- [Presenter] The goal of automation
isn't to replace humans.
Engineers will always be required
to keep the train on the tracks.
Rather, it's to make our lives easier.
Automation takes repetitive human tasks
and streamlines them into an automatic process.
Take for example a network that contains 100 switches.
For each switch, the upgrade process requires
first verifying the current version,
determining if it needs to be upgraded,
uploading the new iOS,
saving and/or backing up the current configuration,
reloading a device, and then ensuring it upgrades properly.
This is likely a process that takes
around 25 minutes per device.
That equates to nearly 42 hours of work
to complete the process.
Now imagine automating the process.
Even if it takes a few hours to develop
and test the process, it saves over 30 hours
the very first time it's utilized.
Multiple, repetitive human tasks
are also susceptible to errors with typos,
especially as focus begins to dull over time.
So long as the data pulls that automation platforms
have access to are correct,
the human element becomes a non-issue.
When updating 100 switches, though the margin of error
may be low when being done by a human,
automation can get that number to zero or very near it.
Not only that, but often menial tasks
can be scheduled to automatically run at optimum hours
when it's least impacting to the network.
This can help prevent administrator fatigue
as multiple sites are manipulated over time.
Another benefit to automating common tasks
is delegation of access in automation platforms.
This allows for different levels of techs
to have access to various automation tasks,
so what was once a complicated procedure
for a Senior Engineer to perform
can now be performed through automation
by a Junior Tech or a NOC Engineer.
Using automation also helps to standardize configurations
within the network,
as devices are generally based off of templates.
Using controllers with northbound interfaces
also provides many advantages.
Engineers can start thinking more about the applications
that will be used on the network,
rather than the individual device configurations.
This can help move an organization
to more of a devops approach
in their network infrastructure.
Automation's benefits are really pretty commonsense,
but don't let that keep you from spending
a little extra time studying them.