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

# Information gathering
There may be immediate needs for an automated solution. While it may
be tempting to jump right into making automated changes to the network,
it is strongly recommended to begin with information gathering. Spend
time breaking down the network into the building blocks of enterprise
design and logical functions. 

For example:

-   Enterprise lab network

    -   Core

    -   Distribution

    -   Access

-   Enterprise campus network

    -   Core

    -   Distribution

    -   Access

-   Enterprise data center

-   Enterprise WAN

-   Enterprise DMZ / Public Access Zone (PAZ)

-   Public and private clouds

# Hardware platforms and software versions
To select the required Ansible modules and identify differences in
configuration syntax, further break down the network into hardware
platforms and software versions. Code differences exist between
platforms for the same commands or configurations. 

Now that
configurations are being automated with a goal of idempotency, coding
for the sometimes-subtle differences in running-configurations across
the various platforms and software versions in the enterprise is a
necessity. The more standardized the platforms across the network, the
more uniform the code becomes. 

Here is an example of a network hardware audit:

-   IOS — Catalyst 6500

-   IOS — Catalyst 4500

-   IOS — Catalyst 3850

-   IOS — Catalyst 3750

-   IOS — Catalyst 3560

-   IOS — Catalyst 2960

-   NXOS — Nexus 7K

-   NXOS — Nexus 5K

-   IOS — ISR 881

# Identify common features
Start thinking about various common functions or features enabled on the
network. Note any commonalities amongst groups of devices by platform,
IOS, or function. This will help identify patterns in the configurations
to help in writing templates later. 

For example:

-   Core Layer:

    -   Catalyst 6500 platforms

    -   Virtual Switching System (VSS)

    -   Unique QoS model

    -   VLANs

    -   VRFs

    -   OSPF/EIGRP/Static routing

    -   Port-channels

    -   Physical interfaces

    -   Virtual interfaces

        -   IP addresses

-   Distribution layer:

    -   Catalyst 4500 platforms

    -   VSS

    -   Standardized QoS model (MQC)

    -   ACLs

    -   VLANs

    -   VRFs

    -   OSPF/EIGRP/Static routing

    -   Physical interfaces

    -   Virtual interfaces

        -   IP helpers

        -   IP addresses

-   Access layer:

    -   Catalyst 3850 platforms

        -   QoS model same as 4500 (MQC)

        -   Stackwise technology

        -   Power stacking

    -   Catalyst 3750 platforms

        -   Unique QoS model (MLS)

        -   Stackwise technology

        -   Power stacking

    -   Catalyst 3560 platforms

        -   QoS model same as 4500 (MQC)

    -   Catalyst 2960 platforms

        -   Unique QoS model (MLS)

    -   ACLs

    -   VLANs

    -   Physical interfaces

        -   Various profiles

        -   Wireless Access Points

        -   PoE devices

        -   Spanning-tree protocol settings

        -   VLAN

        -   Voice

        -   QoS

        -   Security

    -   Virtual interfaces

    -   Default gateways

-   IOS and NXOS global configuration enterprise standards:

    -   Banners

    -   AAA

    -   RADIUS

    -   NTP

    -   DNS

    -   SNMP

    -   Syslog

    -   Archive

    -   Boot version

    -   Standard global configurations

<br>

As expertise improves, identify other candidates for future automation
to expand the scope of coverage. Most devices will follow the same
methodology used to automate network devices. 

Other candidates include:

-   Data center networking

-   Load-balancers

-   Firewalls

-   Network appliances/controllers

-   Storage devices

-   Cloud

-   Windows servers

-   Linux servers



Let's learn about the very first steps towards network automation.

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

Starting Automation

Information gathering