Network Automation Tools 2020 – Here’s the Best Lists of Free & Paid Ones

Network Automation

Today, network operation teams still perform hundreds of manual tasks every day. Although they know about the benefits of automation, most of them don’t know how to start.

Embracing automating in the network is not so easy; it brings new challenges:

1.      Network engineers need to learn some coding/scripting.

2.      There are still no new automation standards or regulations.

3.      Traditional networking vendors have disparate configuration commands

4.      There is a lack of APIs and documentation

5.      The network has multiple points of configuration

Although 99% of network engineers are foreigners to software development and programming languages, they will inevitably start to see their importance, especially around tools like Python, Chef, and Ansible.

Automating the network also deviates from some regulatory standards and compliance. Existing networking designs are not automation-friendly.

Any new automated configuration can fail existing regulatory compliance.

Without standards, all networking vendors can have different configuration commands, which makes it even more difficult.

Automation is a disruptive technology.

A software bug caused a major outage in Google in June 2019, which happened due to a runaway automation process.

Google, of course, is the king of disruptive innovation.Google knows that there will always be bugs in any new technology.And, still, humans are far more prone to error than automated machines, when putting the config into devices.

So why use Network Automation Tools

Automation is the process of removing the human factor from the equation of workflows or processes.

For the network, labor-intensive tasks can be automated— such as configuration, monitoring, backups, security, etc.

Using the right automation tool can save companies lots of money in the process.

A significant number of network operations can also be automated.

In fact there is a new term for NetOps (or NetOps 2.0), which refers to the new approach of networking that uses the same tools and techniques used by DevOps.

With advanced automation, network engineers will likely need to be working closely with software developers to create new networking solutions.

Some examples of how NetOps can benefit from automation tools:

§  Configure equipment automatically – Workstations, distribution, access, and core equipment can be configured without human interaction.

§  Test the state of the network – Automated validation and testing tasks can be deployed on the network. Testing connections, new protocols, stress tests, the software can all be performed by AI.

§  Compliance checks – Automation software can perform daily checks on network configurations to fulfill a set of compliance and regulation standards.

§  Other routinely tasks – Network automation tools can also schedule automatic network config backups and scans.

Here's the Best Network Automation Tools & Software of 2020:

Below are ten of the best network automation tools, some are free, and others are paid.

Commercial automation software is usually not cheap, but they offer sophisticated high-end technology for automating workflows and tasks.

Open-source, free tools, on the other hand, have the fantastic benefit of being free and having a community supporting them, but they usually take advanced skills to master.

1. Solarwinds Network Automation Manager

Solarwinds Network Automation Manager

SolarWinds Network Automation Manager (NAM) is an integrated network automation tool designed for highly scalable or enterprise networks.

It provides full automation and management from a unified web-based console.

The NAM includes components of various network automation tools and operations management software for all your network deployments.

It includes some features of the Network Performance Monitor (NPM), Netflow Traffic Analyzer (NTA), User Device Tracker (UDT), Network Configuration Manager (NCM), IP Address Manager (IPAM), VoIP & Network Quality Manager (VNQM), and SolarWinds High Availability.

The network engineer can configure certain network automation functions on NAM and let the tool monitor the availability, faults, and performance for all nodes and paths in your network.

Key Features:

§  Analyze traffic and bandwidth and find hogs

§  Monitor and backup network devices automatically

§  Deploy network configurations in bulk

§  Automatic subnet discovery and IP scanning

§  Monitor network performance

Price:

30 Day Free Trial! Download Below to Get Started!

Download:

Get the fully functional Free trial of Network Automation Manager for 30 Days.

2. ManageEngine Network Configuration Manager (NCM)

ManageEngine Network Configuration Manager

Network Configuration Management (NCM) by ManageEngine is one of the most comprehensive software for network configuration, change, and compliance management.

It supports multi-vendor networks with products from Cisco, NetGear, Fortinet, Juniper, HP, and more.

