n8n-nodes-pyats-ro-api

This is an n8n community node that integrates with the PyATS Show Command API. It lets you execute show commands on network devices (Cisco routers, switches, firewalls) in your n8n workflows.

The PyATS Show Command API allows you to execute read-only show commands on Cisco network devices via PyATS/Unicon framework with support for multiple device types and output filtering.

n8n is a fair-code licensed workflow automation platform.

Table of Contents

• Installation
• Operations
• Credentials
• Compatibility
• Usage
• Resources
• Version History
• Contributing
• License

Installation

Follow the installation guide in the n8n community nodes documentation.

Community Nodes (Recommended)

For users on n8n v0.187+, your instance owner can install this node from Settings > Community Nodes.

Use n8n-nodes-pyats-ro-api as the npm package name.

Manual Installation

To get started, install the package in your n8n root directory:

npm install n8n-nodes-pyats-ro-api

For Docker-based deployments, add the following line before the font installation command in your n8n Dockerfile:

RUN cd /usr/local/lib/node_modules/n8n && npm install n8n-nodes-pyats-ro-api

Operations

This node supports the following operations:

Command Resource

• Execute: Execute show commands on one or more network devices
  • Support for multiple devices and commands
  • Pipe filtering (include, exclude, begin, section)
  • Configurable timeout

Health Resource

• Check: Check API health and version

Info Resource

• Get Supported OS: List all supported device operating systems
• Get Pipe Options: List all available pipe filter options

Credentials

This node requires the PyATS RO API credentials:

• API Base URL: The base URL of your PyATS Show Command API (default: http://localhost:8000)

Setting up credentials

1. In n8n, go to Credentials > New
2. Search for "PyATS RO API"
3. Enter your API base URL
4. Click Save

Note: The current version of the PyATS Show Command API does not require authentication. Device credentials are passed per-request as part of the command execution.

Prerequisites

You must have a PyATS Show Command API server running. See the PyATS Show Command API documentation for installation instructions.

Compatibility

• Minimum n8n version: 0.187.0
• Tested against: n8n v1.0+
• PyATS Show Command API: v1.0.0

Usage

Basic Example: Execute Show Command

1. Add the PyATS Show Command API node to your workflow
2. Select your credentials
3. Choose Command as the resource
4. Choose Execute as the operation
5. Add a device:
   • Hostname: 192.168.1.1
   • Username: admin
   • Password: cisco123
   • Operating System: Cisco IOS-XE
6. Add a command:
   • Show Command: show version
7. Execute the workflow

Advanced Example: Multiple Devices with Pipe Filters

Execute commands on multiple devices with output filtering:

1. Add multiple devices with different credentials
2. Add a command with pipe filter:
   • Show Command: show ip interface brief
   • Use Pipe Filter: true
   • Pipe Option: Include
   • Pattern: up
3. Add another command:
   • Show Command: show running-config
   • Use Pipe Filter: true
   • Pipe Option: Section
   • Pattern: interface

Supported Device OS Types

• Cisco IOS

• Cisco IOS-XE

• Cisco IOS-XR

• Cisco NX-OS

• Cisco ASA

• n8n Community Nodes Documentation

• PyATS/Unicon Documentation

• Cisco PyATS Getting Started

• n8n Documentation

• Report Issues

Version History

See CHANGELOG.md for a complete version history.

0.1.0 (2025-01-01)

• Initial release
• Execute show commands on network devices
• Support for multiple devices and commands
• Pipe filtering capabilities (include, exclude, begin, section)
• Health check endpoint
• Support for Cisco IOS, IOS-XE, IOS-XR, NX-OS, and ASA

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please read the Contributing Guide for details on our code of conduct and the process for submitting pull requests.

Security

For security issues, please see our Security Policy.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE.md file for details.

Author

Jerome Massey

• Email: [email protected]
• GitHub: @JeromeMassey

Acknowledgments

• Built with n8n
• Powered by Cisco PyATS
• Inspired by the n8n community

0.1.0 (2025-01-01)

• Initial release
• Execute show commands on network devices
• Support for multiple devices and commands
• Pipe filtering capabilities
• Health check endpoint
• Support for Cisco IOS, IOS-XE, IOS-XR, NX-OS, and ASA