Speaker
Description
As networks grow in complexity and scale, manual operations are no longer sustainable. Yet, many organizations struggle to go beyond isolated Command Line Interface (CLI), Graphical User Interface (GUI), or siloed tooling. This talk presents The Network Automation Blueprint, a structured, vendor-neutral approach to designing and executing scalable network automation.
We begin by addressing the foundational questions: Why automate your network? and What can you automate? Highlighting real-world examples that demonstrate how even small automation efforts can yield big wins in efficiency, reliability, and agility. From automating routine configurations to streamlining change validation and compliance, the scope of what’s possible is broader than many realize.
However, before automation can be effective, certain pre-requisites must be in place. These include both technical and organizational factors. Technical prerequisites include patternization, standardization, and well-defined processes. Organizational prerequisites include leadership buy-in and support, skill development, and adaptable processes. We explore the critical role of process maturity, showing how defined standards and change control mechanisms act as enablers of safe automation.
A common challenge in network automation efforts is the dilemma between ad-hoc "just do it" automation and intentional, design-driven architecture. This talk contrasts both approaches and provides a balanced view: how to encourage grassroots innovation while converging on a maintainable system.
The blueprint outlines the key areas where network automation can be applied to drive improvement, including config generation and deployment, IP, BGP, VLAN allocations, fault remediation, etc.
Attendees will leave with a clear mental model of how to structure their automation journey to tackle network automation adoption challenges. It offers clear guidance for those just starting out, while providing equally valuable insights for experienced practitioners looking to refine or scale their efforts.
| Estimated presentation duration | 25-30 mins |
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