Lesson 1SNMP deep dive: versions v1/v2c/v3, MIBs, OIDs, walk/get/bulk, traps and informsDive deep into SNMP for monitoring and basic control. Compare SNMP versions, grasp MIBs and OIDs, use walk, get, and bulk operations, and set up traps and informs securely for reliable network oversight.
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 patternsGet how infrastructure automation tools handle network devices. Use Ansible networking modules and connection plugins, apply idempotent patterns, and build playbooks for safe, scalable config changes in busy networks.
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 supportLearn to select management protocols in mixed-vendor networks like those in Kenyan telcos. Weigh read-only vs config workflows, security, performance, and vendor support to craft strong, easy-to-maintain automation plans.
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 settingsGo over SSH basics for network gear. Master key-based authentication, session handling, command running, terminal tweaks, and security hardening for automated access in practical setups.
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 payloadsSee how REST APIs work on network devices. Check common endpoints, auth methods like tokens, basic, OAuth, JSON/XML formats, versioning, and patterns for safe, repeatable config updates.
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 pollJump into gNMI and streaming telemetry for top-notch monitoring. Learn subscription setups, protobuf/JSON formats, push vs poll choices, and integrating streams into monitoring pipelines for live insights.
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, limitationsCheck out Python network automation libraries and their pros-cons. Compare Netmiko, Paramiko, Napalm, PyATS/Genie on features, drivers, abstractions, testing, and real-world limits.
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 practicesMaster practical ways to check and fix network connections. Design connectivity tests, adjust timeouts/retries, structure logs, and create repeatable tests for automated or manual work.
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 encodingsStudy NETCONF and YANG as key standards for network programmability. Learn RPC model, capability talks, YANG data modelling, and XML/JSON for config and state handling.
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 APIsLook at vendor-specific APIs beyond standards. Compare Cisco, Juniper, Arista, Fortinet, Check Point on auth, data models, rate limits, and integration for diverse Kenyan networks.
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
