Gain insights into automating network reconnaissance, orchestrating repetitive changes, and transforming network configuration management. Discover CI/CD pipeline migration for full network automation.

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​​Network automation begins with automating network reconnaissance. This is accomplished by gathering important information from network devices while building a library of dynamic on-demand utilities and generating living documentation. Starting small, the course exhibits the simplicity and elegance of network automation.

Next, you will learn how to automate larger changes that require a high number of repetitive steps. These changes will be executed serially in a specific orchestrated order, making them perfect for an automated solution. After gaining comfort with the new tools, you can fully transform network configuration management to an automated, intent-based, self-documenting system.

The final step is learning how to migrate to a continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipeline, thereby fully automating the network.

Automate Your Network

# CI/CD
In the context of network automation, Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Delivery (CD) imply full network automation of tasks. This
pipeline should be abstracted as an orchestrated chain of automated
actions and events based on intent. Through the build–test–release
cycle, CI/CD can be achieved. CI enables distributed software
development across many teams. Small but frequent incremental changes
are continuously integrated into the master branch. CD then
automatically deploys these changes to the production network.

## Build
A build is a software product in its final, consumable form. While
builds are not a necessary part of using Ansible for network automation,
they can be used to perform CI/CD. Network
reconnaissance playbooks are completely harmless to execute
automatically and run every time a pull request merges code into
the master branch. Pull requests trigger automated builds, which in
turn trigger Ansible playbooks. This is the CI in the CI/CD pipeline.

## Test
Automated testing can be triggered by the automated build. Builds are deployed to test specific lab environments, a Virl environment, or a
Jenkins environment. Unlike software that is easily tested in
virtual environments, depending on the environment, network testing may
not apply to network automation playbooks. Instead, testing could be
incorporated directly into an Ansible playbook.

## Release
Releasing network configurations is driven by
Ansible playbooks as the final step in the CI/CD pipeline. Builds are
scheduled or triggered by pull requests. Ansible playbooks are built
into the release steps in TFS. While highly exciting, automated releases
should be carefully considered and performed with a full understanding
of the impact of the change. Disruptive changes may require specially
coordinated releases while routine pre-approved changes can be
continuously delivered in real-time. Check mode, documentation
playbooks, automated testing playbooks, and reviewing commits in the pull
request are all validation steps used to ensure
the CI/CD pipeline does not have unintended consequences.

There can be great reluctance to move to a full CI/CD pipeline with
fully automated changes being made to the production network. After all,
if great care is not taken in developing, testing, retesting, and
documenting code, a mistake can be automated and- possibly take down the
network. However, when successfully implemented, automation using a
CI/CD pipeline can transform an organization's entire approach to
designing and operating the enterprise network. 

This is a revolutionary
opportunity!


Let's learn about CI/CD and its role in the network automation process.

Introduction

What Is Network Automation?

Why Automate the Network?

How to Automate the Network

Where to Start with Network Automation

Repository Structure

Network Reconnaissance

Tactical Playbooks

Data Models and Dynamic Templates

Dynamic Intent-Based Documentation

Configuration Management

Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery

Conclusion

Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD)

CI/CD