Python Client for Arista eAPI

1.0.4 · active · verified Fri Apr 17

pyeapi is a Python client library for interacting with Arista EOS devices via their eAPI. It provides a simple, Pythonic interface for sending commands, parsing responses, and managing network configurations. The current version is 1.0.4, with releases occurring periodically to address bugs and introduce minor enhancements.

Common errors

```
No module named 'pyeapi'
```
cause The pyeapi library is not installed in the active Python environment.

fix Install the library using pip: `pip install pyeapi`.
```
pyeapi.eapilib.EapiError: Failed to connect to eAPI: Connection refused
```
cause The eAPI service is not running or accessible on the target device, or there's a network connectivity issue (firewall, routing).

fix Verify network connectivity to the device (e.g., `ping`). Ensure eAPI is enabled on the Arista switch (`management api http-command` or `management api https-command` in config mode). Check firewall rules and the specified port (default 80 for HTTP, 443 for HTTPS).
```
pyeapi.eapilib.EapiError: Failed to connect to eAPI: Authentication failed
```
cause Incorrect username or password provided for the eAPI connection.

fix Double-check the username and password configured for eAPI access on the Arista switch. Ensure they match the credentials passed to `pyeapi.connect`.
```
pyeapi.eapilib.EapiError: 'interface Ethernet1' failed with error 'Invalid command'
```
cause The command sent to the device is syntactically incorrect, not supported, or used in the wrong mode for the current eAPI context.

fix Review the exact command syntax for Arista EOS. Test the command directly on the switch CLI to ensure it's valid. Some commands require 'enable' mode or specific configuration contexts.

Warnings

breaking pyeapi v1.0.0 and later are Python 3 only. Python 2.7 is no longer supported.
Fix: Upgrade to Python 3.7 or newer. If you must use Python 2, use pyeapi versions prior to 1.0.0 (e.g., 0.8.x).
breaking pyeapi v1.0.0 and later require Python 3.7 as the minimum supported Python version.
Fix: Ensure your environment uses Python 3.7 or a later 3.x release. Check your Python version with `python --version`.
gotcha For on-box deployments (pyeapi running directly on the Arista switch), Arista EOS 4.22 or later is required for pyeapi v1.0.0+.
Fix: Upgrade your Arista EOS version to 4.22 or newer if running pyeapi on the switch itself. This limitation does not apply to off-box usage.
gotcha Version 1.0.2 provided a critical bug fix. It is strongly advised to upgrade to 1.0.2 or later to avoid potential issues introduced in earlier 1.x releases.
Fix: Upgrade pyeapi to version 1.0.2 or the latest available stable release using `pip install --upgrade pyeapi`.

Install

pip install pyeapi Install pyeapi

Imports

Node
wrong:
```
import pyeapi.client.Node
```
correct:
```
from pyeapi.client import Node
```
The Node class is typically imported directly from pyeapi.client for ease of use, rather than accessing it as an attribute of the pyeapi.client module.
connect
```
import pyeapi
node = pyeapi.connect(host='10.0.0.1')
```
The connect function is a top-level function of the pyeapi package, used to establish a connection to an Arista EOS device.

Quickstart

This example demonstrates how to connect to an Arista EOS device using `pyeapi.connect` and execute simple 'show' commands. It uses environment variables as placeholders for credentials, which should be replaced with actual values or a `pyeapi.conf` file for production use. It then prints the device's EOS version, hostname, and the status of its network interfaces.

import pyeapi
import os

# Configure connection details (e.g., in a YAML file or environment variables)
# For quickstart, using environment variables as placeholders:
HOST = os.environ.get('PYEAPI_HOST', '10.0.0.1')
USERNAME = os.environ.get('PYEAPI_USERNAME', 'admin')
PASSWORD = os.environ.get('PYEAPI_PASSWORD', 'arista')

# A more robust setup would use a pyeapi.conf file or direct dictionary config
# For simplicity, we'll create a dictionary config for direct connection

node_config = {
    'transport': 'https',
    'host': HOST,
    'username': USERNAME,
    'password': PASSWORD,
    'port': 443,
    'timeout': 30
}

try:
    # Connect to the Arista EOS device
    node = pyeapi.connect(**node_config)
    print(f"Successfully connected to {HOST}")

    # Run a 'show version' command
    response = node.run_commands(['show version'])
    print("\n--- Device Version ---")
    print(f"EOS Version: {response[0]['version']}")
    print(f"Hostname: {response[0]['hostname']}")

    # Run a 'show interfaces' command
    interfaces_response = node.run_commands(['show interfaces'])
    print("\n--- Interfaces Status ---")
    for intf_name, intf_data in interfaces_response[0]['interfaces'].items():
        print(f"  {intf_name}: {intf_data['lineProtocolStatus']} (Admin: {intf_data['interfaceStatus']})")

except pyeapi.eapilib.EapiError as e:
    print(f"EAPI Error: {e}")
except Exception as e:
    print(f"An unexpected error occurred: {e}")

view raw JSON →