What is Python?
Programming languages, Why Python? Python in interactive mode, Python scripts, ipython, Python version 2 versus version 3. A simple Python script. Comments.
Hands on Installing Python, Hello world.
A network example
On box vs off box Python. telnet, ssh, NETCONF, HTTP, APIs, manufacturers and API support, analysis of a simple telnetlib program.
Hands on Using Python to retrieve the configuration from a network device. Using wireshark to analyse the actions.
Python basics
I/O, operators, variables and assignment, types, indentation, loops and conditionals.
Hands on Modifying the telnet program, changing configurations on a network devices.
Functions, classes and methods
What are functions, calling functions, builtin functions, useful builtin functions, file handling, classes, objects, creating instances.
Hands on Storing configurations in files, configuring devices from files, using an inventory file to work on multiple devices.
Libraries and modules
Modules, files and packages, import, from-import, Python standard library, other packages, pip install, executing other programs. Managing python libraries.
Hands on Using pip, installing and using ipaddress, subprocess to access netsnmp. For the more advanced, using the sockets library.
Paramiko and netmiko
SSH, enabling SSH on devices, keys. Paramiko versus netmiko, example scripts. pexpect.
Hands on Configuring VLANs from Python.
pySNMP
Gathering facts using previous methods, SNMP review, pySNMP GET, pySNMP and SNMPv3. easySNMP library.
Hands on Walking a MIB from Python.
NETCONF
What is NETCONF? Enabling NETCONF on devices, A first ncclient script, device handlers, get_config, edit_config, copy_config, delete_config, commit, validate, pyEZ, utils_config, utils.sw.
Hands on Configuration using ncclient and PyEZ. This session is expanded for those interesting in JunOS automation.
Manipulating configuration files
Builtin functions, string handling. Unicode. Sequences, strings, lists, tuples. Dictionaries. TextFSM. Regular expressions. JSON, YAML, XML, YANG, Jinja2, templates.
Hands on Jinja2 templating with Python to configure network devices.
NAPALM
Getters, configuration operations, supported devices, NAPALM transport, Config-replace, Config-merge, Compare config, Atomic changes, rollback. Example NAPLAM scripts.
Hands on Using NAPALM to gather facts, Using NAPALM for configuration management
REST and RESTCONF
What is REST, HTTP methods, GET, POST, cURL, Postman, Python requests library. RESTCONF, a RESTCONF example.
Hands on Modifying a configuration using RESTCONF.
Scapy
What is scapy, Scapy in interactive mode, Scapy as a module.
Hands on Packet crafting from Python.
Warning
Errors and exceptions, Exception handling, try, except. Memory management. Garbage collection. Context management, With.
Hands on Improving Python code.
Nornir
What is Nornir? A network automation framework, inventories, connection management and parallelization. Nornir architecture and other libraires.
Hands on Setting up nornir, nornir fact gathering, nornir tasks.
Optional
Writing your own functions, Writing your own classes. pyntc.
Hands on Writing reusable code.
