The ModiPY FAQ

Q. What is ModiPY?

ModiPY is a Change Automation Framework written in Python. It provides a way to define a set of changes to be made to an arbitrary set of remote devices, in any order (or all at once). It supports the idea of implementing changes, and backing them out, together with pre- and post-checks for both the implementation and backout steps.

Q. Aren't there other tools like this?

Yes, there are. Tools that provide the level of functionality offered by ModiPY typically cost upwards of 6 figures from commercial software vendors. Before ModiPY, all the free tools were Unix centric, or supported only a specific type of infrastructure (such as Cisco switches, but not Juniper or Brocade). ModiPY is device agnostic, so you can communicate with any vendor's equipment with a single tool.

Q. What does ModiPY cost?

ModiPY is free, as in beer. ModiPY is licensed under the LGPL, so you get the source code and can do pretty much anything you like with it, including bundling it as part of a commercial product. Any changes to ModiPY itself, however, must be fed back into the community.

Q. Why should I use ModiPY?

If you ever have to make changes to equipment on a regular basis, you should use ModiPY.

If you ever have to make essentially the same changes to multiple devices, you should use ModiPY.

If you ever have to make changes on equipment, but only if other changes succeed, you should use ModiPY.

In fact, most of the changes being made on computers today should probably be done using ModiPY.