RECAP: NANOG 88
The latest gathering of the North American Network Operators’ Group – or NANOG – was held from June 12-14 in Seattle, WA. Headquartered at the Hyatt Regency Seattle in the middle of this beautiful city, NANOG 88 was a big success and offered an opportunity for many in the industry to connect with other professionals and stay current on the latest trends and developments. Let’s take a closer look at some of what transpired across a busy three days in the Pacific Northwest.
Featured Keynote Speakers
Much of the focus at these events is on the keynote speakers, and that story was the same at NANOG 88. There were some great speakers offering insights based on years of industry experience, including the following –
- Okeksiy Semenyaka, Community Development Office and Technical Advice for RIPE NCC. This presentation covers the difficult situation in Ukraine and the challenges that have been faced while trying to maintain connection during a time of war.
- Brad Gorman, Senior Product Owner for Routing Security at ARIN. In this session, information was presented about how networks can limit their exposure to hijacks through the use of opt-in RPKI services at ARIN.
- Len Bosack, CEO of XKL, LLC. The keynote address for NANOG 88 was delivered by Len Bosack, who provided a fascinating look at the history of networking and how we got to where we are today.
The Inclusive Interviewing in Tech Session
The important topic of inclusivity in the interviewing process was highlighted in this presentation by Jill Bender. There are certain norms within the industry that serve to perpetuate biases against underrepresented groups, and those issues can be resolved with improved best practices and a commitment to change. This session explained where the underlying problems come from in the industry and offered examples of how more inclusive hiring can be achieved. Watching the recording of this session is well worth the time for anyone who is interested in this critical topic.
The Inclusive Hiring in Tech Panel
To connect with the session on inclusive interviewing we mentioned above, there was also a panel led by Jill Bender and Edward McNair to dive further into this topic. Specifically, the panel was focused on the matter of inclusive hiring in tech, and why the industry can’t afford to fall short in this area. In an industry that is looking to grow and thrive into the future, there will need to be effort put into diverse hiring to bring in new perspectives, ideas, and solutions. Also, improved diversity will help tech companies better connect with a larger audience. Again, the recording of this panel is highly recommended, and would be perfect to watch after viewing the recording from the session above.
An Interesting Survey on the State of Network Automation
Another notable session from this event was a presentation by Chris Grundemann on the state of network automation. Specifically, a survey was performed after NANOG 87 regarding the current status of how much network automation is actually in use, compared to how much it is talked about as an important topic. It’s worth your time to watch the replay of this session, but here are some key takeaways –
- Out of 87 survey respondents, 50 reported that less than half of their network is automated
- That includes 24 respondents stating that less than 20% of their network was automated, which was the largest group
- Of the various tasks within a network, device deployment and service provisioning were the most likely to be automated
- On the bottom end, traffic engineering and network design were the least likely to feature automation at this time
With fewer than 100 respondents, this survey can’t be taken as comprehensive or conclusive, but it is a good window into how little automation is used currently. If network automation is truly the future of the industry, there is certainly a long way to go in that direction.
Another Gathering Coming Soon
Looking ahead, the next NANOG meeting is going to remain on the west coast, but the scene will shift south to San Diego. NANOG 89 will take place October 16-18, 2023, so anyone hoping to attend will want to mark those dates on the calendar and start making plans as soon as possible. Even if you won’t be able to attend in person, remember to watch for videos and other content to come out of the next meeting. There is always something to learn!
