Automatic formation of a virtual chassis using zero touch provisioning

A network device, comprising:

• one or more memories;
• and
• one or more processors to:
• receive, by a provisioning manager (PM) module of the network device, a bootstrap response message that includes primary information;
• wherein the primary information includes information identifying a virtual chassis and information indicating a different network device to be included in the virtual chassis;
• cause the PM module of the network device to send the primary information concerning the virtual chassis to a virtual chassis manager module of the network device;
• receive, via a network interface of the network device, a neighbor discovery request from the different network device;
• send, via the network interface of the network device and after receiving the neighbor discovery request, a neighbor discovery request acknowledgment;
• receive, via the network interface of the network device and after sending the neighbor discovery request acknowledgment, a conversion request from the different network device;
• send, via the network interface of the network device and after receiving the conversion request, a conversion request acknowledgment;
• receive, via the network interface of the network device and after sending the conversion request acknowledgment, a conversion command from the different network device;
• and
• cause, based on the conversion command, the network interface of the network device to be converted to a virtual chassis interface to facilitate the network device being included in the virtual chassis.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

• one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a master routing network device of a virtual chassis, cause the one or more processors to:
• receive, by a provisioning manager (PM) module of the master routing network device, a bootstrap response message that includes primary information,
• wherein the primary information includes information identifying the virtual chassis and information indicating an additional network device to be included in the virtual chassis;
• cause the PM module of the master routing network device to send the primary information concerning the virtual chassis to a virtual chassis manager module of the master routing network device;
• generate a neighbor discovery request;
• cause a particular network device of the virtual chassis to send the neighbor discovery request to the additional network device that is not included in the virtual chassis;
• receive a neighbor discovery request acknowledgment from the additional network device;
• determine, based on the neighbor discovery request acknowledgment, that the additional network device is to be included in the virtual chassis;
• cause a network interface of the particular network device to be converted to a virtual chassis interface;
• and
• cause a network interface of the additional network device to be converted to a virtual chassis interface.