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

# `group_vars`

The `group_vars` folder contains the data models applied to groups of
devices found in the `hosts` file. This folder contains YAML files
created to contain data models. `group_vars` folder matching the
sample `hosts` file is as follows:

```bash
group_vars
|
 ---- ENTERPRISE.yml|
 ---- CAMPUS.yml
 ---- CAMPUS-CORE.yml
 ---- CAMPUS-DISTRIBUTION.yml
 ---- CAMPUS-ACCESS.yml
 ---- CAMPUS-ACCESS-3850.yml
 ---- CAMPUS-ACCESS-3750.yml
 ---- DATA-CENTER.yml
 ---- DATA-CENTER-7K.yml
 ---- DATA-CENTER-5K.yml
 ---- WAN.yml
 ---- WAN-ISR.yml
 ---- WAN-ACCESS.yml
 ---- DMZ.yml
```

# `host_vars`

The `hosts_vars`, similar to the `group_vars` folder, contains the
data models that apply to each device or host in the `hosts` file. This folder again contains YAML files. However a file using the device's hostname is also created per device.


`host_vars` folder matching the sample `hosts` file is as
follows:

```bash
hosts_vars
|
 ---- CORE.yml
 ---- DIST01.yml
 ---- DIST02.yml
 ---- ACCESS01.yml
 ---- ACCESS02.yml
 ---- ACCESS03.yml
 ---- DC01_7K.yml
 ---- DC02_7K.yml
 ---- DC01_5K.yml
 ---- DC02_5K.yml
 ---- WANISR01.yml
 ---- WANACCESS01.yml
 ---- DMZ01.yml
 ---- DMZ02.yml
```

# `playbooks`

The `playbooks` folder is required in the Ansible framework. This is
where YAML files that make up Ansible playbooks are stored. It is a good
idea to have some structure, either by platform or function, as well as
another level of folders for network reconnaissance playbooks, tactical
playbooks, and network management playbooks. Think of these as
executables. We can use `ansible-playbook` commands to run these playbooks.

```bash
playbooks
|
 ---- campus
      |
       ---- tactical
            |
             ---- ios_facts.yml
             ---- IOS_gather_facts.yml
             ---- ansible.cfg
             ---- banner.yml
             ---- campusaudit.yml
             ---- copyrunstart.yml
             ---- copyruntftp.yml
             ---- no-point-to-point.yml
             ---- ospfneighbors.yml
             ---- point-to-point.yml
        ---- ansible.cfg
        ---- assembled-config-campus.yml
        ---- config-campus.yml
        ---- documentation.yml
 ---- data_center
```


Let's take a look at the group_vars, host_vars, and playbooks folders in the repository.

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

Vars and Playbooks

`group_vars`