https://github.com/twr14152/netwk-automation-using-c

Network automation scripts using C
https://github.com/twr14152/netwk-automation-using-c

arista automation c c-programming cisco network network-automation network-programming scripts

Last synced: 3 months ago
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Network automation scripts using C

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/twr14152/netwk-automation-using-c
• Owner: twr14152
• License: mit
• Created: 2025-07-11T12:40:03.000Z (3 months ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2025-07-14T22:25:57.000Z (3 months ago)
• Last Synced: 2025-07-14T23:58:51.499Z (3 months ago)
• Topics: arista, automation, c, c-programming, cisco, network, network-automation, network-programming, scripts
• Language: C
• Homepage:
• Size: 172 KB
• Stars: 0
• Watchers: 0
• Forks: 0
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • License: LICENSE

Awesome Lists containing this project

README

          
# Network Scripts written in C to configure and operate network devices

### 07/14/2025

- I ended up breaking up the config and exec commands functions into seperate scripts

- The logic seemed cleaner as interactive shell seem appropriate for config functions more than exec commands

  * cisco/example2/ssh_conf.c - configuration script

  * cisco/example2/ssh_exec_cmds.c - show commands script

- Next task is to try and come up with a way to configure multiple devices

- So example3 show's how you could deploy and validate changes to your network using this code.

- I didn't write additional c code to perform this I actually used a little bash to act as the orchestrator for this change.

- The README shows the examples and how they were rolled out and validated

  * arista/example3/pre_change_status.sh

  * arista/example3/push_conf_change.sh

  * arista/example3/post_change_status.sh

  * arista/example3/rem_conf_change.sh

### 07/13/2025

- Added option for configure file to the Cisco device we are testing

- ~cisco/example2/ssh_script.c~ 

- The cisco device did not honor end of line ";" that arista ceos did the result was anything beyond the interface description became part of the description.

- I had to use interactive shell to get it to properly take the commands.

- Techinically this the more appropriate way of dealing with multiple nested commands in configuration mode.

### 07/12/2025

- In example2 I added the option to have a seperate file which can hold your device configuration or show commands. Its just a text file. Call it what ever you want. Then call it when your run your script. Its based off of a positional argument. So the name of the file could be anything.

- arista/example2/ssh_script.c

- I've include a readme file in that directory to help explain

- I have not started on the Cisco example2 yet.

### 07/11/2025

- I really enjoy working with C. My background is in networking so why not try and see if I can make some use of it? I know screen scraping is not real sexy in the automation community but like it or not,  it's useful...

- This repository will hold scripts that I write for the purposes of knowledge building, retention, and sharing.

- So far I've created two scripts using libssh library. I pieced them together from the tutorial (https://api.libssh.org/stable/libssh_tutorial.html)

- Not going to lie these first scripts were challenging and took sometime and effort to get working properly. Lots of debugging, especially the arista because of its authentication method.

- These two scripts represent two very different forms of authentication using SSH. The Cisco device was more straight forward. 

   * arista/example1/ssh_cli_script.c - This script that works by using keyboard_interactive authentication

   * cisco/example1/ssh_cli_script.c - This script works by using password authentication

- The test envionments will probably change over time but for now 

   * I will use Containerlab for arista ceos and potentially other devices

   * Devnet sandbox for cisco - This first example used always on nxos.

- Now I understand the the usefulness of using a script in this fashion is more for a lab environment without and need for safeguards. My goal is to create more production ready format for these scripts. But you need to start somewhere. I also hope to grow beyond screen scraping but for now, it is what it is.

- It would seem using the right tool for the right job may not have a place in this repo after all we are using c for network scripting. That said I may include some bash rather using c as an orchestrator to launch multiple instances of a script.

- I will try an improve the scripts as I gain more understanding

- This may not go very far, but wont know your limits until you try.

- Lastly why c? Why not? I like it...