Network Programming and Automation Essentials: Get started in the realm of network automation using Python and Go 1st Edition

The author begins the book by defining many networking terms and jargons, ranging from network designs to specific concepts, such as ACLs. This provides a good basis for the reader to understand what is being automated. The book then transitions to accessing the network. I found these topics to be important, as that is what is changing in the industry. Engineers now have a choice, other than the CLI, on how they want to interface with network devices. Topics like NETCONF, RESTCONF, gRPC and gNMI provide new interfaces to automate network configurations and stream telemetry data. I think having an entire section focus on device configuration management helps relate to the reader. Many network engineers begin looking at automation when they need to retrieve or push out configuration across many devices, so having an entire chapter focused on it helps a lot.Part 2 begins focusing on programming concepts. I personally enjoyed the section on versioning using git. Git takes practice, but is a system that every network engineer should learn. The last few chapters about Python, Go, scaling your code, and testing frameworks are all concepts the reader should get hands-on practice with in order to understand the differences between the languages, frameworks, etc. I highly recommend setting up a home lab environment and putting all the concepts learned throughout this book to practice!

"Network Programming and Automation Essentials:" is an invaluable resource for network engineers seeking to streamline their workflows and enhance efficiency through automation. Authored by industry experts, this comprehensive guide offers a wealth of knowledge, practical examples, and best practices to help professionals navigate the complex world of network automation.The book begins with a solid foundation, explaining the basics of network automation and its significance in today's rapidly evolving technological landscape. It gradually progresses to cover advanced topics, providing a holistic understanding of key automation concepts, methodologies, and tools.Overall, "Network Programming and Automation Essentials:" is a highly recommended resource for network engineers aiming to enhance their skill set and adapt to the demands of the modern networking landscape. It equips readers with the knowledge and tools needed to leverage automation effectively, ultimately leading to improved network efficiency, reduced manual errors, and increased scalability.

One of the best books that has a great overview for network programming and automation. You can start your learning journey with this book with its practical and simple examples and useful diagrams. Also, it covers the latest technologies and tools like ChatGPT and Copilot.Furthermore, if you want to want deep dive and learn more about a topic there are perfect references in the book that you can refer to.Finally, you can use this book to catch up fast with the different network programming topics as well.

Are you looking for information on automating software-defined networks (SDN)? Then I highly recommend you get a copy of Claus Töpke's Network Programming and Automation Essentials from Packt. This book provides you with all of the definitions, architecture guidance, and recommended tooling to begin programming and automating networking. This book is easy to follow and provides examples throughout to apply to real-world architecture.