21 Network Programmability and Automation
21 Network Programmability and Automation
21 Network Programmability and Automation
Automation
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Foreword
New protocols, technologies, and delivery and O&M modes are emerging in the network
engineering field. Conventional networks face challenges from new connection requirements,
such as requirements for cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI). Enterprises are also
pursuing service agility, flexibility, and elasticity. Against this backdrop, network automation
becomes increasingly important.
Network programmability and automation is to simplify network configuration, management,
monitoring, and operations for engineers and improve deployment and O&M efficiency. This
course is to help network engineers understand Python programming and implement network
automation.
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Objectives
On completion of this course, you will be able to:
▫ Describe the difficulties of conventional network O&M.
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Contents
1. Introduction to Network Programmability and Automation
2. Overview of Programming Language and Python
3. Cases
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Background: Difficulties in Conventional Network O&M
Conventional network O&M requires network engineers to manually log in to network devices, query and execute configuration
commands, and filter command output. This highly human-dependent working mode is time-consuming, inefficient, and difficult to
audit.
Typical O&M Scenarios
Network device
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Network Automation
Network automation: Tools are used to implement automated network deployment, operations, and O&M, gradually reducing
dependency on human. This solves the conventional network O&M problems.
Many open-source tools, such as Ansible, SaltStack, Puppet, and Chef, are available for network automation in the industry. From
the perspective of network engineering capability construction, it is recommended that engineers acquire the code programming
capability.
Keywords of network
Chef automation SaltStack
NMS tool
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Programming-based Network Automation
In recent years, with the emergence of network automation technologies, Python-based programming capabilities
have become a new skill requirement for network engineers.
Automation script written in Python can execute repeated, time-consuming, and rule-based operations.
Example: Implementing automated device configuration
Python file using Python
Configuration File • What can network automation do? The most intuitive example of
network automation is automated device configuration. This process
Sysname SW1 SSH/Telnet
can be divided into two steps: writing a configuration file, and writing
Vlan 10
description A Python code to push the configuration file to a device.
Vlan20 • Write the configuration script in command line interface (CLI) mode,
description B Network and then upload the script to the device using Telnet/SSH. This
VLAN 30 device method is easy to understand for network engineers who are beginning
description C
to learn network programmability and automation. This presentation
describes how to implement network automation.
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Contents
1. Introduction to Network Programmability and Automation
2. Overview of Programming Language and Python
3. Cases
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Programming Languages
A programming language is used to write a computer program and control behavior of a computer.
According to whether compilation is required before execution of a language, the programming language may be classified into the
compiled language, and interpreted language that does not need to be compiled.
Compiler
Interpreter: Interprets
source code line by line.
Executable file
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Computing Technology Stack and Program
Execution Process
Computing Technology Stack Program Execution Process
Application
temp = v [k]; TEMP = V[K]
Algorithm High-level v[k] = v[k+1]; V[K] = V[K+1]
programming v[k+1] = temp; V[K+1] = TEMP
Software
language
Increasing order of Complexity
C/C++
compiler compiler
Assembly Language
lw $t0, 0($2)
lw $t1, 4($2)
Machine Code Assembly sw $t1, 0($2)
language sw $t0, 4($2)
Instruction Set Architecture
Assembler
Micro Architecture
Hardware
0000 1001 1100 0110 1010 1111 0101 1000
1010 1111 0101 1000 0000 1001 1100 0110
Gates/Registers Machine 1100 0110 1010 1111 0101 1000 0000 1001
code 0101 1000 0000 1001 1100 0110 1010 1111
Transistors
Instruction
Physics Instruction 1 Data 1
set
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High-level Programming Language - Compiled
Language
Compiled language: Before a program in a compiled language is executed, a compilation process is performed to compile the
program into a machine language file. The compilation result can be directly used without re-translation during running. Typical
compiled languages include C/C++ and Go.
From source code to program: The source code needs to be translated into machine instructions by the compiler and assembler, and
then the linker uses the link library function to generate the machine language program. The machine language must match the
instruction set of the CPU, which is loaded to the memory by the loader during running and executed by the CPU.
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High-level Programming Language - Interpreted
Language
Interpreted language: Interpreted language programs do not need to be compiled before running. They are translated line by line
when running. Typically, Java and Python are interpreted languages.
Process from source code to programs: Source code of an interpreted language is generated by the compiler and then interpreted and
executed by a virtual machine (VM) (for example, JVM/PVM). The VM shields the differences between CPU instruction sets.
Therefore, portability of the interpreted language is relatively good.
Compiler Compiler
JVM PVM
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What Is Python?
Python is a fully-open-source high-level programming language. Its author is Guido Van Rossum.
With support for abundant third-party libraries and advantages of the Python language, Python can be used in many
fields, such as AI, data science, apps, and scripts for automated O&M.
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Python Code Execution Process
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Getting Started with Python Code - Interactive
Running
Python runs in either interactive or script mode.
Interactive programming does not require script files to be created, and code is written in the interactive mode of the
Python interpreter.
C:\Users\Richard>python
Python 3.7.4 (default, Aug 9 2019, 18:34:13) [MSC v.1915 64 bit (AMD64)] :: Anaconda,
Inc. on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
1. Input -- >>> print ("hello world")
2. Output -- hello world
3. Input -- >>> a = 1
4. Input -- >>> b = 2
5. Input -- >>> print ( a + b )
6. Output -- 3
>>>
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Getting Started with Python Code -
Script-based Running
Code in script mode can run on various Python compilers or in integrated development environments. For example,
IDLE, Atom, Visual Studio, Pycharm, and Anaconda provided by Python can be used.
demo.py
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Code Style Guide for Python
Code style rules refer to naming rules, code indentation, and code and statement segmentation modes that must be complied with
when Python is used to write code. Good style rules help improve code readability and facilitate code maintenance and modification.
