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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
  2. Automating repetitive tasks such as configuration management, testing, and deployment.

  3. Reducing human errors and increasing operational efficiency.

  4. Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

  5. Defining network infrastructure using code to ensure consistency and repeatability.

  6. Popular tools include Ansible, Terraform, and Python.

  7. Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)

  8. Implementing pipelines to validate and deploy network changes automatically.

  9. Tools like GitLab CI/CD, Jenkins, and GitHub Actions are commonly used.

  10. Collaboration

  11. Encouraging cross-functional collaboration between network engineers, developers, and operations teams.

  12. Using version control systems like Git to track changes and facilitate teamwork.

  13. Monitoring and Feedback

  14. Integrating telemetry and monitoring solutions to gain real-time insights into network performance.
  15. Tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, and NetBox are frequently used.

Nautobot: The Single Source of Truth for Network Automation

Nautobot serves as a single source of truth (SSoT) application for managing network infrastructure. It provides a centralized repository for delivering device information, pushing configurations, performing compliance checks, automating device configuration, and generating vulnerability reports (CVE). Additionally, Nautobot can synchronize with various third-party tools to enhance network automation and management.

How Nautobot Helps:

  • Delivering Device Information: Stores comprehensive details about network devices, enabling quick and accurate access to inventory.
  • Pushing Configuration: Automates deployment of network configurations across multiple devices.
  • Compliance Checks: Ensures network devices adhere to security and operational standards.
  • Automating Device Configuration: Uses playbooks and workflows to streamline device provisioning and management.
  • CVE Vulnerability Reports: Provides insights into potential vulnerabilities affecting network devices.
  • Third-Party Synchronization: Seamlessly integrates with numerous external systems to extend capabilities.

Supported Third-Party Integrations:

  • Cisco ACI
  • Bootstrap
  • Citrix ADM
  • Arista CloudVision
  • Device42
  • Cisco DNA Center
  • Infoblox
  • IPFabric
  • Itential
  • LibreNMS
  • Cisco Meraki
  • ServiceNow
  • Slurpit
  • SolarWinds

By integrating Nautobot with these tools, organizations can achieve greater visibility, operational efficiency, and automation capabilities, helping them stay ahead in a rapidly evolving network environment.

Benefits of NetDevOps

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

Common NetDevOps Tools

Below are some of the most commonly used tools in the NetDevOps ecosystem:

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

How to Get Started with NetDevOps

  1. Learn the Fundamentals: Gain a solid understanding of automation tools and scripting languages such as 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.