https://beye.blog Dive into automation, networking, and home lab adventures. Let's build something amazing together. en-us Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:41:22 GMT hello@beye.blog (Chris Beye) hello@beye.blog (Chris Beye) Next.js Copyright 2026 Chris Beye https://beye.blog/logo.png https://beye.blog https://beye.blog/blog/posts/evpn-in-a-box-part-3-cicd-mcp-resources The final stretch: adding a GitLab CI/CD pipeline, wiring an LLM into the lab through MCP, and discovering that the lite NX-OS image can't actually run BGP EVPN. Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/evpn-in-a-box-part-3-cicd-mcp-resources Cisco Technologies Chris Beye VXLAN EVPN CI/CD MCP LLM Docker Home-Lab https://beye.blog/blog/posts/evpn-in-a-box-part-2-fabric-deployer I built a tool that deploys a full VXLAN/EVPN data center fabric from a single YAML file. Four Nexus 9000v switches, two VRFs, two overlay networks. This is not a tutorial. This is a war story. Mon, 23 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/evpn-in-a-box-part-2-fabric-deployer Cisco Technologies Chris Beye VXLAN EVPN Automation NDFC CML Ansible Home-Lab https://beye.blog/blog/posts/evpn-in-a-box-part-1-nexus-dashboard-cml-proxmox What happens when your VMware license expires and you try to run Cisco Nexus Dashboard and CML on Proxmox instead? Broken interface names, a wizard that forgets everything, and a weekend of initrd surgery. Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/evpn-in-a-box-part-1-nexus-dashboard-cml-proxmox Cisco Technologies Chris Beye VXLAN EVPN Nexus Dashboard Proxmox CML Home-Lab KVM https://beye.blog/blog/posts/vxlan-as-code-workshop-ndfc-cicd-network-automation Why network teams struggle with VXLAN EVPN automation and how a hands-on workshop helps bridge the gap between GUI clicks and infrastructure as code. Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/vxlan-as-code-workshop-ndfc-cicd-network-automation Cisco Technologies Chris Beye VXLAN NDFC Network Automation CI/CD Ansible GitLab https://beye.blog/blog/posts/splunk-webhook-service-ai-netops-servicenow How a Cisco Live lab scenario turned into a full microservices platform for managing Splunk webhooks with LLM-enhanced ServiceNow ticket creation. Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/splunk-webhook-service-ai-netops-servicenow Automation Chris Beye Splunk ServiceNow Webhook LLM AI Network Automation Docker https://beye.blog/blog/posts/cisco-live-derisk-network-cml-splunk-mcp How we combined CML, Splunk, and a Model Context Protocol server to validate network changes before they hit production. Sat, 07 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/cisco-live-derisk-network-cml-splunk-mcp Cisco Technologies Chris Beye Cisco Live Cisco Modeling Labs MCP Server Splunk Network Automation AI Telemetry https://beye.blog/blog/posts/fixing-xrdp-over-vpn-ultimate-optimizer Five critical fixes for xRDP over VPN tunnels: TCP buffer exhaustion, MTU black holes, keepalive timing, session persistence, and XFCE corruption. Packaged into automation. Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/fixing-xrdp-over-vpn-ultimate-optimizer Open-source Chris Beye XRDP Ubuntu VPN Remote Desktop Performance Tuning Cisco Live Training Labs https://beye.blog/blog/posts/cloud-pbs-saved-my-homelab-disaster-recovery-story After USB boot failures, a dying NAS, and counterfeit drives from China, my entire Proxmox cluster was at risk. Here's how Cloud PBS turned a potential catastrophe into a few hours of restore time. Sat, 06 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/cloud-pbs-saved-my-homelab-disaster-recovery-story Home-Lab Chris Beye Proxmox Backup Cloud PBS Disaster Recovery Home Lab NAS Data Protection https://beye.blog/blog/posts/securing-mcp-servers-enterprise-ai-tool-security MCP servers are everywhere, but security is underestimated. Learn how to implement transport encryption, RBAC, audit logging, and credential protection for production AI tooling. Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/securing-mcp-servers-enterprise-ai-tool-security AI Chris Beye MCP Server Security Network Automation Claude AI Enterprise Python Docker https://beye.blog/blog/posts/building-nexus-dashboard-secure-mcp-server How I built and open-sourced a Model Context Protocol server that enables Claude AI to automate Cisco Nexus Dashboard operations - from architecture to GitHub release. Sun, 23 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/building-nexus-dashboard-secure-mcp-server AI Chris Beye MCP Server Network Automation Claude AI Open Source Cisco Nexus Python Docker https://beye.blog/blog/posts/from-wordpress-to-nextjs-ai-powered-blog-transformation A network engineer's journey from WordPress frustration to a modern, blazing-fast blog built with Next.js—powered by AI collaboration with Claude Code. Tue, 18 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/from-wordpress-to-nextjs-ai-powered-blog-transformation AI Chris Beye Next.js AI WordPress Web Development Claude Code Modern Web Static Site Generation https://beye.blog/blog/posts/dear-future-me-how-to-fix-splunk-better-webhook-ssl-certificate-errors-again Have you ever spent hours troubleshooting an issue, only to realize you've solved this exact problem before? That was me last week, watching my closed-loop Fri, 14 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/dear-future-me-how-to-fix-splunk-better-webhook-ssl-certificate-errors-again Automation Chris Beye Splunk Webhook GitLab Python SSL Certificates Troubleshooting https://beye.blog/blog/posts/from-hang-ups-to-high-gear-how-i-fixed-my-vmware-vms-on-proxmox I started running Proxmox a little over a year ago.Since day one, it's been rock solid — stable, flexible, and fun to automate.I migrated my lab and a few Sat, 25 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/from-hang-ups-to-high-gear-how-i-fixed-my-vmware-vms-on-proxmox Automation Chris Beye Proxmox VMware VirtIO Performance Tuning Migration QEMU https://beye.blog/blog/posts/automating-thousandeyes-icmp-tests-with-python Let's face it! Creating monitoring tests manually in the ThousandEyes web UI can feel like writing tickets by hand. It works, but when you have 40+ endpoints Wed, 15 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/automating-thousandeyes-icmp-tests-with-python Cisco Technologies Chris Beye ThousandEyes Python Network Monitoring API Network Automation https://beye.blog/blog/posts/cisco-router-meet-proactive-monitoring-deploying-thousandeyes-on-catalyst-8000v In this post, we're exploring the world of application hosting on Catalyst routers, specifically focusing on deploying ThousandEyes on a Catalyst 8000v router Sun, 06 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/cisco-router-meet-proactive-monitoring-deploying-thousandeyes-on-catalyst-8000v Cisco Technologies Chris Beye ThousandEyes Catalyst 8000V Network Monitoring Proactive Monitoring IOS XE https://beye.blog/blog/posts/home-network-meet-proactive-monitoring-deploying-thousandeyes-on-proxmox As someone who loves testing and tinkering in my home lab, it's no surprise that it's continuously growing. More services are popping up, and with them come Sun, 29 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/home-network-meet-proactive-monitoring-deploying-thousandeyes-on-proxmox Cisco Technologies Chris Beye ThousandEyes Proxmox Network Monitoring Docker ISP Monitoring https://beye.blog/blog/posts/sync-your-webex-status-with-wled-for-visual-notifications-in-your-home-office Imagine this: you're in the middle of a very serious Webex meeting, nodding along to something incredibly important, when suddenly, the door flies open, and Sun, 22 Sep 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/sync-your-webex-status-with-wled-for-visual-notifications-in-your-home-office Cisco Technologies Chris Beye Webex WLED Python ESP8266 Home Automation LED https://beye.blog/blog/posts/my-proxmox-backup-strategy This will be one of my final posts in the Proxmox series, but I couldn't finish without covering a crucial topic—backups. 🛡️ Sat, 31 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/my-proxmox-backup-strategy Home-Lab Chris Beye Proxmox Backup Strategy Data Protection Proxmox Backup Server NFS https://beye.blog/blog/posts/proxmox-vs-nutanix-community-edition-the-home-lab-face-off As a home lab enthusiast, I'm always looking for the best tools to optimize my setup. Recently, I decided to migrate my virtual machines from VMware to Fri, 23 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/proxmox-vs-nutanix-community-edition-the-home-lab-face-off Home-Lab Chris Beye Proxmox Nutanix Virtualization Hypervisor Comparison https://beye.blog/blog/posts/my-journey-from-esxi-to-proxmox