Step 1 - Create Access Interfaces YAML File

Under the topology section you can define the interfaces that will be configured on the switches in your fabric. You will create a new file named interfaces_access.nac.yml. This file will contain the access interfaces to use per switch. It defines which VLAN to use as well as other parameters such as MTU, speed, and description. Copy and paste the following content into the file.

touch ~/workspace/ndlab/nac/host_vars/site1-fabric/interfaces_access.nac.yml
code-server -r ~/workspace/ndlab/nac/host_vars/site1-fabric/interfaces_access.nac.yml

Copy and paste the following content into the interfaces_access.nac.yml file that is now open in your VSCode editor.

Step 2 - Create vPC Interfaces YAML File

In addition to the access interfaces, you will also create a new file named interfaces_vpc.nac.yml. This file will contain the vPC interfaces to use per switch. It defines parameters such as vPC ID, port-channel mode, and port-channel member interfaces. As you can see, you can easily split your interface definitions across multiple files to keep things organized.

touch ~/workspace/ndlab/nac/host_vars/site1-fabric/interfaces_vpc.nac.yml
code-server -r ~/workspace/ndlab/nac/host_vars/site1-fabric/interfaces_vpc.nac.yml

Copy and paste the following content into the interfaces_vpc.nac.yml file that is now open in your VSCode editor.

Step 3 - Create Routed Interfaces YAML File

This file will contain the routed interfaces to use, in this case on the pre-provisioned border leaf switch. It defines parameters such as sub-interface dot1q ID, VRF, and IP address.

touch ~/workspace/ndlab/nac/host_vars/site1-fabric/interfaces_routed.nac.yml
code-server -r ~/workspace/ndlab/nac/host_vars/site1-fabric/interfaces_routed.nac.yml

Copy and paste the following content into the interfaces_routed.nac.yml file that is now open in your VSCode editor.

Step 4 - Execute Ansible Playbook

Make sure you are in your root Ansible directory.

cd ~/workspace/ndlab/nac

From the root Ansible project directory execute the following command:

ansible-playbook -i hosts.site1.yml vxlan.yml --tags cr_manage_interfaces

Upon a successful run of the playbook your output should look as follows:

  <... SNIP ...>

  PLAY RECAP ************************************************************************************************************************************************************
  site1-fabric               : ok=230  changed=33   unreachable=0    failed=0    skipped=747  rescued=0    ignored=0


  PLAYBOOK RECAP ********************************************************************************************************************************************************
  Playbook run took 0 days, 0 hours, 1 minutes, 39 seconds


  TASKS RECAP ***********************************************************************************************************************************************************
  Tuesday 27 January 2026  03:32:08 +0000 (0:00:00.575)       0:01:39.812 *******
  ===============================================================================
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.create : Manage Interface All in Nexus Dashboard -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.29s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.common : Get POAP Data From POAP Enabled Devices -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.19s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.common : Display Flag Values ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.16s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.connectivity_check : Get Cisco Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller Version -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.82s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.common : Get Multisite Fabric Associations in Nexus Dashboard ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.34s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.common : Build Fabric Creation Parameters From Template ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.96s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.validate : Copy Service Model Data to Host -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.93s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.common : Retrieve NDFC Device Username and Password from Group Vars and update inv_config --------------------------------------------------- 0.89s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.common : Retrieve NDFC Device Username and Password from Group Vars and update inv_config --------------------------------------------------- 0.88s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.connectivity_check : Verify Authorization to Nexus Dashboard -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.83s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.common : Build Fabric Switch Inventory List From Template ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.78s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.common : Build Interface Po ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.76s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.common : Build Loopback Interfaces List From Template --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.75s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.common : Build Interface -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.75s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.common : Build vPC interface ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.74s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.common : Build Networks Attach List From Template ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.73s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.common : Build Interface -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.73s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.common : Build sub_interface ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.73s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.common : Build Fabric Links ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.73s
  cisco.nac_dc_vxlan.common : Build Policy List From Template ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.72s

  ROLES RECAP ***********************************************************************************************************************************************************
  Tuesday 27 January 2026  03:32:08 +0000 (0:00:00.580)       0:01:39.816 *******
  ===============================================================================
  common ----------------------------------------------------------------- 72.09s
  create ----------------------------------------------------------------- 11.11s
  validate ---------------------------------------------------------------- 6.64s
  connectivity_check ------------------------------------------------------ 4.08s
  common_global ----------------------------------------------------------- 0.05s
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  total ------------------------------------------------------------------ 93.97s

Step 5 - Return to ND & Verify Interface Configuration is Pending

Return to your ND browser where you should be sitting on the Switches tab.

1. Click the Connectivity tab in the top navigation bar
2. Click the Interfaces tab in the sub-navigation bar



When reviewing the Interfaces tab, it is expected to see interfaces in various states since a deployment has not taken place yet. Again, you will deploy to your switches in the deploy role. Follow the remaining steps to verify the interface configuration is pre-staged in ND.




3. In the Filter by attributes, in the drop down list select Interface, then repeat and select contains




4. Then type vpc and hit Enter



Make sure interface vPC5 is created between site1-l1 and site1-l2. This will change to In-Sync after the deployment role is completed later in the lab.





5. Clear the current filter. Then in the Filter by attributes drop down select Interface, then select ==




6. Then type in Ethernet1/4 and hit Enter



Verify that the policy for interface Ethernet1/4 on site1-l1 and site1-l2 is set to access





7. Clear the current filter. Then in the Filter by attributes drop down select Interface, then select contains




8. Then type in Ethernet1/5 and hit Enter



Verify that the policy for interface Ethernet1/5 on site1-bl1 is routed

Step 6 - Return to VSCode & Close All Open Tabs

Navigate back to your VSCode application.

1. Right-Click on any open tab
2. Select "Close All" from the drop-down menu

Continue to the next section to build out the overlay by defining VRFs and networks.