Heavy Networking Heavy Networking 563: Automating Documentation With Ansible, Genie, And Jinja2
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Feb 19, 2021 John Capobianco, an automation expert and Sr. IT Planner for the House of Commons, shares his insights on using Ansible, Genie, and Jinja2 for effective network documentation. He discusses how to transform complex JSON data into accessible CSV formats, streamlining data management for network professionals. The conversation emphasizes the legitimacy of automation in documentation, the benefits of collaboration, and the versatility of Jinja2 for various output formats. Capobianco also highlights community resources for network engineers to enhance their skills.
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Simplify with Ansible
- Leverage existing Ansible fact modules and plugins to automate network documentation.
- Simplify automation tasks with Ansible's structured approach and readily available resources.
Eureka Moment
- John Capobianco had a realization about Genie parsers during a "faux commute".
- He discovered he could get JSON from Ansible facts modules and use it with Jinja2 templates.
JSON as a Database
- Treat JSON data like a database, querying and transforming it for various uses.
- This allows for flexible reporting in CSV, Markdown, HTML, or other formats.