Introduction to Ansible Network Automation: A Practical Primer

This book provides a comprehensive learning journey aimed at helping you master Ansible and efficiently automate a range of enterprise network devices, such as routers, switches, firewalls, Wireless LAN Controller (WLC), and Linux servers. Introduction to Ansible Network Automation combines the fundamentals of three books into one, covering basics of Linux administration, Ansible concepts, and Ansible network automation. Authors Brendan Choi and Erwin Medina have created a structured learning path that starts with the fundamentals and allows you to progressively enhance your skill sets with each chapter. Part I serves as an Ansible primer, guiding you through Linux basics using WSL on Windows 11 and assisting in the setup of your learning environment. Part II covers essential Ansible concepts through practical lab activities involving four Linux servers. In Part III, you will learn how to apply your Linux skills from Part I and the concepts from Part II to real-world scenarios by creating Ansible automation YAML scripts. What sets this book apart is its unique focus on Ansible and Network Automation, combined with a strong emphasis on understanding Linux. It is specifically designed for novice network automation engineers and students, assuming no prior Linux expertise, and provides first-hand experience starting from scratch. It also offers practical insights by sharing real-life examples of Ansible playbooks derived from production enterprise infrastructure, allowing you to gain an understanding of how Ansible can be effectively applied in real-world enterprise network environments. Upon completion of this book, you will have developed foundational skills in Ansible network automation and general Linux administration, and will understand how to apply this newly acquired knowledge to real-life scenarios. What You Will Learn Develop a comprehensive understanding of Ansible and its essential concepts for automating enterprise network devices and applying them to real-world scenarios Master the basics of Ansible operations within Linux automation and progress to applying Ansible concepts specifically to network device automation Execute Ansible ad-hoc commands and playbooks for a range of network operational tasks, including configuration management, software and system updates, and upgrades Work with real-life examples of Ansible playbooks derived from actual enterprise infrastructure, gaining practical experience in writing Ansible YAML scripts Acquire the skills to automate network operations using Ansible, streamline network management processes, and replace manual-driven tasks with directives in Ansible playbooks Who is This Book For Network, security, UC and systems engineers, as well as technical leaders, IT managers and network students. Table of Contents About the Authors About the Technical Reviewer Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1: Is Ansible Good for Network Automation? 1.1 Laying the Foundation 1.2 What Is Ansible? 1.3 What Is Ansible Not? 1.4 Why Ansible? 1.4.1 1000-Foot View of How Ansible Works 1.5 Why Does Ansible Matter to You? 1.6 Starting on the Right Foot, Learning Ansible Effectively 1.6.1 Part 1: Ansible Primer 1.6.2 Part 2: Ansible Concepts 1.6.3 Part 3: Ansible Practical 1.7 Hardware Requirements 1.8 Software Requirements 1.9 Downloading Source Codes 1.10 Summary Chapter 2: Shall We Linux? (Part 1: The Linux Command Line) 2.1 A Good Reason to Learn Linux 2.2 Linux for Ansible and Network Automation 2.3 What Is Linux? 2.4 Install WSL on Windows 11 to Learn Linux 2.5 vi: The Default Text Editor 2.6 Practice Linux Commands 2.6.1 The Top Ten Essential Linux Commands 2.6.2 cat and tac 2.6.3 touch 2.6.4 mkdir and rmdir 2.6.5 cp and rm 2.6.6 rename and mv 2.6.7 head, tail, and shuf 2.6.8 less and more 2.6.9 ls and dir 2.6.10 sort 2.6.11 tee and nl 2.6.12 grep 2.7 Summary Chapter 3: Shall We Linux? (Part 2) 3.1 Linux Directory 3.2 Getting to Know Your Linux Better 3.3 Getting Familiar with Linux Processes 3.4 Getting to Know Disk Space in Linux 3.5 Getting Started with Linux User Management 3.6 Controlling Access to Files and Directories in Linux 3.7 Working with Zip Files in Linux 3.8 Downloading Files from the Internet in Linux 3.9 Linux Network Utilities for Troubleshooting 3.10 Keeping Your Linux System Up to Date 3.11 Jack, the Jack Russell: A Regular Expression Quiz 3.12 Summary Chapter 4: Setting Up an Ansible Learning Environment 4.1 Planning the