Part 5. Network automation

In part 5, the final section of this book, our focus moves to the increasingly important topic of network automation. As networks grow in size and complexity, the ability to automate routine operations becomes crucial for efficiency, accuracy, and scalability. Chapter 22 begins with an overview of network automation and its benefits, with a focus on software-defined networking (SDN), an approach to network architecture that centralizes key network functions in an SDN controller, facilitating the programmatic control of the network.

Chapters 23 and 24 cover two key elements in enabling network automation. Chapter 23 focuses on representational state transfer (REST) application programming interfaces (APIs)—software interfaces that facilitate communication between applications. Then, chapter 24 introduces the data formats JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), XML (Extensible Markup Language), and YAML (YAML Ain’t Markup Language). Software applications can use these standardized data formats to exchange data in a way both parties understand—key for enabling communication between network devices, SDN controllers, and other applications.

Finally, chapter 25 covers the configuration management tools Ansible and Terraform, used to automate the processes involved in configuring devices and maintaining configuration consistency. Network automation is a paradigm shift from the CLI-focused approach of the rest of the CCNA. As time progresses, network automation is becoming increasingly prevalent in modern networks. While the CCNA exam doesn’t test you on the practical application of these network automation tools, it does expect you to have a foundational grasp of a variety of concepts related to network automation, and part 5 covers the key concepts you need to know for the exam.