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 Arista Python API


Arista Networks have always been focused on large-scale datacenter networks. In its corporate profile page (https://www.arista.com/en/company/company-overview), it is stated as follows:

"Arista Networks was founded to pioneer and deliver software-driven cloud networking solutions for large data center storage and computing environments."

Notice that the statement specifically called our large datacenter, which we already know is exploded with servers, databases, and yes, network equipment too. Therefore, automation has always been on their mind. In fact, they have a Linux underpin behind their operating system, then EOS has many added benefits such as having Python already built-in along with Linux APIs.

Arista's automation story consist of three approaches:

EOS Automation (source: https://www.arista.com/en/products/eos/automation)

Like its network counterparts, you can interact with Arista devices directly via eAPI, or you can choose to leverage their Python library for...