Ansible Lab Topology 4.2 Installing VMware Workstation on Your PC 4.3 Creating Fedora Virtual Machines 4.4 Creating Ubuntu Virtual Machines 4.5 Customizing and Updating Virtual Machines 4.6 Changing Hostname on Fedora VMs 4.7 Assigning Static IP on Fedora VMs 4.8 Updating Fedora Virtual Machines 4.9 Assigning Static IP on the First Ubuntu VM 4.10 Changing Hostname and Static IP on the Second Ubuntu VM 4.11 Updating Ubuntu Virtual Machines 4.12 Installing Ansible on Control Node 4.12.1 Option 1: Installing Ansible Directly on the Host OS 4.12.2 Option 2: Installing Ansible on Python virtualenv 4.13 Setting Up a New Ansible Testing Account with Sudo Access 4.13.1 Creating a Sudo Test Account on Fedora VMs 4.13.2 Creating a Sudo Test Account on Ubuntu VMs 4.14 Summary Part II: The Concepts Chapter 5: Understanding Data Types and File Formats for Ansible 5.1 What Are Data and Data Types? 5.2 Ansible Dependency on Python Data Types 5.2.1 Integer and Float 5.2.2 Strings 5.2.3 Booleans 5.2.4 Lists 5.2.5 Tuples 5.2.6 Dictionaries 5.2.7 set 5.2.8 None 5.3 Ansible Configuration Files 5.3.1 INI Format 5.3.2 Ansible Inventory in INI, JSON, and YAML Formats 5.3.3 Ansible Inventory Priority 5.3.4 ansible.cfg File 5.3.5 YAML 5.4 Ansible Data Interchange 5.4.1 JSON (Why Not YANG?) 5.4.2 Jinja2 5.4.2.1 Rendering JSON File Using Jinja2 5.4.2.2 Rendering YAML File Using Jinja2 5.5 Summary Chapter 6: Learning Ansible Basic Concepts I: SSH and Ad Hoc Commands 6.1 SSH Overview and Setup in Ansible 6.1.1 Configuring SSH for Ansible: General Steps 6.1.2 Understanding the Ansible SSH Concept 6.1.3 Practical Usage of SSH in Ansible 6.2 Running Ad Hoc Commands on Linux Devices with Ansible 6.3 Running Ad Hoc Commands on Routers and Switches with Ansible 6.4 Running Elevated Ad Hoc Commands with Ansible 6.5 Summary Chapter 7: Learning Ansible Basic Concepts II: Ad Hoc Commands – A Beginner’s Guide 7.1 Summary Chapter 8: Learning Ansible Basic Concepts II: Using when, Improving Playbook, and Targeting Nodes 8.1 Considerations Before Writing Your Ansible Playbook 8.2 Creating and Running a New Playbook in Ansible 8.3 Idempotency Is a Key Feature of Ansible Tasks 8.4 Getting Familiar with Ansible Error Messages 8.5 Getting More Information About Ansible Operation Using the Verbose Mode 8.6 Disabling gather_facts to Speed Up the Playbook 8.7 Adding More Tasks to Your Existing Playbook 8.8 Keeping Packages Always Up to Date Using “state: latest” 8.9 Creating an Uninstall Playbook Using the Existing Playbook 8.10 Add Another OS Type and Use the “when” Conditional in Your Playbook 8.11 Targeting a Specific Host or Group of Hosts 8.12 Writing a Working Playbook for Both Ubuntu and Fedora 8.13 Refactoring a Playbook 8.14 Ansible, Targeting Specific Nodes 8.15 Check Services from the Control Node 8.16 Printing Output Using Ansible Debug Module 8.17 Using “ignore_errors: yes” to Allow Playbook Completion Despite Errors 8.18 Install Samba and Create a Samba User on the Fedora Client Using a Playbook 8.19 Summary Chapter 9: Learning Ansible Basic Concepts III: Git, Tags, Managing Files, and Services Getting Started with GitHub 9.1 Creating and Uploading Playbooks to GitHub, Featuring cowsay 9.2 Ansible Tags Explained 9.3 Managing Files 9.4 Managing Services 9.5 Copying and Updating Text Files with Ansible Playbook 9.6 Use GitHub to Back Up Your Files 9.7 Summary Chapter 10: Learning Ansible Basic Concepts IV: Users, Roles, Host Variables, Templates, and Password Vault 10.1 Users 10.2 Roles 10.3 Variable Options in Ansible 10.4 host_vars and handler 10.4.1 Concept of the Handler in Ansible 10.5 Templates 10.6 Managing Password on Ansible 10.6.1 Password Vault 10.6.1.1 Encrypting ansible_become_pass Only Using ansible-vault 10.6.1.2 Encrypting vars.yml with Ansible Vault 10.7 Summary Chapter 11: Building an Ansible Learning Environment for Network Automation 11.1 Cisco CML (Cisco Modeling Labs) Router and Switch Installation on GNS3 11.2 Palo Alto and Fortinet Firewall Installation on GNS3 11.2.1 Palo Alto PA-VM Initial Configuration and Connection Test 11.2.2 Fortinet FortiGate Initial Configuration and Connection Test 11.3 Cisco c8000v Edge Router VM Creation on VMware Workstation 11.4 Cisco Wireless LAN Controller (WLC) VM Creation on VMware ESXi 7 11.5 Summary Part III: The Practical Chapter 12: Cisco Router and Switch Configuration with Ansible 12.1 Configuring EIGRP Using Ansible Lab 1: EIGRP Lab Topology Lab 1: GNS3 Device Connections 12.2 Configuring OSPF Using Ansible Lab 2: OSPF Lab Topology