Network Engineer to NetOps Administration

If you're a developer getting into networking for the first time or an IT pro looking to build practical automation skills, this second edition gives you a clear and structured path to master essential networking concepts and become a confident, hands-on Python network administrator. If you're looking to automate repetitive networking tasks, build tools for infrastructure, or become a network administrator, you'll find this book teaching all the skills, structure, and mindset to make it happen.

You'll start off by getting the basics of Python down and then quickly move on to TCP, UDP, and socket programming. You'll work with protocols like HTTP, FTP, DNS, and email, and you'll use Python to automate everyday network tasks. As you read on, you'll dive into modern network automation using Netmiko, Paramiko, and NAPALM, manage asynchronous tasks with AsyncIO, and set up monitoring and analysis workflows through SNMP, ping3, iperf3, and Locust. You'll also use SimPy to simulate networks, program firewalls, scanning, encryption, and VPNs. You'll also get to work on configuration management and orchestration using Ansible. This will teach you how to automate server and network setups, manage software lifecycles, enforce standards, and integrate Python for advanced logic.

This book is all about clarity and practicality, using simple, easy-to-follow examples that work in the real world. It's not meant to deal with complicated business scenarios, but it does cover the most important, routine and common jobs of network programming.

Key Features

• Learn the basics of Python syntax and data structures for network automation.
• Get the hang of TCP, UDP, and socket programming for real communication tasks.
• Practice your skills with HTTP, FTP, DNS, and email protocols using real-world Python scripts.
• Set up SSH connections and device configurations using Netmiko, Paramiko, and NAPALM.
• Take charge of asynchronous network operations with Python's AsyncIO library.
• Keep an eye on, look at, and test networks using SNMP, ping3, iperf3, Locust, and SimPy.
• Make your network security stronger by using firewalls, scanning, SSL/TLS, and VPN configurations.
• Take advantage of the NAPALM and Git integration to automate your configuration management and version control.
• With Ansible playbooks, roles, and automation workflows, you can orchestrate server and network setups.

Table of Content

1. Introduction to Python and Networking
2. TCP, UDP and Socket Programming
3. Working with Application Layer
4. Exploring Network Automation
5. Network Monitoring and Analysis
6. Network Security and Python
7. Working with APIs and Network Services
8. Network Programming with AsyncIO
9. Network Testing and Simulation
10. Network Configuration Management
11. Ansible and Python

With "Mastering Python Network Automation," you can streamline container orchestration, configuration management, and resilient networking with Python and its libraries, allowing you to emerge as a skilled network engineer or a strong DevOps professional.

From the ground up, this guide walks readers through setting up a network automation lab using the NS3 network simulator and Python programming. This includes the installation of NS3, as well as python libraries like nornir, paramiko, netmiko, and PyEZ, as well as the configuration of ports, hosts, and servers. This book will teach you the skills to become a proficient automation developer who can test and fix any bugs in automation scripts. This book examines the emergence of the service mesh as a solution to the problems associated with service-to-service communication over time.

Key Learnings

• Use of Istio for cluster traffic management, traffic routing, and service mesh
• implementation.
• Utilizing Cilium and Calico to solve pod networking and automate network policy
• and workload routing.
• Monitoring and managing Kubernetes clusters with etcd and HAProxy load
• balancers and container storage.
• Establishing network automation lab with tools like NS3 emulator, Python, Virtual
• Environment, and VS Code.
• Establishing connectivity between hosts, port connectivity, SSH connectivity,
• python libraries, NS3, and network encryption.

Table of Content

1. Python Essentials for Networks
2. File Handling and Modules in Python
3. Preparing Network Automation Lab
4. Configuring Libraries and Lab Components
5. Code, Test & Validate Network Automation
6. Automation of Configuration Management
7. Managing Docker and Container Networks
8. Orchestrating Container & Workloads
9. Pod Networking
10. Implementing Service Mesh

This second edition is a hands-on, practical book crafted to empower system administrators and PowerShell enthusiasts to efficiently perform everyday system administration tasks and to automate complex processes with confidence. This book will take you from the basics of PowerShell scripting to advanced techniques and beyond. You will gain hands-on experience with handling variables, data types, and loops while learning to create reliable scripts that manage files, folders, drives, and the Windows registry. You will be introduced to powerful features such as remoting, DSC, and integration with System Center Configuration Manager to ensure that you can manage and deploy configurations across distributed environments.

Additionally, the book covers the intersection of PowerShell with modern automation frameworks, including Ansible, Chef, Puppet, and popular CI/CD tools. Such integration helps you streamline deployments, orchestrate workflows, and maintain consistent configurations across Windows and cross-platform systems. It also covers advanced topics such as extending PowerShell through custom cmdlets, modules, and classes, as well as techniques to interact with external systems via RESTful APIs, Python, and Bash. With simple and straightforward examples, the book presents many aspects of system administration while also touching on more complex scenarios, giving you the insight you need to tackle challenging environments without overwhelming you.

Key Learnings

• You will be up and running with PowerShell scripting for system administration tasks.
• Use effective commands to manage files, folders, drives, and the Windows Registry.
• Use PowerShell remoting to securely manage multiple systems.
• Apply Desired State Configuration for automated, idempotent, and consistent infrastructure management.
• Integrate SCCM to automate deployments, software updates, and system configurations.
• Leverage advanced text manipulation with regular expressions for precise data extraction and transformation.
• Develop custom modules, cmdlets, and functions to effectively extend PowerShell's native capabilities.
• Employ multithreading and parallel processing to enhance script performance.
• Integrate PowerShell with Ansible, Chef, and Puppet.
• Safeguard PowerShell environments by implementing best practices, execution policies, and robust auditing techniques.

Table of Content

1. Beginning with PowerShell
2. PowerShell Basics
3. Cmdlets, Aliases, and Functions
4. Up and Running with Scripting Basics
5. Working with PowerShell Modules
6. PowerShell Scripting
7. Windows Management with PowerShell
8. Active Directory Management
9. PowerShell Remoting
10. PowerShell DSC
11. PowerShell and SCCM
12. PowerShell Security and Best Practices
13. Advanced PowerShell Techniques
14. PowerShell and Automation Frameworks
15. Extending PowerShell and Interoperability