/awesome-network-automation

Curated Awesome list about Network Automation

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Awesome Network Automation Awesome

Network Automation is a cross between the discipline of Network Infrastructure and the discipline of Programming. This list was created to serve as a one-stop shop for information related to Network Automation.

Community

  • Ansible Google Groups - Ansible's mailing list and forum!
  • IRC Ansible - Ansible IRC Channels.
  • Chef Community - The complete offical list of Chef Community resources.
  • Network to Code Slack - The NTC Slack is a home/pseudo-home to many popular Network Automation solution repositories, such as NAPALM, Netmiko, NetBox, NSoT, and so on. Over 10,000 members meet here to discuss topics related to Network Automation.
  • Puppet Community - The complete offical list of Puppet Community resources.
  • Salt Formulas - The SaltStack formulas working group.
  • Salt Networks - A centralized group for talking about network device automation with SaltStack.
  • Salt Users - The official forum of the Salt community.

Events / Meetup

  • AWS Reinvent - AWS re:Invent Central is designed to facilitate connections between sponsors and attendees.
  • Ansible Fest - AnsibleFest is a day-long conference bringing together Ansible users, developers and industry partners to share best practices, case studies and Ansible news.
  • Ansible NYC Meetup - Local NYC Ansible user meetup.
  • Chef Summits - Chef community summit schedule.
  • London Network Automation Meetup - A community of network engineers, who have interest in the new buzz of network automation.
  • NANOG - North American Network Operators' Group with fair share of automation presentations/discussions.
  • Network to Coders Meetup - Maybe this can pressure NTC to finally setup an event for the 140+ NTC meetup members.
  • Puppetize Live - A 24-hour global event including community discussions, presentations, and training. Formerly PuppetConf.
  • SaltStack NYC Meetup - Local NYC SatlStack user meetup.
  • Tech Field Day - Field Day events bring together innovative IT product vendors and independent thought leaders to share information and opinions in a presentation and discussion format.
  • SaltConf - 4 days event including two days of SaltStack customer case studies and SaltStack technical deep dives.

Training

  • GNS3 Academy - Instructor David Bombal - Offers an inexpensive set of introductions to Ansible and Python for Network Engineers, among other courses.
  • IP Space - Numerous courses, webinars, and videos covering SDN, network automation, cloud computing, virtualization technologies, IPv6, VPNs, and much more.
  • Mircea Ulinic - Learn more about cross-vendor event-driven network automation and orchestration.
  • Network to Code - Network Automation Training including Python, Ansible, DevOps, and much more.
  • Network Programmability Basics - Cisco - Jumpstart your journey into network programmability with this expert-led video course by Cisco DevNet.
  • Python for Network Engineers - Learn skills that make you better at network automation and that improve your capability to use programming to scale your work.

Presentations

Title Details Year
Network Automation: The Hype vs. Reality Jonah Kowall, NANOG 2020
Network Automation Architecture John Anderson, Network Field Day 21 2019
Network Automation Journey - Part 1 Damien Garros, Network Field Day 21 2019
Network Automation Journey - Part 2 Damien Garros, Network Field Day 21 2019
Managing Network Device Properties as Code Damien Garros, NANOG 75 2019
Powering Your Automation: A Single Source of Truth Tim Schreyack, NANOG 77 2019
Bart Dworak AnsibleFest Keynote Bart Dworak, AnsibleFest 2019
Greenfielding Network and Systems Automation in a Large and Highly Dynamic Public Transit Network Logan Best, AnsibleFest 2019
Using Ansible as a Catalyst for Digital Transformation Bart Dworak, AnsibleFest 2019
Securing Network Automation Ivan Pepelnjak, Troopers slide deck. 2017
Network automation at scale Mircea Ulinic, NANOG 69, slide deck. 2017
Experiences with network automation at Dyn Carlos Vicente, NANOG 67 2016
Abstract all the things David Barroso, SDN and Network Automation Meetup, Stockholm presentation. 2016
How Facebook Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Network Jose Leitao, David Rothera, RIPE71 slide deck. 2015
NAPALM David Barroso, Elisa Jasinska, NANOG 64 slide deck. 2015
What Is NetDevOps Leslie Carr, RIPE71, slide deck. 2015

Blogs

Programming Topics

Structured Data

YAML

JSON

XML

YANG

Jinja2

API

RESTCONF

NETCONF

Python

Go

Vendor API Docs

Open Source Projects

Ansible

Batfish

  • Home Page - Batfish.org home page with tutorials, talks and technical papers detailing the research behind Batfish.
  • Getting Started with Batfish
    • Documentation - Getting Started Documentation for Batfish.
    • Jupyter Notebook - Jupyter Notebooks showing how to use Batfish for configuration, ACL, routing, forwarding, etc... analysis.
    • Video - YouTube videos explaining how to use Batfish.

