Automating IP networks

with Python
Tomás Lynch
LACNOG 2019
What would you choose?

Life with or without automation?

© Vultr 2019 LACNOC2019 - Automation - Lynch 2
Actually...

Life without automation Life with automation

© Vultr 2019 LACNOC2019 - Automation - Lynch 3
Standardization before automation
Automation is useless without standardized configuration

Naming convention, same OS version, etc. are automation fundamental pieces

Automation relies on regular expressions

Example: add a prefix list to all edge routers:

router.edge1.ar, router.edge1.br, router.edge1.co

vs.
diego10.gimnasia, router-garrincha, co5ar0_edge

© Vultr 2019 LACNOC2019 - Automation - Lynch 4

 Automation and
Python

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Python network element packages
ncclient
● Juniper, Cisco CSR, Cisco Nexus, Huawei, Alcatel Lucent, H3C, HP
● netconf only

PyEZ
● Juniper

netmiko
● Arista, Cisco IOS, Juniper, MikroTik, among others

And 6,594 projects more

© Vultr 2019 LACNOC2019 - Automation - Lynch 6

 show lldp neighbors performance
PyEZ - predefined table netmiko - CLI
dev = Device( device = {
host=router, 'device_type': 'brocade',
user=uname, 'ip': router,
connect

password=pw 'username': uname,

) 'password': pw,
'port': port,
'secret': enablepass
}

dev.open() ssh_connect=Netmiko(**device)
ssh_connect.enable()
command

ssh_connect.send_command('skip-page-display')
router_lldp = LLDPNeighborTable(dev)
lldp_neighbors = router_lldp.get() lldp_neighbors =
ssh_connect.send_command('show lldp neighbors
detail')
dis

dev.close() ssh_connect.disconnect()

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Package performance
PyEZ netmiko (ssh)

Predefined operational table Command-line interface

10 routers 10 routers

15 seconds 1 minute 38 seconds

Output: lldp_neighbors Output: lldp_neighbors

Dictionary Plain text

Ready to use! More processing

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 Automation and
Python in use

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The network
Internet
Cloud servers, bare metal, and storage

16 worldwide locations
Edge Edge
router router
1 2
1600 network elements in Clos topology

Automation using puppet, python, etc.

Distribution 1 Distribution n

TOR 1 TOR 2 TOR 3 TOR m

VMs VMs VMs VMs

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Example 1: update_bgp_peer

bgpq3

13 Public Peering Exchange Points

17 Private Peering facilities
1100 peers aprox.

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Example 2: interface_description

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Other developed scripts for BGP
configure_customer_bgp

remove_customer_bgp

get_bgp_summary

update_transit_config

enable_sflow_everywhere

and many more for maintenance, server activation, etc.

© Vultr 2019 LACNOC2019 - Automation - Lynch 13

 Conclusions,
recommendations,
and references

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Conclusions
Standardization is the most important step before automation

Automate repetitive and boring tasks

Peering information, standards verification, massive changes, etc.

Use complete commands: “show running-config” instead of “sh ru”

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Recommendations
Do not spend time in once in a lifetime scripts

Use your old friends: grep, awk, etc.

If no experience: start with non-disrupting commands

Use vendor specific packages if possible

Do not store passwords in scripts!

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References
Network automation – juni.pr/2YVgjVj

netmiko platforms – bit.ly/2Tf6Oeo

PyEZ – juni.pr/2YSmf1g

BGP summary using PyEZ – www.inetzero.com/pyez

bgpq3 – github.com/snar/bgpq3

Use of BGP for Routing in Large-Scale Data Centers – RFC7938

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 Thank you!
Tomas Lynch

tlynch at vultr dot com

© Vultr 2019 LACNOC2019 - Automation - Lynch

 Backup slides
Tomas Lynch

tlynch@vultr.com

© Vultr 2019 LACNOC2019 - Automation - Lynch

 Automation

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What is network automation?
Process of automating:

configuration,

management,

testing,

deployment, and

operations

Also called network programmability

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Automation block diagram

Variables Script API Infrastructure

Device
name REST Router
ASN XML Switch
IP address JSON Server
Description NETCONF Etc.
Etc.

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Also monitoring?

Variables

Script API Infrastructure

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If it helps to make automated decisions

Variables

Script

API Infrastructure

Script

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 Standardization

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Configuration standardization
Automation is useless without a configuration standard or naming convention

Automation relies on regular expressions:

^TRANSIT.* = all transit interfaces

.*PRIV_PEER = all private peers

.*(PUB|PRIV)_PEER = all peers

router.cisco.*\.pa = Cisco routers in Panamá

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Software version standardization
junos.version_info(major=(15, 1) junos.version_info(major=(18, 4)

{ {
'community': [{ 'community': [{
'name': { 'name': 'EXAMPLE_COMM',
'data': 'EXAMPLE_COMM' 'members': ['65536:1']
}, }]
'members': [{ }
'data': '65536:1'
}]
}]
}

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 PyEZ warning

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Script
dev = Device(host=router, user=username, password=password)
dev.open()

cli = Config(dev, mode='private')

command = 'set interface et-0/0/0 description "A nice description"'

try:
cli.load(command, format='set')
except (ConfigLoadError, Exception) as err:
print ("Unable to load configuration changes: {0}".format(err))

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Output
Unable to load configuration changes:
ConfigLoadError(severity: error, bad_element: interface,
message: error: syntax error)

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The problem?

set interface != set interfaces

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Corrected script
dev = Device(host=router, user=username, password=password)
dev.open()

cli = Config(dev, mode='private')

command = 'set interfaces et-0/0/0 description "A nice description"'

try:
cli.load(command, format='set')
except (ConfigLoadError, Exception) as err:
print ("Unable to load configuration changes: {0}".format(err))

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