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junos-network

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Juniper JunOS device automation via PyEZ/NETCONF — CLI execution, configuration management, Jinja2 template rendering, device facts, batch operations, config diff and rollback comparison (10 tools). Use when managing Juniper routers, pushing JunOS configs, running show commands on Juniper devices, or comparing rollback versions

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Juniper JunOS Network Automation

MCP Server

FieldValue
RepositoryJuniper/junos-mcp-server
Transportstdio (default for CLI), streamable-http (for IDE)
Python3.10+ (3.11 recommended)
ProtocolSSH → NETCONF → PyEZ (junos-eznc)
Dependenciesjunos-eznc>=2.7.4, jxmlease>=1.0.3, lxml>=6.0.0, mcp[cli]>=1.12.2, ncclient>=0.6.15, paramiko>=3.5.1
Installgit clone + pip install -r requirements.txt or pip install .
Entry Pointjunos-mcp-server -f devices.json -t stdio or python3 jmcp.py -f devices.json -t stdio
Containerdocker build -t junos-mcp-server . (python:3.11-slim based)

Device Inventory

Devices are defined in a devices.json file (not environment variables):

{
  "core-rtr-01": {
    "ip": "10.0.0.1",
    "port": 22,
    "username": "netops",
    "auth": {
      "type": "ssh_key",
      "private_key_path": "/home/user/.ssh/junos_key"
    }
  },
  "edge-rtr-02": {
    "ip": "10.0.0.2",
    "port": 22,
    "username": "admin",
    "auth": {
      "type": "password",
      "password": "changeme"
    }
  }
}

SSH key authentication is strongly recommended for production. Jumphost/ProxyCommand is supported via ssh_config field.

Environment Variables

VariableDefaultPurpose
JUNOS_DEVICES_FILEdevices.jsonPath to device inventory JSON
JUNOS_TIMEOUT360Default command timeout in seconds

Tools (10)

Device Inventory (3 tools)

ToolParametersDescription
get_router_list—List all available Junos routers (passwords/keys filtered from output)
add_devicedevice_name?, device_ip?, device_port?, username?, ssh_key_path?Add a new Junos device interactively (streamable-http only)
reload_devicesfile_nameReload the device dictionary from a new JSON file

CLI Execution (2 tools)

ToolParametersDescription
execute_junos_commandrouter_name, command, timeout?Execute a JunOS CLI command on a single router
execute_junos_command_batchrouter_names, command, timeout?Execute the same command on multiple routers in parallel

Configuration Management (3 tools)

ToolParametersDescription
get_junos_configrouter_nameRetrieve the full running configuration (show configuration | display set)
junos_config_diffrouter_name, version?Compare current config against a rollback version (1-49)
load_and_commit_configrouter_name, config_text, config_format?, commit_comment?Load and commit configuration (formats: set, text, xml)

Template & Facts (2 tools)

ToolParametersDescription
render_and_apply_j2_templatetemplate_content, vars_content, router_name?, router_names?, apply_config?, dry_run?, commit_comment?Render Jinja2 template with YAML variables; optionally apply to one or many routers with dry-run support
gather_device_factsrouter_name, timeout?Gather device facts: hostname, model, serial, version, uptime, RE info

Safety Features

Command Blocklist (block.cmd)

The server ships with a blocklist that prevents destructive CLI commands:

  • request system reboot
  • request system halt
  • request system power-cycle
  • request system power-off
  • request system zeroize

Custom patterns (regex) can be added to block.cmd.

Configuration Blocklist (block.cfg)

Prevents dangerous configuration changes:

  • set system root-authentication — blocks root password changes
  • set system login user ... authentication — blocks user credential changes

Custom patterns (regex) can be added to block.cfg.

Credential Filtering

get_router_list automatically strips passwords and SSH key paths before returning device data.


