RockweyDo IT the Right Way

Foundation · 1 day · London · in person only

Network Automation Fundamentals

A practical one-day introduction to automating network configuration from a single source of truth.

£1,300 ex VAT per delegate

01The course

This one-day course is a hands-on introduction to network automation for engineers who run and support networks but have not yet automated them. It sets out what network automation actually is, where it delivers value, and — just as importantly — where it commonly goes wrong, so you leave with realistic expectations rather than a wish list.

The day is built around a single idea: hold your network's intended state in one authoritative place and drive configuration from it. You will model a small network using NetBox as the source of truth, then generate device configurations and make programmatic changes from that model. The emphasis is on repeatable, low-risk workflows you can take back to your own environment.

This is a professional training course sold to businesses only. It is taught in person by a practising network automation engineer, with lab exercises throughout the day.

02Outcomes

What you will be able to do

  • Explain what network automation is, the problems it solves, and the situations where it adds risk rather than removing it.
  • Model a network in NetBox: sites, racks, devices, interfaces, IP address management and cabling.
  • Use NetBox as a source of truth that describes the intended state of the network.
  • Generate device configurations from NetBox data using Jinja2 templates.
  • Read and write data in NetBox programmatically with Python and the pynetbox library.
  • Explain idempotency and use dry-runs to preview changes before they are applied.
03Prerequisites
  • A solid grasp of core networking: IP addressing and subnetting, VLANs, and routing basics.
  • No prior automation experience is required.
  • Basic comfort at the command line is helpful but not essential.
04Agenda
Day 1 · From manual configuration to a source of truth
  • What network automation is, what it is good for, and its common failure modes.
  • Introducing the source-of-truth model and where NetBox fits.
  • Modelling a network in NetBox: sites, racks, devices and interfaces.
  • IP address management and cabling in NetBox.
  • Generating device configurations from NetBox data with Jinja2 templates.
  • Reading and writing NetBox data with Python and pynetbox.
  • Idempotency and dry-runs: previewing changes safely before applying them.
  • Where to go next and how to introduce these ideas in your own environment.
05Equipment

Bring your own equipment

Rockwey provides no laptops or equipment — delegates must bring their own, meeting these requirements:

  • A laptop on which you have administrative rights and can install software.
  • A modern web browser on its current version (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari).
  • An SSH client: the native terminal on macOS or Linux, or Windows Terminal or PuTTY on Windows.
  • The ability to join a guest wireless network. A corporate VPN must not be forced on the connection, as it commonly blocks lab access.
  • Outbound network access on ports 22 (SSH) and 443 (HTTPS).
  • Important: locked-down corporate laptops frequently block outbound SSH on port 22 and force traffic through a proxy, which breaks access to the lab. The lab is also reachable through a browser-based terminal over port 443 as a fallback. Please run the connectivity check at /training/connectivity-check at least a week before the course so we can resolve any issues in good time.

Run the connectivity check at least a week before the course.

06Dates & booking

Dates, venue and availability

Venue: confirmed with each course date — central London. A vegetarian lunch, teas, coffees and soft drinks are included in the price. No dinner is provided.

Class size: minimum 10 delegates, maximum 14. Below 10 the course does not run. We confirm each course is running — or cancel it — on the confirmation date, 10 working days before the start, so you have a firm answer before booking travel. Bookings close 3 working days before the course start; after that no place can be booked or guaranteed.

October 2026 — date to be confirmed — enquiries to training@rockwey.com.

Courses are sold to businesses only; booking requires a UK company registration number or VAT number and confirmation that you are purchasing in the course of a business. Payment is by purchase order and BACS — no card payments. A place is not secured until cleared funds are received. Full terms and conditions.

NetBox is a trademark of its respective owner. Rockwey is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a partner of NetBox or NetBox Labs.