A Guide to Converting Network Automation Skeptics
The three stages of network automation adoption.
Transitioning from a predominantly manual network administration process to a fully automated and integrated strategy is a significant undertaking that requires careful planning and prioritization. While the ultimate goal is to achieve a comprehensive automation strategy, it is crucial to approach the transformation in stages. Josh Stephens of BackBox explores the three stages of network automation adoption and discusses the practical tasks that must be addressed along the way.
However, before we do that, I want to share a story about a Network Operations manager I spoke with recently. Her organization doesn’t currently automate any network changes; any change to a device has to go through a change committee, and everyone has to be on a Zoom call together. She told me the last time they needed to make a change, there were ten people on the call – they could not step back from the keyboard and let a product do what it was meant to do.
This story illustrates an important point. Network automation isn’t just about the technology involved but the mindset required. In a recent survey we commissioned, nearly all respondents said automation is becoming increasingly necessary. Yet, 80% of these network operations and network security professionals cite distrust and skepticism as top barriers to increasing network automation use.
Many customers that haven’t used a network automation tool they trust will dip a toe in the water, then go ankle deep, then six months later, go deeper. There’s an evolution that NetOps teams go through of slowly backing farther and farther from the keyboard. If you’re the automation champion within your company, here’s how to slowly convince the skeptics that automation can be safe if done correctly.
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Stage One: Ensuring Network Operational Stability and Basic Security
In the initial stage of network automation adoption, the focus is on establishing a foundation of operational stability and basic security. This involves automating essential tasks such as configuration backups, restore procedures, and policy validation. Pre- and post-checks with automated reporting of failed device backups and the ability to automatically retry unsuccessful backups instills confidence and trust in the process and provides transparency into devices that truly need human attention. By implementing these automated processes, network teams can improve efficiency, reduce human errors, quickly troubleshoot, and enhance the overall resilience of the network. Furthermore, reliable, instant rollback capabilities ease the way for more advanced automation approaches as your strategy matures.
Stage Two: Enhancing Efficiency and Reducing Costs
Once the network is stable and secure, the next stage is to optimize its performance and reduce costs. This entails automating tasks that monitor and optimize the network infrastructure’s health, performance, and security. Downtime is costly for organizations and network teams that often are at least partially bonused based on network reliability. Many have targets of five or six nines of availability, equating to five minutes or less of downtime annually. By leveraging automation tools, network teams can proactively identify bottlenecks, optimize resource utilization, and ensure that the network operates at its peak efficiency. This stage significantly improves cost savings, operational efficiency, and resource allocation.
Stage Three: Shifting Focus to Managing the Automation Platform
The final stage represents the ultimate level of network automation maturity, where the focus shifts from performing manual tasks to managing the automation platform itself. At this level, network teams can delegate the bulk of routine tasks to the automation platform, allowing them to concentrate on strategic decision-making and approving changes. This includes automating user-requested moves, adds, and changes, where the platform directly responds to tickets from ITSM tools and user requests. While this stage represents the ideal end state, it is important to recognize that it may be a distant goal for many organizations and requires significant time and investment.
Overcoming Skepticism with Proven Success
For automation champions, there can be comfort in knowing that you’re not alone in the challenge to overcome skepticism; many organizations still rely on manual processes for network activities. A 2022 Gartner survey shows that less than 35 percent of network activities were automated. This statistic underscores the importance of understanding the current landscape and what’s required to drive the use of network automation.
Transitioning from manual network administration to a fully automated and integrated strategy is a journey that must be approached in stages focusing on the technology and the mindsets for success. By prioritizing essential tasks and gradually expanding automation capabilities, organizations can build a groundswell of support for automation that unlocks benefits, including greater operational stability, improved security, enhanced efficiency, and reduced costs. While the ultimate goal is to reach the advanced stage of managing the automation platform, accept that it may take time to get there, but the hard work of converting skeptics will translate into a momentum that will carry the initiative further for greater rewards.
How are you enabling the shift to network automation? Share with us on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. We’d love to hear from you!
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