Cisco pyATS—Network Test and Automation Solution - Data-driven and reusable testing for modern networks

Oct 29, 2026

Upload by Jiven

Cisco pyATS—Network Test and Automation Solution focuses on building data-driven, reusable testing and automation workflows for modern networks. It guides readers through NetDevOps fundamentals, including infrastructure as code, intent-based configuration, GitOps, and CI/CD concepts, then applies these ideas with pyATS. The content covers installing and upgrading pyATS, creating testbeds, using AEtest with testscript structure and result handling, applying data-driven testing, and generating automated network documentation with templating and reporting.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryTechnology

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Chapter 1 Foundations of NetDevOps Traditional Network Operations

Architecture

High-Level Design

Low-Level Design

Day1 / Day0 / DayN

Monitoring, Responding, Upgrading, Decommissioning

Chapter 2 Installing and Upgrading pyATS

Installing pyATS

Setting Up a Python Virtual Environment

Installing and Upgrading pyATS Packages

Troubleshooting pyATS

Chapter 3 Testbeds

What Is YAML?

What Is a Testbed?

Building a Simple Testbed

External Sources of Truth and Validation

Dynamic Testbeds / Extended Testbeds

Chapter 4 AEtest

Design Features and Core Concepts

Testscript Structure

Common Setup and Cleanup

Result Objects and Rollup Processors

Data-Driven Testing

Running Testscripts and Flow Control

Reporting

Chapter 5 pyATS Parsers Vendor-Agnostic Automation

pyATS Parsers

Parsing at the CLI and with Python

Dictionary Query and Differentials

Chapter 6 Test-Driven Development

Introduction to TDD

Applying TDD to Network Automation

The pyATS Framework: AEtest, Easypy

Testbed and Device Cleaning, Parallel Call, Logging

Utilities and Robot Framework Support

Chapter 7 Automated Network Documentation

Running pyATS Jobs from the CLI

Logs Viewer, Jinja2 Templating

Business-Ready Documents: JSON, YAML, Tables, Diagrams

HTML and Datatables

􀀞􀀝􀀜􀀛 􀀙􀀘􀀗􀀖􀀕􀀔􀀓􀀒􀀑􀀐􀀛􀀏􀀎􀀖􀀒􀀝􀀑 􀀍􀀌􀀋 􀀗􀀊􀀑􀀛􀀉􀀍􀀑􀀞􀀛􀀌􀀕􀀛􀀈􀀊􀀑􀀞􀀛􀀌 􀀇􀀍􀀑􀀍􀀆􀀋􀀏􀀞􀀅􀀒􀀌 􀀍􀀌􀀋 􀀏􀀒􀀊􀀝􀀍􀀄􀀈􀀒 􀀑􀀒􀀝􀀑􀀞􀀌􀀃 􀀂􀀛􀀏􀀉􀀛􀀋􀀒􀀏􀀌 􀀌􀀒􀀑􀀐􀀛􀀏􀀎􀀝 􀀞􀀝􀀜 􀀚􀀙􀀘􀀞􀀗􀀖􀀙􀀜􀀕􀀞􀀔􀀙􀀜 􀀓􀀙􀀒􀀑 􀀞􀀝􀀜􀀛 􀀁􀀏􀀒􀀝􀀝 􀀞 􀀜􀀛􀀚􀀙􀀘 􀀗􀀖􀀘􀀙􀀙􀀖􀀕􀀔􀀓􀀔􀀒􀀙􀀑􀀐 􀀏􀀎 􀀍􀀌􀀍􀀋􀀍 􀀊􀀗􀀉 Cisco pyATS—Network Test and Automation Solution: Data-driven and reusable testing for modern networks Table of Contents Cover Title Page Copyright Page Contents at a Glance Contents Introduction Chapter 1 Foundations of NetDevOps Traditional Network Operations Architecture High-Level Design Low-Level Design Day1 Offline Initial Configuration Software Images Day 0 Layer 1 Initial Configuration Initial Testing and Validation Day 1 Incremental Configuration Provisioning New Endpoints Table of Contents Provisioning New Services Day N Monitoring (and Now Testing) Responding to Events Upgrading Decommissioning Software Development Methodologies Waterfall Lean Agile DevOps Expanding into Networks Infrastructure as Code Test-Driven Development NetDevOps Plan Code Build Test Release Deploy Operate Monitor Additional Benefits of NetDevOps Single Source of Truth Intent-Based Configuration Version and Source Control GitOps Efficiency Table of Contents Speed Agility Quality Comparing Network Automation Tools The Modern Network Engineer Toolkit Integrated Development Environment Old School New School Git GitHub GitLab Structured Data JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) eXtensible Markup Language (XML) YAML Aint Markup Language (YAML) YANG Application Programing Interface (API) Representational State Transfer (REST) GraphQL cURL Postman Python pip Software Development Kits Virtual Environment Virtual Machines Containers Kubernetes CI/CD Table of Contents Jenkins GitLab CI/CD GitHub Actions Drone Summary References Chapter 2 Installing and Upgrading pyATS Installing pyATS Setting Up a Python Virtual Environment Installing pyATS Packages Upgrading pyATS Troubleshooting pyATS Summary Chapter 3 Testbeds What Is YAML? What Is a Testbed? Building a Simple Testbed Edge Cases External Sources of Truth Device Connection Abstractions Testbed Validation Dynamic Testbeds Intent-based Networking with Extended Testbeds Summary Chapter 4 AEtest Test Infrastructure Getting Started with AEtest Installation Table of Contents Design Features Core Concepts Testscript Structure Common Setup Subsection Testcases Setup Section Test Section Cleanup Section Common Cleanup Section Steps AEtest Object Model TestScript Class Container Classes Function Classes Runtime Behavior Self Parent Section Ordering Test Results Result Objects Result Behavior Interaction Results Result Rollup Processors Processor Types Processor Definition and Arguments Context Processors Global Processors Table of Contents Processor Results Data-Driven Testing Test Parameters Parameter Relationships Parameter Properties Parameter Types Parameter Parametrization Reserved Parameters Datafile Input Looping Sections Defining Loops Loop Parameters Dynamic Looping Running Testscripts Testing Arguments Standard Arguments Argument Propagation Execution Environments Standalone Execution Easypy Execution Testable Testscript Flow Control Skip Conditions Running Specific Testcases Testcase Grouping Must-Pass Testcases Testcase Randomization Maximum Failures Custom Testcase Discovery Table of Contents Reporting Standalone Reporter AEtest Reporter Debugging Summary Chapter 5 pyATS Parsers Vendor-Agnostic Automation pyATS learn pyATS Parsers Parsing at the CLI Parsing with Python Dictionary Query Differentials Summary Chapter 6 Test-Driven Development Introduction to Test-Driven Development Applying Test-Driven Development to Network Automation Introduction to pyATS The pyATS Framework AEtest Easypy Testbed and Topology Testbed and Device Cleaning with Kleenex As

FAQs

What does NetDevOps emphasize for network testing and automation?

NetDevOps emphasizes applying modern software delivery practices to networks, including infrastructure as code, version/source control, intent-based configuration, GitOps, and continuous processes that improve speed, agility, and quality.

How do you set up pyATS for network automation?

Set up involves installing pyATS, configuring a Python virtual environment, installing required pyATS packages, and upgrading when needed, with dedicated troubleshooting guidance for common issues.

How does AEtest support data-driven testing and reusable test logic?

AEtest provides a testscript structure with setup/cleanup sections, result objects and processors, and mechanisms for parameterization and datafile inputs so tests can iterate through parameter relationships and loop definitions.

Oct 29, 2026

Upload by Jiven