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Git for Network

This document provides an overview of Git and its importance for network engineers, highlighting its role in version control, collaboration, and configuration management. It outlines the Git workflow, basic terminology, installation, and integration with tools like Ansible and Netmiko. The guide emphasizes the benefits of using Git for tracking changes, automating backups, and enhancing team collaboration in network automation tasks.

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Ram Asrey Prajapati
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5 views14 pages

Git for Network

This document provides an overview of Git and its importance for network engineers, highlighting its role in version control, collaboration, and configuration management. It outlines the Git workflow, basic terminology, installation, and integration with tools like Ansible and Netmiko. The guide emphasizes the benefits of using Git for tracking changes, automating backups, and enhancing team collaboration in network automation tasks.

Uploaded by

Ram Asrey Prajapati
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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GIT FOR NETWORK

ENGINEER
GIT BASICS

STRUCTURE
GIT

1
INTRODUCTION - WHAT IS GIT?
In today’s networked world, version control isn’t just for developers. With infrastructure-as-code,
automation, and programmable networks, Git has become essential for network engineers. This
guide explores how Git can transform your workflow, prevent misconfigurations, and enhance
collaboration.

WHY NETWORK ENGINEERS NEED GIT


 Track configuration changes across devices.
 Collaborate on network automation scripts.
 Maintain history of infrastructure modifications.
 Use Git to roll back broken changes quickly.

GIT WORKFLOW FOR NETWORK ENGINEERS


1. Pull latest changes.
2. Make edits (script/config).
3. Test in lab.
4. Commit and push to central repo.
5. Create Pull Request for review (optional).
WHAT IS GIT?
Git is a distributed version control system that allows multiple users to manage code or text-based
files collaboratively. It tracks changes, supports branches, and stores full project history locally and
remotely.

GIT VS GITHUB VS GITLAB


 Git: Command-line tool for version control.
 GitHub/GitLab: Web-based platforms for hosting Git repositories, collaboration, and CI/CD
integration.
 Self-hosted options: GitLab CE or Gitea for enterprise privacy.

BASIC GIT TERMINOLOGY


Repository: Directory tracked by Git.

Commit: Snapshot of changes.

Branch: Parallel line of development.

Clone: Copy of a remote repository.

Merge: Combine branches.

Push/Pull: Upload/download changes.


INSTALLING GIT
Windows/macOS/Linux: Download:

https://git-scm.com/ Or install

via terminal:

sudo apt install git # Debian/Ubuntu

sudo yum install git # RedHat/CentOS

brew install git # macOS

INITIAL GIT CONFIGURATION


Set your identity:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"

git config --global user.email your@email.com

Check your config:

git config –list


CREATING YOUR FIRST REPO
mkdir net-automation

cd net-automation

git init

touch readme.md

git add readme.md

git commit -m "Initial commit"

CLONING AN EXISTING REPO


git clone https://github.com/your-org/network-scripts.git

cd network-scripts

Use this to collaborate or download shared configuration files.

TRACKING CONFIGURATION CHANGES


Use Git to track differences in router config templates:

git diff

This helps identify unintended changes quickly.


USING BRANCHES FOR LAB VS PRODUCTION
Keep lab testing isolated:

git checkout -b lab-testing

Once tested:

git checkout main

git merge lab-testing

MERGING AND RESOLVING CONFLICTS


When Git detects changes to the same lines, it prompts you to manually resolve:

git status

git diff

Edit files, then:

git add .

git commit

STASHING UNCOMMITTED WORK


Quickly switch tasks without losing changes:

git stash

# Later

git stash pop

Ideal for production outages or priority tasks.


TAGGING STABLE CONFIGURATIONS
git tag -a v1.0 -m \"First tested deployment\"

git push origin v1.0

Use tags to mark stable releases of automation scripts or config snapshots.

ROLLING BACK CHANGES


To revert to a specific state:

git log

git checkout <commit_hash>

Use with caution or on branches.

