How automation impacts network management

Network management includes two aspects: configuration management and operational management. Configuration management refers to any feature or function that changes device configuration. Operational management includes reporting, monitoring, gathering operational data, and alerting administrators to possible issues.

There are two ways to manage a network: manual and automatic. In the manual method, administrators manually update or change the configuration. In the automatic method, they use a device or software that configures and manages the configuration. The software or device they use is called a controller. For example, Cisco APIC is a controller. Administrators configure policies on APIC. The APIC pushes configuration down to the ACI switches. DNA Center is another example of a controller. APIC-EM and DNA Center can both check the IOS images on Cisco devices and verify that no changes have occurred to the images compared to those created by Cisco. Ansible, Puppet, and Chef are a few more examples of popular configuration management tools. A company can use any controller based on its requirements and budget. A controller uses automation to apply changes to multiple devices simultaneously.

Automation provides the following benefits.

• Reduce the network cost
• Reduce the time to complete projects
• Provide a consistent configuration
• Make network management easier
• Simplify network operations

Reduce the network cost

It reduces the network cost by automating the many tasks that technicians would traditionally need to perform by visiting each device. With automation, they do not need to see every device to configure and manage it. They can create automation procedures and scripts on a controller device, which will then configure and manage devices. Since a controller device performs most of the tasks, a company needs fewer technicians.

Reduce the time to complete projects

Traditional networking requires administrators to visit each device to apply the configuration. It consumes too much time. Automation saves time by remotely applying changes.

Provide a consistent configuration

Automation provides consistency in configurations. With automation, administrators create scripts and then instruct the controller to deploy them to the devices; each device receives the same configuration. Since administrators are not required to type the same configuration commands repeatedly on each device, this reduces configuration errors.

Make network management easier

In traditional networking, administrators manage each device individually. It makes device management complex and tedious. With automation, they can manage all devices from a central location. It makes device management easy and fast.

Simplify network operations

Automation simplifies network operations by using scripts. Without automation, administrators have to monitor all devices manually. With automation, they can create a script and deploy it on the controller device. The controller device monitors all devices and notifies the administrator when an event occurs.

Conclusion

Automation changes how we manage networks by making it easier, more consistent, and more efficient. Organizations can use tools like controllers and configuration management to streamline their work, cut costs, and finish projects faster. Switching from manual to automated processes lightens the load for technicians and ensures devices have the same settings, which reduces errors. Automation also provides centralized management, making it more straightforward to oversee devices. It allows administrators to focus on important tasks instead of getting bogged down in details. By adopting automation, network management becomes more agile and responsive, ready to handle the fast changes in technology.