The rise of NetOps engineers

NetOps, also known as NetDevOps, is the practice of monitoring, managing, automating and operating networks using DevOps techniques such as agile software development, continuous integration/continuous delivery and extensive use of automation. the goal of NetOps is to use these techniques to make fast and accurate changes to networks to support changing business applications. Many are now utilising DevOps techniques and this is leading to the rise of a new type of engineer.

 

NetOps engineers, like DevOps engineers, rely heavily on automation and programming scripts to achieve repeatable processes. In terms of advances in application development, network automation lags behind DevOps primarily due to two factors.

 

Deploying web software development practices requires a cultural shift ;

Difficulties in creating development and testing environments that replicate production networks. While virtual instances of network operating systems from major network vendors such as Cisco, Juniper and Arista are starting to make this easier, replicating production data flows in test networks remains a challenge.

The emergence of NetOps engineers

To address both of these issues, the NetOps engineer was created, a position that comes from two different disciplines.

 

The most common are the network engineers who first learned about the network through a traditional command line interface. These engineers can become frustrated with the slow and error-prone process of manually changing device configurations. These candidates begin the transition by learning the software techniques that make them more effective.

The other comes from DevOps engineers who are interested in networking. These people are interested in applying software development techniques to network management, possibly to help some friendly network engineers.

What does a NetOps engineer do?

The primary function of a NetOps engineer is to deploy repeatable automated processes for network operations. netOps engineers apply a paradigm equivalent to DevOps, where standardised server builds reduce management effort. To achieve this, the network design must minimise design changes to support standardised designs and automate common processes.

 

This requires working with network architects to create network building blocks based on common best practice designs. Configuration templates are then created to merge variables such as device names, IP addresses or virtual LANs within each building block implementation.These variables will be sourced from a central repository called the Network Source of Truth (NSoT).

 

NetOps engineers work with the automation system to create network device configurations by integrating configuration templates with NSoT variables. Automation is used to deploy the resulting configurations to the production network. Changes to NSoT variables can be quickly deployed throughout the network, for example by updating access list rules or modifying quality of service parameters.

 

Another function of the NetOps engineer is to build a virtual test/development network infrastructure that matches the production network environment as closely as possible. The test/development network enables staff to test proposed network changes prior to deployment to the production network.

 

Once the test network is in place, the NetOps engineer can create the Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery (CI/CD) process. Network engineers use the CI/CD process to validate proposed network changes and if the changes pass all tests, they can be automatically applied to the production network. This is similar to the process used by DevOps teams for server and application management.

 

NetOps engineers can develop scripts for custom automation, as well as use commercial tools for common tasks. In either case, network standardisation, templates and variables are key elements.

 

As they are responsible for network configuration, NetOps engineers work closely with network security operations (SecOps) engineers as well as network architects and engineers to monitor the network for problems. Common automated tasks are updating security controls or verifying that the network is operating as expected. To do this, NetOps systems, security systems and network monitoring systems need to be integrated.

 

Skills for NetOps engineers

Key skills for NetOps engineers include an understanding of network configuration, network protocols, software development and the language used for NetOps. Understanding basic networking concepts helps prevent unnecessary errors. For example, there are often subtle but critical differences between data centre networks, corporate office LAN environments and WANs. As many different network environments are transitioning to software-defined network controllers, NetOps engineers should understand what is happening behind the scenes.

 

Senior NetOps engineers should understand and apply the principles of object-oriented programming, the use of abstraction layers and the concept of infrastructure as code to accomplish automated tasks. There must also be a good understanding of the software development paradigms, processes (including agility), languages, tools and libraries used for network automation. Excellent troubleshooting skills are essential for both software and networks.

 

Finally, strong communication and collaboration skills are required when working with network architects, application system architects, DevOps engineers and SecOps engineers. Good reading skills are also essential - for understanding API documentation and applying it to building and customising automated systems.

 

Career path for a NetOps engineer

A NetOps engineer's career can start in software development or networking, eventually covering both areas of knowledge. Regardless of the starting point, courses such as the Cisco DevNet certification are beneficial. Those starting from a software development background should also look for courses in networking assistant and networking specialisms. Software development courses, on the other hand, are best suited to existing network engineers. Any track should start with simple concepts and then gradually learn good practices in each discipline.

 

NetOps Engineer positions currently show an expected salary of $115,000 or more. Experienced engineers with a background in successful deployments should expect to be paid more, especially those with higher level certifications.

 

Responsible Editor: Ningning Zhao

Source: TechTarget China