Lab 2: GNS3 Device Connections 12.3 Switch VLAN Configuration Lab Lab 3: VLAN Lab Topology Lab 3: GNS3 Device Connections 12.4 Lab 4 Challenge: Configure New Routers and Access Control List (ACL) Lab 4: ACL Network Topology Lab 4: GNS3 Device Connections 12.5 Summary Chapter 13: Network Device Backup Ansible Playbook 13.1 Setting Up Network Device Configuration Backup Lab 13.1.1 Network Device Configuration Backup Lab Topology and Connections 13.2 Cisco Router and Switch Configuration Backup to File Server (SCP) 13.3 Summary Chapter 14: Ansible Playbook Scheduling with Cron 14.1 Ansible Playbook Cron Lab Network Topology 14.2 Learning About Cron with a Simple Ansible Playbook 14.3 Ansible Playbook Scheduling Using Cron 14.4 Ansible Playbook Scheduling Using Cron with a Vaulted Password 14.4.1 Shell Script Method 14.4.2 Python Method 14.5 Summary Chapter 15: Cisco Router Upgrading Playbook 15.1 Router Upgrade Lab Network Topology 15.2 Cisco IOS-XE Router Upgrade Workflow in Bundle Mode 15.3 Cisco IOS-XE Router Upgrade Lab 15.3.1 Lab Setup 15.3.2 Writing the Main Playbook for Router Upgrade 15.4 Summary Chapter 16: Cisco Wireless LAN Controller Upgrading Playbook 16.1 WLC Lab Network Topology 16.2 Preparing the Lab by Creating ansible.cfg and Inventory Files 16.3 Writing an Ansible Playbook for Cisco WLC Upgrading Ansible Playbook 16.4 Ansible Inventory Configuration for Cisco WLC Enterprise Network 16.5 Summary Chapter 17: Creating User Accounts on Palo Alto and Fortinet Firewalls 17.1 Use Ansible Vault to Encrypt Sensitive Information 17.2 Administrator Account Creation on Palo Alto Firewalls: From Manual to Automation 17.3 Writing a YAML Playbook to Create an Administrator Account on a Palo Alto Firewall 17.4 Running the YAML Playbook to Create an Administrator Account on a Palo Alto Network Firewall 17.5 Administrator Account Creation on Fortinet Firewalls: From Manual to Automation 17.6 Writing a YAML Playbook to Create an Administrator Account on a Fortinet Firewall 17.7 Running the YAML Playbook to Create an Administrator Account on a Fortinet Firewall 17.8 Summary Chapter 18: Creating Security Policy Rules on Palo Alto and Fortinet Firewalls 18.1 Protecting the Network with Security Policies 18.2 Security Policy Rule Creation on Palo Alto Network Firewalls: From Manual to Automation 18.3 Writing a YAML Application to Create a Security Policy Rule on a Palo Alto Network Firewall 18.4 Running the YAML Playbook to Create Security Policy Rules on a Palo Alto Network Firewall 18.5 Firewall Policy Rule Creation on Fortinet Firewalls: From Manual to Automation 18.6 Writing a YAML Application to Create a Firewall Policy Rule on a Fortinet Firewall 18.7 Running the YAML Application to Create a Firewall Policy Rule on a Fortinet Firewall 18.8 Summary Chapter 19: Creating IPSec Tunnels on Palo Alto Firewalls 19.1 Enhancing Network Security with IPSec Tunnels 19.2 IPSec Tunnel Configuration on Palo Alto Firewalls 19.3 Palo Alto IPSec Tunnel Creation Lab Topology 19.4 Writing Palo Alto IPSec Tunnel Creation Playbook 19.5 Running IPSec Tunnel Creation Playbook 19.6 Summary Chapter 20: Object Addresses and Object Address Groups Creation Playbook for Palo Alto Firewall 20.1 Enhancing Firewall Policies with the Use of Object Addresses and Object Address Groups 20.2 Object Addresses and Object Address Groups Creation on a Palo Alto Firewall 20.3 Writing a Playbook to Create Object Addresses on a Palo Alto Firewall 20.4 Running the Playbook to Create Object Addresses on a Palo Alto Firewall 20.5 Writing a Playbook to Create Object Address Groups on a Palo Alto Firewall 20.6 Running the Playbook to Create Object Address Groups on a Palo Alto Firewall 20.7 Summary Chapter 21: Upgrading Palo Alto Firewalls 21.1 Maintaining Palo Alto Network Firewall PAN-OS to the Latest Preferred Version 21.2 Palo Alto Firewall PAN-OS Upgrade to Major Version: Manual Method 21.3 Writing a Palo Alto Firewall Upgrade Playbook: Automated Method 21.4 Writing a Playbook to Back Up the Running Configuration of a Palo Alto Firewall 21.5 Writing a Playbook Task to Update the Content (Applications and Threats) of a Palo Alto Firewall 21.6 Writing a Playbook Task to Upgrade the PAN-OS of a Palo Alto Firewall 21.7 Running the Playbook to Back Up the Running Configuration on a Palo Alto Firewall 21.8 Running the Playbook to Update the Application and Threats Content of a Palo Alto Firewall 21.9 Running the Playbook to Update the PAN-OS Version of a Palo Alto Firewall 21.10 Summary Index df-Capture.PNG