Network pros need Ansible network automation skills

Reasons to learn Ansible

Ansible is best suited for static network infrastructures that don't change much over time. In dynamic environments, Ansible with NAPALM, or Network Automation and Programmability Abstraction Layer with Multivendor support, can automate customized or enterprise-specific network operations to promote zero-touch deployment and management. Reasons why network pros should consider learning Ansible include the following:

• Decentralized network automation.
• Enhanced configuration speed.
• Improved consistency.
• Inventory control.
• Idempotency.
• Scalability.
• Multivendor integration.
• Community support.
• Job role options.

Decentralized network automation

Ansible is a decentralized agentless tool that simplifies network management with low maintenance overhead. Network management and automation tools use an intermediary software agent installed on target machines for control, known as control mode.

Networking devices don't directly support agent installation. However, Ansible enables automation on these devices by using existing protocols, such as Secure Shell for macOS and Linux- or Unix-based systems, and Windows Remote Management for Windows OS.

Enhanced configuration speed

Manual configuration is often slow and susceptible to errors. Ansible can help networking pros increase speed and efficiency. With network automation, administrators can deploy new network services, network changes and updates in seconds. Ansible can also automate time-consuming tasks, such as configuration management, virtual LAN creation, compliance checking and access control list updates, so network pros can focus on critical strategic tasks.

Improved consistency

Manual configurations can be inconsistent unless networking pros are careful. Ansible delivers consistent results and improves overall network reliability by reducing downtime, configuration errors and misaligned settings. This provides a better experience for network pros and users.

Inventory control

Ansible creates an inventory file containing a list of all managed nodes, along with their IP addresses. Network pros can group devices based on type, role, operation and region to target them.

Idempotency

Ansible offers idempotency, which means it doesn't change anything in the network even after running multiple times. The initial state remains the same after many playbook executions, eliminating the need for manual checking and avoiding accidental reconfiguration.

Scalability

Ansible makes network infrastructure scalable by enabling it to manage a greater number of OSes, cloud platforms and remote systems. Automation mesh offers a powerful environment to safeguard and scale network automation across distributed networks and run vendor-specific playbooks.

Multivendor integration

Ansible is open source, which means it supports many vendors. Network automation engineers can navigate through modules and content collections in a multivendor network infrastructure. Ansible automatically reroutes in case of failure.

Community support

As an open source tool, Ansible is driven by a strong community of engineers. Network pros can interact and learn from its thriving community and receive active support from Red Hat. The official Ansible website contains a variety of playbooks, modules and collection data to help beginners work on network automation. Usually, a distribution server enables access to Ansible content files.

Job role options

Hybrid environments and new technologies require enterprises to announce new job roles that require enhanced skill sets. Job roles that might require Ansible skills include network automation engineer, network orchestration specialist and network operations engineer.

Basic network automation skills to learn in Ansible

Network pros tend to focus on Python programming for manual workflows. However, they should learn Ansible when moving from manual workflows to network automation. Ansible automates network tasks that are difficult to execute with Python and other programming languages. Necessary Ansible skills network pros should learn include the following:

• Running playbooks.
• Understanding scripting.
• Creating configurations.
• Using modules.
• Building automation frameworks.

Running playbooks

Network pros must be able to read and write playbooks to install, configure, deploy, retrieve, and manage devices and applications. An Ansible playbook is a file defining a series of tasks that network devices must perform to achieve their desired state.

Ansible runs playbooks from top to bottom, which means it automates each task one by one. When a particular task executes on all target machines, it moves on to another task. Playbooks -- along with other Ansible content -- are structured in Ansible roles to promote reuse and scalability.

Understanding scripting

Scripting works well in network automation and orchestration. Ansible playbooks and modules consist of instruction files that beginner network professionals can understand. Playbooks are written in YAML format, which mimics natural language to ensure that playbooks are readable and understood by humans. It's compatible with almost every programming language. Multiple libraries are available on the internet. Each YAML file starts with #, followed by a list and key-value format. It can also start with - - - and end with … .

Below is an example of an Ansible playbook.

- - -
# An employee record
john:
 name: John Doe
 job: Network Engineer
 skills:
•	python
•	ansible
jane:
 name: Jane Smith
 job: Developer
 skills:
•	python
•	java
•	flutter
•	kotlin
•	pascal
…

Creating configurations

Ansible enables networking pros to generate and push device- and vendor-specific configurations using Jinja2 templates -- a powerful templating engine in Python. Configuration templates should be reusable, which is critical in automating network tasks. Networking pros can standardize, generate and automate configuration files through these templates in multivendor environments across multiple devices.

Ansible configuration files are easier to understand compared to other network automation tools. The main Ansible configuration file is in the ansible.cfg format, but configuration files aren't limited to Ansible configuration. Ansible contains playbooks and modules that contain configuration data for different vendors. For example, Ansible can use ios_config and junos_config, modules that configure Cisco Internetworking Operating System devices and Juniper Junos networks, respectively.

Using modules

Ansible modules are sets of reusable code in playbooks that simplify network automation and management. Modules can be written in any programming language, including YAML. Modules can perform a wide range of functions, including the following:

• Configuring.
• Enabling routing protocols.
• Managing nodes.
• Reviewing firmware policies.
• Setting up objects, such as network devices.
• Gathering device data.

Ansible also has many core vendor-specific modules that network pros can learn, compare and apply to their IT infrastructure.

Building automation frameworks

Ansible collections are a format to distribute content and data in the form of playbooks, modules, roles, inventories and plugins. Users can install and use collections through Ansible distribution servers, such as Ansible Galaxy. This structured and reusable data helps network pros automate complex operations within safety and compliance standards.

Building a network automation framework requires creating new playbooks, modules and Ansible files, along with preexisting data. These network automation frameworks are scalable in modern enterprise IT infrastructure.

Venus Kohli is an engineer turned technical content writer, having completed a degree in electronics and telecommunication at Mumbai University in 2019. Kohli writes for various tech and media companies on topics related to semiconductors, electronics, networking, programming, quantum physics and more.