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 Network Automation Made Easy, expert practitioner Ivo Pinto presents all the concepts and techniques you'll need to move your entire physical and virtual infrastructure towards greater automation, and maximize the value it delivers.
Writing for experienced professionals, Ivo Pinto reviews today's leading use cases for automation, compares leading tools, and presents a deep dive into using the open source Ansible engine to automate common tasks. You'll find everything you need: from practical code snippets to real-world case studies to a complete methodology for planning strategy. Coverage includes:
- Exploring modern use cases for network automation, and comparing today's most widely used automation tools
- Capturing essential data for use in network automation, using standard formats such as JSON, XML, and YAML
- Getting more value from the data your network can capture
- Installing Ansible and mastering its building blocks, including plays, tasks, modules, variables, conditionals, loops, and roles
- Performing common networking tasks with Ansible playbooks: managing files, devices, VMs, cloud constructs, APIs, and more
- Discovering how Ansible can be used to automate even the largest global network architectures
- Using NetDevOps to transform your approach to automation
- Creating a new NetDevOps pipeline, step by step
- Building a network automation strategy from the ground up, reflecting enterprise lessons