User interactions

A network automation stack is absolutely nothing if not used. If it is not used, we are in no better place than yesterday. So, you must consider how users are going to interact with your network automation stack. This section covers user interactions, a key piece of the network automation architecture shown in Figure 12.1.

The following are a few common considerations with and without Nautobot to think about as you embark on a user interaction strategy:

• Make sure to explore ChatOps and some of the Nautobot ChatOps integrations that already exist. Within minutes, you can read and write data to any IT system with an API. If your service desk can engage with an MS Teams or Slack bot instead of using ServiceNow, would they prefer it? You should know that answer. Again, the goal is not to “force one solution” on all consumers of network automation.
• If you are a larger organization, you probably want to have self-service with ServiceNow or one...