Network automation tools can save time and labor for your IT team. With the right tool, your team can automate many common network tasks, including bandwidth analysis and tracking, data backups, testing, and configuration changes.
Script-based network automation is one of the types of network automation which uses standard programming languages. However, this approach can be difficult to scale and cause major outages if an error occurs.
Network Mapper
Network mapping is a network administration tool that enables IT managers to visualize and break down a complex physical network into smaller parts, helping them troubleshoot issues faster. This tool provides a high-level view of the network that helps IT teams plan for future expansion and make informed purchasing decisions. A robust network mapper should be able to map all devices connected to a given network, including switches, routers, firewalls, and virtual LANs (VLANs). In addition, it should provide detailed information about each device, such as its current status and the devices it connects to.
Network mappers are typically powered by the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP). SNMP exposes technical data about managed systems through Management Information Bases (MIBs), allowing network administrators to discover, map, and manage those entities.
Some mapping solutions use active probing to obtain network data, sending probe packets that hop from node to node and collecting information about each one’s IP address and other technical details. This method is useful in larger networks such as the Internet, though it may only collect publicly available and non-confidential node information.
Some mapping solutions provide automatic network device detection features that enable centralized management and end-to-end coordination of LAN configuration additions and modifications.This is particularly helpful for multivendor environments that require frequent configuration change deployments across routers, switches, and firewalls.
Network Configurator
Network automation tools use an API to access and automate network device configurations. They also help network admins with provisioning, change management, and backups. In addition, these tools make it easier for them to follow compliance regulations and laws.
Rather than manually requiring network administrators to launch Secure Socket Shell (SSH) sessions into each switch, router, and firewall to change the settings that use text using command-line syntax, these tools generate configuration scripts to push the changes to each device in seconds. This is a major time saver and reduces the risk of making mistakes that could lead to network downtime.
Some network automation tools offer advanced features like real-time configuration change alerts and reporting. These enable you to see any errors that may have been introduced and take immediate corrective actions. They can also help you improve security by preventing unauthorized changes and showing you which systems were affected by the change.
Another feature is an automated configuration management database, which keeps an archive of previous versions of your network device configurations for easy recovery from accidental or intentional changes. This eliminates the need to manually update backups or recreate configurations from scratch, reducing the risk of downtime and data loss.
Network Monitoring
When networks are complex, it takes time to troubleshoot and resolve issues. Network automation makes identifying and addressing problems easier, reducing downtime and improving service availability.
There are many network automation tools available on the market. Some are open source, which allows for greater flexibility, but require a higher level of coding skill. ]
In addition to automation, network monitoring is another important function for network administrators. This includes monitoring the status of hardware components such as routers, switches, and firewalls. It also provides performance metrics and alerts. It’s important to determine how frequently each component should be monitored. For example, client laptops and printers can be monitored less frequently than servers or routers.
Network Troubleshooting
Network troubleshooting is finding and fixing issues that may be causing a network to perform poorly. It involves a wide range of tools and techniques, including using ping and traceroute to identify the location of the problem, checking connectivity between devices, and investigating resource usage. This can be a time-consuming and difficult task, especially in large organizations.
One of the most important steps in the network troubleshooting process is determining what has changed since the initial problem appeared. This can help you determine whether the issue is isolated to a particular device or if it affects users in different parts of the network. It is also important to document how the problem was resolved to avoid similar incidents.
Another popular tool used for network troubleshooting is the netstat utility, which shows the current state of network connections on a host. This can be useful in identifying problems such as open ports, which could indicate that a service is listening on a port that should be closed. It can also be useful in determining which remote hosts are connected to a host on a specific port.
