Example Expect Script

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The ARX uses Expect which is a TCL extension which allows for fully interactive automated tasks. Expect is built on TCL but does not "require" TCL in order to run (as it's build into the library of expect). If you want to better understand the power of expect as a script system, you can read more about TCL for basic loop constructs, syntax, error handling. However, expect is based on TCL so if you read a lightweight book on expect you'll learn the nature of TCL as well. Find the manual for expect hosted at http://www.tcl.tk/man/expect5.31/

F5 Professional Services can assist you in creating customized scripts for your ARX solution and we ask customers to please reach out to us before trying scripting as this could destabilize your environment if something goes wrong. Please do not hesitate to reach out to your F5 account manager to talk about how we can help. The sample script is not supported by F5 and is only given as an example.

To copy an Expect script to the ARX you can use a variety of methods: 

FTP

     copy ftp://[user[:password]@]server/source‐file dir file

  “copy ftp://user:password@111.222.333.444/upload_reports.exp scripts upload_reports.exp”

SCP

     copy scp://[user@]server:source‐file directory file [accept‐host‐key]

  “copy scp://user@111.222.333.444:upload_reports.exp scripts upload_reports.exp”

      CIFS/NFS ( requires an an operational Namespace/Volume/Share )

     copy {nfs|cifs} namespace vol‐path source‐file directory file

  “copy cifs ns-namespace /volume/ upload_reports.exp scripts upload_reports.exp”

Just copy and paste this into notepad and save it as upload_reports.exp then use the above methods to get the script on your ARX. To execute the script at the command like type:

ARXSWITCH# expect upload_reports.exp
USAGE: expect upload_reports.exp <location=ftp://host/path> [type=reportType] [output=reportOutput] [delete]
USAGE: you can specify only up to 3 parameters: expect upload_reports.exp <location=

ftp://host/path> [output=reportOutput] [delete]

USAGE: location can be: ftp,scp,smtp
USAGE: for available types : show report type ?
USAGE: outputs: rpt,xml,txt
USAGE: delete - will remove report after copy

---

Expect script upload reports to a remote location with the option of deleting them

---

################################# Start Copy #################################
#This script is not supported by F5 and is given only as an example.
#Please contact your local F5 Professional Services consultant before
#using this or any custom script.
#version 1.0
#type
#output
#delete

 

 

log_user 0
set timeout 6000
send "enable\n"
expect "#"

 

send "no term conf\n"
expect "#"

 

#get date
set mydate [ timestamp -format %Y%m%d ]

 

#get hostname
send "show hostname\n"
expect "#"
foreach line [split $expect_out(buffer) "\n"] {
                set myswitch [lindex $line 0]
                regsub -all "#" [lindex $line 0] "" myswitch
                continue
}

 

  set mylocation ""
  set mytype ""
  set myoutput rpt
  set mydelete ""
  set mytoken ""
  set mytoken2 ""

 

if { [lindex $argv 0] != "" } {
  regsub -all "=" [lindex $argv 0] " " tmp
  set mytoken ""
  set mytoken2 ""
  set mytoken [lindex $tmp 0]
  set mytoken2 [lindex $tmp 1]
  case $mytoken {
        location {
                set mylocation $mytoken2
        } type {
                set mytype "type $mytoken2"
        } output {
                set myoutput $mytoken2
        } delete {
                set mydelete "yes"
        }
}
}

 

if { [lindex $argv 1] != "" } {
  regsub -all "=" [lindex $argv 1] " " tmp
  set mytoken ""
  set mytoken2 ""
  set mytoken [lindex $tmp 0]
  set mytoken2 [lindex $tmp 1]
  case  $mytoken  {
        location {
                set mylocation $mytoken2
        } type {
                set mytype "type $mytoken2"
        } output {
                set myoutput $mytoken2
        } delete {
                set mydelete "yes"
        }
  }
}

 

if { [lindex $argv 2] != "" } {
  regsub -all "=" [lindex $argv 2] " " tmp
  set mytoken ""
  set mytoken2 ""
  set mytoken [lindex $tmp 0]
  set mytoken2 [lindex $tmp 1]
  case $mytoken {
        location {
                set mylocation $mytoken2
        } type {
                set mytype "type "$mytoken2
        } output {
                set myoutput $mytoken2
        } delete {
                set mydelete "yes"
        }
}
}

 

if { [lindex $argv 3] != "" } {
  regsub -all "=" [lindex $argv 3] " " tmp
  set mytoken ""
  set mytoken2 ""
  set mytoken [lindex $tmp 0]
  set mytoken2 [lindex $tmp 1]
  case $mytoken {
        location {
                set mylocation $mytoken2
        } type {
                set mytype "type $mytoken2"
        } output {
                set myoutput $mytoken2
        } delete {
                set mydelete "yes"
        }
}
}

if { $mylocation == "" } {
        puts "USAGE: expect upload_reports.exp \<location=ftp://host/path> \[type=reportType\] \[output=reportOutput\] \[delete\]"
        puts "USAGE: you can specify only up to 3 parameters: expect upload_reports.exp \<location=

ftp://host/path> \[output=reportOutput\] \[delete\]\n"
        puts "USAGE: location can be: ftp,scp,smtp"
        puts "USAGE: for available types : show report type ?"
        puts "USAGE: outputs: rpt,xml,txt"
        puts "USAGE: delete - will remove report after copy"
        exit
}

send "show reports $mytype\n"
expect "#"
foreach line1 [split $expect_out(buffer) "\n"] {
        if { [llength $line1] == 10 } {
                set myreport [lindex $line1 0]
                set myreportout [string range $myreport 0 [expr [string length $myreport] -4]]
                send "copy reports $myreport $mylocation/$myreportout$myoutput\n"
                expect "#"
                if { $mydelete != "" } {
                        send "delete reports $myreport\n"
                        expect "#"
                }
        }
        continue
}
####End of Script