The document summarizes perspectives from business stakeholders on automation and software-defined networking (SDN). It notes that businesses want new technologies like SDN implemented quickly to gain competitive advantages. However, they often request new technologies without understanding why or having clear goals in mind. The document advocates for network automation and APIs to help businesses reduce costs, improve quality and productivity, and cope with complex networks and systems in the same way that system administrators have used automation tools like configuration management.

1. DevOps4Networks Lightning Talk
What the Business Thinks
Nathan Sowatskey
SDN and Network Programming Lead DevNet
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2. Nathan Sowatskey
• Currently SDN and Network
Programming Lead DevNet
• With Cisco since 2000, 10+ years as
technical leader in core software
groups
• Last 2-3 years TME for SDN and
Network Programming
• Decades of software development
experience
• http://es.linkedin.com/in/nathansowatsk
ey
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3. What the Business Thinks
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4. “When do we want it?
…
NOW!*”
The business
*Or a week/month/year ago …
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5. “Everything that can be
automated will be
automated.”
In the Age of the Smart Machine: The Future of Work and Power
Shoshana Zuboff - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoshana_Zuboff
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6. “We need “SDN”.”
A typical conversation
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7. “We need “SDN”.”
“Why? What for?”
A typical conversation
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8. “We need “SDN”.”
“Why? What for?”
“I don’t know! Because we have
funding for “SDN”?”
A typical conversation
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9. “Open*, SDN, *Flow, APIs,
DevOps, Python, Scripts, SDKs,
Controllers, ACI, OSS,
Orchestration ….“
A typical conversation
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10. “Open*, SDN, *Flow, APIs,
DevOps, Python, Scripts, SDKs,
Controllers, ACI, OSS,
Orchestration ….“
“Whatever, I just want it
automated”
A typical conversation
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11. Why Automation?
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Low
Automation
Medium
Automation
High
Automation
Full
Automation
Various: http://www.methodsandtools.com/archive/archive.php?id=94,
http://www.infoq.com/articles/test-automation-continuous-delivery,
http://devopsanywhere.blogspot.com/2013/02/sysadmin-productivity-and-chef.
html
$ Cost
Quality
Productivity
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12. OS and Sys Admins Did It
First - DevOps
A change from manually configuring every
server, operating system, and virtual
machine to operating a nimble set of
infrastructure at scale
1 Server Admin : 100-200 Servers
to
1 Server Admin : 5,000 – 10,000 Servers
CLI + Bash scripts + Reactive configuration
to
Orchestrated configuration and integration
with development
Network Operations
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13. So why can’t the
networking dudes do
this?
• Practically anyone you ask in IT
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14. If we automate, will I
still have a job?
• Practically anyone you ask in networking
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15. We have been here
before – plus ça
change
Automation is not new … what’s new is that the business can’t afford
NOT to automate
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16. “Buying a new switch costs
thousands.
A typical customer
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17. “Buying a new switch costs
thousands.
Changing an OSS costs millions.
A typical customer
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18. “Buying a new switch costs
thousands.
Changing an OSS costs millions.
What am I going to optimise for?”
A typical customer
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19. “A consistent API would be great!
A typical customer
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20. “A consistent API would be great!
I can cope with two APIs.
A typical customer
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21. “A consistent API would be great!
I can cope with two APIs.
What I can’t work with is NO
APIs.”
A typical customer
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22. Before and After APIs and Automation
 Do you support RFCnnnn?
 What is your cost/port?
 Do you have my favourite CLI
dongle?
 Have you fixed that bug in IOS?
 Is XYZ feature supported on all
platforms in the same way?
 Do you have an API for that?
 Do you support my DevOps
framework and/or programming
language?
 Can I configure that via an API?
 Have you fixed the bug in that
API/Plugin?
 Is this API/Plugin available
across all platforms
consistently?
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23. Thank you.