In many organizations, efficiency and automation are becoming more important. As they grow, the need for provisioning processes for devices is also increasing. Traditionally, setting up and configuring network infrastructure has been a laborious and time-consuming process, often prone to errors and inconsistencies. Automated network provisioning offers a straightforward approach to deploying and configuring network devices with minimal human intervention. In this article, we delve into the concept of automated provisioning for networking devices, its benefits and risks.
What is automated network provisioning?
Automated network provisioning, as the name suggests, refers to the automated deployment and configuration of networking elements without prior manual configuration. Traditionally, setting up networking equipment involved tasks such as manually configuring devices, updating firmware, etc. However now these processes can be automated, significantly reducing the time and effort required for deployment.
Key components of network provisioning
Automated network provisioning uses multiple components and technologies that can be used together to orchestrate the deployment and configuration of network devices.
DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol)
In enterprise networks, DHCP plays an important role by automatically assigning IP addresses to network devices as they connect to the network. During the provisioning process, devices obtain their IP addresses dynamically from a DHCP server with information where to download the initial configuration and software, eliminating the need for manual pre-configuration.
Orchestration platforms and tools
Configuration management tools automate the process of defining, deploying, and tracking configuration changes across network devices. These solutions, like Cisco Crosswork Network Services Orchestrator (NSO) for switches and routers or Palo Alto Panorama dedicated for Palo Alto firewalls, enable administrators to maintain configuration consistency, enforce compliance and roll out updates across distributed network infrastructure.
Automation tools like Ansible, Puppet, or Chef enable administrators to define provisioning policies, templates, and workflows in a declarative manner and push them to end devices.
Automation scripts and templates
Automation scripts are used for device configuration. These scripts can be customized to suit the specific requirements of an organization, enabling efficient deployment and configuration of device initialization, VLAN configuration, and access control policies of network devices. By standardizing configuration templates and using version control systems like Git, administrators can ensure consistency and repeatability in their provisioning workflows.
Source of Truth
All scripts, automation templates, and workflows are stored in a version control system like Git. This ensures that all new deployments can be executed on the latest version of the code. If there is a need to add support for a new feature any changes should be made with the same approach as the software life cycle and be thoroughly reviewed and tested before its deployment. More information on sources of truth can be found here, in our previous Source of Truth vs. Source of Intent in network automation article.
Benefits of automated network provisioning
The adoption of automated network provisioning offers multiple benefits for organizations seeking to optimize their network deployment processes:
- Time and cost savings
By automating, the provisioning process time and resources required for deploying network devices are decreased. Administrators can provision multiple devices simultaneously and focus on more important tasks. - Improved consistency and standardization
Automation ensures that there is consistency in device configuration by applying standard settings across the network. By increasing standardization of the configuration, ease of network troubleshooting is also increased because situations where each device has a unique configuration structure can be avoided. With automated provisioning it's also easier to validate if the applied configuration is meeting all requirements. Network configuration is less prone to human error and as a result the network is more reliable and secure. - Scalability
Administrators can easily scale their network infrastructure to accommodate growth. New devices need to be sent directly to remote locations, and after connecting to the network and power, they can start operating. There is no need to send an engineer with console cable to do an initial manual configuration.
Risks and challenges of automated network provisioning
While automated network provisioning offers advantages in terms of efficiency, scalability, and automation, its adoption also brings certain risks and challenges that organizations must address:
- Security
Attackers may exploit weaknesses in the implementation of provisioning to infiltrate the network or launch denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, leading to unauthorized access to provisioning servers, compromised device authentication, or interception of configuration data during transmission. Implementing encryption, authentication protocols, and access controls is crucial to mitigate these risks. Without proper security in place, an attacker with physical access to the network could start the provisioning process of their own device and gain unauthorized access to the network, and disrupt company operations. A similar case is with the interception of configuration data. All important information should be encrypted so that it is not possible to read the content of configuration files. - Configuration errors
Administrators must carefully validate configuration templates and implement validation mechanisms to detect and fix errors before they escalate into critical issues. One possibility is careful testing, and Digital Twins can help with that. More information can be found in the blog post Beyond simulation: the practical applications of Digital Twins in modern networking. A misconfigured device provisioned in an automated fashion can introduce security vulnerabilities, disrupt network operations, or compromise data integrity. - Multi-vendor environment
Many different vendors, software versions, and hardware capacities can lead to compatibility issues. Standardization efforts, vendor-agnostic provisioning protocols, and interoperability testing are needed to ensure consistent provisioning. - Dependency on network connectivity
Automated network provisioning relies on network connectivity to establish communication between devices and provisioning servers. In environments with unreliable network connectivity, such as remote sites, it may encounter challenges in provisioning devices efficiently. Provisioning multiple devices in one location at the same time may use up bandwidth and cause a slowdown. Implementing a local server to download software or uploading software to the on-site router and then serving it locally to all devices instead of remotely should be considered. - Scalability
The network growth provisioning system must be able to handle an increased workload. Tracking of the deployed configuration and reliably serving all requests must be considered when deploying an orchestration platform. - Engineer knowledge
With the deployment of any new solution in the network one subject that should be always kept in mind is the knowledge and skills of the engineers that are going to implement and manage the solution. Engineers should feel comfortable with deployment, change implementation and troubleshooting of any issues found in the automated network provisioning. Some time out from daily tasks may be required to attend the necessary training.
