Network Automation Nerds - podcast cover

Network Automation Nerds

Packet Pusherspacketpushers.net
Network Automation Nerds is for network engineers and infrastructure professionals eager to learn more about automation. Join host Eric Chou as he explores how to take advantage of modern network programmability to automate tasks, build robust systems, and get more done in less time. You’ll hear from a lineup of seasoned engineers, avid learners, industry leaders, and tool creators as they share tips, best practices, and hard-won advice.

Episodes

NAN086: A Reality Check On AI for Network Operations

On today’s episode, we get a reality check on all the hype surrounding AI with guest Phil Gervasi. Phil provides background on Large Language Models (LLMs) and their applications, as well as the current state of AI technology. We also delve into practical use cases for AI in network operations, from AI as an assistant ... Read more »...

Feb 26, 202553 minEp. 86

NAN085: Embrace Change to Thrive in the Tech Industry

Embracing change is sometimes easier said than done. Today we talk with Monika Machado, who has held significant roles at companies like Microsoft and Oracle. She shares her story of learning and personal growth. Monika highlights the value of mentor-mentee relationships, continuous learning, understanding the difference between leadership and management, and the value of owning ... Read more »...

Feb 12, 20251 hrEp. 85

NAN084: From GitNops Zero to Hero

Are you ready to go from zero to hero in GitNops? On today’s podcast, we talk with Tom McGonagle, who shares and explains git, CI/CD and DevOps and how that all fits into network engineering. The conversation also covers the evolution of containerization and Kubernetes, highlighting their roles in modern network automation. Tom also encourages ... Read more »...

Jan 29, 202545 minEp. 84

NAN083: Cox Gets Network Automation Right, and Proves It at DEF CON (Sponsored)

Today’s Network Automation Nerds episode discusses Cox Communications’ journey to getting network automation right. We also talk about how they used network automation to support operating the network at the DEF CON hacker convention. Our guests are David Ezell, Joshua Watkins and Eric Hansen from Cox Communications. We dive into initial steps and challenges in ... Read more »...

Jan 22, 20251 hr 1 minEp. 83

NAN082: Mastering Python One Bite at a Time

How do you master Python? One bite at a time. On today’s show we talk with Bob Belderbos, co-founder of PyBites, a community and learning platform for Python. Bob shares his philosophy for learning Python in small bites with practical exercises, hands-on learning, and daily coding for improvement. We discuss the importance of small wins, ... Read more »...

Jan 15, 202540 minEp. 82

NAN081: We’re Going To Talk Python To You

On today’s episode, we’re going to talk Python. Host Eric Chou is joined by Michael Kennedy, the founder of Talk Python Training and host of the Talk Python To Me podcast. The discussion covers the evolution of Michael’s podcast and training business, the impact of platforms like TikTok on learning, and the importance of community ... Read more »...

Dec 19, 20241 hr 6 minEp. 81

NAN080: Elevating Your Network Automation Skills and the DevNet Expert Track

Ongoing education and training is a constant in a networking career, especially if you want to advance. And certifications are a common path forward. On today’s episode, guest Andreas Baekdahl shares his journey from traditional networking to automation architect and certification instructor. Along the way, he’s had his share of challenges and failures, and he ... Read more »...

Dec 04, 202439 minEp. 80

NAN079: From Network Monitoring to Observability: Make the Leap for Better NetOps

Traditional network monitoring was built around SNMP and logs. And while there’s still a role for these sources, network observability aims to incorporate more data to help you build a holistic picture of the network and its behavior and performance. These sources can include flows, streaming telemetry, APIs, NETCONF, the CLI, deep packet inspection, synthetic ... Read more »...

Nov 20, 20241 hr 6 minEp. 79

NAN078: The Evolution of Ostinato: From Open Source to a Sustainable Business

Ostinato is a network traffic generator aimed at network engineers who need test traffic, whether in a lab or production, to do things such as test circuit bandwidth, determine if SD-WAN or load balancing rules are working as intended, investigate packet drops, and more. Originally released as an open-source project, Ostinato is now offered as ... Read more »...

Nov 06, 202445 minEp. 78

NAN077: Network Observability: Tools, Automation, and Insights

Network optimization starts with observing, but how are networks observed and what tools are used? Joining the podcast today are the authors behind the book “Modern Network Observability.” Eric Chou welcomes David Flores, Christian Adell, and Josh VanDeraa to help uncover practical strategies and real-world case studies for network observability. Episode Guests: David Flores, Christian ... Read more »...

