Methodology

Methodology in automation

The new methodology available after the network becomes application-like and comprises standard human-readable code is among the biggest challenges brought by network automation. There is no need for network engineers to draft configuration changes and for network operations to deploy production at the CLI. Instead, they can now follow a CI/CD pipeline with change management, version control, and a branching strategy. Also, documentation moves to TFS as it becomes automated alongside the configurations of the devices.

Reviewing pull requests and Git commits becomes routine for network engineers as they peer review and approve changes to the master branch. The SDLC approach to software development should already exist in the organization. An opportunity exists to bridge IT with software development that adopts already existing code standards and development policies for the new network automation code. Initially, network engineers write Ansible playbooks that execute as a one-line command at an approved schedule. Eventually, these steps become automated through the CI/CD pipeline.