6.0 Automation and Artificial Intelligence

Automation is 15% of ENCOR, but it feels bigger because it touches the way modern networks are operated. You do not need to become a full-time software developer for this domain. You do need to read small scripts, understand structured data, recognize API behavior, and know when a controller or automation tool is the right way to make a change.

Think of this domain as seven practical skills:

1. Read basic Python.
2. Write valid JSON.
3. Understand why YANG models matter.
4. Know what Catalyst Center and SD-WAN Manager APIs are for.
5. Interpret REST response codes and payloads.
6. Build small EEM applets.
7. Compare agent and agentless orchestration.

The exam angle is simple: Cisco is checking whether you can reason like a network engineer who uses automation. You should be comfortable reading code snippets, spotting malformed JSON, identifying a REST API failure, and choosing the right tool for a job.

How to study this domain

Do not memorize every endpoint. Learn the pattern.

A network automation workflow usually looks like this:

source of truth or input
script/tool/controller
structured payload
API, SSH, NETCONF, RESTCONF, or device event
device/controller change or data collection
verification

For ENCOR, practice these repeatedly:

• read a Python script and predict the output;
• validate JSON by eye;
• identify YANG containers, lists, and leaves;
• know how Catalyst Center and SD-WAN Manager expose northbound APIs;
• map REST status codes to success, authentication failure, missing resources, or server-side errors;
• write a safe EEM applet for a syslog, timer, or tracked event;
• explain why Ansible is agentless and why Puppet/Chef-style systems are commonly agent-based.

Pass-the-exam checks

You are ready for this domain when you can answer these without guessing:

• What is the difference between a Python list and dictionary?
• Why must JSON keys and strings use double quotes?
• What problem does YANG solve that raw CLI scraping does not?
• What header commonly carries a Catalyst Center API token?
• What does HTTP 401 mean compared with 403 and 404?
• Why is a 204 No Content response often still a success?
• What is the event in an EEM applet, and what are the actions?
• Why is agentless automation attractive for network devices?

Mini lab: build the automation mindset

Use this quick lab as a warm-up before the individual articles.

Topology

One IOS XE router or switch in CML, EVE-NG, GNS3, DevNet Sandbox, or a lab device. You can also do the Python and JSON portions locally without a router.

Tasks

1. Create a JSON inventory file with one device.
2. Write a Python script that loads it and prints the device hostname and management IP.
3. Enable RESTCONF on the device if your platform supports it.
4. Use curl or Python to GET one RESTCONF resource.
5. Create an EEM applet that writes a syslog message when a watched interface changes state.
6. Write one paragraph comparing how this task would feel in Ansible vs. an agent-based tool.

Deliverable

A small folder like this:

automation-warmup/
inventory.json
print_inventory.py
restconf-get-interface.sh
eem-interface-watch.txt
notes.md

The goal is not to build a huge automation platform. The goal is to prove you can move from network facts to structured data, then to an API or local device automation.

Related articles

• 6.1 Interpret basic Python components and scripts
• 6.2 Construct valid JSON-encoded files
• 6.3 Describe YANG principles and benefits
• 6.4 Describe Catalyst Center and SD-WAN Manager APIs
• 6.5 Interpret REST API response codes and payloads
• 6.6 Construct an EEM applet
• 6.7 Compare agent vs. agentless orchestration tools

Sources used

• Cisco ENCOR 350-401 v1.2 exam topics: https://learningcontent.cisco.com/documents/marketing/exam-topics/350-401-ENCORE-v1.2.pdf