Oct 23, 202448 minEp. 77

NAN076: Innovating Healthcare IT: Automating NetOps at RUSH University Medical Center (Sponsored)

Uzair Khan from RUSH University Medical Center is today’s guest on the Network Automation Nerds podcast. Uzair discusses the complexities of healthcare technology and the critical role of automation in enhancing operational efficiency and patient safety. He provides examples of how Itential’s automation and orchestration products have given his teams the tools they need to ... Read more »...

Oct 16, 202442 minEp. 76

NAN075: Mastering Networking in the Age of AI: Advice for Aspiring Engineers

Ivan Pepelnjak joins host Eric Chou to reflect on his extensive career, his decision to reduce his content creation, and offer advice for young engineers. They discuss the evolution of networking technologies, emphasizing the importance of mastering Linux and obtaining relevant certifications. Ivan highlights the significance of creating professional visibility and owning one’s content. The ... Read more »...

Oct 09, 20241 hr 1 minEp. 75

NAN074: Integrate and Collaborate with Codespaces and Containerlab

GitHub Codespaces aims to simplify spinning up a developer environment in the cloud. Containerlab, which provides virtual lab environments for network engineers, is now integrated with Codespaces to make it easy to set up and share network labs. On today’s Network Automation Nerds show, we delve into this innovative use of GitHub Codespaces and containerlab ... Read more »...

Sep 25, 202442 minEp. 74

NAN073: Some Final Words of Wisdom from Greg Ferro

This episode was recorded with Greg Ferro, co-founder of Packet Pushers, just days before his retirement in July 2024. Greg and Eric reflect on Greg’s influential career in network engineering and the evolution of the industry. Greg discusses the challenges of maintaining open-source projects amid increasing commercialization and corporate exploitation. He emphasizes the importance of ... Read more »...

Sep 11, 20241 hr 16 minEp. 73

NAN072: Exploring Internet2’s Network Automation for University and Research Networks

On today’s episode we delve into Internet2’s mission to advance research and education through high-speed connectivity. University and research networks may have more complicated designs, requirements, and restrictions than you’d expect. We talk about these challenges, along with innovative network automation solutions. The discussion emphasizes the collaborative, member-driven approach of Internet2 and its commitment to ... Read more »...

Aug 28, 202450 minEp. 72

NAN071: Understanding the Infrastructure Requirements for AI Workloads (Sponsored)

On today’s Network Automation Nerds, we get into the infrastructure required to support AI workloads. We discuss key considerations including bandwidth, the substantial power and cooling requirements of AI infrastructure, and GPUs. We also talk about InfiniBand and Ethernet as network fabrics for AI workloads, cabling considerations, and more. This is a sponsored episode. Our ... Read more »...

Aug 21, 202432 minEp. 71

NAN070: FakeNOS – An Open Source NOS for Network Testing

Today we spotlight an open-source project called FakeNOS. Whether you’re a network engineer looking to experiment in a controlled environment, or a DevOps engineer wanting to run a network testbed for your processes, you can use FakeNOS for your projects. My guests are FakeNOS creator Denis Mulyalin and the maintainer of this project, Enric Pitarch. ... Read more »...

Aug 14, 202446 minEp. 70

NAN069: Lessons On the Journey From NOC to Aerospace Networking

Today, Lexie Cooper shares her journey from a NOC environment to networking engineering in the aerospace industry. Along the way, the discussion makes stops at the importance of medium skills, and the role of humor and relatability in attracting and educating younger professionals in networking. Finally, Lexie relates her challenges when working on the New ... Read more »...

Jul 31, 202456 minEp. 69

NAN068: Is Cloud Networking the Future for Network Engineers?

On today’s episode, host Eric Chou and guest Kyler Middleton discuss the transition from on-prem network engineering to cloud networking; the importance of adapting to new platforms such as AWS, Azure, and Terraform; and the future of cloud versus on-premises solutions. We also discuss Kyler’s background, navigating the journey from a farm upbringing to a ... Read more »...

