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

# What are data models?
__Data models__ are structured, human-readable, and intent-based text files. They are also known as data dictionaries and hold the variables leveraged by dynamic templates. These models become the source of truth, and network devices are configured to the desired state based on intent. Data models are written in YAML format. 

For the most part, key-value pairs and lists make up a data model. There are both group and host variables that apply to a collection of devices or an individual device on the network. As modeling data is a key component of network automation, considerable time and care should be spent creating it. Thus, it is not common to refactor a model multiple times before finding the most effective way to handle data that can scale.

# Sample data model 
Here is a sample data model, in YAML format, for a campus access switch:

Let's learn about data models and their role in the 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

Data Models

What are data models?