The Everything Feed - All Packet Pushers Pods HN785: How To Take Your First Steps Into Network Automation
7 snips
Jun 13, 2025 Joseph Nicholson, an Operations Engineer at NTT Data, dives into essential insights on entering the world of network automation. He emphasizes the importance of starting small and iterating on automation projects, which can transform mundane tasks. The discussion veers into the utility of tools like Kafka for data flow and Pivot UI for visualization, while also addressing the complexities of chronic outages and the integration of AI in network operations. Nicholson’s experiences shed light on moving from manual processes to the efficiencies that automation can bring.
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Start Small and Iterate
- Start automating by taking small, incremental steps and iterating on them over time.
- Improve your automation gradually instead of trying to solve everything at once.
Monitoring Large Config Databases
- Joseph monitored Juniper's large config database size that caused operational issues due to ACL bloat.
- He automated tracking this unique issue to alert when thresholds are reached before outages occur.
Base Automation on Detailed MOP
- Use detailed manuals as the foundation to translate manual network processes into automation.
- Automate step-by-step according to the detailed workflow for accuracy and reliability.