Modernize and optimize network management with APIs and automation Legacy network management approaches don’t scale adequately and can’t be automated well. This guide will help meet tomorrow’s challenges by adopting network programmability based on Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Using these techniques, you can improve efficiency, reliability, and flexibility; simplify implementation of high-value technologies; automate routine administrative and security tasks; and deploy services far more rapidly. Four expert authors help you transition from a legacy mindset to one based on solving problems with software. They explore today’s emerging network programmability and automation ecosystem; introduce each leading programmable interface; and review the protocols, tools, techniques, and technologies that underlie network programmability. You’ll master key concepts through hands-on examples you can run using Linux, Python, Cisco DevNet sandboxes, and other easily accessible tools. This guide is for all network architects, engineers, operations, and software professionals who want to integrate programmability into their networks. It offers valuable background for Cisco DevNet certification―and skills you can use with any platform, whether you have software development experience or not.

• Master core concepts and explore the network programmability stack
• Manage network software and run automation scripts in Linux environments
• Solve real problems with Python and its Napalm and Nornir automation frameworks
• Make the most of the HTTP protocol, REST architectural framework, and SSH
• Encode your data with XML, JSON, or YAML
• Understand and build data models using YANG that offer a foundation for model-based network programming
• Leverage modern network management protocols, from gRPC and gNMI to NETCONF and RESTCONF
• Meet stringent service provider KPIs in large-scale, fast-changing networks
• Program Cisco devices running IOS XE, IOS XR, and NX-OS as well as Meraki, DNA Center, and Webex platforms
• Program non-Cisco platforms such as Cumulus Linux and Arista EOS
• Go from “zero to hero” with Ansible network automation
• Plan your next steps with more advanced tools and technologies

Contents

Part I: Introduction

Chapter 1 The Network Programmability and Automation Ecosystem

Part II: Linux

Chapter 2 Linux Fundamentals

Chapter 3 Linux Storage, Security, and Networks

Chapter 4 Linux Scripting

Part Ill: Python

Chapter 5 Python Fundamentals

Chapter 6 Python Applications

Part IV: Transport

Chapter 7 HTTP and REST

Chapter 8 Advanced HTTP

Chapter 9 SSH

Part V: Encoding

Chapter 10 XML

Chapter 11 JSON

Chapter 12 YAML

Part VI: Modeling

Chapter 13 YANG

Part VII: Protocols

Chapter 14 NETCONF and RESTCONF

Chapter 15 gRPC, Protobuf, and gNMI

Chapter 16 Service Provider Programmability

Part VIII: Programmability Applications

Chapter 17 Programming Cisco Platforms

Chapter 18 Programming Non-Cisco Platforms

Chapter 19 Ansible

Part IX: Looking Ahead

Chapter 20 Looking Ahead

About the Author

Khaled Abuelenain, CCIE No. 27401 (R&S, SP), is currently the Consulting Director at Acuative, a Cisco Managed Services Master Partner. Khaled has spent the past 18 years designing, implementing, operating, and automating networks and clouds. He specializes in service provider technologies, SD-WAN, data center technologies, programmability, automation, and cloud architectures. Khaled is especially interested in Linux and OpenStack.

Khaled is a contributing author of the best-selling Cisco Press book Routing TCP/IP, Volume II, 2nd edition, by Jeff Doyle. He also blogs frequently on network programmability and automation on blogs.cisco.com. Khaled is also a member of the DevNet500 group, being one of the first 500 individuals in the world to become DevNet certified. Khaled lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and when not working or writing, he likes to run marathons and skydive. He can be reached at kabuelenain@gmail.com, on Twitter at @kabuelenain or on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/kabuelenain.

Jeff Doyle, CCIE No. 1919, is a Member of Technical Staff at Apstra. Specializing in IP routing protocols, complex BGP policy, SDN/NFV, data center fabrics, IBN, EVPN, MPLS, and IPv6, Jeff has designed or assisted in the design of large-scale IP and IPv6 service provider networks in 26 countries over 6 continents.

Jeff is the author of CCIE Professional Development: Routing TCP/IP, Volumes I and II and OSPF and IS-IS: Choosing an IGP for Large-Scale Networks; a co-author of Software-Defined Networking: Anatomy of OpenFlow; and an editor and contributing author of Juniper Networks Routers: The Complete Reference. Jeff is currently writing CCIE Professional Development: Switching TCP/IP. He also writes for Forbes and blogs for both Network World and Network Computing. Jeff is one of the founders of the Rocky Mountain IPv6 Task Force, is an IPv6 Forum Fellow, and serves on the executive board of the Colorado chapter of the Internet Society (ISOC).

Anton Karneliuk, CCIE No. 49412 (R&S, SP), is a Network Engineer and Manager at THG Hosting, responsible for the development, operation, and automation of networks in numerous data centers across the globe and the international backbone. Prior to joining THG, Anton was a team lead in Vodafone Group Network Engineering and Delivery, focusing on introduction of SDN and NFV projects in Germany. Anton has 15 years of extensive experience in design, rollout, operation, and optimization of large-scale service providers and converged networks, focusing on IP/MPLS, BGP, network security, and data center Clos fabrics built using EVPN/VXLAN. He also has several years of full-stack software development experience for network management and automation.

Anton holds a B.S. in telecommunications and an M.S. in information security from Belarusian State University of Informatics and Radio Electronics. You can find him actively blogging about network automation and running online training at Karneliuk. com. Anton lives with his wife in London.

Vinit Jain, CCIE No. 22854 (R&S, SP, Security & DC), is a Network Development Engineer at Amazon, managing the Amazon network backbone operations team. Previously, he worked as a technical leader with the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC), providing escalation support in routing and data center technologies. Vinit is a speaker at various networking forums, including Cisco Live! events. He has co-authored several Cisco Press titles, such as Troubleshooting BGP, and Troubleshooting Cisco Nexus Switches and NX-OS, LISP Network Deployment and Troubleshooting, and has authored and co-authored several video courses, including BGP Troubleshooting, the CCNP DCCOR Complete Video Course, and the CCNP ENCOR Complete Video Course. In addition to his CCIEs, Vinit holds multiple certifications related to programming and databases. Vinit graduated from Delhi University in mathematics and earned a master’s in information technology from Kuvempu University in India. Vinit can be found on Twitter as @VinuGenie.