DevNet Associate (DEVASC) v1.0Infrastructure and AutomationEasy

A network automation engineer is designing a system to automate the provisioning of new virtual machines (VMs) and their network configurations within a private cloud environment. The solution needs to define the desired state of both the VMs and the network infrastructure in a declarative manner, allowing for version control and automated deployment. Which of the following approaches is most suitable for this requirement?

  1. AEmploying SNMP traps and polling to monitor resource utilization and then reactively provision.
  2. BDeveloping a custom web-based GUI for administrators to click and configure resources.
  3. CImplementing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using a tool like Terraform or Ansible.
  4. DUsing Python scripts with SSH to manually configure each VM and network device.
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C. Implementing Infrastructure as Code (IaC) using a tool like Terraform or Ansible.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is the most suitable approach for defining and managing infrastructure in a declarative, version-controlled manner, facilitating automated provisioning. Tools like Terraform and Ansible are specifically designed for this purpose.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. SNMP is for monitoring, not for provisioning or defining the desired state of infrastructure.
  • B. A GUI is not declarative, does not provide version control, and often requires manual intervention.
  • D. Manual scripting is not declarative, lacks version control, and is prone to errors at scale.

Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Managing and provisioning computer data centers through machine-readable definition files, rather than physical hardware configuration or interactive configuration tools.

  • Defines infrastructure declaratively.
  • Enables version control and automated deployment.
  • Reduces manual errors and increases efficiency.

Memory trick: Think of building a digital city with a blueprint, not by hand.

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