Lab Guide 1 - Juniper

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Apstra Test Drive

Hands-on with Juniper Networks' Data Centre Automation Solution

Welcome to Your Apstra Test Drive!

Thank you for joining us for this hands-on experience with Juniper Apstra, the industry’s only Intent-Based Networking solution for data centre operations. Over the next two hours, you’ll get direct experience with how Apstra can transform your data centre operations - from initial design to ongoing management and optimisation.

What is Apstra?

Apstra is a powerful intent-based networking solution that enables you to design, build, deploy, and operate your data centre network with confidence and agility. Unlike traditional data centre network management approaches, Apstra provides:

  • Intent-Based Architecture: Define what you want your network to do, not how to do it

  • Single Source of Truth: One unified view of your entire network state

  • Closed-Loop Validation: Continuous verification that your network meets your intent

  • Multi-Vendor Support: Freedom to choose the best hardware for your needs

  • Automation Throughout the Lifecycle: From design to deployment to operation

What You’ll Learn Today

This Test Drive is designed to give you practical experience with Apstra’s key capabilities in a realistic data centre environment. We’ve divided the session into two main sections:

Part 1: Design & Blueprint (30 minutes)

Learn how Apstra lets you model your entire data centre in software before deploying any physical equipment:

  • Understanding logical devices, interface maps, and device profiles

  • Creating rack types to model your physical infrastructure

  • Building templates to define your network architecture

  • Deploying a blueprint and assigning resources

Part 2: Day 2 Operations (90 minutes)

Experience how Apstra simplifies ongoing management of your data centre network:

  • Exploring the dashboard and understanding fabric health

  • Scaling your data centre by adding new racks

  • Extending connectivity with new virtual networks

  • Adding and connecting new servers to your fabric

  • Setting up external BGP peerings

  • Using Time Voyager to roll back configuration changes

  • Leveraging analytics to monitor and troubleshoot your network

  • Creating custom analytics probes for your specific needs

Getting Started

Your lab environment is already configured and waiting for you. All the necessary components are accessible through the CloudLabs portal you’ve logged into.

Let’s begin by exploring how Apstra allows you to design your data centre network completely in software, before you ever connect a single cable!

How Apstra Manages Devices

As you progress through the lab, you’ll work with abstractions that represent common network constructs. This Intent-Based Networking approach uses these abstractions to build your design, giving Apstra the power to reliably deploy and modify complex infrastructures with speed and precision.

For this Test Drive, we’ve pre-configured the Logical Devices and Interface Maps to streamline the experience, but you’ll become familiar with how these components work together in the upcoming exercises.

Ready to start? Let’s dive in!

If this is your first time using the CloudLabs environment, navigate to Home Page and view the Getting Started instructions.