Streamlining Network with AmpCon™ Automating Deployments

In today's fast-paced networking environments, automation has become a critical need for businesses aiming to streamline operations and enhance efficiency. The ability to automate network configurations and deployments not only saves time but also reduces the likelihood of errors that can arise from manual intervention. By automating deployments, businesses can ensure consistency and reliability across their network infrastructure.

Why Do We Need Automation?

When you’re managing a network, it can be hard to keep track of all of your devices. You might have hundreds or even thousands of computers and other devices connected to your network. As you add more, it’s easy for your system to become increasingly complicated. That’s why automating deployments is so important in IT today.

Traditional Manual Methods VS. Automation

• Efficiency: Automation reduces time and effort for tasks like configuration and monitoring, surpassing manual methods.

• Accuracy: Automated systems minimize human errors, ensuring consistent configurations and proactive issue resolution.

• Scalability: Automation seamlessly scales with network growth, unlike traditional methods.

• Cost-effectiveness: Automation optimizes resource use and lowers operational costs compared to traditional approaches.

• Reliability: Automated processes enforce standardized configurations, proactive monitoring, and swift network event responses.

In essence, automating deployments empowers IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives and innovation rather than routine maintenance and troubleshooting tasks.

Existing Network Management Platforms

PicOS® & AmpCon™

Overview: AmpCon™ (short for Amplified Control) is a network management and control platform designed to simplify and automate network operations. Through seamless integration with PicOS®, a unified network management and control system is formed. With AmpCon™, users can automate the management and configuration of switches running PicOS®, enabling zero-touch provisioning and large-scale automated deployment.

Features:

• Automated Control and Orchestration: Automates configuration, monitoring, and management of network devices, including automating deployments.

• Multi-Platform Support: Compatible with various network devices and vendors.

• Management: Provides centralized network management and monitoring.

• Analytics and Insights: Real-time monitoring of network performance, offering data analytics and insights.

• Security: Built-in security features to ensure network safety.

  

Cisco DNA (Digital Network Architecture)

Overview: Cisco DNA is a modern network management and control platform designed to simplify network operations, enhance performance, and support digital transformation through SDN, automation, virtualization, and analytics.

Features:

• Network Automation: Automated configuration and management, reducing manual errors and speeding up deployment.

• Analytics and Insights: Real-time network monitoring and performance analysis.

• Security: Zero Trust security architecture, threat detection, and response.

• Unified Management: A single console for centralized management of all network devices and services.

Aruba ClearPass and Aruba Central

Overview: Aruba ClearPass is a network access control and policy management platform, while Aruba Central is a cloud-based network management platform.

Features:

• Network Access Control: Provides authentication and access management.

• Cloud-Based Management: Centralized management of wireless, wired, and WAN infrastructure.

• Security and Compliance: Granular policy management and security monitoring.

Juniper Networks Contrail

Overview: Contrail is Juniper Networks' SDN and network virtualization solution.

Features:

• Network Virtualization: Simplifies the creation and management of network resources.

• Automation: Automates network and service configuration.

• Multi-Cloud Support: Unified network connectivity and security policies across multi-cloud environments.

Why AmpCon™ Is Your First Choice

The need for automation is evident early – at the switch provisioning and deployment phase. While it’s true that legacy vendors have tools that can help automate switch deployment, they come at a steep price, require an expert network programmer to master and may require that you upgrade all your switches to the latest model. Take Cisco’s DNA Center for example. Before it can automate anything, you first must set up Cisco DNA Center itself, which can get complex; again, it requires software on both the server and switch sides.

AmpCon™ is a network controller intended to be simple to set up and use day to day. Literally in minutes you can spin up AmpCon™ on a virtual machine on your premises or in the cloud and you’ll be ready for automating deployments and error-free configuration at scale.

Zero-Touch Configuration and Large-Scale Automation Deployment: AmpCon™ significantly simplifies the bulk installation and configuration of PicOS® switches through its button-based deployment feature. Even non-technical staff can use AmpCon™'s quick start mode to deploy hundreds or thousands of switches with simple GUI-based commands, ensuring streamlined automating deployments for large-scale operations.

Automated Lifecycle Management: Using Ansible Playbooks for automated templates, AmpCon™ offers comprehensive automated configuration management throughout the lifecycle.

Automated Upgrades and Compliance Checks: AmpCon™ can effortlessly and error-free upgrade switches to the latest PicOS® version. Simply specify the switch group, the new software image, and the desired time window for the upgrade.

Configuration Backup and Rollback: Intelligent rollback automates configuration backups, operation logs, and compliance checks, minimizing errors. Visual inspection includes port statistics, health checks, and real-time monitoring of network devices.

How to Deploy AmpCon™

AmpCon™’s deployment happens with the touch of a button – as close to “zero-touch provisioning” as you can get, which makes this really simple:

• 1. Prepare the Switches——Install the default PicOS® image on the switches. (It is recommended to purchase a PicOS® switch directly from FS)

• 2. Transport the Switches——Ship the switches to their final destinations, such as branch offices, retail stores, data centers, or buildings across campus.

• 3. Install the Switches——At each destination, simply install the switch in the correct location and plug it in.

• 4. Automatic Connection and Registration——Once powered on, the switch will automatically run a connection script, allowing it to locate the Automation Server and register itself.

• 5. Configuration Management——The Automation Server includes a Configuration Manager component. Your network team uses this to create standard configurations for all switches, including any site- or region-specific variations. These configurations are tied to specific switches by their serial number or service tag and stored in a database.

• 6. Configuration Download——After registration, each switch downloads its appropriate configuration from the Automation Server, enabling efficient automating deployments.

• 7. Final Setup——The switch automatically reboots, applies and validates the new configuration, updates its status in the configuration database, and joins the network.

• 8. Monitor and Manage——Your network team can monitor the entire deployment process. AmpCon™ enables you to deploy dozens or hundreds of switches across various sites with minimal on-site technical expertise required, facilitating streamlined automating deployments.

You can visit AmpCon™ Management Platform for specific steps.

Conclusion

In today's fast-paced network environment, automation is crucial for enterprises to streamline operations and enhance efficiency, particularly for those with multiple branch networks. AmpCon™, as a modern network management platform, facilitates large-scale automated deployment of branch networks with ease and simplicity, thanks to its automated control and multi-platform support. This approach helps to lower technical barriers and reduce operating costs. Click to learn more about FS multi-branch network solution.

Related Articles:

FS AmpCon™: Your Network Automation Partner

Network Software Updates: Why and How to Update PicOS® With AmpCon™?

FS Multi-Branch Network Solution: How It Gets You to Ultra Unified Network Experience?