Achieving strategic business outcomes in today’s fast-paced digital climate is a key imperative. Digital transformation, better customer experiences, increased productivity, and cost savings are… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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Achieving strategic business outcomes in today’s fast-paced digital climate is a key imperative. Digital transformation, better customer experiences, increased productivity, and cost savings are rated as the most important business outcomes, according to a recent IDC survey (Future of Digital Infrastructure Sentiment Study, June 2023). Unfortunately, achieving these outcomes is not an easy undertaking. Organizations embarking on the journey to define their own measurable outcomes need to ask important questions:

How do we define relevant and attainable business outcomes?
How do we strategically align our infrastructure investments to these outcomes?
How do we know if we have successfully achieved the desired outcomes?

In a business climate where all IT investments are under greater scrutiny, today’s IT teams must be able to clearly articulate how digital infrastructure investments deliver measurable business outcomes. To do this, they must adopt processes like agile and new skills such as DevOps, DevSecOps, and Infrastructure as Code. They must also use methodologies aimed to connect technology initiatives to business outcomes, be able to measure impact toward those business outcomes, and communicate their plan and results using language that the organization understands.

This is why IT teams need to expand their relevancy across the organization, their understanding of business priorities, and their ability to execute and communicate more effectively. Having access to the right tools, data, and resources is an essential component. Using telemetry data coupled with AI/ML techniques can provide IT teams with valuable insights on how the infrastructure (in near-real time) is meeting the technology and operational objectives that align with defined business priorities. Arming IT teams with insights and new skills is a great first step.

However, combining these resources with an actionable strategy and execution roadmap to achieve these business outcomes may prove a bit more difficult. IT teams must now illustrate to stakeholders across the business why network infrastructure matters and how their investments are driving the business forward. For some IT teams, proficiency with these newer skills is nascent, requiring assistance from a services partner. A services partner can work collaboratively with an organization to help:

Crystallize business outcome priorities
Develop a roadmap for outcomes achievement
Define measurable milestones
Educate teams on how to best leverage data to measure achievement of milestones
Provide expert guidance to move faster and with less risk
Accelerate time to value for the business

Becoming an agile digital-first business that can meet new customer and employee demands, quickly take advantage of new opportunities, and drive innovation requires continual investment in digital infrastructure, new operating processes, and modern skills. The pace of change and infrastructure complexity will only continue to accelerate, leaving IT teams struggling to meet the daily demands of the business and deliver business outcomes. As a result, IDC believes that organizations will continue to leverage the expertise, processes, data, and insights from a services partner to deliver these capabilities. Doing so will enable organizations to accelerate measurable achievement of business outcomes and value to the business. To learn more, download the Cisco-sponsored IDC Spotlight, Business Requirements Demand Strategic Thinking About Networks.

Message from the Sponsor

Cisco Customer Experience (CX) service offerings help organizations realize tangible business outcomes faster with Cisco software, products, and solutions – at every step of their technology lifecycle journey. From architecting and deploying new solutions, and streamlining operations, to optimizing the IT environment, Cisco and its partners can help IT teams achieve their desired outcomes faster.

To learn how to transform with less risk and effort, visit Cisco Services.

For more information on how to accelerate business outcomes, visit Cisco Lifecycle Services.

  Today's fast-paced digital world puts you under pressure to achieve tangible business outcomes faster. Re-examining your IT investments can help you speed up those results.  Read More Cisco Blogs 

Whether your organization owns commercial property, leases it, or manages it, you’re likely to be grappling with industry trends and challenges that call on your best efforts—and the innovative app… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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Whether your organization owns commercial property, leases it, or manages it, you’re likely to be grappling with industry trends and challenges that call on your best efforts—and the innovative application of technology.

The need to reduce energy costs and the growth of hybrid work have converged to impact building management and the way facilities teams, real estate professionals, and IT do their jobs. CO2 emissions from buildings—some 30% of all carbon emissions—are concerning. So is the need to deliver a high-quality, environmentally sound occupant experience.

