Gartner Research

How to Automate Your Network Using DevOps Practices and Infrastructure as Code

Published: 15 January 2020

ID: G00407239

Analyst(s): Paul Delory, Simon Richard

Summary

Network operations must adjust to meet new application patterns and delivery methods based on DevOps. This research teaches I&O technical professionals how to use techniques such as infrastructure as code and CI/CD to overcome the technical and nontechnical barriers to effective network automation.

Table Of Contents

Problem Statement

The Gartner Approach

The Guidance Framework

  • Prework: Implement the Continuous Infrastructure Automation Pipeline
    • Build Workflow Triggers
    • Integrate With Change Management
    • Set Up Notification Channels
    • Guidance for Implementing the CIA Pipeline
  • Establish the Network Source of Truth
    • Initialize Your Network Source of Truth
    • Enhance Your Network Source of Truth
    • Network Source of Truth Guidance
  • Build and Deploy Changes
    • Select Targets and Use Cases
    • Implement Configuration Management With Ansible
    • Expand to Other Automation Tools
    • Build and Deploy Changes Phase Guidance
  • Validate Changes
    • Execute Preimplementation Validations
    • Execute Postimplementation Validations
    • Validation and Test Phase Guidance
  • Follow-Up

Risks and Pitfalls

Gartner Recommended Reading

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