Structure an Ansible inventory that groups network devices by role, site and vendor platform.
Information & Communications Technology
Network Configuration Automation Using Ansible and Version Control
Automate network device configuration with Ansible playbooks and Git-based version control, moving from manual, undocumented changes to peer-reviewed, tested and repeatable configuration deployments.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
Manual, device-by-device configuration is still how many network teams operate, even though a single mistyped access list or forgotten change on one device in a stack of hundreds is a common cause of outages. This course replaces that habit with Ansible playbooks stored and reviewed in Git, so every change to a switch, router or firewall is written down, tested before it runs and repeatable across an entire fleet. Participants build an inventory that groups devices by role and site, write idempotent tasks and Jinja2 templates that generate consistent configuration, and use check mode and diff output to preview a change before it touches production. The course covers branching and pull-request review for configuration changes, secrets handling with Ansible Vault, and validating post-change device state rather than assuming a playbook run succeeded. It closes with building a lightweight pipeline that lints, tests and deploys configuration on merge, and a golden-configuration approach to detecting and correcting drift between the intended and running state of the network.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Write idempotent playbooks and roles that produce the same result whether run once or repeatedly.
Generate vendor-specific configuration from Jinja2 templates driven by structured variable data.
Review network configuration changes through Git branches and pull requests before deployment.
Protect credentials and secrets in playbooks using Ansible Vault rather than plain text variables.
Validate post-change device state automatically instead of assuming a playbook run succeeded.
Detect and remediate configuration drift by comparing running state against a golden configuration.
Who Should Attend
Network engineers moving from manual, device-by-device configuration to automation.
Network operations teams responsible for consistent configuration across many sites.
Infrastructure automation engineers extending existing playbooks to network devices.
DevOps engineers building pipelines that include network as well as server configuration.
Network architects defining configuration standards for a multi-vendor estate.
IT teams needing an audit trail for every change made to network devices.
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01Foundations of Ansible for Network Devices
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Inventory Design and Connection Methods
- Structure a static and dynamic inventory that groups devices by role, site and platform.
- Configure connection plugins and credentials for network operating systems without an agent.
- Organise group_vars and host_vars so shared settings do not need repeating per device.
- Test inventory structure against a lab of multiple vendor platforms before wider rollout.
Session 2Playbooks, Modules and Idempotency
- Write a playbook using vendor and NAPALM modules to retrieve and change device state.
- Explain idempotency and design tasks that report no change when the device already matches intent.
- Use handlers and tags to control when configuration is applied and services are restarted.
- Run a playbook in check mode and read diff output before applying a change to a live device.
02Templating and Configuration Consistency
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Jinja2 Templates for Vendor Configuration
- Build Jinja2 templates that render consistent configuration across different vendor syntaxes.
- Separate variables from templates so a single template serves many sites and device roles.
- Use loops and conditionals in templates to handle interface ranges and optional features.
- Validate rendered configuration against a schema before it is pushed to any device.
Session 2Roles, Reuse and Secrets Management
- Package related tasks, templates and variables into reusable roles across playbooks.
- Encrypt credentials and shared secrets with Ansible Vault and control who can decrypt them.
- Version roles so a change to shared logic does not silently affect every dependent playbook.
- Document role inputs and outputs so other engineers can reuse them without reading the code.
03Version Control and Change Review
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Git Workflows for Network Configuration
- Branch, commit and tag configuration changes so history shows what changed and why.
- Open pull requests for configuration changes and require peer review before merge.
- Write commit messages and change descriptions that link a configuration change to its request.
- Resolve merge conflicts in templates and variable files without losing a colleague's change.
Session 2Linting, Testing and Pre-Change Validation
- Run linting tools against playbooks and templates to catch syntax and style errors early.
- Build a test lab or simulated environment that exercises a playbook before it reaches production.
- Define pre-change checks that confirm a device is healthy before automation touches it.
- Gate merges on passing lint and test results rather than manual approval alone.
04Pipelines, Validation and Drift Management
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Building a Configuration Deployment Pipeline
- Trigger a pipeline on merge that lints, tests and deploys configuration in defined stages.
- Sequence deployment by site or device role to limit the blast radius of a faulty change.
- Add automatic rollback when post-change validation fails against expected device state.
- Record pipeline run history as evidence for change management and audit requirements.
Session 2Golden Configuration and Drift Detection
- Define a golden configuration baseline that represents the intended state of each device role.
- Schedule drift detection jobs that compare running configuration against the golden baseline.
- Decide when drift should be auto-remediated and when it should raise an alert for review.
- Report drift trends over time to justify further investment in automation coverage.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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