Examples of working with files#
This subsection covers working with files and brings together topics: files, loops, and conditions.
When processing output of commands or configuration, often it will be necessary to write summary data to the dictionary. It is not always obvious how to handle the output of commands and how to deal with the output in general. This subsection discusses several examples with increasing complexity.
Parsing column output#
This example will deal with the output of sh ip int br command.
From the output of command we need to get interface name and IP address.
Interface name is dictionary key and IP address is value. At the
same time, match must be made only for those interfaces with IP address assigned.
An example of sh ip int br output (sh_ip_int_br.txt file):
R1#show ip interface brief
Interface IP-Address OK? Method Status Protocol
FastEthernet0/0 15.0.15.1 YES manual up up
FastEthernet0/1 10.0.12.1 YES manual up up
FastEthernet0/2 10.0.13.1 YES manual up up
FastEthernet0/3 unassigned YES unset up down
Loopback0 10.1.1.1 YES manual up up
Loopback100 100.0.0.1 YES manual up up
Working_with_dict_example_1.py file:
result = {}
with open('sh_ip_int_br.txt') as f:
for line in f:
line = line.split()
if line and line[1][0].isdigit():
interface, address, *other = line
result[interface] = address
print(result)
Command sh ip int br displays the output with columns. So desired
fields are in the same line. Script processes the output line by line
and divides each line using split() method.
The resulting list contains output columns. Because we need only interfaces on which IP address is configured, first character of second column is checked: if first character is a number the address is assigned to interface and string has to be processed.
In interface, address, *other = line - variables are unpacked.
Variable interface will have interface name, address will have IP address and other - all other fields.
Since each line has a key-value pair, they are assigned to dictionary: result[interface] = address.
The result of script execution will be a dictionary (here it is split into key-value pairs for convenience, in real script the dictionary output will be displayed in one line):
{'FastEthernet0/0': '15.0.15.1',
'FastEthernet0/1': '10.0.12.1',
'FastEthernet0/2': '10.0.13.1',
'Loopback0': '10.1.1.1',
'Loopback100': '100.0.0.1'}
Getting key and value from different output lines#
Very often the output of commands looks like that key and value are in different lines. And you have to figure out how to process the output to get right match. For example, from the output of sh ip int br command you need to get match interface name – MTU (sh_ip_interface.txt file):
Ethernet0/0 is up, line protocol is up
Internet address is 192.168.100.1/24
Broadcast address is 255.255.255.255
Address determined by non-volatile memory
MTU is 1500 bytes
Helper address is not set
...
Ethernet0/1 is up, line protocol is up
Internet address is 192.168.200.1/24
Broadcast address is 255.255.255.255
Address determined by non-volatile memory
MTU is 1500 bytes
Helper address is not set
...
Ethernet0/2 is up, line protocol is up
Internet address is 19.1.1.1/24
Broadcast address is 255.255.255.255
Address determined by non-volatile memory
MTU is 1500 bytes
Helper address is not set
...
Interface name is in Ethernet0/0 is up, line protocol is up line and MTU in MTU is 1500 bytes line.
For example, try to remember interface each time and print its value when MTU parameter is detected, together with MTU value:
In [2]: with open('sh_ip_interface.txt') as f:
...: for line in f:
...: if 'line protocol' in line:
...: interface = line.split()[0]
...: elif 'MTU is' in line:
...: mtu = line.split()[-2]
...: print('{:15}{}'.format(interface, mtu))
...:
Ethernet0/0 1500
Ethernet0/1 1500
Ethernet0/2 1500
Ethernet0/3 1500
Loopback0 1514
Command output is organized in such a way that there is always a line with interface first and then a line with MTU after several lines. If you remember the name of interface every time it appears and at the time when line matches MTU, the last memorized interface is the one which matches this MTU. Now, if you want to create a dictionary that matches interface – MTU, it’s enough to write values when MTU was found.
Working_with_dict_example_2.py file:
result = {}
with open('sh_ip_interface.txt') as f:
for line in f:
if 'line protocol' in line:
interface = line.split()[0]
elif 'MTU is' in line:
mtu = line.split()[-2]
result[interface] = mtu
print(result)
The result of script execution will be a dictionary (here it is split into key-value pairs for convenience, in real script the dictionary output will be displayed in one line):
{'Ethernet0/0': '1500',
'Ethernet0/1': '1500',
'Ethernet0/2': '1500',
'Ethernet0/3': '1500',
'Loopback0': '1514'}
This technique will be quite often useful because command output is generally organized in a very similar way.
