What are the steps to create a scalable and reliable network automation pipeline?

1 Define your goals and requirements

The first step to create a scalable and reliable network automation pipeline is to define your goals and requirements. What are the network tasks and processes that you want to automate? What are the expected outcomes and benefits of automation? What are the current challenges and pain points that you face with manual or legacy methods? How do you measure the success and performance of your automation? These questions will help you identify the scope, objectives, and metrics of your network automation project.

2 Choose your automation tools and platforms

The next step is to choose the automation tools and platforms that suit your needs and preferences. There are many options available, such as scripting languages, frameworks, libraries, APIs, orchestration tools, and network automation platforms. Some factors to consider when choosing your automation tools and platforms are: the compatibility and interoperability with your network devices and services, the features and functionalities that they offer, the ease of use and maintenance, the documentation and support, and the cost and licensing.

3 Design your automation architecture and workflow

Once you have chosen your automation tools and platforms, you need to design your automation architecture and workflow. This involves defining the roles and responsibilities of your network automation team, the standards and conventions for your code and configuration, the data sources and formats for your network inventory and state, the communication and integration methods for your automation components, and the stages and steps for your automation pipeline. You should also document your automation design and workflow for future reference and improvement.

4 Test and validate your automation code and configuration

Before you deploy your automation code and configuration to your production network, you need to test and validate them thoroughly. This will help you avoid errors, bugs, and failures that can compromise your network functionality and security. You can use various methods and tools to test and validate your automation code and configuration, such as unit testing, integration testing, functional testing, regression testing, code analysis, code review, simulation, emulation, and sandboxing.

5 Deploy and monitor your automation pipeline

The final step is to deploy and monitor your automation pipeline. You should follow a systematic and gradual approach to deploy your automation code and configuration to your production network, such as using version control, change management, backup and restore, rollback, and staging environments. You should also monitor your automation pipeline regularly to ensure its performance, reliability, and security. You can use tools such as logging, alerting, auditing, reporting, and troubleshooting to monitor your automation pipeline.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?