set location variable
  set_fact:
    primary_location: "{{ locations.network_locations | selectattr('display', 'eq', 'US East') | map(attribute='value') | first }}"

- name: Configure remote network using location
  cdot65.scm.remote_networks:
    provider: "{{ provider }}"
    name: "branch-office"
    region: "{{ primary_location }}"
    # Other parameters...
    state: "present"

Managing Configuration Changes

For information modules like network_locations_info, no commit is needed since these modules only retrieve information and do not modify the configuration. However, you may need to commit changes if you use the retrieved information to make configuration changes with other modules.

- name: Use network location information and configure remote networks
  block:
    - name: Get network locations
      cdot65.scm.network_locations_info:
        provider: "{{ provider }}"
      register: locations

    - name: Configure remote networks
      cdot65.scm.remote_networks:
        provider: "{{ provider }}"
        name: "branch-office-{{ item.display | replace(' ', '-') | lower }}"
        region: "{{ item.value }}"
        # Other parameters...
        state: "present"
      loop: "{{ locations.network_locations | selectattr('continent', 'eq', 'North America') | list }}"
      register: remote_networks_result

    - name: Commit changes if remote networks were created
      cdot65.scm.commit:
        provider: "{{ provider }}"
        description: "Created remote networks in North American locations"
      when: remote_networks_result is changed

Error Handling

It's important to handle potential errors when working with network locations.

- name: Get network location with error handling
  block:
    - name: Attempt to get location information
      cdot65.scm.network_locations_info:
        provider: "{{ provider }}"
        value: "non-existent-location"
      register: location_result

    - name: Verify location exists
      assert:
        that: 
          - location_result.network_locations | length > 0
        fail_msg: "Specified location does not exist"
        success_msg: "Location found"
  rescue:
    - name: Handle error
      debug:
        msg: "Location not found. Using default location instead."

    - name: Use default location
      set_fact:
        location_value: "us-east-1"

Best Practices

Location Selection

Choose network locations based on geographic proximity to your users and resources
Consider latency requirements when selecting locations
Use locations with tier 1 designation for critical workloads requiring better performance
Balance cost considerations with performance needs when selecting locations
Verify location availability before configuration

Redundancy Planning

Select multiple locations for redundancy and high availability
Choose locations in different geographic regions for disaster recovery
Understand the capabilities and limitations of each location
Implement appropriate failover mechanisms between locations
Test failover scenarios regularly to ensure reliability

Integration with Other Resources

Use location information when configuring remote networks
Reference location values correctly in other resources
Validate location values before using them in configurations
Document location dependencies for each resource
Consider creating location groups for similar geographic regions

Automation

Use variables or facts to store location information
Create a centralized location selection strategy
Document which locations are used and why
Implement location selection logic based on business requirements
Create playbooks that handle location-specific configurations

Monitoring

Regularly check the status of network locations
Have a plan for location unavailability
Automate failover to alternative locations when needed
Monitor performance metrics for each location
Adjust location selection based on performance data

remote_networks - Configure remote networks in specific locations
bgp_routing - Configure routing preferences that may be location-dependent
service_connections - Configure service connections in specific locations
region - Configure regions that may include multiple network locations
region_info - Retrieve information about configured regions