From OpenFlow to Software Defined Networking (SDN), there has been a lot of hype, 100s of millions of dollars in venture funding, and billions in exits within the network industry over the past 5+ years. The one thing we know for certain about the industry in all of this is that change is here, and more is coming, which is exactly the reason for this post!
Ironically, I also started this blog 5+ years ago. In the beginning, this blog was a lot of speculation around OpenFlow and the future of Software Defined Networking (SDN). Nowadays, it’s rare to hear me mention SDN at all, and the focus is much more practical on tools and technology that can help solve real problems. For those that have been reading for a while, you probably saw this shift in addition to the career shift I made 18+ months ago. These shifts go hand in hand with a new project I’ve been working on.
It’s with great pleasure that I’m finally able to announce a project that started several months ago that falls in-line with exactly the same topics you read about frequently on this blog.
What is the Project?
It’s a book! Yep, that’s right. I’m honored to say I am a co-author of a book focused on Network Automation. The title is Network Programmability and Automation Skills for the Next-Generation Network Engineer and is being published by O’Reilly.
Who’s Involved?
I’m ecstatic to say the other authors are Matt Oswalt and Scott Lowe. Both are friends and industry leaders — they are each helping pave the way forward across the industry.
Check out their announcements here and here.
And all three of us use Jekyll and GitHub pages for our blogs, so you won’t find any pop-ups for ads. That’s just a bonus.
When is it Getting Released?
It’s already in the O’Reilly early release program, so you can literally start reading today!
You can also pre-order a copy from Amazon if you’d like.
Or navigate directly to Safari.
Because this is an early release, it’s not complete yet and may very well change before it is final. That said, we’re actively taking feedback and will be making updates over the coming months.
What Topics Does the Book Cover?
We cover topics such as Python for the Network Engineer, Linux, Network Configuration Templating, Device APIs, and how to use DevOps tools such as Puppet, Chef, and Ansible automating network devices! They are all important skills for the next-gen network engineer.
Summary
Please give us feedback. If you sign up for the early release program, you’ll see we have a dedicated email alias to send all comments/feedback too. If it’s easier, just email me, Scott, or Matt directly!
Happy Reading!
Thanks, Jason @jedelman8