Overview
Learn how to use Ansible to automate everyday network operations, from building inventories and generating configurations to collecting device data and backing up configurations with Git.
Recorded as a live, hands-on workshop, this series combines practical demonstrations, explanations and audience Q&A. Using Cisco Nexus devices and NetBox, you’ll explore how Ansible playbooks, variables, modules and Jinja templates fit together to support real-world network automation workflows.
What you’ll learn
- Ansible fundamentals: Understand playbooks, tasks, static inventories, host and group variables, connection settings and safe execution options.
- Dynamic inventories with NetBox: Pull device information from NetBox, build inventory groups and configure connection parameters.
- Configuration generation: Render configurations with Jinja templates and explore on-box and off-box rendering approaches using NetBox.
- Data collection and APIs: Gather facts, make HTTP API requests, use resource modules and write collected data to CSV files.
- Configuration backups: Back up device configurations and track changes using a local Git repository.
Workshop structure
The recordings are organised into six videos: a Workshop Introduction followed by five topic-focused modules. Live discussions and Q&A are retained to provide additional context and troubleshooting insights.
Who this workshop is for
Network engineers and administrators who want to reduce repetitive manual work and build practical Ansible skills. Basic networking knowledge and familiarity with YAML and command-line tools will help you get the most from the examples.
