Book Image

Mastering Python Networking

Book Image

Mastering Python Networking

Overview of this book

This book begins with a review of the TCP/ IP protocol suite and a refresher of the core elements of the Python language. Next, you will start using Python and supported libraries to automate network tasks from the current major network vendors. We will look at automating traditional network devices based on the command-line interface, as well as newer devices with API support, with hands-on labs. We will then learn the concepts and practical use cases of the Ansible framework in order to achieve your network goals. We will then move on to using Python for DevOps, starting with using open source tools to test, secure, and analyze your network. Then, we will focus on network monitoring and visualization. We will learn how to retrieve network information using a polling mechanism, ?ow-based monitoring, and visualizing the data programmatically. Next, we will learn how to use the Python framework to build your own customized network web services. In the last module, you will use Python for SDN, where you will use a Python-based controller with OpenFlow in a hands-on lab to learn its concepts and applications. We will compare and contrast OpenFlow, OpenStack, OpenDaylight, and NFV. Finally, you will use everything you’ve learned in the book to construct a migration plan to go from a legacy to a scalable SDN-based network.
Table of Contents (22 chapters)
Title
Humble Bundle
Credits
Foreword
About the Author
About the Reviewer
www.PacktPub.com
Customer Feedback
Preface
12
OpenStack, OpenDaylight, and NFV

The Ansible include and roles


The best way to handle complex tasks is to break it down into smaller pieces. This approach is common in both Python and network engineering, of course. In Python, we break complicated code into functions, classes, modules, and packages. In Networking, we also break large networks into sections such as racks, rows, clusters, and datacenters. In Ansible, uses roles and includes to segment and organize a large playbook into multiple files. Breaking up a large Ansible playbook simplifies the structure as each of file focuses on fewer tasks. It also allows the sections of the playbook easier to be reused.

The Ansible include statement

As the playbook grows in size, it will eventually become obvious that many of the tasks and playbooks can be shared across different playbooks. The Ansible include statement is similar to many Linux configuration files that just tell the machine to extend the file the same way as if the file was directly written in. We can do an include...