The Lazy Networker

Device Programmability means the ability to configure, control, and manage network devices (like routers, switches, firewalls) using software or code, rather than logging in manually and typing CLI commands.

In short —
👉 It’s how network automation happens.

Instead of an engineer configuring 100 devices manually, scripts or automation tools push configurations automatically using APIs or programmable interfaces.

⚙️ Traditional Networking vs Programmable Networking

🧩 How Device Programmability Works

Modern network devices support APIs or data models that allow software (like SDN controllers or automation tools) to communicate directly with them.

Typical workflow:

1. Automation script/tool (e.g., Python, Ansible) sends configuration commands.
2. The device API/agent interprets and applies the change.
3. The device returns a response/status (success/failure, interface info, etc.).
4. Software can verify, rollback, or update further based on feedback.

🧱 Key Building Blocks of Device Programmability

1. APIs (Application Programming Interfaces)

• Enable communication between applications and devices.
• Most common: REST APIs, NETCONF, gRPC/gNMI, SNMP (legacy).

2. Data Models

• Define how device configuration/state is structured.
• Common models: YANG, JSON, XML.

3. Transport Protocols

• Define how data is exchanged between systems.
• Examples: HTTP/HTTPS, SSH, TLS, gRPC.

4. Automation Tools

• Tools/libraries to implement programmability:
  • Ansible (declarative, YAML-based)
  • Python scripts (with Paramiko, NAPALM, Netmiko)
  • Terraform (for infrastructure as code)
  • Cisco NSO / Juniper PyEZ / FortiManager APIs

🔌 Common Device Programmability Interfaces

🧰 Example: Using Python for Device Programmability

Here’s a simple Python example using Netmiko to configure a Cisco router:

from netmiko import ConnectHandler

device = {
    "device_type": "cisco_ios",
    "host": "192.168.1.1",
    "username": "admin",
    "password": "cisco123",
}

conn = ConnectHandler(**device)
config_commands = [
    "interface GigabitEthernet0/1",
    "description Connected_to_Firewall",
    "ip address 10.1.1.1 255.255.255.0",
    "no shutdown"
]
conn.send_config_set(config_commands)
conn.save_config()
conn.disconnect()

✅ This script logs into a router, configures an interface, and saves the configuration — automatically.

🌐 Benefits of Device Programmability

• Automation – Save time and reduce manual errors
• Scalability – Manage thousands of devices centrally
• Agility – Respond quickly to network changes or failures
• Consistency – Enforce uniform policies and configs
• Integration – Connect network with cloud, security, and monitoring systems

🧩 Real-World Use Cases

• Network configuration automation
• Zero-touch provisioning (ZTP)
• Telemetry and monitoring
• Policy-based routing and QoS
• Dynamic firewall or ACL updates
• SDN integration and orchestration

🏗️ Vendors Supporting Device Programmability

• Cisco – NX-OS, IOS-XE, IOS-XR (NETCONF/RESTCONF/gNMI APIs)
• Juniper – Junos with PyEZ, NETCONF, REST API
• Arista – eAPI (JSON-RPC), gNMI
• Fortinet – REST API, Ansible collections
• VMware NSX, Palo Alto, Huawei, and others – all provide API-based programmability.

🧭 Summary