The Everything Feed - All Packet Pushers Pods NAN083: Cox Gets Network Automation Right, and Proves It at DEF CON (Sponsored)
Jan 22, 2025
David Ezell is the Director of Network Automation at Cox Communications, while Joshua Watkins and Eric Hansen are both talented engineers within the same company, contributing significantly to network topology discovery. They discuss Cox's successful journey in network automation, particularly during DEF CON, highlighting challenges in transitioning systems and the critical role of automation in network upgrades. Team dynamics and the build vs. buy dilemma in software tools are also explored, along with their unique experiences in managing high-pressure tech environments.
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The Great Network Outage
- Eric Hansen and Josh Watkins caused a major network outage by pasting the wrong code during a maintenance.
- This incident highlighted the need for automation to prevent human errors.
Pair Programming for Network Engineering
- Cox Communications emphasizes pair programming-like teamwork in network engineering.
- This approach improves accuracy, efficiency, and knowledge sharing among engineers.
Prioritize People Over Tools
- Prioritize people and organizational alignment over tools when implementing automation.
- Consider the long-term operating model, including support, maintenance, and knowledge transfer.