Chapter 2. Network Automation

In this chapter, we’re focused on providing a baseline of high-level network automation concepts so that you are better equipped to get the most out of each individual chapter going forward.

To accomplish this, the following sections are included in this chapter:

Why Network Automation?

Examines various reasons to adopt automation and increase the efficiencies of network operations while proving there is much more to automation than delivering configurations faster to network devices.

Types of Network Automation

Explores various types of automation from traditional configuration management to automating network diagnostics and troubleshooting, proving once again, there is more to automation than decreasing the time it takes to make a change.

Evolving the Management Plane from SNMP to Device APIs

Provides a brief introduction to a few different API types found on network devices of the past and present.

Network Automation in the SDN Era

Provides a short synopsis of why network automation tooling is still valuable when SDN, specifically referring to controller-based architectures, solutions are deployed.

Note

This chapter is not meant to be a deep technical chapter, but rather an introduction to the ideas and concepts of network automation. It simply lays the foundation and provides context for the chapters that follow.

Why Network Automation?

Network automation, like most types of automation, is thought of as a means of doing things faster. ...

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