Spring has sprung and summer on the way!
Automation
- A worthy excerpt from the book “Network Programmability and Automation: Skills for the Next-Generation Network Engineer” worth remembering:
Automation #1 recommendation
We know that network automation offers speed and agility for deploying changes, but it does the same for retrieving data from network devices as fast as the business demands, or more practically, as fast as needed to dynamically troubleshoot a network issue.
Since the advent of server virtualization, server and virtualization administrators have had the ability to deploy new applications almost instantaneously. And the faster applications are deployed, the more questions are raised as to why it takes so long to configure network resources such as VLANs, routes, firewall (FW) policies load balancing polices, or all of the above, if deploying a new three-tier application.
It should be fairly obvious that by adopting network automation, the network engineering and operations teams can react faster to their IT counterparts for deploying applications, but more importantly, it helps the business be more agile. From an adoption perspective, it’s critical to understand the existing, and often manual, workflows before attempting to adopt automation of any kind, no matter how good your intentions are for making the business more agile.
If you don’t know what you want to automate, it’ll complicate and prolong the process. Our number one recommendation as you start your network automation journey is to always understand existing manual workflows, document them, and understand the impact they have to the business. Then the process to deploy automation technology and tooling becomes much simpler.
- And a portentous quote from the ‘Seven Deadly Deceptions of Network Automation’ - J-Net Community
“If you automate a mess, you get an automated mess.”
- Why programmable infrastructure has reached its tipping point - Dimension Data
- Introduction to ZTP
- Hanns-vv Staging demo ZTP github repo of Ansible playbooks
- Render your first network configuration template using Python and Jinja2 - Cisco blog
- Good selection of networktocode.com automation examples
- How to Deploy a UCS Manager Environment with Far Less Python Code
- Watch “TR18: Real-Life Network and Security Automation” on YouTube - 50 mins - where you will find out a couple of useful pieces of knowledge:
1.) “When eating an elephant take one bite at a time” and
2.) SDN has been with us for years, Spreadsheet Defined Networking ;-) - where would we be without Excel!
- Infoblox Integration in Ansible 2.5
- Watch “Demo: ARA - Ansible Run Analysis: 0.13” on YouTube - 11 mins - and GitHub repo
- Networking Features in the new Ansible 2.5
- Ansible 2.5: Traveling space and time
- Porting Ansible Network Playbooks with New Connection Plugins
- Extreme Automation with Extreme Networks (& StackStorm) - don’t panic
- Unit Testing Junos with JSNAPy
- Automating Cisco ACI with Ansible Eliminates Repetitive Day-to-Day Tasks
- Ansible - Using YAML For Inventory - EverythingShouldBeVirtual
- How Did NETCONF Start on Software Gone Wild - ipSpace.net by @ioshints
- freeztp - A Zero-Touch Provisioning system built for Cisco Catalyst switches
- Using Ansible to Mitigate Network Vulnerabilities
- Networking + Automation - Mostafa Hassan - CCIE SP#58403 : Cisco ASR9K Configuration via Python , JINJA and YAML
- Cisco YangModels/yang
- Using Python and Scapy to hunt for VLAN IDs - Geeks rejoice
- Getting Started with JunOS PyEZ - 0x2142
- Ansible Best Practices
- How to succeed with network automation: Experimentation - TechBeacon
- DFWCUG - Netmiko Common Use Cases - Kirk Byers github repo and presentation slides PDF