In response, Cisco and strategic alliance partner Schneider Electric have built and continuously refined a solution that leverages Cisco hardware, real-time location-based insights—such as building occupancy and temperature—from Cisco Spaces, and Schneider Electric’s management platform, EcoStruxure™ Building Operation.

The impact of hybrid work

We can’t understate the impact of remote and hybrid work models in this scenario. Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2023 from Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) comments that real estate capital markets are ”still open for business, investors are still buying high-quality properties, lenders will continue to lend…“  This opinion is echoed by the JPMorgan 2023 midyear report: “Remote and hybrid work has largely reduced demand for office space. Still, A-class properties are performing well.” In his article The Impact of a Hybrid Work Environment on Real Estate, Rodolfo Delgado, a Forbes Council Member, notes that “office spaces will continue to exist and welcome those who value bouncing ideas around, brainstorming and working alongside their peers.” Additionally, our studies have found that 82 percent of millennials felt safer returning to offices with real-time indoor air quality monitoring. Find out more here.

So, what makes a Class-A building?

Technology, for starters.

Smart building management technology solutions make it possible from the outset to design buildings that act as people magnets, spaces that encourage employees to work productively and collaboratively with their peers.

 Cisco and Schneider Electric have discovered that when smart building technology—digital signage, electronic whiteboards, needs-based HVAC, and ceiling sensors, for example—are incorporated into the initial building design, companies can realize great benefits in terms of connectivity and visibility. Real-time and real-world, they have learned that making a shift from a cubicle (“me”) focus to a collaboration workspace (“we”) focus also makes a big difference in productivity and engagement.

Of course, adding technology through a retrofit is clearly beneficial because it enables our customers to do more with fewer resources. Cisco and Schneider Electric are on board to support this effort.   

What’s in it for you?

Data-rich information from Cisco Spaces (https://spaces.cisco.com/) and powerful management technology from the Schneider Electric EcoStruxure Building Operation platform work together to create smarter, more efficient buildings, with these results:

People-centricity: Increasing occupant comfort and productivity—and contributing to health and wellness—through higher service levels and faster response across the workspace
Reduced energy consumption: Managing HVAC and lighting based on real-time occupancy data gathered by Cisco Spaces
Time and money savings: Integrating, monitoring, and managing IT and OT data and accessing analytics-driven insights through a single, mobile-enabled portal
Resilient response: Deploying solutions faster through straightforward, highly secure integration of Cisco network technology with Schneider Electric’s Building Operation
Sustainability: Reducing carbon emissions, monitoring electrical systems, and fine-tuning energy use to create building environments that meet industry standards.

Some use cases

The power and versatility of the Cisco and Schneider Electric Smart Building solution makes it especially suitable for these use cases:

Reduce energy use: Use HVAC and lighting only when and where needed
Capture occupancy data: Gain real-time visibility into space utilization of different areas of a building
Do more with fewer resources: Offer automated, continuous HVAC system adjustments to maintain control while reducing energy costs
Improve occupant comfort and well-being: Manage HVAC and lighting based on real-time occupancy data
Efficiently deploy smart buildings: Enhance existing systems with added functionality to improve building performance

Don’t wait! Register now for the Cisco and Schneider Electric Smart Buildings   Webinar at 10 a.m. ET on January 24th, 2024.Watch this video to see how Cisco and Schneider Electric are working together to make buildings more sustainable, efficient, and comfortable.

  The Cisco and Schneider Electric Digital Building Solution reduces energy costs, manages building systems efficiently, and helps to create office spaces that facilitate collaboration and employee engagement.  Read More Cisco Blogs 

Cisco Live EMEA is right around the corner, happening 5 February – 9 February 2024 in Amsterdam. It’s shaping up to be a big year for Cisco Full-Stack Observability solutions and we’re excited to show… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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Cisco Live EMEA is right around the corner, happening 5 February – 9 February 2024 in Amsterdam. It’s shaping up to be a big year for Cisco Full-Stack Observability solutions and we’re excited to showcase all of the latest innovations and updates. You’ll hear from resident experts, industry experts, and customers like HSBC, easyJet and more.

