Mastering Python Networking

Get to grips with the latest container examples, Python 3 features, GitLab DevOps, network data analysis, and cloud networking to get the most out of Python for network engineering with the latest edition of this bestselling guide

Key Features

• Explore the power of the latest Python libraries and frameworks to tackle common and complex network problems efficiently and effectively
• Use Python and other open source tools for Network DevOps, automation, management, and monitoring
• Use Python 3 to implement advanced network-related features

Book Description

Networks in your infrastructure set the foundation for how your application can be deployed, maintained, and serviced. Python is the ideal language for network engineers to explore tools that were previously available to systems engineers and application developers. In Mastering Python Networking, Fourth edition, you’ll embark on a Python-based journey to transition from a traditional network engineer to a network developer ready for the next generation of networks.

This new edition is completely revised and updated to work with the latest Python features and DevOps frameworks. In addition to new chapters on introducing Docker containers and Python 3 Async IO for network engineers, each chapter is updated with the latest libraries with working examples to ensure compatibility and understanding of the concepts.

Starting with a basic overview of Python, the book teaches you how it can interact with both legacy and API-enabled network devices. You will learn to leverage high-level Python packages and frameworks to perform network automation tasks, monitoring, management, and enhanced network security, followed by AWS and Azure cloud networking. You will use Git for code management, GitLab for continuous integration, and Python-based testing tools to verify your network.

What you will learn

• Use Python to interact with network devices
• Understand Docker as a tool that you can use for the development and deployment
• Use Python and various other tools to obtain information from the network
• Learn how to use ELK for network data analysis
• Utilize Flask and construct high-level API to interact with in-house applications
• Discover the new AsyncIO feature and its concepts in Python 3
• Explore test-driven development concepts and use PyTest to drive code test coverage
• Understand how GitLab can be used with DevOps practices in networking

Who this book is for

Mastering Python Networking, Fourth edition is for network engineers, developers, and SREs who want to learn Python for network automation, programmability, monitoring, cloud, and data analysis. Network engineers who want to transition from manual to automation-based networks using the latest DevOps tools will also get a lot of useful information from this book.

Basic familiarity with Python programming and networking-related concepts such as Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) will be helpful in getting the most out of this book.

Table of Contents

1. Review of TCP/IP Protocol Suite and Python
2. Low-Level Network Device Interactions
3. APIs and Intent-Driven Networking
4. The Python Automation Framework – Ansible
5. Docker Containers for Network Engineers
6. Network Security with Python
7. Network Monitoring with Python – Part 1
8. Network Monitoring with Python – Part 2
9. Building Network Web Services with Python
10. Introduction to AsyncIO
11. AWS Cloud Networking
12. Azure Cloud Networking

(N.B. Please use the Look Inside option to see further chapters)

What’s new in the fourth edition?

This new edition is completely revised and updated to work with the latest Python features and DevOps frameworks. Besides updating the software and examples to the latest release, this edition is improved with readers’ feedback and observations on the last publication. In addition to new chapters introducing Docker containers and Python 3 AsyncIO for network engineers, each chapter is updated with the latest libraries with working examples to ensure compatibility and a solid understanding of networking concepts.

The fourth edition of Mastering Python Networking will take you on a Python-based journey to help you transition from a traditional network engineer to become a developer ready for the next generation of networks.

I hope that this book becomes a good resource to help you overcome new and existing network challenges.

What are the key takeaways of this book?

As software development becomes more integrated into all technical operations, traditional command-line interfaces and vertically integrated network stack tools are no longer the optimal ways to manage today’s networks.

The main takeaway I hope you get from the book is a change of mindset when approaching network challenges. We no longer need to think of networks as isolated, domain-specific fields in technology. Instead, we can approach any network challenge in a pragmatic and programmatic way. It is an integrated part of modern infrastructure that can offer a real competitive advantage to any business or organization.

I sincerely hope the book has achieved its goal of helping readers solve their network-related challenges.

Review

“The name of the book is “Mastering Python Networking”, but the scope of coverage extends well beyond Python scripting. I am using this alone to bring my team of experienced CLI-fluent network security engineers up to speed on network automation and its related concepts. In short, a network engineer seeking to specialize in automation can get quite far using this text alone. Consider it an essential addition to your network engineering library.”

Daniel Luechtefeld- “Principal Consultant, Snowdog Technical and Cyber”

About the Author

Eric Chou is a seasoned technologist with over 20 years of experience. He has worked on some of the largest networks in the industry while working at Amazon, Azure, and other Fortune 500 companies. Eric is passionate about network automation, Python, DevOps, and helping companies build better security postures. In addition to being the author of Mastering Python Networking (Packt), he is the author or co-author of other top-selling books and highly-rated online classes. Eric is the primary inventor or co-inventor for three U.S. patents in IP telephony and networking. He shares his deep interest in technology through his books, classes, blog, and contributes to some of the popular Python open source projects.