One of the coolest things I have learned is network automation. That is creating scripts that can push out configurations to more that one device. I learned how to use Netmiko and Nornir. I know that there are others like Ansible than can do that as well. (See top picture)
Configuring Cisco routers and switches is not that hard, well at least the most basic configuration. I mostly use GNS3 to create a topology and power on the routers and switches. Then I get to work configuring. It could be applying IP addresses to interfaces on routers, configuring a dynamic routing protocol like OSPF/EIGRP on the routers, creating VLANs or configuring STP on switches.
Another little lab I created was a Windows Server hosted on ESXI (a type 1 hypervisor) which was hosted on VMWare Workstation (a type 2 hypervisor). Typically, type 1 hypervisors are installed directly on the hardware of a server. But since I didn't have a server to install it on, I just created a virtual machine of it.
I created a VMWare ESXI virtual machine on VMWare Workstation. I did not know that was even possible until I saw it one day online. On the is ESXI VM, I decided to try out Windows Server to learn about Active Directory and maybe other features. I created the Server VM and also a client VM. Both were on the same network so they could communicate with each other. I was able to create some made-up users and log into the client VM using those credentials afterward.
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Using PyCharm as a Python IDE, I created a script with the help of the internet to send configuration the routers and switches in the topology in EVE-NG. Once the script is ran, it will prompt for the SSH password and then push the configurations to all of the networking devices. This tool in Python is called Netmiko. There is also another called Nornir that is very interesting.
Learning a programming language can be a bit intimidating but once you see how things work, it can be fun. The first time I was exposed to a programming language was in high school. It was an intro to Java class. I don't remember much how it went but I felt like I was learning at a slower pace than other students in that class. That made me feel like maybe it was not for me. Fast forward about ten years later I take a course at HCC, and I am loving it. This time it was Python, the easiest of the programming languages in regards to syntax. I was exposed to a bit of programming with MATLAB while I was in engineering school as well. Coding can help create scripts when it comes to network automation.
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