Genie Configuration Libraries (genie-libs-conf)

26.3 · active · verified Thu Apr 16

Genie libs Conf is a Python library within the pyATS/Genie framework, designed to configure network device topologies through Python object attributes. It provides a programmatic way to define and apply configurations, often used in network automation and testing. Version 26.3 is current, and releases typically align with the broader pyATS/Genie framework, which has a regular, frequent release cycle.

Common errors

```
AttributeError: 'NoneType' object has no attribute 'build_config'
```
cause The `Device` object was not properly initialized or added to the `Genie` instance, making its internal state incomplete.

fix Ensure your `Device` instance is created with `Device(name='...', os='...')` and added to the `Genie` instance using `gen.add_device(device)`.
```
KeyError: 'Cannot set attribute ip_address, it does not exist in the schema.'
```
cause You are trying to set an attribute on a `genie.libs.conf` object that does not exist in its defined schema or is misspelled. The attribute might be valid in a different context or spelled differently (e.g. `ipv4_address`).

fix Check the `genie.libs.conf` documentation or the source code for the specific object (e.g., `Interface`) to verify the correct attribute name and its expected type.
```
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'genie.conf'
```
cause The `genie.conf` package (which provides the top-level `Genie` object) is not installed. `genie-libs-conf` itself doesn't include it.

fix Install the core `genie` package using `pip install genie` (or `pip install pyats[full]` for the entire framework).

Warnings

breaking API Changes in PyATS/Genie Major Versions: Older `pyATS`/`Genie` versions (e.g., pre-20.x) might use different API patterns for configuration objects or methods (e.g., `config_builder` instead of `build_config` directly on device objects). Migration is needed.
Fix: Consult the official `pyATS` release notes and documentation for your specific version to adapt API calls, especially for `Genie` and `Device` object methods.
gotcha Incorrect Hierarchical Assignment: Attempting to assign configuration objects (e.g., an `Interface` object) directly to a `Device` object's attribute without using proper constructors or `add_feature` can lead to unexpected behavior or no configuration generation.
Fix: Ensure configuration objects are correctly associated with their parent objects, typically through the object's constructor (e.g., `Interface(..., device=device)`) or by adding them to the parent's feature list where appropriate.
gotcha Schema Attribute Naming Mismatches: Incorrect attribute names (e.g., `ip_address` vs `ipv4_address`) or data types when setting configuration values on `genie.libs.conf` objects can silently fail to generate the desired configuration or raise schema validation errors during `build_config`.
Fix: Always refer to the specific configuration object's schema documentation to verify attribute names, expected types, and valid values. Some attributes might use common names (like `ip_address`) which are internally mapped.

Install

pip install genie-libs-conf Install core library
pip install genie Install core Genie framework (recommended for 'Genie' object)

Imports

Device
```
from genie.libs.conf.base import Device
```

Interface

from genie.libs.conf.interface import Interface

Genie
wrong:
```
from genie.libs.conf import Genie
```
correct:
```
from genie.conf import Genie
```
'Genie' class is part of the core 'genie' package, not 'genie.libs.conf'.

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates how to create a `Genie` instance, define a `Device`, and then configure an `Interface` with IP address and description using `genie.libs.conf` objects, finally generating the CLI configuration string.

from genie.conf import Genie
from genie.libs.conf.base import Device
from genie.libs.conf.interface import Interface

# Create a new Genie configuration object
gen = Genie()

# Create a device and add it to Genie
device = Device(name='my_router', os='iosxe')
gen.add_device(device)

# Configure an interface on the device
intf = Interface(name='GigabitEthernet1', device=device)
intf.description = 'Management Interface'
intf.ip_address = '192.168.1.1/24'
intf.shutdown = False

# Build and print the configuration string
config_string = device.build_config()
print(f"Generated Configuration for {device.name}:\n{config_string}")

# Expected output might look like:
# interface GigabitEthernet1
#  description Management Interface
#  ip address 192.168.1.1 255.255.255.0
#  no shutdown

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