Python Learning for Network Engineers Automation Masterclass

Install Cisco Modeling Lab 2.9 in VMware Workstation, explore the free CML tier, deploy lightweight images, test Netconf and Isconf, and set up bridging with Ansible and Paramiko Python automation.

Set up Ubuntu in a VM with bridged networking, install VS Code, enable SSH, integrate with GitHub, and establish a productive automation development environment with Python, Paramiko, and Ansible.

Compare the old VirtualBox plus PyCharm lab setup with the new VMware workstation and VS Code remote development workflow, including Ubuntu and Gns3 VMs, GitHub cloning, and Python-focused lab steps.

Install VMware Workstation Player, create an Ubuntu 20.04 virtual machine, configure NAT and host-only adapters, enable SSH, and connect to Cisco devices in Gns3 VM for network automation practice.

Install the Gns3 VM in VMware Workstation Player, configure host-only and NAT networks to reach the Ubuntu host, ensure nested virtualization, and install Gns3 desktop for topology creation.

Install VS Code on Windows and configure remote development to connect to an Ubuntu machine via SSH, enabling Ansible extensions, YAML syntax, and a VS Code server for playbooks.

Install Cisco CSR 1000 V in a Gns3 VM by importing the appliance and CSR image, then boot and configure basic settings such as hostname, domain name, and crypto keys.

Begin your automation journey with minimal lab setup, using an open operating system and internet to test Cisco devices in sandbox labs, and set up Ubuntu, RDP, and GitHub Desktop.

Install VirtualBox on Windows, set up Ubuntu 22.04, and build a multi-VM lab with ESXi and CSR 1000 V, using host-only networking to access VMs via RDP.

Install Ubuntu 22.04 in VirtualBox by creating a 4 GB RAM VM with a 30 GB dynamic disk and NAT networking, then install guest additions for clipboard and shared folders.

Enable rdp in Ubuntu by configuring host-only networking, disabling the screen lock, and setting a static remote desktop password. Verify connectivity via ping and rdp in Ubuntu and VirtualBox.

Install GNS3 in an Ubuntu VM on VirtualBox, enable nested virtualization, and set up a basic network with NAT and host only interfaces, including IP configuration and connectivity testing.

Install bridge utils and uml utilities, create a bridge, map tap interface to it, assign IP to the bridge, and verify connectivity with ping between gns3 devices and host-only network.

Install and configure Cisco IOS v in GNS3 on an Ubuntu host, importing a CSR 1000 appliance, establishing host-only networking, and validating reachability between the host and the virtual device.

Install the GNS3 VM in VirtualBox by importing the OVA, configure memory and networking, enable virtualization and nested virtualization, and verify connectivity between the host and the VM.

Enable older ssh key exchange and host key algorithms in Ubuntu by editing the ssh config, establishing connections to older iOS images, updating known_hosts, and validating host trust.

Explore how to create and manage a Python virtual environment in Ubuntu, isolate packages from the base Python, and use pip to install, upgrade, and uninstall libraries.

Learn to test your first automation script in PyCharm by connecting to a Cisco device, authenticating, and executing show commands to retrieve configuration with a network library.

Learn to establish an ssh session with network devices using paramiko invoke_shell, manage host keys, authentication, and interactive command streams.

Learn to work with bytes and Unicode in Python by decoding UTF-8 data, printing decoded text, and using Unicode escapes and emoji codes, including newlines, tabs, and multi-line strings.

Learn to execute multiple commands in one session using a for loop over a command list, with per-command delays, proper output formatting, and reusable code for multiple devices.

Explore how to reuse code with Python functions to connect to multiple devices and execute the same logic, defining a function with def and passing hostname and commands as arguments.

Explore ssh known host key policies in Paramiko, including auto add, load system host keys, and warn or reject policies for trusted host connections.

Enable SSH key-based authentication to Linux OS by generating RSA key pairs, copying the public key to the remote machine, and logging in without passwords using private keys.

Enable ssh key based authentication on Cisco devices by copying the public key, configuring RSA key types, and testing with a Python script.

Master basic text and binary file operations in Python, including reading, writing, listing files, and using with open for safe handling.

Learn to store Cisco command output to timestamped text files by writing Python code that captures and saves command results, including show commands and configurations, with unique filenames.

Read configuration commands from a text file, execute them on a device, and save the output to a timestamped log file while handling command formatting.

Explore string methods in python, including case fold, strip, capitalized, center, and replace, to match user input and handle whitespace and capitalization in a practical example.

Discover Python string methods, using format and f-strings to format IP addresses, and apply find vs index, is decimal, ASCII, identifier, and printable checks to validate characters.

Explore Python string methods theory, including join, left justification, translate with a table, partition, replace, split, and z fill, with practical examples for parsing configurations.

Parse multi-line network output with Python by using split lines to extract interface names and IPs, then format and filter results.

Learn to generate dynamic filenames using Python string methods by reading commands from a file, enumerating them, and building timestamped, underscore-separated names for each command output.

Learn to create dynamic per-command output files in Python by generating filenames with timestamps and sequence numbers, and storing each command’s output with its details.

Learn how to compare text files in Python using the difflib library, generate human-readable deltas, and analyze configuration changes by diffing golden and new config files in the terminal.

Explore how to perform live Cisco config comparisons in html format using Python's diff library, comparing golden and current configs to generate a timestamped, browser-viewable xhtml diff.

Explore Python regex basics to parse Cisco device outputs with pattern matching, raw strings, and character classes. Use compile, search, and groups, including named groups, to extract version numbers.

Create regex pattern objects with re.compile and apply search, group, and find operations to extract matches from version output and email addresses in Python.

Master validating multiline outputs with regex by enabling multiline mode and using anchors ^ and $ across lines, with patterns, dot behavior, escapes, and word boundaries in Python.

Parse Cisco outputs with regex in a Python script, reading show version and show ip interface brief from a text file to extract version, model, serial, uptime, and hostname.

Parse Cisco show run output from a text file using Python and regex to extract hostname, domain name, product ID, serial number, net conf status, and all usernames.

Learn to parse interface configurations and IP addresses from network device files using a robust regex pattern in Python, extracting interface names, IP addresses, and masks into structured dictionaries.

Learn to parse default and static route details with regex patterns in Python, using named groups, the find method, and iteration to extract destination subnet, mask details, and the gateway.

Parse show version output over SSH using regex patterns in Python to extract version, model, and serial data. Build a learning-focused, reusable parsing approach for future network automation tasks.

Parse show run output over ssh with a Python script, update the command and regex patterns, and fix line endings to display live output from the device.

Parse show ip interface brief output using split lines and split methods, then transform interface details into dictionaries with name, IP, and status, including filtering by up interfaces.

Parse show ip interface brief with a regex pattern to extract interface name, ip address, and status, and build a Python script storing results in a dictionary list.