Leadership Keynote & Talks

Hear from Cisco leaders on the most recent innovations and future outlook for Cisco FSO solutions. In addition to breakout sessions, demos, and workshops- attendees also have an opportunity to hear from Liz Centoni during a keynote on observability, as well as an IT Leadership Session and Innovation Talk with Ronak Desai featuring a Q&A.

The IT Leadership Program offers further opportunity to make explore the most important shifts affecting IT, make connections with industry peers, and get the information and inspiration needed to build the foundation for a digital future.

Breakout Sessions- Getting to know FSO

Get more details on new innovations and how customers and partners are leveraging FSO to deliver exceptional digital experiences:

Unified Observability Experience with Cisco Full-Stack Observability

Wednesday, February 7 | 2:15 PM – 3:15 PM CET

Lessons Learned with Cost Insights and Application Resource Optimizer

Wednesday, February 7 | 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM CET

Business Risk Observability for traditional and modern applications 

Thursday, February 8 | 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM CET

Cisco AppDynamics and SAP Best Practices

Thursday, February 8 | 10:45 AM – 11:45 AM CET

Modeling and building observability solutions with Cisco Observability Platform

Thursday, February 8 | 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM CET

Empower an extensible ecosystem with Cisco Observability Platform

Wednesday, February 7 | 8:45 AM – 10:15 AM CET

Blueprint for the journey towards Cisco FSO 

Tuesday, February 6 | 1:15 PM – 2:15 PM CET

Hear from a customer around how they are implementing Cisco FSO

Thursday, February 6 | 1:45 PM – 2:45 PM CET

Open Telemetry and DevOps with Cisco AppDynamics & Full-Stack Observability

Friday, February 9 | 11:15 AM – 12:15 AM CET

Top 5 innovations in Cisco Cloud Observability

Tuesday, February 6 | 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM CET

Reimagine Digital Experience Monitoring

Wednesday, February 7 | 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM CET

New Innovations in Cisco AppDynamics

Tuesday, February 6 | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM CET

Cisco AIOps – Design, Deployment and Cisco on Cisco story

Tuesday, February 8 | 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM CET

AI in Observability

Tuesday, February 6 | 1:15 PM – 2:15 PM CET

Full-Stack Observability: The HOW!

Tuesday, February 6 | 4:45 PM – 6:15 PM CET

The Next Frontier for Full-Stack Observability

Wednesday, February 7 | 1:45 PM – 2:25 PM CET

World of Solutions

Join us on the show floor for a deep-dive into our new technologies and advancements. The journey to full-stack observability starts with Cisco AppDynamics, and this week is all about combining application and network observability with user experience and business context to empower exceptional digital experiences.

We’ll break down the journey to FSO and demo features like Smart Agent Management, Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM), AIOps, and more. Additionally, we’ll have interactive theater sessions throughout the day plus an “Innovation Zone” where you can immerse yourself in technical areas and engage with SMEs on new technologies.

DevNet Zone

Come and learn how to build a solution on the Cisco Observability Platform during a hands-on introductory workshop, or take your networking skills to the next level with a lab session exploring the integration of Cisco Observability Platform with Cisco Datacenter Infrastructure for improved network visibility and control. We will also have a theater presentation on how Cisco Observability Platform empowers a new observability ecosystem.

If you haven’t already, register for Cisco Live EMEA. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with some of the best and brightest minds in IT and join us as we build a world filled with people committed to doing the impossible- let’s go!

