Python Network Programming for Network Engineers (Python 3)

Module 1: Environment Setup & Python Refresher

⏳ 45 minutes

• Installing Python 3, virtual environments, and essential libraries (Netmiko, NAPALM)

• Quick review of Python basics: data structures, functions, and exception handling

Module 2: SSH Automation with Netmiko

⏳ 1 hour

• Establishing SSH sessions to routers/switches, sending commands, and handling responses

• Automating common tasks: configuration backups, VLAN creation, and interface checks

Module 3: Device Interaction with Paramiko & Telnetlib

⏳ 45 minutes

• Low-level SSH via Paramiko and legacy Telnet sessions with Telnetlib

• Secure file transfers with SFTP for firmware and config uploads

Module 4: Configuration Management with NAPALM

⏳ 1 hour

• Uniform API for multi-vendor support (Cisco IOS, JunOS, Arista EOS)

• Retrieving and comparing running vs. candidate configs, applying batches of changes

Module 5: Parsing Network Data

⏳ 1 hour

• Parsing JSON, XML, and text outputs using Python’s built-in and lxml libraries

• Extracting interface statistics, routing tables, and ARP entries for reporting

Module 6: SNMP & API-Based Monitoring

⏳ 45 minutes

• Querying device metrics (CPU, memory, interface counters) with pysnmp

• Consuming vendor REST APIs (e.g., Cisco DNA Center, Juniper Contrail) for telemetry

Module 7: Orchestration & Web Integration

⏳ 45 minutes

• Building simple Ansible playbooks with Python modules for network tasks

• Creating a Flask-based web UI to trigger automation scripts

Module 8: Best Practices & Next Steps

⏳ 30 minutes

• Error handling, logging, and secure credential storage (Vault, environment variables)

• Scaling automation: threading vs. async, integrating with CI/CD, and community resources

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