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

Looking ahead


We have taken a pretty huge leap forward as far as automating our network using Python in this chapter. However, the method we have used is somewhat a work-around for the automation. This is mainly due to the fact that the systems were originally built for human.

Downsides of Pexpect and Paramiko compared to other tools

The number one downside for our method so far is that they do not return structured data. They return the data that we find ideal to fit on a terminal to be interpreted by a human but not by a computer program. The human eye can easily interpret a space while the computer only sees a return character. This, of course, depends on the network devices to be made that is automation friendly.

We will take a look at a better way in the next chapter.

Idempotent network device interaction

The term idempotency has different meanings, depending on its context. But in this chapter's context, the term means when the client makes the same call to the device, the result should...