Book excerpt: Left hand column Explore modern use cases for network automation, and compare today's most widely used automation tools Capture essential data for use in network automation, using standard formats such as JSON, XML, and YAML Get more value from the data your network can capture Install Ansible and master its building blocks, including plays, tasks, modules, variables, conditionals, loops, and roles Perform common networking tasks with Ansible playbooks: manage files, devices, VMs, cloud constructs, APIs, and more See how Ansible can be used to automate even the largest global network architectures Discover how NetDevOps can transform your approach to automation-and create a new NetDevOps pipeline, step by step Build a network automation strategy from the ground up, reflecting lessons from the world's largest enterprises This book is part of the Networking Technology Series from Cisco Press®, which offers networking professionals valuable information for constructing efficient networks, understanding new technologies, and building successful careers. Right hand column Practical strategies and techniques for automating network infrastructure As networks grow ever more complex, network professionals are seeking to automate processes for configuration, management, testing, deployment, and operation. Using automation, they aim to lower expenses, improve productivity, reduce human error, shorten time to market, and improve agility. In this guide, expert practitioner Ivo Pinto presents all the concepts and techniques you'll need to move your entire physical and virtual infrastructure towards greater automation, and maximize the value it delivers. Writing for experienced professionals, Ivo Pinto reviews today's leading use cases for automation, compares leading tools, and presents a deep dive into using the open source Ansible engine to automate common tasks. You'll find everything you need: from practical code snippets to real-world case studies to a complete methodology for planning strategy. This guide is for everyone seeking to improve network operations and productivity, including system, network, storage, and virtualization administrators, network and security engineers, and many other technical professionals and managers. You can apply its vendor-neutral concepts throughout your entire environment-from servers to the cloud, switches to security.