Chef

Puppet

Salt

StackStorm

  • StackStorm Repository - StackStorm (aka "IFTTT for Ops") is event-driven automation commonly used for auto-remediation, security responses, facilitated troubleshooting, complex deployments, and more. Includes rules engine, workflow, 1800+ integrations, native ChatOps and so forth.
  • StackStorm Installer - Ready to install StackStorm? Here’s an overview of how to get your system up and running.
  • StackStorm Youtube - Various intro, marketing, interviews, and technical product talks.
  • Stackstorm Docs - Documentation repository for latest version of StackStorm.
  • StackStorm Intro on Software Gone Wild - SGW team talk with StackStorm (including Matt Oswalt) to discuss StackStorm.

Products

  • eNMS - A vendor-agnostic NMS for carrier-grade network visualization and network automation.
  • Netshot - Network Configuration and Compliance Management Software.
  • NSoT - Network Source of Truth (NSoT) is a source of truth database and repository for tracking inventory and metadata of network entities to ease management and automation of network infrastructure.
  • Nuts - Network Unit Testing System automates tests in the network similar to unit tests.
  • Rundeck - Job scheduler and runbook (and Ansible playbook) automation.
  • ToDD - ToDD is an extensible framework for providing natively distributed testing on demand.
  • Trigger - Trigger is a robust network automation toolkit written in Python that was designed for interfacing with network devices and managing network configuration and security policy.

Library

  • Apstra's Aeon-ZTPS - Aeon-ZTPS is a universal Zero-Touch-Provisioning server for data center infrastructure systems at b. Currently supports the bootstraping of Arista EOS, Cisco NX-OS, and Cumulus Linux.
  • Capirca - Multi-platform ACL generation system; can output Juniper/IOS/etc ACLs from the same policy.
  • Cisco Genie Parsers - Genie Parsers by Cisco
  • ciscocmd - Tcl/Expect script to send commands to multiple IOS devices.
  • ciscoconfparse - Parse, Audit, Query, Build, and Modify Cisco IOS-style configurations.
  • Condoor - This is a Python module providing access to Cisco devices over Telnet and SSH.
  • EasySNMP - Easy to use and very fast SNMP library that uses Net-SNMP.
  • FreeZTP - FreeZTP is an open-source Zero-Touch Provisioning system for Cisco IOS campus switches and routers.
  • Hierarchical Configuration - Hierarchical Configuration is a Python library that is able to take a running configuration of a network device, compare it to its intended configuration, and build the remediation steps necessary bring a device into spec with its intended configuration.
  • Jinja2 - A full-featured template engine for Python.
  • NAPALM - NAPALM (Network Automation and Programmability Abstraction Layer with Multivendor support) is a Python library that implements a set of functions to interact with different router vendor devices using a unified API.
  • netaddr - Network address manipulation that supports a number of techniques (supernetting and subnetting).
  • Netmiko - Multi-vendor library to simplify Paramiko SSH connections to network devices.
  • Nornir - Nornir is a pure Python automation framework intented to be used directly from Python.
  • SEC - Simple Event Correlator - SEC is an event correlation tool for advanced event processing which can be harnessed for event log monitoring, for network and security management, for fraud detection, and for any other task which involves event correlation.
  • Template Text Parser - CLI tool and Python module for parsing semi-structured text into structured data. Similar syntax to Jinja templating, but in reverse.
  • TextFSM - Python module for parsing semi-structured text into Python tables.

Non-Core Ansible Modules

Pre-written Salt States (Formulas)

  • napalm-install-formula - Salt formula to simplify the installation of the necessary packages and system dependencies for NAPALM.
  • napalm-ntp-formula - Formula to manage the NTP configuration on network devices, following the OpenConfig system YANG model.

Vendor Abstraction Library

  • clicrud - Brocade specific (MLX/VDX/ICX/CER/CES) CLI driver (Telnet & SSH).
  • f5-common-python - Python SDK for configuration and monitoring of F5 BIG-IP devices via the iControl REST API.
  • Infoblox Python Module - Python wrapper for REST API
  • Infoblox Go Client - Go wrapper for REST API
  • pan-python - Multi-tool set for Palo Alto Networks PAN-OS, Panorama, WildFire and AutoFocus.
  • pandevice - Device framework for interacting with Palo Alto Networks devices.
  • pyeapi - Python library for Arista EOS.
  • pyfg - Python library for Fortinet.
  • pyiosxr - Python library for Cisco IOSXR.
  • pynxos - Python library for Cisco NXOS.
  • py-junos-exnc - Python library for Junos automation.

