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

# Guidelines
Some general guidelines to help write templates that are human-readable and easy to change in collaboration with a full NetDevOps team:

- Use meaningful names for all files, variables, and data models.
- Differentiate between data found in `group_vars` and `host_vars` with standard prefixes on variables in data dictionaries.
- Keep templates small, modular, and focused on specific tasks, features, platforms, or technologies.
- Do not write massive one-size-fits-all templates designed to provide full coverage of a device.
- Model data and abstract it from configurations.
- Do not nest too deep in multi-layered `for` loops or `if` statements.
- Write code in an editor that supports Jinja2 and YAML syntaxes.
- Establish best practices and share them with the team.
- After learning and developing skills, refactor code often. 
- Software development is a continuous cycle of improvement. 

# Scope
We have created approximately 35 templates to cover all the configurations of the core, distribution,
and access devices in our enterprise network. As more features arise, this list is certain to grow. Pick and
choose which templates apply to the network and add more. For example, an EIGRP template.

Let's take a look at some guidelines we can follow to write better, human-readable templates.

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

Recommended Practices

Guidelines