Continuous Integration (CI) / Continuous Delivery (CD) and NetDevOps
- CI/CD: What does it mean for the network engineer? - Cumulus Networks Blog
- Getting started with Jenkins for Network Automation – techbloc.net
- Integrating Ansible with Jenkins in a CI/CD process
- Watch “What’s the Difference Between DevOps and SRE?” on YouTube - 5 mins
- Beginner’s Guide to NetDevOps with Cisco DevNet and Ansible Webinar
- Getting started with Jenkins for Network Automation – techbloc.net
- CI Validation For Networks - Tesuto
- Watch the Beginner’s Guide to NetDevOps with Cisco DevNet and Ansible - 1 hr. You can also view the slides here
- Putting Reliability at the Forefront of Network Engineering - J-Net Community
- Build the Resilient Future Faster: Creating a Culture of Reliability - VictorOps - free ebook
- Google Has Intent to Cut Humans Out of Network
Code Development
- Google Launches Grasshopper a Smartphone Game to Teach Coding
- Resources for Learning Python
- Watch “Introduction to Git - Core Concepts” on YouTube - 28 mins
- Watch “Introduction to Git - Branching and Merging” on YouTube - 28 mins
- Watch “Introduction to Git - Remotes” on YouTube - 31 mins
- Juniper JET & Golang - ipengineer.net and the github repo
- Comprehensive Python Cheatsheet
- Your CLI Tool Should be a Server (Maybe) – Hacker Noon
Service Provider
- MPLS LSP Self-Ping - The Good and The Not So Good - LinkedIn
- PPPoE High Availability Design – Incorporating Multiple Access Concentrators/BRAS – StubArea51.com
- Watch “Using MikroTik CHR as a BGP edge router” on YouTube - 30 mins
- The Life of Kenneth: Creating an Internet Exchange for Even More Fun and Less Profit
- JNCIS-SP – Intro to IS-IS - Clay Haynes
- Simple Juniper MPLS Core with L3VPN – Juniper Labs
- MPLS 101 – Dynamic routing with BGP - Das Blinken Lichten
- Networking Mathematics: Random Early Detection and TCP synchronization – The Math Citadel
- Down Bit : LnetD v0.1 - network inventory based on ISIS
DNS
- Introducing DNS Resolver, 1.1.1.1
- And a full list of Free and Public DNS Servers - some more memorable than others
Juniper
- L2 security on IPv6 - J-Net Community post
- Get Started with Junos Quickly (and free!)
- Excellent Watch - Juniper “EVPN Framework for Campus Networks” on YouTube - 35 mins
- DHCP Security in Junos ELS (Enhanced Layer 2 Software) syntax
- Streaming Syslog Events Through Junos Telemetry Interface – Tech Mocha
- Juniper SRX - Automated Route Monitoring - 0x2142 blog post
- Considering The Future Of Juniper’s Contrail And OpenContrail/Tungsten - Packet Pushers
- 30 Levels of NAT Lab #2 – Juniper SRX100s – I-R-Coops Blog!
- Code-Free Automation - Junos Configuration Groups - J-Net Community
- Streaming Junos Telemetry To MQTT Via Telegraf – Tech Mocha blog post
- Learn about node slicing on the MX960 with @JuniperNetworks Configuration Guide PDF
- vSRX Cluster on oVirt/RHEV – Charles Kozler’s Bits & Bytes
- Enabling rapid remediation in the Self-Driving Network - J-Net Community
Labs
- geerlingguy - Ansible-vagrant-examples
- Running ESXi nodes in EVE-NG
- Cisco Collaboration (CCIE, CCNP, CCNA) Sandbox with EVE-NG virtualization
- Build a custom Linux Router image for EVE-NG
- Running the vMX on VMWare Fusion - Clay Haynes
Open Source
- Open Source NOS Demos At the OCP Summit // blog.siliconloons.com
- Microsoft quietly open-sourced a Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)
- tungstenfabric – multicloud multistack SDN - new name for the open source version of Juniper Contrail
Linux and Windows
- VIM Adventures - game your way into learning VIM
- NetData: Get control of your Linux Servers. Simple. Effective. Awesome.