For example, the following rules for using semicolons, parentheses, blank lines, and spaces are recommended:
Parentheses Space
• Parentheses can be used for the continuation of long • Spaces are not recommended in parentheses.
statements. Avoid unnecessary parentheses. • You can determine whether to add spaces on both ends of
an operator.
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Code Style Guide for Python - Identifier Naming
• A Python identifier represents the name of a constant, variable, function, or another object.
• An identifier is usually composed of letters, digits, and underscores, but cannot start with a digit. Identifiers are case sensitive and
must be unique. If an identifier does not comply with the rules, the compiler will output a SyntaxError message when running the
code.
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Code Style Guide for Python - Code Indentation
In Python programs, code indentation represents the scope of a code block. If a code block contains two or more
statements, the statements must have the same indentation. For Python, code indentation is a syntax rule that uses
code indentation and colons to distinguish between layers of code.
When writing code, you are advised to use four spaces for indentation. If incorrect indentation is used in the program
code, an IndentationError error message is displayed during code running.
if True:
Correct indentation -- print ("Hello")
else:
Correct indentation -- print (0)
a = “Python”
Incorrect indentation -- print (a)
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Code Style Guide for Python - Using Comments
Comments are explanations added to programs to improve program readability. In the Python program, comments are
classified into single-line comments and multi-line comments.
A single-line comment starts with a pound sign (#).
A multi-line comment can contain multiple lines, which are enclosed in a pair of three quotation marks ('''...''' or
'''''' ...'''''').
“””
Multi-line comment -- The output is Python.
“””
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Code Style Guide for Python - Source Code File
Structure
A complete Python source code file generally consists of interpreter and encoding format declaration, document
string, module import, and running code.
If you need to call a class of a standard library or a third-party library in a program, use "import" or "from... import"
statement to import related modules. The import statement is always after the module comment or document string
(docstring) at the top of the file.
Interpreter declaration -- #!/usr/bin/env python
Encoding format declaration -- #-*- coding:utf-8 -*-
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Python Functions and Modules
A function is a block of organized, reusable code that is used to perform a single, related action. It can improve the modularity of the
program and code utilization. The function is defined using the def keyword.
A module is a saved Python file. Modules can contain definitions of functions, classes, and variables that can then be utilized in other
Python programs. The only difference between a module and a regular Python program is that the module is used for importing by
other programs. Therefore, a module usually does not have a main function.
demo.py test.py
def sit(): #Define a function. import demo #Import a module.
print ('A dog is now sitting’)
demo.sit() #Call a function.
sit() #Call a function.
Execution result:
Execution result:
A dog is now sitting.
A dog is now sitting. A dog is now sitting.
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Python Classes and Methods
A class is a collection of properties and methods that are the same. The class keyword is used to define a class.
The function of an instantiated class is called a method. When you define a method, a class must carry the self
keyword, which indicates the instance of the class.
demo.py
Import the Telnet class of the telnetlib module. -- from telnetlib import Telnet
Create a Telnet connection to a specified server. -- tn = Telnet(host=None, port=0[, timeout])
Invoke the read_all() method. -- tn.read_all()
…
Method Function
Telnet.read_until (expected, timeout=None) Read data until a given byte string, expected, is encountered or until timeout seconds have passed.
Telnet.read_all () Read all data until EOF as bytes; block until connection closed.
Read everything that can be without blocking in I/O (eager). Raise EOFError if connection closed and no
Telnet.read_very_eager() cooked data available. Return b'' if no cooked data available otherwise. Do not block unless in the midst of
an IAC sequence.
Telnet.write(buffer) Write a byte string to the socket, doubling any IAC characters.
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Contents
1. Introduction to Network Programmability and Automation
2. Overview of Programming Language and Python
3. Cases
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Case: Logging In to a Device Using telnetlib
Case description :
A network device functions as a Telnet server, and the Python telnetlib needs to be used as a Telnet client to log in to the device.
192.168.10.10 192.168.10.20
GE1/0/10
Telnet server Telnet client
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Case: Logging In to a Device Using telnetlib
Configure Telnet. Verify the Telnet login Verify the
Write Python code.
procedure. result.
192.168.10.10 192.168.10.20
GE1/0/10
Telnet server Telnet client
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Case: Logging In to a Device Using telnetlib
Configure Telnet. Verify the Telnet login procedure. Write Python code. Verify the result.
192.168.10.10 192.168.10.20
GE1/0/10
Telnet server Telnet client
Telnet login:
Enter a password.
2 Command output Password:
Info: The max number of VTY users is 5, and the number of current VTY users on line is 1.
The current login time is 2020-01-15 21:12:57.
<Huawei>
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Case: Logging In to a Device Using telnetlib
Verify the Telnet login
Configure Telnet. Write Python code. Verify the result.
procedure.
192.168.10.10 192.168.10.20
GE1/0/10
Telnet server Telnet client
C:\Users\Richard>telnet 192.168.10.10
Login authentication
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Quiz
1. Python is a compiled language. ( )
A. True
B. False
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Summary
Network automation uses tools to implement automated network deployment, operation, and
O&M, gradually reducing dependency on people. You can use a programming language or tool
to implement the network automation.
Python is a fully-open-source high-level programming language that is simple syntax and is easy
to learn. It has rich standard libraries and third-party libraries, which are applicable to the
network engineering field.
The telnetlib module of Python provides the telnetlib.Telnet class for implementing the Telnet
function. It helps you enter the network programmability and automation world!
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More Information
For more information about Python, visit https://www.python.org/.
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Thank You
www.huawei.com
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