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Welcome to NetDevOps.it

Your Gateway to Network Automation Excellence

Welcome to NetDevOps.it, a hub for network engineers and DevOps enthusiasts seeking to elevate their network automation skills. This site is dedicated to sharing knowledge, tools, and insights for mastering the art of Network Development Operations.

Note: This site is under construction. New content is being added regularly, but some sections may not be fully operational yet.

What is NetDevOps?

NetDevOps is an approach that brings modern DevOps principles and practices to network operations. It aims to improve agility, automation, and collaboration in network management by leveraging tools and methodologies commonly used in software development.

In traditional network operations, changes are often manual, error-prone, and slow. NetDevOps introduces automation, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD), and version control to enhance efficiency, consistency, and scalability.

Key Principles of NetDevOps

  1. Automation
    Automate repetitive tasks such as configuration management, testing, and deployment to reduce human errors and increase operational efficiency.

  2. Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
    Define network infrastructure using code for consistency and repeatability. Popular tools include Ansible, Terraform, and Python.

  3. Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)
    Implement pipelines to validate and deploy network changes automatically using tools like GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, and GitHub Actions.

  4. Collaboration
    Foster cross-functional teamwork between network engineers, developers, and operations using version control systems like Git.

  5. Monitoring and Feedback
    Integrate telemetry and monitoring solutions (e.g., Prometheus, Grafana, NetBox) for real-time insights into network performance.

Benefits of NetDevOps

  • Increased Agility: Faster deployment of network changes and new services
  • Improved Reliability: Reduced downtime through automation and proactive monitoring
  • Enhanced Scalability: Manage large-scale networks with consistent practices
  • Cost Efficiency: Lower manual labor and operational overhead

What You'll Find Here

NetDevOps.it is more than just a blog — it's a comprehensive resource library for network engineers. Here's what you can expect:

🛠️ Ansible roles & Docker images (author-maintained)

Roles, collections overview, and Docker Hub images I build and maintain are documented on my personal site — bartsmeding.nl (e.g. Ansible Roles & Collections, Docker images). NetDevOps.it stays focused on tutorials, blog posts, and courses.

📚 Step-by-Step Tutorials

  • Ansible fundamentals - from basic concepts to advanced techniques
  • Network automation workflows - practical examples you can implement today
  • CI/CD pipelines - integrating automation into your development process
  • Infrastructure as Code - managing network configurations with version control

Available Tutorials:

Tutorials Overview:

🏗️ Nautobot Integration

  • Single Source of Truth (SSoT) strategies for network automation
  • Dynamic inventory management with Nautobot IPAM
  • Custom jobs and workflows to streamline network operations
  • Integration patterns with Ansible and other automation tools

Nautobot Resources: - Nautobot as SSoT/CMDB - Comprehensive guide to using Nautobot - Nautobot container image (author) — Docker image details on bartsmeding.nl

🔐 SSO and Authentication Solutions

  • Identity management for network automation platforms
  • Secure access patterns for enterprise environments
  • Integration guides for popular SSO providers

SSO Resources: - SSO Solutions - Single Sign-On implementation guide

📖 Blog and Insights

  • Real-world project lessons and case studies
  • Tool comparisons and recommendations
  • Industry trends and best practices
  • Community insights and collaboration opportunities

Latest Blog Posts:

Tool Reviews and Guides:

Blog Index:

🎓 Courses and Training

  • Structured learning paths for network automation
  • Hands-on workshops and exercises
  • Certification preparation resources
  • Skill development roadmaps

Available Courses:

🤖 AI in networking

For AI in networking (CMDB, devices, agents), see AI in networking on bartsmeding.nl.

Common NetDevOps Tools

Category Tools
Configuration Management Ansible, SaltStack, Nornir
CI/CD Pipelines Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, GitHub Actions
Infrastructure as Code Terraform, OpenTofu, CloudFormation
Network Automation Netmiko, NAPALM, pyATS
Monitoring & Telemetry Prometheus, Grafana, InfluxDB
Version Control Git, GitHub, GitLab

How to Get Started with NetDevOps

  1. Learn the Fundamentals: Understand automation tools and scripting languages (e.g., Python)
  2. Use Version Control: Start using Git for tracking changes and collaboration
  3. Automate Small Tasks: Begin by automating simple tasks such as configuration backups
  4. Implement CI/CD Pipelines: Gradually introduce automation pipelines to your network operations
  5. Leverage Infrastructure as Code: Define and manage your network infrastructure using code

Site author

This site is maintained by Bart Smeding. For a profile, open-source roles and Docker images, and contact details, see bartsmeding.nl. You can also connect on LinkedIn.

Quick Navigation

🚀 Getting Started

🛠️ Automation Tools

🏗️ Network Management

🐳 Container Solutions

🔐 Security & Authentication

📖 Blog & Insights

🎓 Learning Resources

👤 Profile & contact

Let's Connect

Have questions or want to collaborate? Feel free to reach out or connect with me on LinkedIn.

Together, Let's Build the Future of Network Automation

Explore, learn, and automate — because the future of networking is here, and it's automated.