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# Advanced Topics with Ansible for Network Automation

Once you have mastered the basics of network automation with Ansible, as presented in Getting Started with Ansible for Network Automation, use this guide understand platform-specific details, optimization, and troubleshooting tips for Ansible for network automation.

Who should use this guide?

This guide is intended for network engineers using Ansible for automation. It covers advanced topics. If you understand networks and Ansible, this guide is for you. You may read through the entire guide if you choose, or use the links below to find the specific information you need.

If you’re new to Ansible, or new to using Ansible for network automation, start with the Getting Started with Ansible for Network Automation.

Advanced Topics

- Ansible Network FAQ
  - How can I improve performance for network playbooks?
  - Why is my output sometimes replaced with `********`?
  - Why do the `*_config` modules always return `changed=true` with abbreviated commands?
- Ansible Network Examples
  - Prerequisites
  - Groups and variables in an inventory file
  - Example 1: collecting facts and creating backup files with a playbook
  - Example 2: simplifying playbooks with network agnostic modules
  - Implementation Notes
  - Troubleshooting
- Network Debug and Troubleshooting Guide
  - Introduction
  - How to troubleshoot
  - Category “socket_path issue”
  - Category “Unable to open shell”
  - Timeout issues
  - Playbook issues
  - Proxy Issues
  - Miscellaneous Issues
- Working with Command Output in Network Modules
  - Conditionals in Networking Modules
- Platform Options
  - CNOS Platform Options
  - Dell OS6 Platform Options
  - Dell OS9 Platform Options
  - Dell OS10 Platform Options
  - ENOS Platform Options
  - EOS Platform Options
  - EXOS Platform Options
  - IOS Platform Options
  - IronWare Platform Options
  - Junos OS Platform Options
  - Pluribus NETVISOR Platform Options
  - NOS Platform Options
  - NXOS Platform Options
  - RouterOS Platform Options
  - SLX-OS Platform Options
  - VOSS Platform Options
  - Netconf enabled Platform Options
  - Settings by Platform