Network Automation vs Traditional Network Administration

Developers should learn network automation to streamline network operations in DevOps and cloud-native environments, where rapid provisioning and scalability are critical meets developers should learn traditional network administration when working in environments with legacy systems, on-premises data centers, or industries requiring high security and control over network hardware, such as finance or government. Here's our take.

Network Automation

Nice Pick

Developers should learn network automation to streamline network operations in DevOps and cloud-native environments, where rapid provisioning and scalability are critical

Pros

• It is essential for managing large-scale data centers, implementing continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines for network changes, and ensuring compliance through automated auditing and reporting
• Related to: ansible, python

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

Traditional Network Administration

Developers should learn Traditional Network Administration when working in environments with legacy systems, on-premises data centers, or industries requiring high security and control over network hardware, such as finance or government

Pros

• It provides foundational knowledge for understanding network fundamentals, which is essential for troubleshooting, optimizing performance, and integrating applications with existing infrastructure in traditional IT setups
• Related to: cisco-ios, network-security

Cons

• Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

These tools serve different purposes. Network Automation is a methodology while Traditional Network Administration is a concept. We picked Network Automation based on overall popularity, but your choice depends on what you're building.

The Bottom Line

Network Automation wins

Based on overall popularity. Network Automation is more widely used, but Traditional Network Administration excels in its own space.