Implementação de uma Ferramenta Web para a Automação de Redes IP Utilizando Python

Abstract

The growth of computer network infrastructure has been a phenomenon observed in recent years, and the large number of vendors and equipment makes network provisioning and maintenance increasingly complex and laborious. In this way, network automation offers significant benefits for companies, such as reducing costs with manual operations, minimizing downtime, and increasing productivity by allowing information technology (IT) teams to focus on strategic activities. Additionally, it facilitates continuous monitoring, quick fault detection, and the automatic execution of repetitive tasks in Network Operation Centers (NOCs), resulting in greater efficiency and accuracy in operations. The Python programming language stands out as one of the main tools for developing network automation scripts due to the various libraries built for integration with network equipment, such as Paramiko and Netmiko. This work uses the Django framework to develop a portal that utilizes these network equipment access tools integrated with Python libraries and modules, automating network processes and ensuring its monitoring via a Web interface. The application was provisioned using a Docker container virtualized on a network built using the GNS3 software. This emulation tool allowed the assembly of a topology with real Cisco IOS and Cisco IOU equipment images, as well as virtual machines, to verify the use of the developed code. This code allowed for topology discovery, configuration backup, availability verification, and continuous monitoring.