Global

Global configurations define network-wide settings that apply to all devices unless explicitly overridden at the device group or device level. This provides the foundation layer of your network configuration hierarchy and ensures consistent baseline settings across your entire infrastructure.

Global configurations are ideal for:

• Common infrastructure services: NTP servers, DNS servers, SNMP settings
• Network-wide policies: Security baselines, logging configurations, management access
• Default variables: Organization-wide parameters that can be referenced throughout your configurations
• Organizational standards: Consistent naming conventions, timeout values, and operational parameters

The global scope sits at the bottom of the configuration precedence hierarchy:

1. Device (highest precedence) - device-specific overrides
2. Device Group (medium precedence) - role or location-specific settings
3. Global (lowest precedence) - organization-wide defaults

This hierarchical approach allows you to establish sensible defaults globally while maintaining the flexibility to customize settings for specific device groups or individual devices as needed.

Diagram

Classes

global (iosxe)

Examples

iosxe:
  global:
    # Global variables available to all devices
    variables:
      # Infrastructure servers
      ntp_server_primary: "192.168.1.10"
      ntp_server_secondary: "192.168.1.11"
      dns_server_primary: "192.168.1.20"
      dns_server_secondary: "192.168.1.21"
      syslog_server: "192.168.1.30"

      # Organizational standards
      domain_name: "company.com"
      snmp_community: "public"
      timezone: "PST"

      # Network parameters
      default_gateway: "192.168.1.1"
      mgmt_network: "192.168.1.0"

    # Global configuration applied to all devices
    configuration:
      system:
        ip_domain_name: "${domain_name}"
        ip_name_servers:
          - "${dns_server_primary}"
          - "${dns_server_secondary}"

      ntp:
        servers:
          - ip: "${ntp_server_primary}"
            prefer: true
          - ip: "${ntp_server_secondary}"

      logging:
        hosts:
          - ip: "${syslog_server}"
        console_severity: "warning"

      clock:
        timezone: "${timezone}"
        timezone_offset_hours: -8

      snmp_server:
        snmp_communities:
          - name: "${snmp_community}"
            permission: "ro"