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

Summary


In this chapter, we looked at additional ways in which we can utilize Python to enhance our network monitoring effort. We began by using Python's Graphviz package to create network topology graphs. This allows us to effortlessly show the current network topology as well as notice any link failures.

Next, we used Python to parse NetFlow version 5 packets to enhance our understanding and troubleshooting of NetFlow. We also looked at how to use ntop and Python to extend ntop for NetFlow monitoring. sFlow is an alternative packet sampling technology that we looked at where we use sflowtool and sFlow-RT to interpret the results. We ended the chapter with a general-purpose data analyzing tool, namely Elasticsearch or ELK stack.

In the next chapter, we will explore how to use the Python web framework Flask to build network web services.