Network automation can speed up and scale aspects of networking practices and configurations. It can also reduce operational expenses and improve the availability of services.
But these benefits are risky, especially when the tools are mismanaged. Follow these ten best practices to minimize mistakes and ensure your network automation is successful.
Create a centralized repository of configurations.
Most IT departments use a mix of different network automation tools. It creates a complex, challenging to manage and often leads to configuration inconsistencies.
The solution is to choose a vendor-neutral network automation tool with centralized configuration management. It allows engineers to apply and validate changes more quickly.
One example of a network automation tool is Chef, which is free but requires technical assistance for enterprise-grade deployments. Another option is a network configuration management platform, which provides more advanced features and functionality.
Create a test environment.
Having a clear network automation strategy before using any tools would be best. Blind adoption can result in tool sprawl and reduce the return on your investment.
Network automation enables you to conduct more complex network analysis, including resource utilization and performance. It allows you to identify errors and improve security.
It also allows you to implement a continuous deployment process for your network. This helps you to deliver faster changes at lower operational costs. It makes it easier to meet business requirements.
Automate configuration changes
Network device configuration changes are often time-consuming and resource-hungry. Automating these processes helps improve infrastructure availability, staff productivity, and security compliance.
Any small change to a device’s configuration can lead to an unexpected result, such as a device outage or vulnerability. This is why it’s important to back up these changes using a network automation tool.
Off-the-shelf, vendor-specific automation platforms can read current setups and automatically implement automated procedures. However, these tools require significant planning and may not be a good fit for networks with many different vendors.
Create backups
Network device configuration backups are a vital part of network maintenance that helps to avoid service interruptions. Network automation tools enable you to easily create automated device configuration backups, making restoring the most recent running configuration easier in case of an unexpected change.
Network automation tools help to improve infrastructure availability, staff productivity, and security while reducing operational expenses. Embracing these powerful technologies is the key to success in today’s business environment.
Create a change log
Network configuration backups help identify discrepancies between the current device settings and your configured templates. It makes it easy to fix the problem, avoiding unauthorized changes and reducing IT downtime.
Using network automation tools can help you streamline ongoing operations, reduce costs, and free up your teams to focus on more strategic priorities. It can also help reduce the number of network issues and outages that result in after-hours and weekend IT support calls.
However, implementing network automation requires careful planning to ensure success. The following best practices will allow you to start your automation project quickly and successfully.
Automate backups
Many infrastructure automation tools have capabilities that help with network automation processes. They can house device details in a centralized location for standardized configurations and automated change tracking.
These tools also allow for a continuous vulnerability assessment that spots changes that could open devices to security attacks. They can also automate firmware updates for faster deployments and minimize the risk of misconfigurations.
Simplifying network management processes also reduces errors that cause downtime, resulting in better performance and reliability. It also lowers operational expenses by reducing the time and resources used in manual processes.
Automate configuration changes
A centralized network configuration management system helps IT teams save time by automating change processes and allowing for faster changes to the network. It also reduces human error that could lead to misconfigurations.
Using low code automation platforms and vendor-neutral orchestration helps teams achieve these goals and enables them to scale their efforts. Look for a platform to house all critical device details and provide standardized configuration templates to increase consistency.
Automate backups
Network automation tools allow you to automate many time-consuming, resource-hungry, and error-prone processes. It reduces service and security errors, lowering the risk of compliance violations, data breaches, equipment failures, and downtime.
Avoid the pain of tool sprawl — dozens of one-off tools that do the same thing — by using an automation platform that can federate device inventory and backup files in a single place so you can access the right file when needed.
Automate backups
Storing critical device details in a single location facilitates the automation of the backup process. It eliminates manual steps that require IT staff to search for files in cupboards, drawers, or under desks.
In addition, automated backups help with vulnerability assessments and configuration compliance verification processes for the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Payment Card Industry, and HIPAA. Most of these tools support multivendor orchestration, eliminating the need for network admins to use Secure Socket Shell sessions to modify text-based configurations on multiple devices. Lastly, they provide a centralized view of multivendor network hardware.
Automate backups
A well-planned network automation approach includes storing all your configuration changes in a centralized repository with version control. This makes it easy to roll back and restore device configurations when mistakes or misconfigurations occur.
Small mistakes can have a large impact on a network. A reliable, centralized repository allows teams to recover from those errors and reduce downtime quickly. Increased efficiency and reduced errors reduce operational costs. This makes the business more flexible and agile, enabling IT to follow compliance standards easily. It also helps reduce the risk of a security breach.
