Ansible and Python Review

• Ansible definition
• Exploring modules
• Overview of Python and Ansible
• Python whitespace rules & best practices
• Conditional expressions
• Relational and Boolean operators
• Lists, Tuples, Dictionaries
• Indexing and slicing
• Built‐in functions
• Writing custom functions
• Getting at methods
• Iterating with Loops (for and while)
• Working with files
• Software Control Management (SCM) (Git, Github, GitLab, Bitbucket, Cloudshare, etc.)
• Getting at RESTful interfaces with Python
• Working with JSON
• Python, Ansible and Paramiko
• Using Paramiko to SSH with keys and passwords

Network Automation

• RESTful API review
• API keys
• Paramiko Review
• Using Paramiko to SFTP with keys and passwords
• Introduction to Netmiko (automating routers and switches)
• Using Netmiko to send commands to/from network devices
• Working with YAML
• Converting JSON to YAML with Python

Critical Ansible Catchup & Review

• Ansible keywords
• YAML and JSON for data exchange
• Ansible and YAML
• Ansible Playbook components
• Tying together Python and Ansible – Using Python within Ansible
• Ansible Network Modules
• What is new in Ansible (most current updates/release notes)
• Network Agnostic modules
• Writing network playbooks
• Reviewing the construction of network playbooks
• Writing Ansible playbooks that respond to network failures

Blending Python and Ansible Skillsets

• Review how to use Python within Ansible
• Calling Python scripts with Ansible
• Jinja2 Templating Engine for Python (and Ansible)
• Using Templates in Ansible playbooks
• Jinja2 filters, looping, and other useful tricks for automating with Ansible
• Playbook tagging for selective runs
• When to use Python and when to use Ansible
• Writing a custom collection
• Writing custom roles
• Extending Ansible to support Palo Alto (Optional ‐ Case Study)
• Extending Ansible to support Juniper vendor modules (Optional ‐ Case Study)
• Extending Ansible to support NAPALM (Optional ‐ Case Study)

Customizing Ansible with Python

• Review – Running Scripts with Ansible
• Prompting for Ansible user input
• Ansible Galaxy & Getting at Roles
• Writing a custom Ansible Module with Python
• Ansible ’Engine’ vs Ansible ’Tower’ – marketing hype, capabilities, costs, etc.
• Case Study: Automate your Enterprise Network
• Writing your own Ansible modules in Python
• Overview ‐ NETCONF / YANG and what they mean for Python and Ansible
• Molecule – Testing your roles

Hands-On Labs

• Welcome to Alta3 Research Labs
• Using vim
• Introduction to VScode
• Tmux Basics
• SCM with GitLab
• Network Automation with Python and Ansible – Certification Project
• Lecture – Introducing Python
• Getting dir(obj) help() and pydoc
• Lecture – Data Types
• Lists
• Dictionaries
• Lecture – Ansible Playbook Components
• Running a Playbook
• Debug Module
• Debug, Loops, and YAML Lists
• Lecture – REST APIs and JSON
• Open APIs with Python and Ansible
• Ansible Keywords register and when
• API Tokens with Python and Ansible
• Lecture – SSH Operations
• Paramiko – SSH with RSA Keys
• Paramiko – SFTP with UN and PW
• Lecture – Ansible Playbooks for SSH operations
• Ansible ’raw’ Module
• Jinja Filters
• Ansible, Python Methods, and Jinja Filters
• Lecture – Netmiko
• Running Netmiko
• Network Playbooks, Set Fact, and Fail
• Ansible Get Switch Config and Archive
• Ansible Agnostic Network Modules
• Ansible and TextFSM
• Network Playbook Error Handling
• Network Playbook Precheck
• Network Playbooks with Roles and Rollbacks
• Ansible Collections
• Lecture – Ansible Workflow
• ansible-runner
• Securing Playbooks with Vault
• Playbook Prompts
• Ansible and Jinja Templates
• Ansible Tags and RESTful APIs
• Running a script with Ansible
• Dynamic Inventories with Python
• Writing an Ansible Module with Python
• When to Use Python or Ansible
• Molecule
• Ansible for Palo Alto PanOS and Panorama
• Glossary