Why using network automation tools is no longer an option, but a necessity
IT task automation is no longer just an upgrade to daily workflow that makes life easier for employees, it has become the new norm. The sooner an organization embraces the latest network automation tools, the sooner they will gain an edge over their competitors and join the 21st century.
So, who uses these network automation tools and what processes and tasks do they help?
Network automation is the process of taking tasks that are repetitive, monotonous, and time-consuming and writing a script to make that process automatic.
Everyday office processes, the stuff usually given to interns before watching them hold back tears of boredom and despair can and should be automated. Ticket validation, performance monitoring, system security scans, data backups, report generation, and pretty much anything you would rather never have to spend more than half an hour of your day on is fair game.
When it comes to network management especially, many operations have become too complex, numerous, and time consuming to be done manually.
Monitoring network traffic security dependencies and troubleshooting can be made near effortless. Developers can more easily integrate their app development workflows with cloud-native applications and network security management. Network security operations can be more easily virtualized and automated.
Overall, it makes integrated operations run much smoothly, timey, and with less errors.
The most commonly associated network automation use cases are in monitoring and troubleshooting, and ongoing maintenance, network provisioning, security and regulatory compliance, upgrades and updates, and firewall configuration.
Usually, the magic word for the best office process automation technology is the coding language Python, but other network automation software worth checking out include Ansible, Puppet, Chef, or SaltStack.
Choosing the right network automation platform for your team or business is not a decision that should be taken lightly however, there are drawbacks. Make no mistake, automation is a highly disruptive technology, and with new technology comes new challenges and hurdles to overcome until smooth sailing commences.
Newer older systems will clash, network engineers need to start learning scripting and code, a general lack of APIs and documentation, runaway automation bugs can cause a lot of damage to a company, and when it comes to networks with larger configurations, things can very quickly turn into a giant cluster duck. Thank you autocorrect.
Network automation is as important a pillar in the age of digital transformation as virtualization if a company wants to have an edge and stay relevant.