Tools

  • BGP-Dashboard - BGP Dashboard and Monitoring Web Application.
  • Batfish - Open-source network validation application. Multi-vendor configuration parser with a detailed modeled based simulation to analyze all aspects of network behavior (routing, forwarding, security, etc...).
  • Drawthe.net - Draw network diagrams described in YAML files.
  • napalm-logs - Cross-vendor normalisation for network syslog messages, following the OpenConfig and IETF YANG models.
  • Network-Conditions-Emulator - Artificially limit bandwidth, delay and loss rate on selected interfaces.
  • netconan - Network Configuration Anonymizer
  • Net-Config - Automation framework for network devices.
  • NetCopa - Network device configuration parser ("industry standard" -> YAML converter).
  • NetGrph - Network graph modeling database.
  • NetSpark-Scripts - Netmiko-based scripts to assist the Network Administrators and Engineers of the world!
  • NetTools - Simple network Python scripts.
  • Network-CI - Proof of Concept of CI/CD methodology applied to traditional non-SDN network topologies.

Hypervisors and Containers

  • Docker - Docker is a software technology providing operating system-level virtualization also known as containers, promoted by the company Docker, Inc.
  • KVM - KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) is a full virtualization solution build into the Linux Kernel
  • QEMU - QEMU is a generic and open source machine emulator and virtualizer. When using KVM, QEMU can virtualize x86, server and embedded PowerPC, 64-bit POWER, S390, 32-bit and 64-bit ARM, and MIPS guests.
  • Vagrant - Vagrant enables users to create and configure lightweight, reproducible, and portable development environments.
  • VirtualBox - VirtualBox is a powerful x86 and AMD64/Intel64 virtualization product for enterprise as well as home use.
  • Vmware ESXi - VMware ESXi is a purpose-built bare-metal hypervisor that installs directly onto a physical server.

Network Emulators

  • EVE-NG - The Emulated Virtual Environment for Network, Security and DevOps professionals.
  • GNS3 - Graphical Network Simulator-3.
  • Mininet - Mininet creates a realistic virtual network, running real kernel, switch and application code, on a single machine (VM, cloud or native), in seconds, with a single command.
  • UNetLab - Unified Networking Lab.
  • VIRL - Cisco Virtual Internet Routing Lab.
  • VRNetLab - Run your favourite virtual routers in docker for convenient labbing, development and testing.

Network Simulators

  • Batfish - Batfish provides a model-based simulation for multi-vendor networks, that enables routing, forwarding, security, compliance, and what-if scenario analysis of a network (or proposed change to a network).
  • Cisco WAN Automation Engine - Cisco WAE, formerly known as Cariden MATE, provides a multi-vendor network simulation that enables capacity planning and what-if scenario analysis for carrier networks.
  • Forward Networks - Forward Enterprise documents, searches, verifies, and predicts the behavior of your network by creating an always-accurate software copy of your entire network infrastructure for both on-prem and cloud.
  • Juniper WANDL - Juniper WANDL provides traffic engineering models that enable capacity planning, network optimization and what-if scenario analysis for carrier networks.

Backups

  • Cidr - Cidr Is not as Dumb as Rancid.
  • fetchconfig - fetchconfig is a Perl script for retrieving configuration of multiple devices.
  • Gerty - Universal framework for device management automation. Eventually a replacement for RANCID... and much more.
  • Jazigo - Jazigo is a tool written in Go for retrieving configuration for multiple devices, similar to rancid, fetchconfig, oxidized, Sweet.
  • Oxidized - Oxidized is a network device configuration backup tool. It's a RANCID replacement!
  • RANCID - RANCID monitors a router's (or more generally a device's) configuration, including software and hardware (cards, serial numbers, etc) and uses CVS (Concurrent Version System), Subversion or Git to maintain history of changes.
  • Sweet - Network device configuration backups and change alerts for the 21st century - inspired by RANCID!
  • Unimus - Configuration backup with an easy to use Web GUI. From nothing to backing-up 1000 routers in 15 minutes.

