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Mastering Python Networking

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Mastering Python Networking

4.5 (10)

Buy this Book

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.

Preface

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Free Chapter

Review of TCP/IP Protocol Suite and Python Language

The internet overview

The OSI model

Client server models

Network protocol suites

Python language overview

Low-Level Network Device Interactions

The challenges of CLI

Constructing a virtual lab

Python Pexpect Library

The Python Paramiko library

Looking ahead

Summary

API and Intent-Driven Networking

Infrastructure as the Python code

The Cisco API and ACI

The Python API for Juniper networks

The Arista Python API

Vendor neutral libraries

Summary

The Python Automation Framework - Ansible Basics

A quick Ansible example

The advantages of Ansible

The Ansible architecture

Ansible networking modules

The Ansible Cisco example

The Ansible Juniper example

The Ansible Arista example

Summary

The Python Automation Framework - Ansible Advance Topics

Ansible conditionals

Ansible loops

Templates

Group and host variables

The Ansible vault

The Ansible include and roles

Writing your own custom module

Summary

Network Security with Python

The lab setup

Python Scapy

Access lists

The syslog search

Other tools

Summary

Network Monitoring with Python - Part 1

Lab setup

SNMP

Python visualization

Python for Cacti

Summary

Network Monitoring with Python - Part 2

Graphviz

Flow-based monitoring

Elasticsearch (ELK stack)

Summary

Building Network Web Services with Python

Comparing Python web frameworks

Flask and lab setup

Introduction to Flask

Network s API

Network dynamic operations

Security

Additional resources

Summary

OpenFlow Basics

Lab setup

Introducing OpenFlow

Mininet

The Ryu controller with Python

Layer 2 OpenFlow switch

The POX controller

Summary

Advanced OpenFlow Topics

Setup

OpenFlow operations with Ryu

Packet inspection

Static router

Router with API

BGP router with OpenFlow

Firewall with OpenFlow

Summary

OpenStack, OpenDaylight, and NFV

OpenStack

OpenDaylight

Summary

Hybrid SDN

Preparing the network

Greenfield deployment

Controller redundancy

BGP migration example

More BGP example

Monitoring integration

Secure TLS connection

Physical switch selection

Summary

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Constructing a virtual lab

Before we dive into the packages, let's examine the options of putting together a lab for the benefit of learning. As the old saying goes, "Practice Makes Perfect": we need an isolated sandbox to safely make mistakes, try out new ways of doing things, and repeat some of the steps to reinforce concepts that were not clear in the first try. It is easy enough to install Python and the necessary packages for the management host, but what about those routers and switches that we want to simulate?

To put together a network lab, we basically have two options, each with its advantages and disadvantages:

Physical device: This option consists of physical devices that you can see and touch. If you are lucky enough, you might be able to put together a lab that is an exact replication of your production environment.
- Advantages: It is an easy transition...