Python Script Example For Network Engineers

Python has become a preferred choice among network engineers due to its substantial advantages. It is simple, versatile, and comes with numerous libraries and frameworks specifically made for networking tasks. Furthermore, the language is easily accessible.

Here’s an example of a Python script that demonstrates some common network engineering tasks:

import paramiko
import netmiko
import requests

# SSH into a network device using Paramiko library
def ssh_connect(ip, username, password):
    ssh_client = paramiko.SSHClient()
    ssh_client.set_missing_host_key_policy(paramiko.AutoAddPolicy())
    ssh_client.connect(ip, username=username, password=password)
    # Perform operations on the device
    # ...
    ssh_client.close()

# Connect to a network device using Netmiko library
def netmiko_connect(ip, username, password):
    device = {
        'device_type': 'cisco_ios',
        'ip': ip,
        'username': username,
        'password': password
    }
    ssh_session = netmiko.ConnectHandler(**device)
    # Perform operations on the device
    # ...
    ssh_session.disconnect()

# Send an HTTP request to a network device using Requests library
def http_request(ip, endpoint):
    url = f"http://{ip}/{endpoint}"
    response = requests.get(url)
    # Process the response
    # ...

# Example usage
ssh_connect("192.168.0.1", "admin", "password")
netmiko_connect("10.0.0.1", "admin", "password")
http_request("172.16.0.1", "status")
Code language: Python (python)

Is Python good for network engineers?

Yes, a network engineer can certainly learn Python. Python is relatively easy to learn, especially for individuals with a networking background. Many online resources, tutorials, and courses are available to help network engineers get started with Python.

It allows network engineers to automate tasks, interact with network devices via SSH or APIs, parse and analyze network data, and build network management and monitoring tools.

Python is considered excellent for network engineers because it provides several benefits:

• Readability: Python has a clean and intuitive syntax, making it easier to understand and maintain network automation scripts.
• Extensive libraries: Python offers numerous libraries and frameworks, such as Paramiko, Netmiko, and Requests, which simplify network-related tasks like SSH connections, device configurations, and REST API interactions.
• Rapid prototyping: Python’s simplicity and ease of use enable network engineers to quickly prototype and test network automation workflows.
• Cross-platform compatibility: Python runs on various operating systems, making it suitable for multi-vendor network environments.

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