What is Network Automation And Why Network Automation?
Network automation is the process of automating the configuring, operating, deploying, testing, and managing of virtual and physical devices within a network. With everyday functions and network tests automated, as well as repetitive processes being managed and controlled automatically, the availability of the network service will improve. Network automation can be used on any type of network. Software- and hardware-based solutions can enable enterprises, service providers, and data centers to implement network automation so operating expenses can be lowered, reduce human error, and improve efficiency. Read on to discover more.
What can Network Automation Involve?
There is a broad range of tasks that can be included in network automation. This includes everything from implementing security compliance and providing insight into reports and dashboards to updating software, analysis of data, collection of data, device testing and configuration verification, network planning and design, and much more.
What are The Benefits of Network Automation Tools?
There are many different benefits that are associated with network automation. This includes all of the following:
- Lower the number of errors made - One of the main reasons why businesses automate their network is because it will lower the number of errors made. Human errors are responsible for 80 percent of failures on a network. By reducing these errors, you’re going to achieve much better performance and reliability. Of course, this does not mean you should get rid of the number of humans at your business! You still need people to make network automation work. However, by automating processes that are repetitive you will be able to keep your network functioning at the optimal error and minimize errors in the process.
- Enable deeper network analysis - You are also going to be able to identify issues and troubleshoot problems, as well as predicting potential future problems as well. This is on a very basic level. However, with network automation, you can carry out a more complex analysis of your network, using data from a multitude of sources, for example, mobile devices, configuration files, event logs, switches, and routers. This can result in deeper insights into resource allocation, security, utilization, and performance.
- Optimize performance - Network automation will support monitoring tools, which will alert admins about errors on your network, high resource utilization levels, and performance problems. It also gives you the ability to carry out and report on service-level agreement tests with more accuracy and speed.
- Simplify network management - Another benefit associated with network automation is the network management processes will become simplified. If they are handled manually, it can drain resources and take a lot of time. Network automation makes it feasible for these processes to be performed more regularly, lowering the risk of network downtime and failure. Plus, when the network is automated, configurations will be applied across the infrastructure consistently with less effort. This makes management easier to scale, as well as being faster and simpler too.
- Make the network more dynamic - Aside from the advantages of network programmability and automation discussed so far, your network will become more dynamic because you will be able to adapt to business and user need more effectively. By automating manual changes and updates, you are going to be able to optimize network performance, enable improved business agility, and accelerate the rollout of new applications and services.
- Reduce risk - not only will you be able to reduce the number of errors that are made at your business, but you are also going to be able to lower the number of risks as well. Both are connected. When you take everything that has been discussed so far into account, it is not hard to see how network automation can mean a lower risk of regulatory compliance violations, data breaches, equipment failure, and performance problems.
- Free up your IT staff for tasks of higher value - Last but not least, without network automation software, your IT staff are going to have to manually handle all management, monitoring, troubleshooting, and maintenance tasks. By removing these repetitive tasks from your IT team’s plate, network automation is going to enable your team to concentrate on strategic initiatives that drive business innovation and improvements, as well as identifying new opportunities and improving productivity.
So there you have it: an insight into network automation and why it is so important. As you can see, network automation offers a wealth of benefits for businesses to make the most of. However, you are only going to be able to do this if you implement automation effectively, so make sure you put a lot of time and consideration into this as well.
