What is automation
History teaches us that many of the activities carried out manually by people can be replaced by automated processes controlled by systems and technologies. Automation is just that, the use of mechanical, electronic or computer devices to perform repetitive or highly specialized tasks, simplifying dependence on human presence or assisting it in repetitive work, thus leaving more complex and managerial tasks to people and avoiding errors due to manual dexterity. This is implemented in different ways, such as the use of robots, numerical control machines, sensors, process management software and/or artificial intelligence systems.
If, on the one hand, the human presence is assisted and supported, on the other hand, the company has the opportunity to improve the efficiency, productivity, quality and safety of many activities, from manual labor to industrial production, from machine control to business process management. All sectors involve repetitive activities and can make use of automation: industrial production, logistics, process control, agriculture, finance, healthcare and many others. However, the solution is more common in the manufacturing, robotics, automotive and technology sectors (IT systems and decision-making software).
In particular, a sector highly linked to this solution is that of networks, which requires the use of tools and technologies to automate management, configuration and monitoring activities. Often networks are known for being slow and unresponsive. Their large and complex nature, combined with manual operations, makes them subject to delays. With the evolution of the general landscape and the need for changes and updates at ever higher rates, manually managed networks become a bottleneck, thus slowing down business processes as a whole.
With automation, network operations teams can then configure, scale, protect, and integrate network infrastructure and application services more quickly. Often, however, network technicians are used to making changes with the Command Line Interface (CLI) and hesitate to try anything new that does not support Command Line Scripting, so new automation solutions favor the use of software based on the Graphic User Interface (GUI) that eliminates the need to code and makes the automation itself faster and more efficient.
What are the benefits of network automation
- Improving company efficiency: thanks to the automation of repetitive and routine activities, the reduction of network management times and the reduction of human error, automation makes it possible to improve company efficiency by allowing people to focus on more complex and higher-value tasks.
- Reducing operating costs and improving quality: since automation eliminates human intervention, such as access to the router, switch, load balancing services and firewalls, and makes management activities more efficient and secure, the company derives a significant reduction in operating costs. In addition, thanks to the reduction of errors and inefficiencies that may result from human error, automation improves the quality of work and increases customer satisfaction.
- Increased security: networks can often experience security problems due to manual management. Thanks to constant monitoring 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, alarm alerts are timely and, if the networks are properly configured, the automation makes decisions and solves problems independently, maintaining an archive of events and proposing any resolution procedures to be applied.
How automation works
Automation can work thanks to various technological tools, including robots that can assemble components and move materials, or sensors that detect and monitor various parameters to control and regulate processes, or even software used for business processes, such as the management of human resources, warehouses, invoicing and accounting.
In the case of networks, it is based on the use of software to perform management operations and can be implemented using different approaches, but it generally involves the use of scripts or automation tools to perform repetitive and routine tasks, such as configuring devices, provisioning services and monitoring network performance. In general, network automation works by following the following steps:
- Identification of repetitive activities: that is, the network management processes that can be repeated in a systematic way.
- Creation of scripts or automation templates: Based on the identified activities, scripts or automation templates are created, which define how to perform those activities automatically.
- Running automation scripts or templates: Automation scripts or templates are executed by network automation software, which uses configuration information and status data from network devices to perform necessary operations.
- Verification and monitoring: once the automation operations are completed, the system verifies the correct execution of the activities and monitors network performance to identify any problems or anomalies.
- Exception management: if problems or errors occur during the execution of automation operations, the system manages the exceptions and sends notifications to network managers for manual intervention, proceeding, where necessary, to “go back” with the configuration of the partially configured components (rollback).
In summary, network automation makes it possible to improve the efficiency and consistency of network management operations, reducing the risk of human error and improving the quality of service. In addition, network automation makes it possible to respond more quickly to business needs, reducing network downtime, the implementation of a new functionality or a new service, and improving the agility of the entire infrastructure.
Why choose the Xacria solution
Keeping up with innovations is necessary for companies to evolve, yet there are many realities that remain skeptical in the face of change. The well-known American mathematician, computer science and military Grace Hopper, a pioneer of computer programming, reminded us how human beings tend to be trapped in “we have always done this way.” A phrase that has been fatal for many companies, such as when you were convinced that cars would never replace carriages because the noise would scare the horses, or even when you were convinced that the telephone without a keyboard could not exceed the writing speed of the T9 or when you were convinced that the CDs were here to stay.
Being far-sighted and flexible to change is necessary for business survival and in the field of automation there are already several solutions at an international level. Often these solutions are of 3 types: complex and sophisticated, simple but light or easy to use but complex to implement.
Thanks to Xacria's research and development activities, the Xacria Network Orchestrator (XNO) has been launched, a solution that goes beyond automation, allowing you to control, monitor and receive requests that it then executes and notifies the result. THE XNO:
- makes use of the most relevant and well-known standard protocols
- it is 100% free, with no restrictions or restrictions on brands of any kind and with the possibility of co-existing solutions
- it is highly scalable because it is based on micro-services. Companies therefore have the option of configuring routers, CPEs, network devices or others, in large quantities at a reduced time. For example, if a commercial area needs to offer a new service to its customers by requiring a massive configuration of the underlying devices, once the micro-services have been programmed and activated, which can be self-configured with the help of the Xacria Application Programming Interface (API), the configuration will take place quickly on all devices.
The XNO is the leitmotif of Xacria and the solution that several companies have chosen to be able to speed up, control, maintain and update the requests and new services that customers need today and tomorrow.
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