I have heard too many network engineers push back on learning how to automate things because they “don’t want to be a software developer.” There’s a slight problem with that argument, though. You don’t need to be a “software developer” to get into automation. Automation is surprisingly painless, and it can even be fun!
One recommendation I would give people looking for a fun and easy approach to learning automation would be to look at games like Autonauts (https://www.humblebundle.com/store/autonauts) or if you want to add in some combat Autonauts Vs. Piratebots (https://www.humblebundle.com/store/autonauts-vs-piratebots)
Both games are surprisingly fun to play. You start with some simple resources and need to craft and build your way to greatness. Luckily, you have bots at your disposal that you can train to do pretty much anything. Chop down trees. Collect materials. Craft tools. Build. Autonauts vs. Piratebots adds in attack and defense. The best thing that the bots can do… build more bots!
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| Bot script |
This is an example of a relatively simple script for a bot. It uses a drag-and-drop interface and can learn tasks by recording the player’s character’s actions.
As can be guessed by its name, this bot is a stone miner. To mine stone in both Autonauts games, you need a pick. During a game, hundreds, if not thousands, of units of stone are required. Why mine all of that manually when you can have a bot do it?
This script uses a repeat loop, with a condition of “forever!” meaning the bot will always be running this task.
Inside that first Repeat loop is another Repeat loop, and this one has an exit condition when the bot’s hands are full. When the bot isn’t holding anything, it will perform the action of moving to the Crude Pick Storage location and then the action of removing a pick from storage.
Now that the bot is holding a pick, it exits the repeat loop and moves on to the next step in the script. The next Repeat loop will run continuously until the tool breaks, and the bot’s hands are empty. During this loop, the bot will look for a stone deposit, move to it, and then use the pick to mine the stone.
The final script results in a bot that will mine until its pick breaks, and when that happens, it will get a replacement pick and return to mining. The bot will continue producing stone as long as there are picks in the storage location and open stone deposits.
Of course, the work doesn’t stop with just this one bot. The crafting and storing of picks will require automation. All that stone that was mined will need to be moved to a storage location.
This script could also be improved upon. The bot can move tools to a backpack and retrieve them. The mining location could be tied to a spot indicated by a sign. The script can be saved and then linked to other bots.
As the player progresses through the game, the tasks become far more complex. Each bot has limited memory in its “bot brain,” which limits each script’s length. A difficult task requires efficient scripting or multiple bots doing parts of the script.
Sure, the game doesn’t specifically cover anything about network automation. However, that’s where I think the value is. The best part of this game is how it makes you think of different ways to build out the various tasks. There are several mechanisms beyond the repeat loops that can be used. It shifts from a linear focus for each task to a more systematic approach.
Traditional CLI configuration is linear. Log into a device, move through the different config layers, and apply the config change. Network automation can use that same linear methodology, but the real power of it is when logic is layered on. Using if/then/else statements, while and for loops, variables, functions, etc., can all increase the power of a script significantly.
The beautiful part about network automation is much like a script in Autonauts; it can be improved iteratively. As new techniques are learned, they can be applied to increase the efficiency of the scripts. Those scripts can be reused later or modified to suit changing needs.