/Flexible_Network

Python Project that aims to make network automation with Python more flexible

Primary LanguagePython

Flexible_Network

This is a Python Project that aims to make network automation with Python more flexible


👉 Deprecated in favor of Flexible-Network [ Better performance / cleaner code / better features ]


Drive

Automating network devices with Python isn't really flexible because you're dealing with a dump device (only returns output, no STDERR, no exit_code .. only output) ... which makes automating them a bit of static task

  • So the main Idea of this project is give you the same feeling as automating Linux machines. by returning different information upon executing a command on a network device, (e.g STDOUT, STDERR, EXIT_CODE) among others
    • That is possible by detecting errors when executing commands on network devices
  • The above concept gave a lot of flexibility to add more features

Why should we use this Project while we can use Ansible for network automation !

Ansible provides good means for network automation, it is idempotent, gathers facts, & supports config backups as well among other features

But the question should be Python vs. Ansible for network automation and this is a controversy topic as each is suitable for different use cases

This project aims to improve the way we use python for network automation. ✋

Features

  • Ability to detect errors when executing commands on network devices [Sample output]
    • Default behaviour is to abort if an error was encountered
  • Returns different outputs as the result of commands (STDOUT, STDERR, EXIT_CODE) which you can use with python conditions
  • Ability to search in a command output using Regular Expressions.
  • Ability to ask for confirmation before executing a particular command [Sample Output]
  • Ability to backup config locally (at any point of time within your script) [Sample Output]
  • List tasks with backups (Keeps the state of backups) [Sample output]
  • Print commands outputs
  • Print commands output in Json [Sample Output]
  • print messages with different levels (colors) i.e info, warning, alert

Supported Vendors

  • Cisco
  • Huawei (Needs some work)
  • Others to be added later

To be done

  • supports groups in the hosts file (In other words using the same mechanism Ansible uses for the inventory)
  • Support Backup restore (Still thinking)

Installation

pip3 install FlexibleNetwork
Build the library From source
git clone https://github.com/eslam-gomaa/Flexible_Network.git

cd Flexible_Network

python3.6 setup.py bdist_wheel
pip3.6 install Flexible_Network/dist/FlexibleNetwork-*.whl

NOTE -- The code was tested with Python 3.6


Usage

  1. Create an empty Python script; Sample Script
  2. Import needed classes
from FlexibleNetwork import SSH_Connection
from FlexibleNetwork import inventory

# This 'hosts' variable returns a dict i,e  {hosts: [host1, host2], hosts_number: N}
hosts = inventory.text_file()
  1. Loop over the hosts in the hosts['hosts'] variable & start use the provided methods
  2. Write your code using the available methods -- Example
  3. Run your script as a CLI
python3.6 <your script>.py -h

*Example

python3.6 Example-2.py -f hosts.txt --task 'Day 4' --comment 'Some checks & taking backups of some devices'
# --task is important

Methods Documentation

execute()

Execute commands on the network device

Method options

Option Description Default Value
cmd Command to run on the network device
cmd_from_file File to load commands from (will be run as 1 command)
print_stdout Print the output False
print_json Print the output in Json format False
ask_for_confirmation Ask for information before running specific command False
search keyword to search in the command's output (using Regular Expressions) None
exit_on_fail Abort if got an error while executing the command True


execute_from_file()

Loads commands from a file & executes them 1 by 1

NOTE running each line 1 by 1 will detect the error faster

Method options

Option Description Default Value
file Specify the file to load commands from (each line will run seperately)
print_stdout Print the output False
print_json Print the output in Json format False
ask_for_confirmation Ask for information before running specific command False
search keyword to search in the command's output (using Regular Expressions) None
exit_on_fail Abort if got an error while executing the command True


print()

Print messages with different levels

🟢 Info

🟡 warning

🔴 alert

Method options

Option Description Default Value Options
msg The message to print
level The print level (Each level has different color) 'info' 'info', 'warning', 'alert'


backup_config()

Take backup from the configuration of the device & store it locally

Method options

Option Description Default Value
Comment Comment for the backup


close()

Close the SSH Connection with the device


Access configurations backups

NOTE -- If you used the backup_config method within your script, the state of your task will be stored

NOTE -- Currently the state of backups is stored in a Json file in the current direction.

  • List the tasks
python3.6 Example-2.py --list
  • Filter the tasks with date
# Date format --> day-month-year
python3.6 Example-2.py --list --filter_date 11-10-2021
  • Show the backups of a task
python3.6 Example-2.py --show Day-4__11-10-2021-09-32-01

Screenshoots

Output of a Example-2.py

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