IPAM

  • bluecat - BlueCat provides network intelligence and insight into the relationship between devices, users and IP addresses that can be put into action to improve security and ensure reliable, always-on business connectivity.
  • Device42 - Automatically maintain an up-to-date inventory of your physical, virtual, and cloud servers and containers, network components, software, services, applications, and their inter-relationships and inter-dependencies. Integrations, REST APIs and webhooks to automate your workflows with a modern CMDB as a single source of truth. Comes with powerful Data Center Infrastructure Management, IP Address Management and Application Mappings. Mostly leverages SNMP or vendor provided APIs that are well adopted/documented.
  • haci - HaCi is an IP Address / Network Administration (IPAM) Tool with IPv6 support.
  • Infoblox - Industry leader in DNS, DHCP, and IP address management, the category known as DDI.
  • NetBox - NetBox is an IP address management (IPAM) and data center infrastructure management (DCIM) tool.
  • nipap - nipap is a sleek, intuitive and powerful IP address management system built to handle large amounts of IP addresses.
  • NSoT - Network Source of Truth is an open source IPAM and network inventory database.
  • phpIPAM - phpIPAM is an open-source web IP address management application (IPAM). Its goal is to provide light, modern and useful IP address management.
  • TeemIP - TeemIp is an open source, WEB based, IP Adress Management (IPAM) tool that provides comprehensive IP Management capabilities. It allows you to manage your IPv4 and IPv6 spaces through a simple and powerful user interface: track user requests, discover and allocate IPs, manage your IP plan and your subnet space in accordance with best in class IP Management practices.

Configuration Management

  • ManageEngine - Network Configuration Manager is a multi vendor network change, configuration and compliance management (NCCCM) solution for switches, routers, firewalls and other network devices.
  • NetMRI - Vendor Agnostic NCCM tool with with policy engine and multi-vendor device lifecycle/vulnerability management. (Infoblox product)
  • Solarwinds - Automated network configuration and compliance management.
  • Rconfig - Free, open source network device configuration management tool, customizable to your needs!
  • Unimus - Network-wide configuration search and config diff over time in an easy to use web GUI.

Books

Vendor Agnostic Products

  • Anuta Networks - Anuta NCX delivers network service orchestration for greenfield and brownfield deployments. NCX is an intent-driven platform with YANG service models for multiple domains such as Branch/CPE, Data Center, Virtual MPLS, Carrier Core Networks and Cloud Interconnects. NCX has built-in YANG device models for PNFs and VNFs from 35+ industry leading vendors supporting hundreds of L2-L7 network functions using CLI, NETCONF, YANG, REST and SNMP. See the complete list.
  • Apstra - The Apstra Operating System (AOS) is a vendor-agnostic distributed operating system for the data center network that enables business agility, dramatically scales operational efficiency, and reduces downtime.
  • Cisco NSO - NSO (former Tail-f NCS) is a multi-vendor automation and orchestration platform for physical and virtual networks for over 80+ vendors. NSO provides YANG-based programmability through a wide variety of interfaces including CLI, RESTCONF, NETCONF, Java, Python and web UI.
  • Forward Networks - Forward Enterprise documents, searches, verifies, and predicts the behavior of your network by creating an always-accurate software copy of your entire network infrastructure for both on-prem and cloud.
  • Glue - With Gluware, the Glue Networks vision and team are continuing to trail-blaze at the forefront of the networking industry with multi-vendor orchestration solutions for Data Center, WAN and LAN networks.
  • Intentionet - Intentionet provides a hosted or on-premise network validation software solution based on Batfish. Intentionet Sage's model-based network simulation enables pre-commit validation for all network changes, ensuring only correct changes are pushed to the network, thereby reducing outages and breaches while improving network agility.
  • NetMRI - Vendor Agnostic NCCM tool with with policy engine and multi-vendor device lifecycle/vulnerability management. (Infoblox product)
  • NetYCE NetYCE lets you be in control of any and all of your networks, using its unique Design Driven Networking approach. Not stopping at network devices, but orchestrate end-to-end including firewalls, DDI (DNS, DHCP, IPAM) and other 3rd party tooling. Deploy your networks as Designed.
  • PacketFront - PacketFront BECS and BBE is a vendor-agnostic network, service and resource orchestration system for residential, enterprise and data center networks.

Network Vendor Products

  • Cisco Meraki - Cisco Meraki is the leader in cloud controlled WiFi, routing, and security. Secure and scalable, Cisco Meraki enterprise networks simply work.
  • Cisco Viptela - Viptela provides Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) technology that allows global companies to build cost-effective WANs.
  • Cumulus Networks NetQ - Cumulus NetQ is a highly-scalable, modern network operations tool set that provides visibility into your overlay and underlay networks in real-time. NetQ delivers actionable insights and operational intelligence about the health of your data center — from the container, virtual machine, or host, all the way to the switch and port, enabling a NetDevOps approach.
  • Talari - Talari Networks SD-WAN technology.

Podcasts

Podcasts Feeds

  • Network to Code - Network to Code automation podcast on the Network Collective feed.
  • Packet Pushers Full Stack - The Journey To Full Stack.
  • Software Gone Wild - Software Gone Wild is focusing on architectures, solutions and technologies that real networking engineers use in production networks.

Podcasts Episodes

Contributing

Contributions about network automation are most welcome!

This list is just getting started, please contribute to make it super awesome.

License

CC4

Licensed under the Creative Commons 4.0 License, see LICENSE file for more detail.