What is Network Automation?
Network automation is the process of using software to automate network and security provisioning and management in order to continuously maximize network efficiency and functionality. Network automation is often used in conjunction with network virtualization.
Network automation refers to the process of automating everyday network tasks – such as configuration, management, testing deployment, and operation – of virtual and physical devices on a network. This helps to improve network service availability, efficiency, and functionality. Network automation is commonly used along with network virtualization functions.
How does Network Automation work?
Network Automation uses programmable logic to manage network resources and services. This allows teams to configure, manage, test and deploy everyday network tasks and functions automatically, minimizing the repetitive process.
Networking uses hardware and software to transport data. Automation uses technology to perform the tasks. A software creates instructions and tools, and the tasks are carried out automatically.
Minimizing the repetitive process and using network automation, network service availability improves. Cloudify is a leading open source network automation tool. Cisco, VMware, and Ansible also have network automation solutions.
Why is Network Automation important?
Here are some reasons why network automation is important:
Simplification of Network Management – Manually handling network management processes is time and resource intensive, so many processes aren’t regularly performed. With network automation, these processes can be made more frequently, reducing network downtime and failure. An automated network also makes configurations more consistent, so management is simpler and faster.
Network Analysis – Network automation helps to move network analysis out of simply identifying and troubleshooting problems, and into a more comprehensive overview of your network. It enables you to perform more complex network analysis with data from multiple sources, providing deep insights into performance, security, utilization, and allocation of resources.
Error Reduction – Network automation implementation helps to reduce the number of human errors (which cause up to 80 percent of network failures) by automating manual processes, keeping the network functioning at an optimal level.
It’s Dynamic – By automating manual changes and updates, you’re able to optimize the performance of your network, be more agile, and streamline (even accelerate) rollouts of new applications and services. Network automation contributes to your ability to adapt dynamically per your business needs.
Why Use Network Automation?
Network Automation enables you to Automate Your IT, Accelerate New App Development and See Clearly Across Environments. When you automate your network, security provisioning and management the complete application lifecycle, across data centers and cloud environments is much quicker and more efficient.
