Lesson 1SNMP deep dive: versions v1/v2c/v3, MIBs, OIDs, walk/get/bulk, traps and informsExplore SNMP in depth for observing and basic controlling. Learners will contrast SNMP editions, grasp MIBs and OIDs, apply walk, get, and bulk actions, and set up traps and informs with strong security measures suitable for Eritrean network environments.
SNMP v1, v2c, and v3 security differencesMIB structure, OID naming, and browsingUsing get, get-next, walk, and bulkgetConfiguring traps and informs on devicesScaling SNMP polling and rate controlLesson 2Infrastructure automation tools: Ansible networking modules, module vs. connection plugins, idempotence and playbook patternsGrasp how infrastructure automation tools oversee network devices. Participants will employ Ansible networking modules and connection plugins, implement idempotent methods, and organize playbooks for secure, expandable configuration adjustments in practical settings.
Network inventory and host variable designNetwork-specific connection plugins overviewIdempotent configuration patterns in playbooksValidating changes with check and diff modesError handling and rollback strategiesLesson 3Choosing protocols for mixed-vendor environments: trade-offs (read-only vs config), security, performance, vendor supportAcquire skills in selecting management protocols for varied vendor networks. Compare read-only and setup processes, security frameworks, performance effects, and vendor assistance to create sturdy, sustainable automation plans for Eritrean infrastructures.
Read-only vs configuration change workflowsSecurity models and credential handlingLatency, throughput, and scaling considerationsVendor feature coverage and roadmap riskOperational standardization across vendorsLesson 4SSH fundamentals for network devices: key-based auth, session management, command execution, terminal settingsExamine SSH basics as applied to network devices. Understand key-based verification, session cycles, command running models, terminal configurations, and security strengthening for automated entry in local networks.
Key generation, storage, and rotationSSH ciphers, MACs, and protocol versionsInteractive shells vs exec channelsTerminal length, paging, and promptsJump hosts, bastions, and proxy commandsLesson 5REST APIs on network gear: common vendor endpoints, authentication (token, basic, OAuth), JSON/XML payloadsDiscover how REST APIs are presented on network devices. Examine typical endpoints, verification methods, JSON or XML data formats, versioning, and approaches for secure, idempotent setup changes in multi-vendor setups.
Resource modeling for interfaces and VLANsToken, basic, and OAuth authenticationJSON request and response payload designError handling and HTTP status mappingAPI versioning and backward compatibilityLesson 6gNMI and streaming telemetry: subscription models, protobuf/JSON encodings, push vs pollImmerse in gNMI and streaming telemetry for current observability. Learn subscription frameworks, protobuf and JSON codings, push against poll compromises, and integrating telemetry flows into monitoring systems for better visibility.
gNMI service model and RPC operationsOn-change, sample, and once subscriptionsProtobuf message schemas and toolingJSON encoding and translation to metricsScaling collectors and buffering strategiesLesson 7Network automation libraries: Netmiko, Paramiko, Napalm, PyATS/Genie — capabilities, drivers, limitationsInvestigate Python network automation libraries and their balances. Contrast Netmiko, Paramiko, Napalm, and PyATS or Genie regarding abilities, drivers, abstractions, testing aid, and working constraints in real applications.
Paramiko SSH primitives and channelsNetmiko device drivers and send_commandNapalm getters and configuration mergePyATS and Genie parsing and testingLibrary selection and interoperabilityLesson 8Debugging and testing connections: connectivity checks, timeouts, retries, logging best practicesInvestigate useful methods for confirming and fixing network links. Design connectivity verifications, adjust timeouts and retries, organize logs, and create repeatable test processes for automated and hands-on tasks.
Designing health and connectivity checksTimeout tuning and retry backoff strategiesStructured logging and correlation IDsCapturing and analyzing protocol tracesBuilding repeatable connection test playbooksLesson 9NETCONF and YANG: RPC model, capabilities, data modeling with YANG, XML/JSON encodingsAnalyze NETCONF and YANG as key standards for network programmability. Learn the RPC framework, capability talks, YANG data shaping, and XML or JSON codings for setup and state oversight in advanced networks.
NETCONF sessions, locks, and RPC workflowCapability discovery and server feature setsYANG modules, trees, and data typesXML and JSON encodings for YANG dataModel-driven configuration workflowsLesson 10Vendor-specific programmatic interfaces: Cisco IOS-XE/IOS-XR/JunOS RESTCONF, Arista eAPI, Fortinet/Checkpoint APIsReview vendor-unique APIs that broaden standard interfaces. Compare Cisco, Juniper, Arista, Fortinet, and Check Point products, emphasizing verification, data shapes, rate caps, and merging patterns for diverse environments.
Cisco IOS-XE and IOS-XR RESTCONF usageJunOS REST APIs and JSON data modelsArista eAPI transport and command formatsFortinet and Check Point firewall APIsHandling rate limits and vendor quirks