Jul 10, 202440 minEp. 68

NAN067: AI and Total Network Operations with Scott Robohn

This is the final episode of a series of interviews with Scott Robohn (for now). We discuss AI in networking operations and how it’s still too early to tell exactly how much, if any, value will be created. We also dig into Scott’s Total Network Operations framework, what it consists of and how he wants ... Read more »...

Jun 26, 202431 minEp. 67

NAN066: Operationalize Your Automations With torero (Sponsored)

When you’re trying to share your cool new network automation with your co-workers, the last thing you want to do is deal with other systems’ different libraries and dependencies gumming it up. That’s where our episode sponsor torero comes into play. As an “automation gateway,” torero dynamically creates an execution environment based on what has ... Read more »...

Jun 19, 202429 minEp. 66

NAN065: The Excitement and Trepidation of Automation with Scott Robohn

In part two of Scott Robohn’s interview, Scott tells us about his experience starting his own business and co-founding the Network Automation Forum and the AutoCon conference series. He describes the strong desire among many engineers to drive network automation forward, and how AutoCon creates a community to help make that happen. He and Eric ... Read more »...

Jun 12, 202426 minEp. 65

Day Two Cloud Crossover: When the Cloud was Born

Welcome to a crossover episode with the Day Two Cloud podcast! Eric Chou was there for the birth of the public cloud. Before DevOps or SREs were a thing, before Azure was Azure, Eric was a network engineer for Amazon, helping them build out their retail technology platform. Of course, that platform evolved into the ... Read more »...

Jun 05, 202445 minEp. 244

NAN064: Get to Know NAF Co-Founder: Scott Robohn

Scott Robohn is responsible for so much of the current buzz and awareness of network automation. Today, we sit down with the co-founder of Network Automation Forum to learn about his own journey. We chat about his education and the question of if college degrees are necessary. We also talk about his experience at big ... Read more »...

May 30, 202426 minEp. 64

NAN063: The Team Behind Nautobot (Part 2) – The Benefits of Technical Writing

Curious about what it takes to write a technical book as a network engineer? You’re in luck. The team behind Nautobot is also the team behind the book “Network Automation with Nautobot: Adopt a network source of truth and a data-driven approach to networking.” Jason, Ken, and John tell us about their writing process, timeline, ... Read more »...

May 15, 202427 minEp. 63

NAN062: The Team Behind Nautobot (Part 1)

Today we chat with the maintainers of Nautobot, the open source network source of truth and network automation platform. Jason Edelman, Ken Celenza, John Anderson explain how their day jobs at professional services company, Network to Code, informs their work on Nautobot. They walk us through Nautobot’s core, out-of-the-box capabilities as well as the extensibility ... Read more »...

May 01, 202429 minEp. 62

NAN061: Transforming Network Telemetry Into Operational Insights With Kentik (Sponsored)

The expectations for application delivery are higher than ever before, the networks that support those applications are increasingly distributed, and visibility is essential for network operations and troubleshooting. On today’s sponsored episode, Kentik’s Phil Gervasi joins us to discuss how Kentik collects essential performance data to help you monitor and manage all the networks your ... Read more »...

Apr 24, 202445 minEp. 61

NAN060: Python for Network Engineering with Kirk Byers (Part 2)

This is Part 2 of Kirk Byers’ interview. We discuss the Git course he’s developing and the need to build bridges between networking and testing so we can move automation forward. This of course leads us to geek out about AutoCon and the talks we’re most excited about. Plus, Kirk shares his wisdom about creating ... Read more »...

Apr 17, 202437 minEp. 60

NAN059: Python for Network Engineering with Kirk Byers (Part 1)

The intersection of Python and network engineering is Kirk Byers’ sweet spot. Today, the creator of the Netmiko library and core maintainer of NAPALM joins the show to tell us about his network automation journey. We also discuss Kirk’s experience on the business side of things, both the ups and downs. This is Part 1 ... Read more »...

Apr 04, 202438 minEp. 59

NAN058: The Story of containerlab with Roman Dodin (Part 2)

Welcome back for Part 2 of Eric’s interview with Roman Dodin, co-creator of containerlab. Roman describes containerlab as a “lab as code” tool that quickly and easily creates virtual networking topologies. With increased automation and containerization in network engineering, the tool’s popularity has exploded. We talk about how folks contribute to containerlab’s development and what ... Read more »...

Mar 20, 202434 minEp. 58