Starting Network Automation: Data Gathering and Readiness Assessment

Successful network automation does not start with writing scripts to push changes; it begins with understanding exactly what is running on your network. Before you can automate safely, you must gather precise inventory, hardware, and software data. This text-based course guides you through the essential first phase of network automation: information gathering and readiness assessment. You will learn how to evaluate your existing infrastructure, handle variations across different vendors, and convert raw device outputs into structured, automation-ready data. What you'll learn: - Understand the core principles of network automation and why data collection is the critical first step. - Evaluate network readiness by assessing hardware, software, and configuration consistency across your devices. - Gather device inventory and state data systematically using modern protocols and CLI parsing techniques. - Translate raw CLI command outputs into structured data formats like JSON and YAML. - Identify and manage hardware and software variations that can cause automation scripts to fail. - Design a reliable data-gathering workflow that serves as the foundation for future configuration automation. The course begins with foundational concepts of network state and data modeling, then moves into practical methods for querying devices and parsing their responses. You will read through clear explanations, analyze real-world data examples, and complete written exercises to solidify your skills. Designed for network engineers and administrators who are new to automation and want to build a solid, risk-free foundation before writing configuration scripts. No programming background is required. Start reading today to build the essential data foundation needed for safe and effective network automation.