Network Automation with Python and Ansible

Follow-on Courses

• Recommended Follow up: Python for Network Automation (5 days)

Day 01

Morning – Critical Python Catch Up & Review

• Overview of Python and Ansible
• Python whitespace rules & best practices
• Conditional expressions
• Relational and Boolean operators
• Lists, Tuples, Dictionaries
• Indexing and slicing
• Built-in functions
• Writing custom functions
• Getting at methods
• Iterating with Loops (for and while)
• Working with files
• Software Control Management (SCM) (Git, Github, Bitbucket, Cloudshare, etc.)
• Getting at RESTful interfaces with Python
• Working with JSON
• Python, Ansible and Paramiko
• Using Paramiko to SSH with keys and passwords

Day 02

Morning – Python and Network Automation

• RESTful API review
• API keys
• Paramiko Review
• Using Paramiko to SFTP with keys and passwords
• Introduction to Netmiko (automating routers and switches)
• Using Netmiko to send commands to / from network devices
• Working with YAML
• Converting JSON to YAML with Python

Day 03

Morning – Critical Ansible Catchup & Review

• Ansible keywords
• YAML and JSON for data exchange
• Ansible and YAML
• Ansible Playbook components
• Tying together Python and Ansible – Using Python within Ansible
• Ansible Network Modules
• What is new in Ansible (most current updates / release notes)
• Network Agnostic modules
• Writing network playbooks
• Reviewing the construction of network playbooks
• Writing Ansible playbooks that respond to network failures

Day 04

Morning – Blending Python and Ansible Skillsets

• Review how to use Python within Ansible
• Calling Python scripts with Ansible
• Jinja2 Templating Engine for Python (and Ansible)
• Using Templates in Ansible playbooks
• Jinja2 filters, looping, and other useful tricks for automating with Ansible
• Playbook tagging for selective runs
• When to use Python and when to use Ansible
• “Big Picture” options for using Python & Ansible within your Network
• Ansible Roles
• Extending Ansible to support Palo Alto (Optional - Case Study)
• Extending Ansible to support Juniper vendor modules (Optional - Case Study)
• Extending Ansible to support NAPALM (Optional - Case Study)

Day 05

Morning – Customizing Ansible with Python

• Review – Running Scripts with Ansible
• Prompting for Ansible user input
• Ansible Galaxy & Getting at Roles
• Writing a custom Ansible Module with Python
• Ansible “Engine” vs Ansible “Tower” – marketing hype, capabilities, costs, etc.
• Case Study: Automate your Enterprise Network
• When to use Python and when to use Ansible
• Writing your own Ansible modules in Python
• “Big Picture” options for using Python & Ansible within your Network
• Overview - NETCONF / YANG and what they mean for Python and Ansible
• Molecule – Testing your roles

Labs

• 1. Using vim
• 2. Using & Installing Python
• 3. Making a Github account
• 4. Data within mixed lists
• 5. Understanding More about Lists
• 6. Python Dictionaries
• 7. Getting dir(obj) help() and pydoc
• 8. Copying Files and Folders
• 9. Moving and Renaming Files and Folders
• 10. IPv4 Testing with if
• 11. Paramiko - SSH with RSA Keys
• 12. Paramiko - SFTP with UN and PW
• 13. Space APIs the Final Frontier
• 14. More APIs - Final Frontier is Vast
• 15. Interaction with APIs - NASA 01
• 16. Interaction with APIs - NASA 02
• 17. Install GNS3
• 18. Setup for GNS networking
• 19. Configure the Switches
• 20. Running Netmiko
• 21. Running your first Playbook
• 22. Debug Module
• 23. Playbook Prompts
• 24. register and when
• 25. EOS Get Config and Archive
• 26. Agnostic Network Modules
• 27. Network Playbook Error Handling
• 28. Network Playbook Precheck
• 29. Network Playbooks with Roles and Rollbacks
• 30. Securing Playbooks with Vault
• 31. Network Playbooks, Set Fact, and Fail
• 32. Debug, Loops, and YAML Lists
• 33. Running a script with Ansible
• 34. Jinja Filters
• 35. Ansible, Python Methods, and Jinja Filters
• 36. Ansible and APIs
• 37. Python and Ansible
• 38. Writing an Ansible Module with Python
• 39. AWX Tower
• 40. Molecule – Testing Roles