In this chapter, we learned about the basic functionality of SDN controllers, programmable fabric, and some network automation tools. We have also seen how to work with cloud platforms and, with reference to a live example of managing AWS Cloud from Python, understood how we can control cloud operations using automation.

We gained a deep understanding about the role of controllers, and with some examples of Cisco controllers, went into details on how a controller can be programmed or called in programs/scripts to perform certain tasks. We also saw the basics of some popular network automation tools, such as SolarWinds, and created an in-house web-based automation tool for monitoring our network, called PingMatrix or PingMesh.