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Thread: Network Automation using Python & Ansible

  1. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by Razo[R]apiD View Post
    On Linux you have Bash, but it's pain in the ass to write something more complicated...........
    Hey Razo, Welcome back

    Thank you for sharing your experience with Ansible. I knew that there must be a reason why network / system world is moving towards automation using Ansible, its just that I could not put my fingers on the pulse that exactly why Ansible and why not something else (like James said "powershell"). But after doing some reading and encountering different forums, it seems that Python and Ansible ease of use (kind of text language) make them popular for automation.

  2. #12
    Developer Todesengel's Avatar
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    I'll throw in my two millidollars worth on the topic....

    There seems to be a lot of discussion in this thread of why use language X when language Y is faster or more efficient. That is completely beside the point - not germane at all. The point is to use the tool that is appropriate for the task (as defined by you, team-members, and the local environment). When a system (or network) engineer needs to reach out and touch a lot of things in an automated way... generally an interpreted language will be better suited. Why burn up all the extra cycles to compile and optimize something that may well be run once only? System admins lives are full of 'one time one-off dittys'. Probably the best tool is what lets me communicate the problem to the computer quickest and easiest so that I have more time to consult the BOFH manual for best practices This is exactly why perl was written (not that it is or is not still the best tool). I'm always very skeptical when someone pushes a new paradigm as the 'one true way'... years ago it was 'everything should be php'. Then it was 'omg all must be ruby-on-rails'. And then whatever $flavor_of_the_month

    I very highly suggest reading this one-page newsgroup article. It's short, to the point, will make you laugh, and you will definitely nod your head and say 'yeah, that's so right'. https://www.tundraware.com/Technology/Bullet/

    I'm a C-zealot (not C# or C++, those are 'evil' lol). But even I would be very hard pressed to suggest writing some system automation/management in C. That's kind of like writing a device driver in Fortran.

    I'm not saying ansible is bad. Nor that powershell is bad. I just don't think 'moving towards automation using {a single tool}' is good. Pick the right bullet, each and every time.

    Best,

    T

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