What network automation certification options are available today?

Networks are increasingly reliant on software and tools to automate functions that were previously handled manually. In the face of this transformation, network engineers and managers should consider acquiring automation skills, and earning a network automation certification may be the best way to learn and develop these skills.

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The network automation market is very fragmented today, with much of the growth coming from small startups. However, as small companies prove their technology, they often migrate to larger network platforms through acquisitions.

Networking leaders Cisco and Juniper Networks both have automation tools for their platforms. And in 2015, Red Hat acquired Ansible to approach automation tasks from a more holistic and less vendor-locked perspective. For network professionals in the open source world, they can choose to deploy tools such as Chef or Puppet (the latter is primarily a configuration tool). Clearly, network engineers have a lot of choices when evaluating network automation tools.

Which network automation certification is best?

The first question is whether the certification is focused on enhancing your current skills, or whether you want to enhance future job prospects. For the former, going the less vendor-specific automation certification route will be the quickest way to add value to your career. Let's look at some network automation certification options for network professionals:

• For Cisco professionals, Cisco DevNet is the best place to start. DevNet is more than just a certification program; it provides a community of self-paced learning resources to promote learning and development. Although these certifications are more general than traditional Cisco certifications, they still focus on Cisco hardware and tools. Specific certifications such as Cisco Network Programmability Developer Specialist can benefit network administrators in Cisco environments.
• For Juniper Networks network professionals, they can pursue the Juniper Networks Certified Associate DevOps certification, which focuses on automation of Junos OS. This certification is a prerequisite for obtaining the Specialist certification.
• For Ansible environments, Red Hat offers a range of certifications, from basic to comprehensive. The training is not hardware-specific, but rather focuses on Red Hat Ansible technologies that are widely used in the market.
• The Linux Foundation offers certification in its Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP), a networking project that provides a digital environment for the orchestration and automation of network services. As an open source platform, the benefit of ONAP certification and training is that it can be applied to many commercial products or environments.

What network automation basics do you need?

Before choosing any certification program, you should understand the underlying technologies and APIs. While you don’t need full expertise, it is essential to understand the basics and operational fundamentals of these tools.

Knowledge of Python is a must for any network automation certification, so that should be everyone's starting point. Additionally, a solid understanding of REST APIs, NETCONF, and YANG will help build your automation skills and help you get the most out of your certification.

As with any certification, the key is not just to get the certificate to add to your resume. Practical experience in a real environment is important to help you convert your certification into real value in your current job or future employment prospects. Learning is just the beginning; for network automation experts, practice is even more important.