Summary:
1. NetDevOps journey starts with automating lower-level tasks like scripting and progresses to complete CI/CD-style workflows.
2. NetDevOps is usually a dedicated subgroup within the network organization, transforming workflows, behaviors, and operating models across network operations.
3. In larger enterprises, NetDevOps capabilities are centralized within shared infrastructure or platform teams, providing tooling, pipelines, and guardrails across compute, storage, and networking.
Article:
When it comes to NetDevOps, enterprises often begin their journey by automating simple tasks before evolving into more complex workflows. According to theCUBE Research’s AppDev Done Right Summit, nearly 70% of enterprises kick off their infrastructure automation by focusing on task-level scripting using tools like Ansible or Python scripts. This initial stage involves standardizing device provisioning, configuration changes, and other routine tasks.
As teams mature, they move towards adopting Git for version control, defining golden configurations, and implementing basic validation processes before and after any changes. Bob Laliberte, principal analyst at SiliconANGLE and theCUBE, explains that a smaller group of enterprises take their automation efforts a step further by incorporating complete CI/CD-style workflows with consistent testing, staged deployments, and automated verification. However, this level of capability is currently present in less than 25% of enterprises, typically focusing on specific domains such as data center fabric or cloud networking.
NetDevOps is often housed within the network organization as a dedicated automation or platform subgroup. According to Laliberte, more than 60% of enterprises anchor their NetDevOps initiatives within traditional infrastructure teams rather than application or platform engineering groups. In larger enterprises, NetDevOps capabilities are centralized within shared infrastructure or platform teams, providing essential tooling, pipelines, and guardrails across compute, storage, and networking.
Ultimately, NetDevOps is not just about changing titles for network engineers; it’s about transforming workflows, behaviors, and operating models across network operations. In more advanced or cloud-native environments, network specialists may find themselves embedded within application, site reliability engineering (SRE), or platform teams, especially in scenarios where networking directly impacts application performance. This shift in approach signifies a significant transformation in the way enterprises manage their networks and operate in a digital landscape.
