Network Automation is a specialized domain focusing on programmable, repeatable, and software-driven network operations. This overview defines the core principles, tools, and techniques essential for automating network deployment, configuration, and monitoring. Discover how leveraging APIs, scripting languages, and orchestration streamlines complex tasks, offering crucial context for evaluating relevant certifications and navigating career paths in modern IT.
Domain profile
Evaluating technical credentials focused on programmable infrastructure, API orchestration, and modern network management frameworks.
Network automation is a specialized domain within networking that centers on making network operations programmable, repeatable, and software-driven. It encompasses the principles, tools, and techniques used to automate the deployment, configuration, management, and monitoring of network infrastructure. This involves leveraging technologies like APIs, scripting languages, and orchestration tools to streamline complex network tasks, improve reliability, and enable faster adaptation to changing business requirements. This domain is crucial for modern IT environments that rely on agility and efficiency in managing their network systems.
This domain includes certifications and knowledge areas where network programmability, APIs, scripting, and automated network operations are core components of the curriculum and assessment. It covers topics such as Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for networks, configuration management tools (e.g., Ansible, Puppet), network controllers, and the use of software development principles in network management. Excluded are traditional networking certifications that focus primarily on manual configuration and troubleshooting without a significant emphasis on automation.
Common subareas
Included topics
Recommended certifications
Building technical proficiency in Network Automation requires understanding diverse software-driven workflows. These certifications help professionals evaluate relevant skills in API-driven networking and infrastructure orchestration, ensuring alignment with current industry standards.
Cisco
Professional certificationCCIE Automation brings together assessment coverage across Infrastructure As Code and Operations with the wider decisions candidates need to make about difficulty, study effort, fees, prerequisites, and professional value. Review the complete profile to determine whether the scope fits your experience and role direction.
Cisco
Professional certificationUse the CCNA Automation profile to compare exam coverage, certification cost, preparation demands, requirements, and learning outcomes. Its focus on software development, APIs, application deployment, security, and infrastructure automation offers a concrete basis for deciding whether the credential supports your current work or a planned move toward network automation engineer and DevOps engineer.
Cisco
Professional certificationExplore how CCNP Automation validates network automation architecture, infrastructure as code, and operations and what that means for exam preparation, registration costs, learning outcomes, and role fit. The credential profile helps separate provider-defined scope from unsupported career promises, making comparisons with related certifications more useful.
Cisco
Professional certificationUse the Cisco Certified Automation Specialist - Core profile to compare exam coverage, certification cost, preparation demands, requirements, and learning outcomes. Its focus on network automation architecture, infrastructure as code, and operations offers a concrete basis for deciding whether the credential supports your current work or a planned move toward network automation engineer and platform engineer.
Cisco
Professional certificationUse the Cisco Certified Automation Specialist - Data Center Automation and Programmability profile to compare exam coverage, certification cost, preparation demands, requirements, and learning outcomes.
Cisco
Professional certificationUse the Cisco Certified Automation Specialist - Enterprise Automation and Programmability profile to compare exam coverage, certification cost, preparation demands, requirements, and learning outcomes. Its focus on python, APIs, controllers, and automation for Cisco enterprise networks offers a concrete basis for deciding whether the credential supports your current work or a planned move toward network automation engineer and platform engineer.
Common use cases
Connecting technical programmability workflows to real-world infrastructure operations and software-defined network management systems.
Credential sources
Network automation certifications from industry-leading issuing bodies like Google Cloud help practitioners validate skills in API-driven networking and infrastructure as code. Explore various credential sources to compare how different training brands structure their assessment pathways.
6 certifications
Enterprise infrastructure certifications centered on networking, security, automation, collaboration, data center, and operations.
2 certifications
Junos, routing and switching, data-center networking, security, automation, cloud, network design, and Mist AI operations.
1 certification
Cloud certifications focused on architecture, engineering, data, security, networking, machine learning, and business-oriented cloud understanding.
1 certification
Performance-based credentials for enterprise Linux, OpenShift, Ansible automation, cloud-native applications, middleware, and AI platforms
Certification focus
Understanding the frameworks for assessing infrastructure programmability, configuration orchestration, and software-defined network management workflows.
Key skills
Mastering the Network Automation domain requires a blend of skills including Software-Defined Networking, Cloud Networking, and Firewall Administration. Evaluating these core competencies allows you to effectively align certification curricula with practical industry requirements.
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Browse the full range of certifications related to Network Automation. Compare various credentials focused on network programmability, infrastructure as code, and automated operations to find the right path for your career development in modern IT environments.
