book

Mastering Python Networking - Fourth Edition

by Eric Chou

January 2023

Intermediate to advanced

594 pages

12h 26m

English

Packt Publishing

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Who this book is forWhat this book coversTo get the most out of this bookGet in touchShare your thoughtsDownload a free PDF copy of this book
An overview of the InternetServers, hosts, and network componentsThe rise of data centersEnterprise data centersCloud data centersEdge data centersThe OSI modelThe client-server modelNetwork protocol suitesThe transmission control protocolFunctions and characteristics of TCPTCP messages and data transferThe user datagram protocolThe Internet protocolIP network address translation (NAT) and network securityIP routing conceptsPython language overviewPython versionsOperating systemRunning a Python programPython built-in typesThe None typeNumericsSequencesMappingSetsPython operatorsPython control flow toolsPython functionsPython classesPython modules and packagesSummary
The challenges of the CLIConstructing a Virtual labPhysical devicesVirtual devicesCisco modeling labsCML tipsCisco DevNetGNS3 and othersPython virtual environmentPython pexpect libraryPexpect installationPexpect overviewOur first Pexpect programMore Pexpect FeaturesPexpect and SSHPexpect complete exampleThe Python Paramiko libraryInstallation of ParamikoParamiko overviewFirst Paramiko programMore Paramiko featuresParamiko for serversMore Paramiko examplesThe Netmiko libraryThe Nornir frameworkDownsides of Pexpect and Paramiko compared to other toolsIdempotent network device interactionBad automation speeds up bad thingsSummary
Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC)Intent-driven networkingScreen scraping versus API structured outputData modeling for IaCYANG and NETCONFCisco API examplesCisco NX-APILab preparationNX-API examplesThe Cisco YANG ModelThe Cisco ACI examplesCisco Meraki controllerThe Python API for Juniper NetworksJuniper and NETCONFDevice preparationJuniper NETCONF examplesJuniper PyEZ for developersInstallation and preparationPyEZ examplesThe Arista Python APIArista eAPI managementeAPI preparationeAPI examplesThe Arista Pyeapi libraryPyeapi installationPyeapi examplesVyOS exampleOther librariesSummary
Ansible – A More Declarative FrameworkAnsible VersionsOur First Ansible Network ExampleThe Control Node InstallationLab TopologyThe Variable FilesOur First PlaybookThe Advantages of AnsibleAgentlessIdempotenceSimple and ExtensibleAnsible Content CollectionsMore Ansible Network Examples Inventory NestingAnsible ConditionalsConfiguration ChangeAnsible Network FactsAnsible LoopsStandard Loops Looping over DictionariesTemplatesThe Jinja Template VariablesJinja Template LoopsJinja Template ConditionalSummary
Docker OverviewAdvantages of DockerBuilding Python applications in DockerInstalling DockerUseful Docker commandsBuilding hello world Building our applicationSharing Docker imagesContainer orchestration with Docker-composeContainer networkingContainer host networkCustom bridge networkOther container network optionsContainers in the network engineering fieldContainerlabDocker and KubernetesSummary
The Lab SetupPython ScapyInstalling ScapyInteractive examplesPacket captures with ScapyThe TCP port scanThe ping collectionCommon attacksScapy resourcesAccess listsImplementing access lists with AnsibleMAC access listsThe Syslog searchSearching with the regular expression moduleOther toolsPrivate VLANsUFW with PythonFurther readingSummary
Lab SetupSNMPSetupPySNMPPython for Data VisualizationMatplotlibInstallationMatplotlib – the first exampleMatplotlib for SNMP resultsAdditional Matplotlib resourcesPygalInstallationPygal – the first examplePygal for SNMP resultsAdditional Pygal resourcesPython for CactiInstallationPython script as an input sourceSummary
GraphvizLab setupInstallationGraphviz examplesPython with Graphviz examplesLLDP neighbor graphingInformation retrievalPython parser scriptTesting the playbookFlow-based monitoringNetFlow parsing with PythonPython Socket and Structntop traffic monitoringPython extension for ntopsFlowSFlowtool and sFlow-RT with PythonSummary
Comparing Python web frameworksFlask and lab setupIntroduction to FlaskFlask versionsFlask examplesThe HTTPie clientURL routingURL variablesURL generationThe jsonify returnNetwork resource APIFlask-SQLAlchemyThe network content APIThe devices APIThe device ID APINetwork dynamic operationsAsynchronous operationsAuthentication and AuthorizationRunning Flask in containersSummary

