The Everything Feed - All Packet Pushers Pods HN780: The Whys and Hows of Automated Network Testing
May 9, 2025
This week features Dan Wade, Network Automation Practice Lead at Blue Ally and co-author of a Cisco Press book on network automation. He dives deep into the importance of automated network testing, covering various testing types like unit and integration tests. Dan shares insights on YANG data models and their impact on network management, alongside discussing protocols like NETCONF and RESTCONF. The conversation also highlights the significance of continuous auditing in improving network reliability and operational assurance. A must-listen for tech enthusiasts!
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
End-To-End Testing Is Familiar
- End-to-end testing uses familiar tools like ping and traceroute to check network path connectivity.
- It confirms the whole network path is operational beyond individual device tests.
Regression Testing Prevents Breakage
- Regression testing ensures new network changes don't break existing configurations by rerunning previous tests.
- It validates that new code doesn't negatively impact what was already working.
Turn Troubleshooting Into Tests
- Use your go-to troubleshooting commands to create test cases that validate network health.
- This practical data gathering helps catch deviations from expected behavior over time.