- Basic Networking PowerShell cmdlets cheatsheet to replace netsh, ipconfig, nslookup and more - Thomas Maurer
- Ubuntu Manpage: grepcidr — Filter IPv4 and IPv6 addresses matching CIDR patterns
- Windows LLDP Service - raspi@GitHub
- Winfile - that old Windows file manager back from the dead and open sourced
Tools
- Tyler Christiansen / elastiflow-example · GitLab - ElastiFlow™ provides network flow data collection and visualization using the Elastic Stack
- More on Elastiflow - WTFlow?! Are you really still paying for commercial solutions to collect and analyze network flow data?
- Advanced Netconf Explorer - cisco-ie/anx
- GoFlow. This application is a NetFlow/IPFIX/sFlow collector in Go
- Writing a Grafana backend using the Simple JSON datasource & Flask - OzNetNerd
- Network Monitoring with Prometheus and Cumulus Linux – techbloc.net
- Forward Networks - Network Operations Simplified - various demo videos on Vimeo
Routing
- To OSPF or Not? Which Routing Protocol to Use
- JUNOS: Aggregate Routes vs Generate Routes – How to Summarise on Juniper Routers – NETWORK FUN-TIMES
- Arista and Internet-scale Routing? We have put the R-Series to the test - xantaro blog post
- What Do I Need: Router vs. Switch
Certification and Careers
- This is a study guide for the new CCDE v2.1 written exam
- CCNP Route 300-101 Study Guide + ~600 Flash Cards
- CCNP Switch 300-115 Study Guide + ~280 Flashcards
- Juniper Networks Expands Online Proctoring for Certification Exams
- Network Tech Study is a blog for IT Professionals with a focus on Network Engineering to learn certification based topics, and find credible resources to further their careers
- Mind Map for CCIE & CCNP Routing & Switching – neckercube.com
Cisco
- Watch “Building a NetDevOps CI/CD Pipeline - Hank Preston (Cisco DevNet Create 2018)” on YouTube - 42 mins
- Cisco Unbundles IOS to do some Whitebox! - Futuriom
- Introduction to NetDevOps Configuration Pipelines with CICD
Docker & Containers
- Ansible - Raspberry Pi Kubernetes Cluster - EverythingShouldBeVirtual
- The problem of unpredictable interface order in multi-network Docker containers - networkop
- cSRX Container Firewall - new containerized version of the SRX series firewall - Technical Documentation
Data Centre & Whitebox
- Why and how to deploy Voyager - Cumulus Networks Blog
- What is the open packet optical switch, Voyager? - Cumulus Networks Blog
- Nice six part YouTube playlist on the subject of VXLAN - 45 mins
- Watch “Re-imagining the Enterprise Data Center for Today’s Hybrid and Virtualized Reality” on YouTube - 13 mins
- Switches, Penguins and One Bad Cable - Outbrain Techblog
- Juniper QFX10K - EVPN-VXLAN - EVPN Anycast Gateway Verificaion – Dan Hearty
- Juniper Cloud Data Centre Architecture Guide PDF
- AT&T Plans 60,000 dNOS-Powered White Boxes to Support 5G
- Cumulus - Not Your Average Networking - EverythingShouldBeVirtual
- Understanding VLAN-Aware Bundle and VLAN-Based Service for EVPN
- Designing for Data Center Migration and Application Mobility with Malcolm Booden - Part 1 - zigbits podcast - 1 hr 23 mins
- Watch “Modern Data Center Design Roundtable” on YouTube - 1 hr 35 mins
- TinkerTry IT @Home - virtualization at home
WiFi
- WiFi Explorer Pro, Troubleshooting, and You
- The need for WPA3 & OWE - The it Rebel
- A New Tool: The WLAN Pi - Airheads Community
Failure
- Level 3 technician’s misstep causes largest outage ever reported - FierceTelecom
Cloud
- Aws v Azure Comic Book
And Finally
- BT - Scaling for Ultrafast, G.FAST, FTTP, 5G and the Cloud - slidedeck from UKNOF40 in Manchester
- Most Important Skills in Networking - Daniels Networking Blog
- Go Ahead, Tell Your Boss You Are Working From Home - Nicholas Bloom - Etherealmind