Topology with NAPALM
| Level | beginner |
| Repo | https://github.com/NetAutLabs/topology_with_napalm |
| Discussion | Discussion GitHub Repo |
| Codespaces | GitHub Codespaces |
In this lab, you will collect network topology data from simulated network devices using NAPALM and visualize it. The lab is divided into three parts.
The network devices are simulated using NAPALM mock devices. The necessary files are located in the mocked_napalm_data directory. The network is inspired by the GÉANT Connectivity Map and contains simplified data for Europe. The node_infos.json file includes all network devices enriched with metadata.
Display Neighbors with a Rich Table
The goal of this section is to print a table of network neighbors received from a router. To achieve this, complete the TODOs in topology_visualizer/aa_neighbor_table.py. This file also includes an example of how to interact with the NAPALM mock driver.
Once the script is complete, it can be executed as follows to generate the neighbor table for the router che01:
Diagrams from Textual Descriptions
Various tools can convert textual descriptions into diagrams. Kroki provides a unified API to access multiple diagramming tools without needing to install them. In this section, you'll generate network diagrams using GraphViz and D2. Complete the TODOs in topology_visualizer/bb_kroki.py. You may use Nornir to collect all the topology data.
Once the script is complete, it can be executed as follows to generate an SVG using GraphViz:
Considerations:
- Experiment with different approaches, such as grouping routers by country or adding color, to improve the appearance.
- Do other tools or languages produce better results?
- Can you enrich the diagrams with additional information?
Warning
If you're working with sensitive data, avoid sending it to a public server. Instead, consider self-hosting Kroki or installing the necessary tools locally.
Geographical Map
Since we have the coordinates of the routers in node_infos.json, it's logical to draw the network graph on a geographical map. Plotly offers a simple interface for generating interactive diagrams and exporting them as static images. Complete the TODOs in topology_visualizer/cc_plotly.py, then execute the script as shown below to generate a static image plotly.svg and an interactive map in plotly.html. You may use pandas for data manipulation.
The basic map should look similar to this example. However, you should try to improve the appearance.
