NetDevOps

NetDevOps

NetDevOps builds on the DevOps model from the application world but is applied to the networking functions of an organization. The network “developers” (i.e senior network engineers, architects, designers etc.) and the network “operators” (i.e network administrators, network support staff, day-to-day network operations etc.) are blended under a new framework. The senior developers are empowered to deliver into production directly through release management using pull requests.

The operations team updates the data models and executes playbooks for routine network changes. Operations most likely will not write or update the dynamic templates. The templates will be developed by the senior network staff.

In the case of NetDevOps, having software developers join this new team to help create the data models and templates with the input from the network team can be beneficial.

However, blending IT teams may lead to questions of where authorized changes come from. Fortunately, the automation engine itself makes the changes. Approvals should now look like peer reviews of code and traditional quality assurance (QA) as changes are now code based.

The impact of this on network operators is tangible. Operators learn to write playbooks to help run the network, identify problems, and troubleshoot. Most network changes are automated to much easier tasks, such as running an Ansible playbook as a single-line command. The operations team can now have version control in the form of pull requests and Git commit information. Change approvals are built directly into the pipeline allowing for automated delivery of solutions.