NAPALM

NAPALM, which stands for Network Automation and Programmability Abstraction Layer with Multivendor support, is an open-source Python library that provides a unified API for interacting with network devices from different vendors in a vendor-agnostic way. While Netmiko focuses on sending CLI commands and capturing output, NAPALM works at a higher level of abstraction. It can retrieve structured data like routing tables, interfaces, and BGP neighbors, and apply configuration changes in a consistent format regardless of whether the device is a Cisco IOS router, a Juniper device, or an Arista switch. NAPALM is particularly valued for its ability to validate configurations, compare desired versus actual state, and perform configuration rollbacks, making it a powerful tool for building reliable network automation workflows.