With this blog article I am creating a new category which is all about Home Lab deployments and related topics. Sun, 18 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/my-journey-from-esxi-to-proxmox Home-Lab Chris Beye Proxmox VMware ESXi Migration Virtualization https://beye.blog/blog/posts/the-home-office-heatwave-is-over In my previous blog post, I mentioned the unexpected failure of my APC unit, which got me thinking about potential causes. Currently, my server rack sits Sun, 18 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/the-home-office-heatwave-is-over Home-Automation Chris Beye IOBroker Home Automation Temperature Monitoring Aqara SwitchBot https://beye.blog/blog/posts/cml-2-7-is-out-now Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) version 2.7 brings an array of new features designed to enhance simulation flexibility, user experience, and network design Sat, 20 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/cml-2-7-is-out-now Cisco Technologies Chris Beye Cisco Modeling Labs CML Network Simulation Upgrade Guide https://beye.blog/blog/posts/onprem-gitlab-ce-and-hashicorp-vault-pipeline-integration Investigating the task of integrating HashiCorp Vault into my existing pipeline, I quickly realized the majority of resources available focused on GitLab-EE Sun, 21 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/onprem-gitlab-ce-and-hashicorp-vault-pipeline-integration Automation Chris Beye HashiCorp Vault GitLab CI/CD Secret Management JWT Authentication https://beye.blog/blog/posts/optimizing-rdp-performance-xrdp-lessons-learned-with-ubuntu-22-04 In the dynamic world of system engineering, the choice between proprietary and open-source software often hinges on practicality and expertise. I'm a big Sun, 21 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/optimizing-rdp-performance-xrdp-lessons-learned-with-ubuntu-22-04 Open-source Chris Beye XRDP Ubuntu Remote Desktop XFCE Performance Tuning https://beye.blog/blog/posts/smart-homes-smarter-data Welcome to the world where home meets automation! If you've been following my journey, you know that my passion for automation extends far beyond the realm of Fri, 22 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/smart-homes-smarter-data Home-Automation Chris Beye IOBroker InfluxDB Grafana Smart Home Home Automation Zigbee https://beye.blog/blog/posts/deploying-custom-templates-with-ndfc In the realm of network design and customization, the ability to adapt and tailor solutions to specific needs is crucial. Wed, 20 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/deploying-custom-templates-with-ndfc Automation Chris Beye Cisco NDFC Templates Ansible BGP EVPN Network Automation https://beye.blog/blog/posts/how-to-study-for-the-cisco-devnet-professional-exam-essential-tips-for-success Embarking on the path of Cisco certifications has been an enlightening journey for me. I recently ticked off a significant achievement by acquiring the Cisco Sat, 02 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/how-to-study-for-the-cisco-devnet-professional-exam-essential-tips-for-success Uncategorized Chris Beye DevNet Certification Study Guide Network Automation Python https://beye.blog/blog/posts/cisco-dna-center-ansible-issue-dna-center-python-sdk-not-installed I'm currently preparing for the Cisco Live lab, an event set to take place in Las Vegas in the upcoming weeks. As with any complex task, it's been a journey Mon, 15 May 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/cisco-dna-center-ansible-issue-dna-center-python-sdk-not-installed Cisco Technologies Chris Beye Cisco DNA Center Ansible Python Troubleshooting Docker https://beye.blog/blog/posts/unleashing-the-power-of-network-digital-twins-within-ci-cd-environments-part-2 Alright, let's get down to business 🚀 ! In this part, I will show you how an end-to-end pipeline can be built using the digital-twin approach. Mon, 10 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/unleashing-the-power-of-network-digital-twins-within-ci-cd-environments-part-2 Automation Chris Beye Digital Twin CI/CD Ansible GitLab Cisco Modeling Labs Robot Framework https://beye.blog/blog/posts/unleashing-the-power-of-network-digital-twins-within-ci-cd-environments-part-1 Nowadays networks have evolved rapidly in the last recent years, and traditional methods of overcoming the changes in