Nested dictionary#
If you want to get several parameters from the output, it is very convenient
to use a dictionary with a nested dictionary.
For example, from output sh ip interface you need to get two parameters:
IP address and MTU. First, output of information:
Ethernet0/0 is up, line protocol is up
Internet address is 192.168.100.1/24
Broadcast address is 255.255.255.255
Address determined by non-volatile memory
MTU is 1500 bytes
Helper address is not set
...
Ethernet0/1 is up, line protocol is up
Internet address is 192.168.200.1/24
Broadcast address is 255.255.255.255
Address determined by non-volatile memory
MTU is 1500 bytes
Helper address is not set
...
Ethernet0/2 is up, line protocol is up
Internet address is 19.1.1.1/24
Broadcast address is 255.255.255.255
Address determined by non-volatile memory
MTU is 1500 bytes
Helper address is not set
...
In the first step, each value is stored in a variable and then all three values are displayed. Values are displayed when a string has MTU because it is the last string:
In [2]: with open('sh_ip_interface.txt') as f:
...: for line in f:
...: if 'line protocol' in line:
...: interface = line.split()[0]
...: elif 'Internet address' in line:
...: ip_address = line.split()[-1]
...: elif 'MTU' in line:
...: mtu = line.split()[-2]
...: print('{:15}{:17}{}'.format(interface, ip_address, mtu))
...:
Ethernet0/0 192.168.100.1/24 1500
Ethernet0/1 192.168.200.1/24 1500
Ethernet0/2 19.1.1.1/24 1500
Ethernet0/3 192.168.230.1/24 1500
Loopback0 4.4.4.4/32 1514
It uses the same technique as in previous example but adds another nested dictionary:
result = {}
with open('sh_ip_interface.txt') as f:
for line in f:
if 'line protocol' in line:
interface = line.split()[0]
result[interface] = {}
elif 'Internet address' in line:
ip_address = line.split()[-1]
result[interface]['ip'] = ip_address
elif 'MTU' in line:
mtu = line.split()[-2]
result[interface]['mtu'] = mtu
print(result)
Each time an interface is detected, result dictionary creates a key with the
name of interface that corresponds to an empty dictionary. This blank is used
so that at the time when IP address or MTU is detected, parameter can be written
into nested dictionary of the corresponding interface.
The result of script execution will be a dictionary (here it is split into key-value pairs for convenience, in real script the dictionary output will be displayed in one line):
{'Ethernet0/0': {'ip': '192.168.100.1/24', 'mtu': '1500'},
'Ethernet0/1': {'ip': '192.168.200.1/24', 'mtu': '1500'},
'Ethernet0/2': {'ip': '19.1.1.1/24', 'mtu': '1500'},
'Ethernet0/3': {'ip': '192.168.230.1/24', 'mtu': '1500'},
'Loopback0': {'ip': '4.4.4.4/32', 'mtu': '1514'}}
Output with empty values#
Sometimes, sections with empty values will be found in the output.
For example, in case of output `sh ip interface`, interfaces may look like:
Ethernet0/1 is up, line protocol is up
Internet protocol processing disabled
Ethernet0/2 is administratively down, line protocol is down
Internet protocol processing disabled
Ethernet0/3 is administratively down, line protocol is down
Internet protocol processing disabled
Consequently, there is no MTU or IP address. And if you execute previous script for a file with such interfaces, the result is this (output for file sh_ip_interface2.txt):
{'Ethernet0/0': {'ip': '192.168.100.2/24', 'mtu': '1500'},
'Ethernet0/1': {},
'Ethernet0/2': {},
'Ethernet0/3': {},
'Loopback0': {'ip': '2.2.2.2/32', 'mtu': '1514'}}
If you need to add interfaces to dictionary only when an IP address is assigned to interface, you need to move the creation of key with interface name to a moment when line with IP address is detected (working_with_dict_example_4.py file):
result = {}
with open('sh_ip_interface2.txt') as f:
for line in f:
if 'line protocol' in line:
interface = line.split()[0]
elif 'Internet address' in line:
ip_address = line.split()[-1]
result[interface] = {}
result[interface]['ip'] = ip_address
elif 'MTU' in line:
mtu = line.split()[-2]
result[interface]['mtu'] = mtu
print(result)
In this case, the result will be a dictionary:
{'Ethernet0/0': {'ip': '192.168.100.2/24', 'mtu': '1500'},
'Loopback0': {'ip': '2.2.2.2/32', 'mtu': '1514'}}