Network Automation Using Python Programming to Interact with Multiple Third-Party Network Devices

Currently, 95% of network operations are completed manually, which costs a lot of money, effort, and time consuming. This paper presents a study that examines the efficiency of scripting in configuring network devices. It compares the time required for manual methods and automation techniques with the goal of identifying the most effective method for automating the configuration of network devices. The study used PNETLAB emulator installed on VMware to create a network topology with 30 multi-vendor devices, including Cisco, Juniper, and Huawei. The script verified 254 devices of each vendor and performs commands on the pingable devices in the network. The results showed that automation significantly improves the speed and accuracy of configuring network devices compared to manual methods. The automated method took only 97 seconds to configure all vendors in the network, in comparison to the manual technique’s 2735 seconds. Additionally, the study found that the manual technique resulted in three configuration mistakes, while the automated method had zero reported errors.