Workflows

1. JunOS Device Discovery

get_router_list → inventory all available Junos routers
→ gather_device_facts(router) per device → hostname, model, serial, version, uptime
→ Cross-reference with NetBox/Nautobot → flag discrepancies
→ GAIT

2. JunOS Health Check

get_router_list → identify target routers
→ execute_junos_command_batch(routers, "show chassis alarms") → alarm check
→ execute_junos_command_batch(routers, "show system processes extensive") → CPU/memory
→ execute_junos_command_batch(routers, "show interfaces terse") → interface status
→ execute_junos_command_batch(routers, "show bgp summary") → BGP peer health
→ Severity-sort findings → GAIT

3. JunOS Configuration Audit

get_router_list → select target routers
→ get_junos_config(router) → retrieve running config
→ junos_config_diff(router, version=1) → check for uncommitted or recent changes
→ Compare against golden config templates → flag deviations
→ GAIT

4. JunOS Configuration Deployment

ServiceNow CR must be in Implement state
→ get_junos_config(router) → baseline current config
→ render_and_apply_j2_template(template, vars, router, dry_run=true) → preview changes
→ render_and_apply_j2_template(template, vars, router, apply_config=true, commit_comment="CR-12345") → apply
→ get_junos_config(router) → verify post-change config
→ execute_junos_command(router, "show bgp summary") → verify protocol health
→ GAIT

5. JunOS Batch Operations

get_router_list → filter to target group (e.g., all edge routers)
→ execute_junos_command_batch(routers, "show version") → version inventory
→ execute_junos_command_batch(routers, "show ospf neighbor") → protocol health
→ Aggregate results → severity-sort → GAIT

6. JunOS Rollback Investigation

junos_config_diff(router, version=1) → compare against last committed config
→ junos_config_diff(router, version=2) → compare against version before that
→ Identify what changed, when, and the impact
→ execute_junos_command(router, "show system commit") → commit history
→ GAIT

Integration with Other Skills

SkillIntegration
pyats-networkJunOS MCP for Juniper devices, pyATS MCP for Cisco devices — unified multi-vendor fleet management
netbox-reconcileCross-reference JunOS device facts (model, serial, version) against NetBox source of truth
nautobot-sotSame as NetBox — validate Juniper device IPAM data in Nautobot
infrahub-sotCross-reference Infrahub node data with Juniper device inventory
itential-automationItential workflows can orchestrate JunOS config deployments; Junos command templates complement Itential's
servicenow-change-workflowGate all JunOS config commits behind ServiceNow Change Requests
gait-session-trackingEvery JunOS command, config push, and batch operation logged in GAIT
nso-device-opsNSO for multi-vendor orchestration, JunOS MCP for direct Juniper device access
te-network-monitoringValidate network health via ThousandEyes after JunOS config changes
fmc-firewall-opsCorrelate Juniper ACL/firewall-filter config with Cisco FMC security policies
subnet-calculatorVLSM planning for Juniper interface addressing
nvd-cveScan Junos OS versions against NVD vulnerability database

JunOS MCP vs pyATS MCP

CapabilityJunOS MCPpyATS MCP
VendorJuniper onlyCisco (IOS-XE, NX-OS, IOS-XR)
ProtocolNETCONF via PyEZSSH + Genie parsers
CLI Executionexecute_junos_commandpyats_run_command
Batch Operationsexecute_junos_command_batch (native parallel)pyats_pcall (parallel pCall)
Config Retrievalget_junos_config (set format)pyats_run_command("show run")
Config Pushload_and_commit_config (NETCONF commit)pyats_configure_device (SSH configure terminal)
Template SupportBuilt-in Jinja2 rendering + applyExternal (Jinja2 → configure)
Config Diffjunos_config_diff (rollback compare)Manual diff via show commands
Device Factsgather_device_facts (PyEZ facts)pyats_learn("platform")
Safetyblock.cmd + block.cfg regex blocklistsBuilt-in destructive command blocking
MCP Tools108

Guardrails

  • Always call get_router_list first — verify the target device exists before executing commands
  • Always baseline before changes — call get_junos_config before any load_and_commit_config or template apply
  • Use dry_run for templates — set dry_run=true on render_and_apply_j2_template to preview changes before committing
  • Gate config changes — all load_and_commit_config and render_and_apply_j2_template(apply_config=true) calls must have a ServiceNow CR in Implement state
  • Use batch for fleet ops — prefer execute_junos_command_batch over looping execute_junos_command for multi-router operations
  • Set reasonable timeouts — default is 360s; reduce for simple show commands, increase for large config operations
  • Include commit comments — always provide a commit_comment referencing the ServiceNow CR number
  • Verify after config pushes — call get_junos_config and protocol-specific show commands after changes
  • Respect the blocklists — block.cmd and block.cfg prevent destructive operations; do not bypass them
  • Record in GAIT — every command, config push, batch operation, and template rendering must be logged