the networks may no longer be sufficient Wed, 29 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/unleashing-the-power-of-network-digital-twins-within-ci-cd-environments-part-1 Automation Chris Beye Digital Twin CI/CD Cisco Modeling Labs Network Automation Change Management https://beye.blog/blog/posts/cisco-ndfc-ztp-zero-touch-provisioning-with-ansible-for-bgp-evpn-fabrics If you want to build BGP EVPN based Datacenter fabrics, Cisco's answer is NDFC (Nexus Dashboard Fabric Controller). Wed, 22 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/cisco-ndfc-ztp-zero-touch-provisioning-with-ansible-for-bgp-evpn-fabrics Automation Chris Beye Cisco NDFC Ansible Zero Touch Provisioning BGP EVPN Nexus Data Center https://beye.blog/blog/posts/aci-as-code-with-terraform-and-gitlab-cicd In my previous blog articles, I have been talking about how to set up: Fri, 10 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/aci-as-code-with-terraform-and-gitlab-cicd Automation Chris Beye ACI Terraform GitLab CI/CD Infrastructure as Code https://beye.blog/blog/posts/gitlab-ci-cd-pipeline-to-build-your-own-docker-container-and-upload-to-your-own-registry The Docker containers are standardized units that can be created on demand to deploy a defined set of applications for a dedicated environment. It will be Wed, 08 Mar 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/gitlab-ci-cd-pipeline-to-build-your-own-docker-container-and-upload-to-your-own-registry Automation Chris Beye GitLab Docker CI/CD DevOps Container Registry https://beye.blog/blog/posts/cisco-dna-center-ztp-zero-touch-provisioning-with-ansible-intent-based One use case that I have been working on for several customers is the ZTP (Zero-Touch-Provisioning) via PNP (Plug and Play) on Catalyst devices. Such a simple Thu, 23 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/cisco-dna-center-ztp-zero-touch-provisioning-with-ansible-intent-based Uncategorized Chris Beye Cisco DNA Center Ansible Zero Touch Provisioning Network Automation Catalyst https://beye.blog/blog/posts/gitlab-as-a-terraform-state-file-backend When I started my first Terraform project within GitLab I wondered where should I store my state file. One option could be to store it in my Git repository Sat, 18 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/gitlab-as-a-terraform-state-file-backend Automation Chris Beye GitLab Terraform Infrastructure as Code CI/CD ACI https://beye.blog/blog/posts/gitlab-server-with-a-self-signed-certificate-and-embedded-docker-registry I needed to set up a GitLab server in a lab some weeks ago. At first, I didn't feel the need of using a certificate to secure the connectivity but when I Mon, 13 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/gitlab-server-with-a-self-signed-certificate-and-embedded-docker-registry Automation Chris Beye GitLab SSL Certificates Docker DevOps Self-Signed Certificates https://beye.blog/blog/posts/customer-success-definitions-and-observations Follow Selcuk on Linkedin to get in touch with him: Sat, 03 Dec 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/customer-success-definitions-and-observations Uncategorized Chris Beye Customer Success Customer Experience Business Strategy Customer Metrics https://beye.blog/blog/posts/how-to-deliver-a-great-workshop Workshops are a great way to get information out to a group of people, but only if they're well-planned and executed. Here are a few of my tips on delivering Wed, 02 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/how-to-deliver-a-great-workshop Uncategorized Chris Beye Training Public Speaking Workshop Planning Education https://beye.blog/blog/posts/tig-stack-installation-telegraf-influxdb-and-grafana-on-ubuntu-22-04-made-easy UPDATED: 8th of May 2024 Sat, 13 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/tig-stack-installation-telegraf-influxdb-and-grafana-on-ubuntu-22-04-made-easy Open-source Chris Beye Telegraf InfluxDB Grafana Telemetry Ubuntu Docker https://beye.blog/blog/posts/model-driven-telemetry-with-cisco-nexus You might be sending unencrypted telemetry data on your network. This tutorial explains the encryption setup for model-driven telemetry with Cisco Nexus Sat, 06 Aug 2022 00:00:00 GMT https://beye.blog/blog/posts/model-driven-telemetry-with-cisco-nexus Cisco Technologies Chris Beye Model-Driven Telemetry Nexus Telegraf InfluxDB Grafana YANG