Automating Enterprise Network Operations with Cisco pyATS

As networks grow more complex, the demand for automating enterprise network operations and testing strategies increases. Organizations face heightened expectations for network availability and stability, necessitating innovative approaches to ensure successful network changes while minimizing disruptions. Disruptions, downtime, and degraded network performance are deemed unacceptable, potentially impacting an organization's functionality and financial standing. Hence, networking and infrastructure teams require a method to develop and execute consistent, iterative, and reusable tests to verify, validate, and evaluate network health and the repercussions of network alterations.

Cisco pyATS (Python Automated Test System), initially a testing framework developed by Cisco Systems for internal use, has evolved into an ecosystem of Python-based tools and libraries. The pyATS SDK, known as Genie, empowers users to utilize pyATS via a user-friendly command-line interface, eliminating the necessity for extensive Python expertise or programming experience. The pyATS library (Genie SDK) lowers the entry barrier for pyATS, enabling users with limited Python and programming backgrounds to swiftly explore and leverage its capabilities. Nevertheless, for proficient programmers, pyATS offers numerous APIs, libraries, and frameworks for sophisticated test cases and reporting. The gradual learning curve and high extensibility of pyATS make it an ideal platform for organizations and students delving into Network Automation and NetDevOps. Notably, pyATS is freely available under the Apache 2.0 License.