NCM can help you automate the management of the entire lifecycle of network device configurations.

You can automate daily monotonous configuration tasks in bulk. Instead of going one by one, which generally would take a long time, you can apply a new configuration or changes to multiple devices.

You can also schedule automatic configuration backups that might be useful in case of rollbacks.

Features:

§  Automate new or edit configuration in bulk

§  Network automation using Configlets

§  Configuration backups

§  Configuration change notifications and rollback actions

Price:

The price for a perpetual NCM license starts at $595 (for up to ten devices).

Download:

a free trial of ManageEngine NCM for 30 days and start automating the network configuration management.

3. Ansible (Tower)

Ansible

Ansible by RedHat, the simple automation framework, is definitely at the core of a lot of new networking DevOp solutions.

It automates the configuration of servers and provides native support for legacy and open network infrastructure.

Ansible is an open-source project built by the community.

It is available for Linux/Unix-like OS and Windows.

To automatically configure servers, Ansible uses playbooks, which are ordered units of scripts (written in YAML) that define how a server should work and behave through the Ansible automation tool.

Ansible Tower is the enterprise web-based GUI tool that makes Ansible easy to use.

The software is designed to be the central platform for all automation tasks.

Ansible Tower helps network teams manage complex deployments.

Features:

§  Leverage the current network CLI commands to automate over 45 different networking vendors, between switches, routers, load balancers, and firewalls

§  Provide automation for software-based controllers (SDN)

§  Automate interconnection of hybrid and multi-clouds

Price:

Ansible is a free, open-source IT automation system (GitHub Ansible Project).

For the enterprise-based Ansible Tower, the pricing is based on the number of nodes that you manage.

It comes in two editions:

§  Standard

§  Premium

For more information on pricing, request a quote.

Download:

Get open-source Ansible through GitHub Ansible Project, or download a free trial of Ansible Tower for a limited time.

4. Netmiko

Netmiko

Netmiko is an open-source Python library based on the Paramiko SSH library.

It allows easier management and connection of network devices through SSH.

Netmiko improves the library of Paramiko by including support to a wide range of networking vendors and platforms, such as Arista EOS, Cisco ASA, HP Comware7, Juniper Junos, Linux, and more.

The tool simplifies and automates the logging to a network device through SSH and executes commands.

Key Features:

§  Establish an SSH connection to network devices

§  Execute “show” commands and retrieve the results

§  Execute configuration commands

§  Netmiko supports a wide range of vendors and platforms

Price:

Free and open-source.

Download:

Get Netmiko from the Github library.

5. NAPALM

NAPALM

NAPALM (Network Automation and Programmability Abstraction Layer with Multivendor support) is a Python library that can interact with different network devices via a unified API.

The software is cross-platform and open-source.

It uses different technologies to connect to the network devices, execute configurations, and retrieves the output data.

It can support different networking operating systems such as Arista EOS, Cisco IOS, Cisco IOS-XR, Cisco NX-OS, and Juniper JunOS.

Key Features:

§  Connection to single or multiple devices

§  Execute commands automatically. Replace, merge, and compare configurations

§  Discards or rollbacks configuration

§  Retrieve and audit information

NAPALM collaborates with the most popular automation frameworks, such as Ansible, Salt, and Stackstorm.

Price:

Free and open-source.

Download:

Get NAPALM free from the GitHub’s project library.

6. Truesight Network Automation

Truesight Network Automation

TrueSight, formerly known as BladeLogic, is now part of the BMC product portfolio.

TruSight is an APM with AIOps (Artificial Intelligence Operations) capabilities.

It is designed to improve the performance and security of hybrid-cloud environments at a cost-efficient price.

TrueSight provides scalable and automated network configuration management capabilities.

The software gives full control of the entire configuration across the network, from systems, routers, and firewalls.

It can also be programmed to automatically keep track of changes in configuration and apply rollback in case of failure.

