Is it possbile to define l3_edge links in to different yaml files and then both be used in avd

[geckigek]

Hello AVD community,

I would like to maintain two separate YAML files for different link definitions — for example, one for “Connected Endpoints” and another for “Essential Links.” Ultimately, I need to feed all of these links into the same l3_edge structure that the AVD solution expects.

Instead, I want to merge both sets of link data into a single variable (l3_edge) at runtime using Ansible’s variable-merging capabilities. The challenge is that we have list data (e.g., p2p_links), which typically gets overwritten rather than merged unless extra steps are taken.

Below is a simplified, anonymized example to illustrate what I mean:

# group_vars/CONNECTED_ENDPOINTS/connected_endpoints.yml
connected_endpoints_l3_edge:
  p2p_links_profiles:
    - name: LINK-PROFILE_STREAMINGPORTS
      ptp:
        enabled: true
    # ...
  p2p_links:
    - nodes:
        - endpoint-a
        - leaf-1
      interfaces:
        - Ethernet5
        - Ethernet2
      profile: LINK-PROFILE_STREAMINGPORTS
    # ...

# group_vars/ESSENTIAL_LINKS/essential_links.yml
essential_links_l3_edge:
  p2p_links_profiles:
    - name: LINK-PROFILE_FOO
      ptp:
        enabled: false
    # ...
  p2p_links:
    - nodes:
        - borderleaf-a
        - borderleaf-b
      interfaces:
        - Ethernet48
        - Ethernet52
      profile: LINK-PROFILE_FOO
    # ...

Finally, I would like to produce a combined l3_edge variable that includes both sets of data, for example:

l3_edge:
  p2p_links_profiles:
    - name: LINK-PROFILE_STREAMINGPORTS
      ptp:
        enabled: true
    - name: LINK-PROFILE_FOO
      ptp:
        enabled: false
  p2p_links:
    # ...

Question:
How can I cleanly merge these two separate YAML structures into one l3_edge variable without modifying any of the AVD Jinja templates?

Are there recommended best practices for list merging in Ansible (e.g., using combine, list_merge='append', etc.) to handle this scenario?

Are there any pitfalls I should watch out for when managing separate files at the group_vars level and merging them in a “final” file (e.g., group_vars/all)?

[ClausHolbechArista]

Sorry for the delayed answer. I hope you have figured it out in the meantime.

How can I cleanly merge these two separate YAML structures into one l3_edge variable without modifying any of the AVD Jinja templates?

You have to use inline jinja in the Ansible inputs like you suggest below.

Are there recommended best practices for list merging in Ansible (e.g., using combine, list_merge='append', etc.) to handle this scenario?

No I don't know of others doing this.

Are there any pitfalls I should watch out for when managing separate files at the group_vars level and merging them in a “final” file (e.g., group_vars/all)?

I would strongly suggest only sourcing profiles from a single place so you don't accidentially get duplicate profiles. I also expect handling of IDs etc will quickly become a mess.

Notice that we have two identical models which are backed by the same code, so you could maybe use both to simplify your merge needs. l3_edge and core_interfaces.