Ansible 201 – Network Automation with Python and Ansible

At Course Completion

• Version controlling code with Git
• Open SSH sessions and pass commands to remote servers
• Remotely open CLI to network devices
• Move files via SFTP
• Overview of Ansible modules
• Ansible collections for network automation
• Custom Ansible modules with Python
• Best practices for automating the management and configuration of network devices
• AI LLM prompt engineering for Python snippets and jumpstarting solutions

Audience Profile

• Network Administrators
• Ansible Developers
• Python Developers
• Administrators interested in Automation
• Individuals interested in DevOps, specifically for networking

Prerequisites

Optional Prerequisites
• Ansible 101 - Ansible Essentials
• Coding experience in another language serves as an adequate prerequisite

Outline

Certification
•   Lecture + Lab: Network Automation with Python and Ansible - Alta3 Research Certification Project

AI LLM Toolkit
•   Lecture + Lab: Large Language Model toolkit for AI Solution Assistance

Software Control Management
•   Lecture + Lab: SCM Option #1 - GitHub
•   Lecture + Lab: SCM Option #2 - GitLab

Python and Ansible Overlap
•   Lecture: Introducing Python
•   Lecture + Lab: Getting dir(obj) help() and pydoc
•   Lecture: Data Types for Python and Ansible
•   Lecture + Lab: Python Lists
•   Lecture + Lab: Python Dictionaries
•   Lecture: Ansible Playbook Components
•   Lecture + Lab: Running a Playbook
•   Lecture + Lab: Debug and URI Module
•   Lecture + Lab: Debug, Loops, and YAML Lists

API Operations
•   Lecture: RESTful APIs and JSON
•   Lecture + Lab: Exploring Open APIs
•   Lecture + Lab: Ansible Keywords: register and when
•   Lecture + Lab: API Tokens with Python and Ansible

SSH Operations
•   Lecture: SSH Operations
•   Lecture + Lab: Paramiko vs Ansible - SSH with RSA Keys
•   Lecture + Lab: Paramiko - SFTP with UN and PW
•   Lecture: Ansible for SSH operations
•   Lecture + Lab: Ansible “raw” Module

Ansible Tools
•   Lecture + Lab: Jinja2 Filters
•   Lecture + Lab: Ansible, Python Methods, and Jinja Filters

Switches and Routers
•   Lecture: Netmiko
•   Lecture + Lab: Running Netmiko
•   Lecture + Lab: Network Playbooks, Set Fact, and Fail
•   Lecture + Lab: Ansible Get Switch Config and Archive
•   Lecture + Lab: Agnostic Network Modules
•   Lecture + Lab: Ansible and TextFSM

Playbook Design
•   Lecture + Lab: Network Playbook Error Handling
•   Lecture + Lab: Network Playbook Precheck
•   Lecture + Lab: Network Playbooks with Roles and Rollbacks

Ansible Workflow
•   Lecture + Lab: Ansible Collections
•   Lecture: Ansible Workflow
•   Lecture + Lab: ansible-runner

Security
•   Lecture + Lab: Securing Playbooks with Vault
•   Lecture + Lab: Playbook Vars Prompts

Building out Playbooks
•   Lecture + Lab: Ansible Module - template
•   Lecture + Lab: Ansible and APIs

Python and Ansible
•   Lecture + Lab: Running a script with Ansible
•   Lecture + Lab: YAML, JSON, Dynamic, and Cloud Inventories
•   Lecture + Lab: Writing an Ansible Module with Python
•   Lecture + Lab: When to Use Python or Ansible

Playbook Tests
•   Lecture + Lab: Roles and Molecule

Case Study
•   Lecture + Lab: Ansible for Palo Alto PanOS and Panorama