We are back with another exciting episode of Routing Friends! This time, we are going to talk about network automation and work in a practical laboratory with specific tools/frameworks to carry out operations with automation!
Link to YouTube (content in PT-BR): Desvendando a Automação de Redes: Lab Hands-On com Guilherme Lyra, CCIE #66666 | Episódio 167
Laboratory Use Guide
1. Preparing your automation host
The first step is to organize your own automation host, which is nothing more than the computer where you will execute the scripts. The only point that should be noted is that this computer requires access to your laboratory’s network equipment.
I recommend using a Linux distribution for this host, but it can be used on Mac or Windows as well. I personally like to use a Debian VM for this.
Applications required on your automation host:
- Python
- Ansible
2. Access to my example scripts
I suggest you to clone the GitHub repository below. There you will find the topology and the scripts that were used during the podcast Routing Friends - Lab Hands-on carried out on November 21, 2024:
git clone https://github.com/lyraguilherme/LabHandsOn-Nov2024/
3. Preparing or selling dependencies
To use the scripts, you should preferably create a venv:
python -m venv venv
Activate the venv:
source venv/bin/activate
Install the dependencies:
pip install -r requirements.txt
4. Setting credentials as environment variables
After installing all the dependencies, define your network device’s credentials as environment variables:
export LAB_USERNAME="my_username"
export LAB_PASSWORD="my_password"
From now on, you will be able to use the scripts that I shared.