Automated network provisioning in practise - examples
Example 1: Enterprise network deployment
Consider a large enterprise deploying a new branch office with multiple networking devices, including routers, switches, and access points. The IT team can ship the devices directly to the branch office.
Upon arrival, the devices automatically connect to the network and retrieve their configuration files from the TFTP server. DHCP assigns IP addresses to the devices, and automation scripts apply the predefined configurations, ensuring seamless integration into the existing network infrastructure. This approach minimizes deployment time and eliminates the need for on-site configuration, enabling the branch office to quickly become operational.
Example 2: Service provider network provisioning
Service providers managing large-scale networks can leverage automated provisioning to streamline the deployment of customer premises equipment (CPE) and edge devices. When a new customer subscribes to a service, the provider ships preconfigured CPE devices equipped with necessary capabilities.
Upon installation at the customer's premises, the CPE devices automatically initiate the provisioning process. They obtain IP addresses from the service provider's DHCP server, retrieve configuration files via TFTP, and apply the necessary settings using automation scripts. This automated provisioning process simplifies onboarding for the service provider and enhances the customer experience by reducing deployment time and minimizing the risk of configuration errors.
Example 3: Internet of Things (IoT)
In the IoT billions of devices interact with cloud-based services, automated network provisioning plays a crucial role in onboarding and managing IoT devices at scale. Whether deploying smart sensors, industrial gateways, or consumer devices, automated provisioning enables seamless integration into IoT ecosystems, facilitating rapid deployment and management of connected devices.
Navigating the future - innovations in networking infrastructure
In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, the horizon of innovation stretches ever wider, promising exciting advancements in the realm of networking infrastructure. Among the avenues of progress lie three key domains poised to revolutionize the way networks are provisioned and managed.
Machine Learning and AI
Integrating machine learning algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI) into provisioning workflows can enhance automation capabilities, predictive analytics, and self-healing mechanisms. By analyzing network telemetry data and performance metrics in real-time, AI-driven systems can optimize provisioning processes and proactively mitigate potential issues.
Intent-Based Networking (IBN)
IBN frameworks aim to abstract network configuration complexities by defining high-level policies, which are translated into automated configuration actions. By aligning network behavior with business objectives and user intent, IBN complements automated network provisioning solutions to deliver more adaptive, self-optimizing networks.
Zero trust security
Zero trust principles advocate for continuous verification and strict access controls to mitigate security risks in dynamic network environments. Integrating zero trust security models can enhance device authentication, segmentation, and threat detection capabilities, bolstering overall network security.
Promises and realities of automated provisioning
Automated network provisioning is a broad term that represents an approach to network deployment that is faster, more efficient, and scalable. By automating configuration tasks and eliminating manual intervention, it streamlines the deployment process, reduces costs, and enhances the overall reliability and consistency of network infrastructure. While challenges such as security and interoperability exist, advancements in technology and best practices promise to improve the capabilities and reliability of automated network provisioning. It's worth mentioning that starting with automated network provisioning doesn't require a big investment. It can be started by understanding processes from beginning to end in your environment and automating one of the steps, then extending it in the future to achieve a fully automated provisioning workflow. An example of automated network provisioning is ZTP or zero-touch provisioning, which is explained in more detail in our Zero-Touch Provisioning: ZTP guide and example usages blog post.
