Introduction

This document is intended for use by attendees of the Cisco Live 2024 who are taking Automated Testing for Your Network Hands-on Lab (LTRATO-2001).

Prerequisites

  • Foundational Python Proficiency:

    • Essentials of Python programming is required to navigate pyATS scripts effectively.

  • Networking Knowledge:

    • Understanding core networking concepts and protocols that underpin network testing.

  • Cisco Systems Acquaintance:

    • Familiarity with Cisco NX-OS, ASA, and IOS-XE including configurations and essential troubleshooting commands.

  • Command-Line Interface (CLI) Competence:

    • Ability to inspect and modify basic Cisco device configurations using CLI tools.

Learning Objectives

During this lab, you will get hands-on experience with pyATS, a vendor-agnostic suite of libraries for Python. Then, you will learn how to build your automated tests using those frameworks. pyATS opens a wide variety of opportunities, and soon, you will see it is not hard to start using them. During this lab, we will show you real-world examples that you can use to start implementing the automation of tests in your network.

Upon completing this lab, you will be able to:

  • Comprehend pyATS Features:

    • Identify the primary capabilities and components of the pyATS suite.

  • Craft a Testbed File:

    • Construct a pyATS testbed file tailored for network testing scenarios.

  • Develop Automation Scripts:

    • Engineer scripts to automate testing across various network topologies.

  • Explore Tool Integrations:

    • Understand how to integrate pyATS with graphical interface tools like XPRESSO and CXTM for enhanced usability.

Throughout this lab, you will work with and learn the following features and concepts:

  1. pyATS testbed file

  2. pyATS shell

  3. Device.connect() and Device.execute() methods

  4. pyATS test script structure

  5. pyATS test cases

  6. Logging in to pyATS

  7. pyATS Parse

  8. pyATS Learn

  9. find_links method to find all the links between devices.

  10. pyATS Run

  11. pyATS job file

  12. pyATS Log Viewer

  13. XPRESSO (pyATS Web Dashboard)

  14. CX Test Automation Manager (CXTM)

Section author: Luis Rueda <lurueda@cisco.com>, Jairo Leon <jaileon@cisco.com>