Chapter 15
Infrastructure Automation
This chapter covers the following topics:
Controller Versus Device-Level Management: This section
compares and contrasts the two network device management options
currently available: controller-based and device-level management.
Infrastructure as Code: This section introduces the concepts of
infrastructure as code.
Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery Pipelines: This
section examines CI/CD pipelines, why they are used, the problems
they address, and how they can be applied to infrastructure
automation.
Automation Tools: This section covers popular automation tools that
are used for configuration management and network automation.
Cisco Network Services Orchestrator (NSO): This section
provides an introduction to Cisco NSO.
Cisco Modeling Labs/Cisco Virtual Internet Routing
Laboratory (CML/VIRL): Cisco Modeling Labs (CML) is the new
name for VIRL and we will use it interchangeably (CML/VIRL). This
section explains what Cisco CML/VIRL is and how it can be used to
build network simulations.
Python Automated Test System (pyATS): This section examines
pyATS, including the components that make up the testing solution and
how it can be used to automate network testing.
This chapter covers infrastructure automation
concepts. It starts with a comparison of management
of infrastructure on a device-by-device basis or using a
central controller. Thanks to virtual devices and public
cloud technologies, infrastructure can be created,
modified, and decommissioned dynamically by using
the concept of infrastructure as code. This chapter
introduces infrastructure as code and the problems it
solves. This chapter also covers continuous
integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines and
their importance in the software development lifecycle.