In our next section we will talk about the configuration management mechanisms the tools and processes
network engineers have used to manage networks have not really changed in the last twenty five years.
For example using tools like putty or secure CRT and network engineer will connect to a device using
SSA age and perform some configuration change or check at device status.
However with the scale of networks today it is no longer practical to make these changes on the device
by device basis.
Network automation is fast becoming a.
Network Engineers ought to muster as a result of using developer's tools for many years.
Network engineers are seeing the benefit of these tools for performing network administration and configuration
tasks.
Now we are going to reveal the top three network automation tools used in today and their puppet chef
and the NSL Puppet Chef and assemble are three different tools that represent different paths to achieve
a common goal of managing a large scale infrastructure efficiently with minimal input from the developers
and system and network administrators.
All three configuration management tools are designed to reduce the complexity of configuring distributed
infrastructure resources enabling speed and ensuring reliability and compliance.
Okay let's start with the symbol and symbol deserves its place at the top of the list of network automation
tools in use today and Siebel is written in Python and was previously developed to automate the management
of Linux servers but is now capable of automating most of network tasks.
This software remains open source and as such is free to use.
There is also a strong community providing good support for sensible guys for corporate users who require
a more formal support module.
There is an single engine which is a fully supported version of animal both products are driven from
the command line interface.
Finally there is an Sibal tower.
The companies G you ie management to a license product based on the number of devices being managed
and simple uses the concept of app playbook which in which you define a list of tasks consisting of
as small items of configuration such as the creations of freelance or defining the interfaces and etc..
The playbook file is written in Yama which is very human readable and also uses ginger too for writing
templates and symbol works on AB push methodology you define what you want to do and push it to the
nuts and that's it.
And Sibal will confirm if changes actually need to be made by verifying if the code is in place already.
If so it will skip that task.
This is referred to as IDM then potency only making change so when they are actually required.
If the playbook that our minds at change does not need to be made it will skip that task.
The main reason and symbol is such a great tool for network automation is that it is Agent plus meaning
that to manage any network device you only require SSA access that this is its main advantage over tools.
We will look at that on our next slides like puppet or chaff which require an agent to be installed.
This is very easy on our Linux server but not as simple as on network devices let's go ahead with Jeff.
Jeff is another popular too for network automation guys and add the set up is a little more involved
than and symbol for one.
There is a master server and agents are installed on managed not at Jeff installation also needs a workstation
to control the master.
Once an agent has been installed on the managed device the notes authenticate the to the master with
the use of certificates.
Additionally chef is written in Ruby.
So you should ideally also come with basic knowledge of Ruby as the name suggests the chef utilizes
a cooking them and receipts instead of tasks.
However to use chaff for network automation you still need to get an agent on to your target device.
Puppet is another open source automation tool that was initially used for managing Linux servers but
is also gaining popularity in the network automation world.
As with chef a it requires an agent to be installed on the target device.
Puppet uses its own configuration language which is completely appropriate or a team making puppet more
complex to learn than any symbol or chef puppet devices periodically pooled their comfort configuration
from the puppet master server.
This differs from and symbol in which it is purely push model.
You can define a standard build and ensure the target device devices maintained that build by checking
in to deal with the puppet master server.