Asynchronous operations overviewPython multiprocessingPython multithreadingPython asyncio moduleThe Scrapli projectScrapli exampleScrapli async exampleSummary
AWS setupThe AWS CLI and Python SDKAWS network overviewVirtual Private CloudRoute tables and route targetsAutomation with CloudFormationSecurity Groups and Network ACLsElastic IPNAT gatewaysDirect Connect and VPNVPN gatewaysDirect ConnectNetwork scaling servicesElastic Load BalancingRoute 53 DNS serviceCloudFront CDN servicesOther AWS network servicesSummary
Azure and AWS network service comparisonAzure setupAzure administration and APIsAzure service principalsPython versus PowerShellAzure global infrastructureAzure virtual networksInternet accessNetwork resource creationVNet service endpointsVNet peeringVNet routingNetwork security groupsAzure VPNsAzure ExpressRouteAzure network load balancersOther Azure network servicesSummary
What is the Elastic Stack?Lab topologyElastic Stack as a serviceFirst End-to-End exampleElasticsearch with a Python clientData ingestion with LogstashData ingestion with BeatsSearch with ElasticsearchData visualization with KibanaSummary
Content management considerations and GitIntroduction to GitBenefits of GitGit TerminologyGit and GitHubSetting up GitGitignoreGit Usage ExamplesGit BranchGitHub ExampleCollaborating with Pull RequestsGit with PythonGitPythonPyGitHubAutomating Configuration BackupCollaborating with GitSummary
The traditional change management processIntroduction to continuous integrationInstalling GitLabGitLab runnersFirst GitLab exampleGitLab network exampleSummary
Test-driven development overviewTest definitionsTopology as codeXML parsing examplePython’s unittest moduleMore on Python testingpytest examplesWriting tests for networkingTesting for reachabilityTesting for network latencyTesting for securityTesting for transactionsTesting for network configurationTesting for AnsiblepyATS and GenieSummary

Overview

Mastering Python Networking, Fourth Edition, is your guide to using Python for a range of network-related tasks. You'll learn how to automate, monitor, and manage networks efficiently while adopting modern technologies like Docker, AsyncIO, and cloud services (AWS, Azure). By combining Python skills with network engineering principles, you'll bridge the gap between traditional network practice and modern DevOps solutions.

What this Book will help me do

Learn to automate network devices using Python libraries and frameworks.
Understand network monitoring techniques via tools like NetFlow and SNMP using Python.
Develop and deploy network applications efficiently utilizing Docker containers.
Explore and implement real-time network data analysis with Elastic Stack (ELK).
Gain insights into DevOps practices for networking including test automation and CI/CD.

Author(s)

Eric Chou is a seasoned network engineer and software developer with over two decades of experience in the industry. He has worked on some of the most complex networks in the world and has a passion for teaching professionals to successfully navigate the vastly evolving technical landscape. He's known for his practical approach to teaching, packed with hands-on examples and relatable insights.

Who is it for?

This book is perfect for network engineers, developers, and site reliability engineers (SREs) looking to enhance their Python programming skills for networking applications. If you're aiming to automate network tasks, integrate cloud solutions, or adopt DevOps approaches in your workflows, this book is tailored for you. Some prior familiarity with Python and networking concepts will help you fully benefit from this comprehensive resource.