---
id: pyats
version: "26.7"
license: Apache 2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# pyats — pyATS - Python Automation Test System

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 302.0K/mo

## What it is and what it does

pyATS is Cisco's Python-based test automation framework designed to support both small, linear test cases and large, complex asynchronous test suites. It emphasizes data-driven testing patterns and reusability, enabling rapid iteration in agile development cycles. The package bundles 14 runtime components covering test execution (aetest), reporting (reporter, aereport), topology management, connections, logging, and utilities—all installed together as a cohesive ecosystem.

Developers use pyATS to define test cases declaratively, manage network device connections, organize test results, and scale test infrastructure without rewriting core logic. It is production-stable (Development Status 5 & 6), actively maintained, and widely used in telecommunications and network automation contexts. The framework runs on Python 3.10+ across Linux and macOS, with pre-built wheels for multiple architectures reducing setup friction.

Use it for:

- Automate network device testing workflows (configuration, state validation, failover scenarios) across multiple platforms.
- Build reusable, data-driven test suites that scale from unit-level checks to full system integration tests.
- Organize and report test results with built-in logging, topology tracking, and result aggregation.
- Develop rapid test iterations in CI/CD pipelines for network infrastructure validation.
- Create asynchronous test suites that execute device interactions in parallel without blocking.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

pyATS is Cisco's end-to-end testing framework for building data-driven, reusable test suites that scale from simple linear cases to large asynchronous test systems.

Yes. pyATS is production-stable, actively maintained (release within 7 days), carries no known vulnerabilities, and offers a permissive Apache 2.0 license. Install friction is moderate but manageable via pre-built wheels. It is the right choice if you need a mature, Cisco-backed framework for network or infrastructure test automation at scale; not necessary for simple unit testing or non-network domains.

## Install

pip install pyats
uv add pyats
poetry add pyats

## Installing pyats

Before you install: Active maintenance with a release within the last week. Medium install friction due to 14 runtime dependencies bundled as submodules (pyats.aetest, pyats.connections, pyats.topology, etc.), but pre-built wheels available for Python 3.10–3.14 across macOS and Linux platforms reduce compilation overhead.

License in practice: Apache 2.0 permissive license allows commercial and private use with minimal restrictions, making it suitable for enterprise adoption.

Quickstart:

pip install pyats

from pyats.aetest import Testcase, setup, test, cleanup

class MyTest(Testcase):
    @setup
    def setup(self):
        pass
    
    @test
    def test_example(self):
        pass

Requires Python >=3.8 (classifiers indicate 3.10+ recommended); Linux or macOS only.

Verify before relying:

- Exact scope and maturity of the 14 bundled submodules (pyats.aereport, pyats.async, pyats.tcl, etc.) and whether they are all required for basic use.
- Whether the framework requires external network connectivity or device access to run test examples.
- Performance characteristics and typical test suite scale limits in production deployments.

## Package facts

- License: Apache 2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 302.0K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

network test automation framework, data-driven testing system, cisco test framework, automated testing infrastructure, scalable test suite builder, agile test development, asynchronous test framework, network-automation, test-framework, cisco

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