Key Features:

§  Service-aware analytics

§  Auto-scans and auto-backups

§  Automatic audits and security compliance checks

§  Patch and image update automation

§  Capacity Optimization

Price:

Request a price quote.

Download:

No free trial available.

7. VMware NSX – Network Automation

VMware NSX

Network Automation with VMware NSX allows you to automate the provision and management of your network and security.

The software was designed to improve the speed of the application’s lifecycle by leveraging automation.

It uses virtualized networking functions (VNFs) to move your network from hardware to software.

Now, all your routers, switches, firewalls and more, can be deployed within a single box that runs all VNFs.

With Vmware NSX developers and network, admins can now run networking and security as code.

Running VMWare NSX’ VNFs together with a cloud platform like vRealize Cloud Automation can automate network and security deployments with the help of templates and blueprints.

You can automate the network services that are provisioned and managed through VMs, containerized cloud-native applications, or microservices.

Features:

§  Automate native networking and security functions for containers and microservices

§  Supports integration with PCF, PKS, Kubernetes, and Red Hat OpenShift

§  Automatic compliance checks

Price:

For information on pricing, contact VMware sales.

Download:

Sign up for a free VMWare NSX here.

8. Apstra OS

Apstra OS

Apstra OS (AOS) is referred to as a self-operating network, which automates the lifecycle of leaf-spine network switching.

AOS supports multiple switches hardware vendors (Cisco, Juniper, Arista, and more) and operating systems (EOS, Junos, NX-OS, and more).

Apstra comes with a single console to automate your network.

It decouples the network (software) from the underlying physical and virtual infrastructure.

It works at the management plan to control switches or other devices through their open APIs.

ApstraOS ensures that network elements such as protocols, design, cabling, etc. work continuously.

With AOS, you can create, edit, or remove leaf-spine devices, instantly across different network vendors.

AOS also comes with closed-loop real-time validation and advanced data analytics.

Features:

§  Automated L3 design and deployment with intra-rack virtual networks

§  Operational analytics. Intent-Based Analytics (IBA)

§  Built-in Telemetry

§  NSX-T and vSphere Integration

Price:

Apstra comes in three different editions, Enterprise Edition, Standard Edition, Advanced Telemetry Edition.

For more information on pricing, request a quote.

Download:

Request a Demo here.

9. NetBrain Automation

NetBrain Automation

NetBrain is an adaptive network automation platform.

It uses a single-pane-of-glass that shows all network data through mapping and visualization.

The software also comes with a powerful search engine that allows you to look through all your network elements.

NetBrain performs an in-depth automatic network discovery to collect data from all network devices.

It decodes multi-vendor networks and builds a digital representation of the network.

The software creates a dynamic map to be used as a UI to all devices and to configure automation tasks.

The software improves the device map experience by adding CLI automation and data from third-party network vendors through API.

Features:

§  Automatic network device inventorying

§  Single-pane-of-glass and dynamic maps

§  View device’s CLI at the map-level

§  Automate workflows with Executable Runbooks

Price:

Contact NetBrain to request a quote.

Download:

Request a Demo here.

10. AppViewX Automation +

AppViewX Automation

AppViewX is a low-code automation platform designed for NetOps and SecOps.

It comes with a big library of workflows and tasks that can be instantly used for automation.

The software keeps track of the state of each automation, verifies the results, provides insights, and remediates failures automatically.

The AppViewX Automation + allows application delivery and network security automation on the platform.

It helps network engineers with low scripting skills to automate and orchestrate the network infrastructure through easy visual workflows.

With automation +, you can automate the entire lifecycle of your network devices and security services.

The tool supports multiple networking and security vendors.

Features:

§  Automate network and business workflows

§  Manage roles for automation services

§  Trigger automated workflows based on context awareness

§  Run automated workflows in hybrid clouds, SDN, and hardware environments

Price:

Get a Quote

Download:

Get the AppViewX Automation + Enterprise free trial for 30 days and start automating and orchestrating your infrastructure.

Thanks !!