AUTOMATING BACKUPS WITH GIT


Automate daily config backups:

# Script:

netmiko_pull.py > backup.conf

git add backup.conf

git commit -m \"Daily backup\"

git push
INTEGRATING GIT WITH ANSIBLE & NETMIKO
 Store Ansible playbooks in Git.
 Store Netmiko Python scripts with version tracking.
 Share credentials and inventory templates securely.

GIT + CI/CD FOR NETWORK AUTOMATION


Trigger jobs on git push:

 Run tests (syntax, ping, path trace).


 Deploy config changes.
 Alert via Slack/Email.

Use tools: GitLab CI, Jenkins, CircleCI.

COLLABORATING AS A TEAM
 Use Pull Requests to review code/configs.
 Assign reviewers and approve changes.
 Track issues or feature requests using GitHub Issues.

SECURE YOUR REPOSITORIES


Use .gitignore to exclude secrets:

*.log

*.pem

passwords.yaml

Use GitHub Secrets for automation tokens.

BOOST EFFICIENCY WITH GIT ALIASES


git config --global alias.st status

git config --global alias.co checkout

git config --global alias.br branch


GIT WORKFLOW DIAGRAM
a. Daily GIT process for network config management
b. Disaster recovery with GIT
EXAMPLE: NETMIKO SCRIPT - VLAN_CONFIG_NETMIKO.PY
from netmiko import ConnectHandler

# Device details

device = {

"device_type": "cisco_ios",

"host": "192.168.1.10",

"username": "admin",

"password": "cisco123",

# VLAN configuration

vlan_id = "50"

vlan_name = "Mgmt_VLAN"

commands = [

f"vlan {vlan_id}",

f"name {vlan_name}",

"exit"

# Connect and send config

try:

net_connect = ConnectHandler(**device)

output = net_connect.send_config_set(commands)

print(output)

net_connect.disconnect()

except Exception as e:

print(f"Error: {e}")
GIT REPOSITORY STRUCTURE EXAMPLE
network-configs-git/

├── README.md

├── .gitignore

├── scripts/

│ └── vlan_config_netmiko.py

├── configs/

│ └── switch01_backup_2024-05-04.cfg

├── docs/

│ └── vlan_strategy.md

└── logs/

└── vlan_config_log.txt
GIT WORKFLOW EXAMPLE
1. Clone your repo (first time):

git clone https://github.com/yourname/network-configs-git.git

cd network-configs-git

2. Create a branch for the new VLAN config:

git checkout -b feature/add-vlan-50

3. Add your script:

cp ~/Downloads/vlan_config_netmiko.py scripts/

git add scripts/vlan_config_netmiko.py

4. Commit with a message:

git commit -m "Add Netmiko script for VLAN 50 creation"

5. Push to GitHub:

git push origin feature/add-vlan-50

6. Open a Pull Request for review.

REAL-WORLD USE CASE


A network team used Git to manage over 500+ device configs, implementing version tracking and
rollback. They reduced configuration errors by 70% and accelerated change audits during outages.
CONCLUSION: EMBRACING GIT FOR MODERN NETWORK
ENGINEERING
As networks become increasingly programmable and distributed, traditional ways of managing device
configurations no longer scale. Git provides network engineers with a powerful, structured, and
collaborative approach to manage configurations, scripts, and infrastructure-as-code. It eliminates
guesswork, enables rollback, and brings transparency to every change made across your
environment.

By incorporating Git into your daily workflow, you gain:

 Version Control: Track changes, revert to stable states, and audit history with precision.
 Collaboration: Work with your team on automation scripts, playbooks, and policies
seamlessly.
 Automation Integration: Combine Git with tools like Netmiko, Ansible, and CI/CD for
consistent deployments.
 Disaster Recovery: Swiftly recover from outages by restoring known-good configurations
from Git history.

No matter your current skill level, starting small—by versioning backup configs or storing Netmiko
scripts—is a meaningful first step. Over time, Git will become the backbone of your NetDevOps
journey.

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