Network automation tools improve agility and business operations by reducing manual errors that lead to outages and security vulnerabilities. It allows network engineers to focus on higher-level strategic tasks.
Building DIY automation tools offers more customization than off-the-shelf vendor products, but both approaches require planning. It’s important to understand how network automation works before implementing it.
Implementation
Network automation tools automate manual processes for improved agility and ensure your team easily adapts to changing business requirements and technology upgrades. Automation eliminates human errors, significantly reducing downtime and service errors.
While many organizations are hesitant to implement automation in their networks, it is important to note that these fears are not necessarily warranted. The first step is assessing whether your network infrastructure can support an automated workflow. This is accomplished by collecting data on your network and identifying key areas that can benefit from automation.
Next, select a network automation tool and deploy it on your system. Depending on your requirements, you can choose from open-source or proprietary services. Vendor-specific tools require a steep learning curve and may be more expensive than off-the-shelf solutions. It is also important to consider how the device will integrate with your existing systems and software.
Once the system is in place, you can create scripts to perform the desired functions. It will allow you to simultaneously transform your configurations into code deployed on multiple devices. It eliminates the need for a network administrator to execute commands on each machine manually and guarantees consistency across your entire network. The result is that your IT team can spend less time on manual tasks and more time focused on problem-solving.
Testing
When implementing network automation, testing the automated processes in advance is important. It helps ensure that they work correctly, reduces the risk of errors and downtime, and improves the overall reliability of your network infrastructure.
The first step is to identify the key areas that need to be automated. It typically consists of time-consuming, resource-hungry tasks associated with network configuration. These may include change management and processes related to configuration consistency (including version control, tracking, and documentation).
Once you’ve determined the key areas for network automation, it’s time to find the technical tools or platform that best meets your needs. When choosing an automation tool, look for one that offers a broad feature set to cover all your networking needs, provides vendor support, and integrates with existing IT technologies. It should also check all of the boxes on your automation platform must-have list, such as cost, scalability, and ability to be used by NetOps, DevOps, and SecOps teams.
Another important feature to consider is the backup capabilities of your network automation tool. Ideally, you’ll want to be able to restore device configurations in case of an error or failure.
Deployment
Network automation is a powerful solution to eliminate manual tasks and ensure performance. It improves the quality of network updates and provides a higher level of security for the business. It also reduces the risk of human error in the process. Moreover, it helps the IT team focus on critical tasks that need their attention the most.
The first step of deploying network automation tools is determining what processes must be automated. It can be done by analyzing the current system, identifying the time-consuming operations, and creating a plan to automate them. It can include employer onboarding and outboarding, reconfiguring device settings, and generating reports on every change in the network.
Once the goals are set, it’s time to select a network automation tool. It is important to choose a network automation platform that fits your current IT processes, IT technologies, and requirements. Many large network infrastructure vendors offer network automation solutions to meet these needs. Some are open-source, allowing for customization, while others are vendor-specific.
To maximize the benefits of your chosen network automation platform, begin with a small project that doesn’t require much effort. It will allow you to build confidence in the technology and retain some control before implementing it on your network. Implementing your network automation tool with a security mindset is also helpful. It includes auditing every execution, enforcing ACL according to least privilege principles, and using read-only tasks where possible.
Maintenance
Network automation tools make it easier to perform routine maintenance tasks without relying on manual processes. It reduces the chance of human error and lowers the risk of unplanned outages or performance issues.
For example, using network automation tools to deploy standard configurations on devices reduces the risk of misconfiguration, which can lead to inconsistencies and non-compliance with internal standards. It also helps to ensure that changes are documented and approved by the right people.
Even small mistakes can be costly to the business, especially on a high-availability system such as a network. Network administrators must use the right toolset to ensure they don’t make these mistakes.
The best choice is a solution designed for network automation that integrates with existing IT systems. It should also offer features such as a configuration backup feature that saves changes to a database or file and then applies them to the device. It prevents changes from being rolled back in case of errors.
Another important factor is that your chosen solution should support your needs and use cases. For instance, if you’re a Network Admin, you should look for a solution that includes network configuration management (NCM) to manage change across the whole network and reduce the time spent on simple tasks. Other features include automating security-conscious provisioning, vulnerability assessments, and performance monitoring.