A survey of over 1,000 CIOs, CSOs, and network engineers found that 84% of organizations report rising network outages, with device configuration changes cited as the most common cause. That makes network config automation one of the most direct ways to reduce outage risk.
With the average cost of downtime for organizations reaching $15,000 per minute, according to Cisco, understanding why configuration management remains so challenging is critical. Surprisingly, the answer isn’t always technology. It’s a matter of mindset — recognizing that the environment in which we operate is changing rapidly while NetOps teams are already stretched thin.
When infrastructure changes or compliance requirements evolve, network config automation needs to keep pace. Unfortunately, network config automation tools aren’t always extended to support new devices or compliance standards that weren’t in the system when the tool was first implemented. Network config automation continues to run but delivers only partial coverage.
This is a more common gap than most teams realize. Teams deploy automation once, validate that it works, and move on to the next priority, without ever systematically checking whether it's still covering everything it should. In this blog, we provide a practical checklist that NetOps teams can use to identify where the gaps exist~~,~~ and how to improve their approach to network config automation.
Why a Checklist Matters for Network Config Automation
When a tool runs every night and flags configuration drift on two or three different device types, it’s easy to assume you have proof that automation is working. However, it doesn't tell you whether that job covers every device in the current environment, or just the devices it covered when it was first configured. To mitigate the risk of network outages from configuration changes, teams need to verify coverage regularly.
A checklist forces direct, specific answers to questions that are easy to assume rather than confirm. To be effective, a checklist must be built into the team’s standard operating procedures so it becomes a recurring process that catches gaps as the network evolves and adds new vendors, device types, and environments.
The Network Config Automation Checklist
The following are key questions NetOps teams should ask to verify that their approach to network config automation continues to meet the organization’s requirements.
Coverage
- Does automation cover network devices from every vendor the organization currently works with, not just those present when automation was first deployed?
- Does it apply consistently across on-prem, cloud, and multi-cloud environments, or does one of those environments get handled differently?
- When a new device is added to the network, is network config automation part of the onboarding process, or does someone have to remember to set it up manually?
Detection and Remediation
- Does the system check for configuration drift continuously, rather than on a periodic schedule that leaves gaps between checks?
- When drift is detected, does it trigger remediation, or does it just generate an alert that depends on someone noticing and acting on it?
- Has the compliance baseline been reviewed and updated recently, or is it still the same standard set when automation first went live?
Safety and Validation
- Is every automated configuration change also preceded by an automated backup, so a failed change can be reversed quickly?
- Has the rollback process been tested, or is it just assumed to work if it's ever needed?
- Does the system validate that a change succeeded after it runs, rather than treating "the command executed" as equivalent to "the change worked"?
Compliance and Visibility
- Does automation map against every regulatory and internal framework the organization is subject to, not just the one that was top of mind during setup?
- Can the team produce audit-ready evidence on demand, or does audit preparation still require a scramble of manual work beforehand?
- Is there a complete audit trail covering both automated and manual changes, so the team can answer "what changed and when" with confidence?
Team and Knowledge
- Is the automation thoroughly documented so that more than one person on the team understands how it works?
- Can someone other than the original builder extend or adjust the automation to support a new vendor or use case without deep scripting expertise?
How to Use This Checklist
Running through this checklist isn’t a one-time exercise. It should be run on a regular cadence, at a minimum annually, and immediately after any significant infrastructure change: a new vendor added through a refresh cycle, an acquisition, a new region coming online, or a new compliance requirement taking effect.
A "no" answer on any item isn't a sign of failure. It's how you build a prioritized list of gaps and mitigate them sooner. Teams that treat this checklist as a one-time setup step are at greater risk of a network outage due to a configuration change.
How Kilter Helps Teams Check Every Box
Kilter, the platform built by BackBox, is designed to close the gaps this checklist is built to catch. New devices are onboarded automatically across 180+ vendors, so coverage doesn't depend on manually adding every new device. Drift detection runs continuously, sends alerts, and can provide remediation recommendations automatically. Every automated change is backed by a pre-change backup and a tested rollback process, and compliance is checked continuously across every applicable framework, producing audit-ready evidence on demand.
Teams using Kilter typically reduce the cost of network operations by 76% and compress jobs that used to take hours into minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is network config automation?
Network config automation uses software to continuously monitor, enforce, and remediate device configurations against a defined standard, replacing manual, device-by-device checks with a continuous, automated process.
How often should teams re-check their network config automation setup?
At a minimum, once a year and immediately after any significant change to the environment, including a new vendor, a new region, an acquisition, or a new compliance requirement taking effect.
What's the biggest gap teams miss when evaluating their automation?
Coverage gaps are the most common. Devices, vendors, and compliance requirements added after the automation was first deployed and never incorporated into the automation's scope leave the team with a false sense of complete coverage.
Does network config automation need to cover every vendor to be effective?
Yes. A device outside your automation's coverage poses the same risk as a device that was never automated, regardless of how well the rest of the network is covered.
Can a team without deep scripting skills maintain network config automation?
Yes, with the right platform. No-code automation tools let teams build, adjust, and extend automation coverage without requiring dedicated scripting expertise, reducing the risk of the automation depending on one person's knowledge.
Written by
Irfahn Khimji