Automating Networks with Ansible the Right Way
If you're sick of hand typing configuration commands into your network devices day after day, this course is for you! Learn how to manage your network more intelligently with Ansible using tried-and-true design patterns.
What you'll learn
When it comes to automating networks, it's key to utilize Ansible to ensure effective solutions. In this course, Automating Networks with Ansible the Right Way, you will learn foundational knowledge required to manage networks like a professional through programming. First, you will learn about infrastructure as code, both how it works at a technical level and why it matters at a business level. This includes several SSH/CLI-based implementations, which is likely to work on any network device. Next, you will discover a whole new word of modern APIs, such as NETCONF and RESTCONF, and how Ansible can leverage these technologies to simplify network management. Finally, you will explore how to transform your homemade projects into works of art by building quality into your code using a variety of supplementary tools. When you’re finished with this course, you will have the skills and knowledge of Ansible needed to design, implement, operate, and troubleshoot network-based automation solutions in production.
Table of contents
- What Is Infrastructure as Code? 3m
- Infrastructure as Code Components 5m
- The Bottom Line: Business Benefits 3m
- Demo: Deploying “ios_config” for CLI-based IAC 7m
- Demo: Deploying “cli_config” for CLI-based IAC 8m
- Demo: Deploying “ios_vrf” for CLI-based IAC 4m
- Comparison of CLI-based Infrastructure as Code Solutions 1m
- Demo: The Big Problem 3m
- What Problem Does This Solve? 3m
- Introduction to NETCONF and YANG 4m
- Demo: Collecting Configuration with NETCONF “get-config” RPC 5m
- Demo: Changing Configuration with NETCONF “edit-config” RPC 5m
- Introduction to RESTCONF 2m
- Demo: Collecting Configuration with RESTCONF HTTP GET 5m
- Demo: Changing Configuration with RESTCONF HTTP PUT 6m
- Comparing the APIs 1m
- So "Fact Gathering" Is Useful Now? 3m
- Demo: Collecting Network System Facts by Default 5m
- Introducing Ansible Collections 4m
- Demo: Working with Ansible Collections 5m
- Demo: Refactoring Infrastructure as Code Playbooks 3m
- Understanding Cisco Genie Parsers 2m
- Demo: Leveraging Genie in CLI-based Playbooks 4m
- Module Summary and Homework Challenge 1m
- Why Version Control Matters for Network Automation 2m
- Demo: Time Travel with "git" 3m
- Runtime Error Checking with "assert" 1m
- Demo: Integrating "assert" Into Your Code 3m
- Surface Basic Problem with Linters 1m
- Demo: Linting Ansible Code with "ansible-lint" 3m
- Demo: Linting Python Code with "pylint" 3m
- Simplifying Operations with Makefiles 1m
- Demo: Makefiles in Action 4m
- Recommendations for Documentation 1m
- Demo: Working with Markdown 3m
- Module Summary and Final Thoughts 2m
About the author
Nicholas (Nick) Russo, CCDE #20160041 and CCIE #42518, is an internationally recognized expert in IP/MPLS networking and design. To grow his skillset, Nick has been focused advancing Network DevOps via automation for his clients. Recently, Nick has been sharing his knowledge through online video training and speaking at industry conferences. Nick also holds a Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Nick lives in Maryland, USA with his wife, Car... more