Network Automation Made Easy

Network Automation Made Easy

by Ivo Pinto
Released November 2021
Publisher(s): Cisco Press
ISBN: 9780137506729

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Book description

Practical strategies and techniques for automating network infrastructure

As networks grow ever more complex, network professionals are seeking to automate processes for configuration, management, testing, deployment, and operation. Using automation, they aim to lower expenses, improve productivity, reduce human error, shorten time to market, and improve agility. In this guide, expert practitioner Ivo Pinto presents all the concepts and techniques youll need to move your entire physical and virtual infrastructure towards greater automation and maximize the value it delivers.

Writing for experienced professionals, the author reviews todays leading use cases for automation, compares leading tools, and presents a deep dive into using the open source Ansible engine to automate common tasks. Youll find everything you need: from practical code snippets to real-world case studies to a complete methodology for planning strategy.

This guide is for everyone seeking to improve network operations and productivity, including system, network, storage, and virtualization administrators, network and security engineers, and many other technical professionals and managers. You can apply its vendor-neutral concepts throughout your entire environmen—from servers to the cloud, switches to security.

  • Explore modern use cases for network automation, and compare todays most widely used automation tools

  • Capture essential data for use in network automation, using standard formats such as JSON, XML, and YAML

  • Get more value from the data your network can provide

  • Install Ansible and master its building blocks, including plays, tasks, modules, variables, conditionals, loops, and roles

  • Perform common networking tasks with Ansible playbooks: manage files, devices, VMs, cloud constructs, APIs, and more

  • See how Ansible can be used to automate even the largest global network architectures

  • Discover how NetDevOps can transform your approach to automation—and create a new NetDevOps pipeline, step by step

  • Build a network automation strategy from the ground up, reflecting lessons from the worlds largest enterprises

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. About This eBook
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Pearson’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
  6. Credits
  7. About the Author
  8. About the Technical Reviewers
  9. Dedications
  10. Acknowledgments
  11. Contents at a Glance
  12. Contents
  13. Icons Used in This Book
  14. Command Syntax Conventions
  15. Introduction
    1. Goals and Methods
    2. Who Should Read This Book?
    3. How This Book Is Organized
    4. Book Structure
  16. Chapter 1 Types of Network Automation
    1. Data-Driven Automation
    2. Task-Based Automation
    3. End-to-End Automation
    4. Tools
    5. Summary
    6. Review Questions
  17. Chapter 2 Data for Network Automation
    1. The Importance of Data
    2. Data Formats and Models
    3. Methods for Gathering Data
    4. Summary
    5. End Notes
    6. Review Questions
  18. Chapter 3 Using Data from Your Network
    1. Data Preparation
    2. Data Visualization
    3. Data Insights
    4. Case Studies
    5. Summary
    6. Review Questions
  19. Chapter 4 Ansible Basics
    1. Ansible Characteristics
    2. Installing Ansible
    3. Variables
    4. Playbooks
    5. Conditionals
    6. Loops
    7. Handlers
    8. Executing a Playbook
    9. Roles
    10. Summary
    11. Review Questions
  20. Chapter 5 Using Ansible for Network Automation
    1. Interacting with Files
    2. Interacting with Devices
    3. Interacting with APIs
    4. Case Studies
    5. Summary
    6. Review Questions
  21. Chapter 6 Network DevOps
    1. What NetDevOps Is
    2. NetDevOps Tools
    3. How to Build Your Own NetDevOps Environment
    4. Case Studies
    5. Summary
    6. Review Questions
  22. Chapter 7 Automation Strategies
    1. What an Automation Strategy Is
    2. Why You Need an Automation Strategy
    3. How to Build Your Own Automation Strategy
    4. Summary
    5. Review Questions
  23. Appendix A Answers to Review Questions
  24. Index
  25. Code Snippets

Product information

  • Title: Network Automation Made Easy
  • Author(s): Ivo Pinto
  • Release date: November 2021
  • Publisher(s): Cisco Press
  • ISBN: 9780137506729