When it comes to managing enterprise networks, NetOps is becoming the focus of attention. The demands on network engineers are changing and increasing accordingly. Opengear, provider of solutions for secure, resilient network access, has identified seven skills that network experts will not be able to do without in the future.

The times of knowledge silos are over at least since the advent of DevOps and NetOps. According to an independent study commissioned by Opengear, 87% of companies have increased their investments in these modern approaches over the past two years. Network engineers are also in demand on the labor market, as the study shows: 64% of the companies surveyed have dedicated personnel for the implementation of NetOps.

However, network experts also need the appropriate skills for these modern working methods. The following seven skills are mandatory for network engineers to adapt to a modern company culture around NetOps.

Table of Contents

Learn a programming language

Safe handling of the Command Line Interface (CLI) is mandatory for the automation of programs and processes. Anyone who masters scripting with Powershell, UNIX and Python can also cope well with the challenges of NetOps.

Understand Linux

It is advisable for network engineers to become familiar with Linux. Admins can experiment and gain experience with a free open source distribution of the operating system on the computer or the virtual work environment. Collaboration with colleagues or customers also benefits from using a uniform operating system.

Use different code editors

Network engineers often work with different teams using their own tool set. It is therefore worth having a good knowledge of the most common code editors. These include Eclipse, Vim and Atom. This knowledge makes collaboration much easier.

Streamline version control

The widely used Git version control system isn’t just for code. Network professionals can also use the tool to manage configurations and scripts. The use of Git is particularly suitable for fast-moving projects.

Collect certificates

Network engineers should seize every opportunity to continue their education. Certificates underline the accumulated knowledge and increase your own market value. The Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), Cisco Certified Network Associate Security (CCNA) and CompTIA+ Network+ certificates are particularly valuable.

Test as often as possible

Testing is a cornerstone of software development, especially in the context of continuous integration and development pipelines. It is therefore important for network engineers to be familiar with the different methods used in module and system testing and acceptance testing.

Get familiar with containers

Container platforms offer a wide variety of functions. Network engineers should therefore learn to take advantage of Docker and Kubernetes. These tools help migrate applications to modern cloud architectures, isolate containers, and support continuous deployment.

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