Mastering Python Network Automation: Automating Container Orchestration, Configuration, and Networking with Terraform, Calico, HAProxy, and Istio

From the ground up, this guide walks readers through setting up a network automation lab using the NS3 network simulator and Python programming. This includes the installation of NS3, as well as python libraries like nornir, paramiko, netmiko, and PyEZ, as well as the configuration of ports, hosts, and servers. This book will teach you the skills to become a proficient automation developer who can test and fix any bugs in automation scripts. This book examines the emergence of the service mesh as a solution to the problems associated with service-to-service communication over time.

This book walks you through automating various container-related tasks in Python and its libraries, including container orchestration, service discovery, load balancing, container storage management, container performance monitoring, and rolling updates. Calico and Istio are two well-known service mesh tools, and you'll find out how to set them up and configure them to manage traffic routing, security, and monitoring. Additional topics covered in this book include the automation of network policies, the routing of workloads, and the collection and tracking of metrics, logs, and traces. You'll also pick up some tips and tricks for collecting and visualizing Istio metrics with the help of tools like Grafana.
Key Learnings

• Use of Istio for cluster traffic management, traffic routing, and service mesh
  implementation.
• Utilizing Cilium and Calico to solve pod networking and automate network policy
  and workload routing.
• Monitoring and managing Kubernetes clusters with etcd and HAProxy load
  balancers and container storage.
• Establishing network automation lab with tools like NS3 emulator, Python, Virtual
  Environment, and VS Code.
• Establishing connectivity between hosts, port connectivity, SSH connectivity,
  python libraries, NS3, and network encryption.

1. Python Essentials for Networks
2. File Handling and Modules in Python
3. Preparing Network Automation Lab
4. Configuring Libraries and Lab Components
5. Code, Test & Validate Network Automation
6. Automation of Configuration Management
7. Managing Docker and Container Networks
8. Orchestrating Container & Workloads
9. Pod Networking
10. Implementing Service Mesh

"Mastering Python Network Automation" is an essential guide for network engineers, DevOps professionals, and developers who want to streamline container orchestration and resilient networking with the help of Terraform, Calico, and Istio. Knowing Python and the basics of networking is sufficient to pursue this book.