  From breakout sessions, leadership and keynote talks to hands-on workshops and customer insights, Cisco Full-Stack Observability will be a hot topic at 2024 Cisco Live EMEA.  Read More Cisco Blogs 

Part 6 of the six-part series – The 2023 Global Networking Trends Report series

If you have been reading our blog series around the 2023 Global Networking Trends Report, you may have noticed two rec… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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Part 6 of the six-part series – The 2023 Global Networking Trends Report series

If you have been reading our blog series around the 2023 Global Networking Trends Report, you may have noticed two recurring themes. First, network infrastructure has become more complex, and second, this complexity is calling for a change in the way we operate. We have changed where we run everything, we have changed the locations of the end users, and we have moved to a flexible model that adapts to changing needs.

For one thing, most organizations have more than one cloud. The 2023 Global Networking Trends Report shows that 92% of respondents reported using more than one public cloud, and 69% stated they are using more than five software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications. That does not mean they are using SaaS exclusively, of course; the architecture varies from traditionally developed, on-premises software (you can call it “legacy” or “heritage”) to third-party microservices and full-blown commercial SaaS offerings. The choices of systems are bound to fixed hardware and operating system stacks or abstracted into granular containers and services.

Most organizations still support the older, static technology models, and at the same time have to adapt to newer technologies such as virtualization, microservices, Kubernetes, and heavier API use—which each come with different network support requirements. The “long tail” of old versus new presents a greater challenge to IT operations and security.

Avoid “cylinders of excellence”

Back when I was a system administrator, I would have been considered part of a “full stack” team. We were responsible for setting up and troubleshooting everything—from pulling cables and carrying (heavy) 20-inch CRT monitors to diagnosing application issues together with the developers. But that technology model fragmented over the decades into layer-based areas of specialization (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Distributed infrastructures and workforce have caused increases in IT complexity (click to enlarge)

If you needed support, you had to pull in people from different domains, like the network engineer, the desktop support tech, the security experts, the Exchange admin, the database wizard, the business-embedded software engineer, and possibly a third-party vendor or two. We still see that problem today with IT operations forming silos. Silos such as cloud, network, and security operations were cited by 40% of our 2023 Global Networking Trends respondents as a top challenge to providing secure access from distributed locations to multiple cloud-based applications. And while some organizations have tried to unite these teams by forming “centers of excellence,” my experience is that with each team having its own agenda, these teams tend to turn into “cylinders of excellence”—further segmenting IT operations, while slowing down IT teams and the business.

Move swiftly and carry a small stick

None of the networking architectural options of the past few years are static. Just because many users went home during the pandemic doesn’t mean they’ll stay there long term. One call for an onsite, all-hands meeting will bring the networking load and access requirements back into the building for a few hours or even a few days. IT operations teams need to plan for a dynamic environment that hides each transition from the user. Implementing a zero-trust framework can help with this, since one of the principles of zero trust is that every access request should be subject to the same authentication and authorization process, no matter the location. How you do it, and in what order, is key to your success (see the blog on our Security Outcomes Report on Zero Trust for more details).

Given the dynamic nature of networking requirements, the IT operations and security teams need to converge—providing more alignment in their tools, processes, and people. This requires understanding how they can work better together to simplify IT and focus on end-to-end use cases. Cloud networking requirements are different from those in the data center. A security executive at a global bank once described to me how they made sure all the networking engineers received cloud training. Not only did that help with operational alignment, but it also opened up more career opportunities for the staff and empowered them to contribute support in more areas.

Another example in simplifying IT is to consider a secure access service edge (SASE) architecture to standardize enforcement, reduce complexity, and stay flexible in the face of a dynamic environment (as shown in Figure 2).

Figure 2. A secure access service edge (SASE) architecture converges people, processes, and technology for the monitoring and management of the software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) and security service edge (SSE) solutions (click to enlarge)

The days of siloed IT operations are over. All IT teams need a seat at the operations table as well as a unified agenda, including IT operations, networking, cloud services, and security professionals. End users should also have a seat at the table to add their business-side experience and desired outcomes to networking solutions.

As you go on your journey to consolidate and simplify your infrastructure, take this opportunity to bring all your IT operations teams together, along with users, so that the knowledge, skills, and processes in your network environment evolve as well. Try to avoid building another “cylinder of excellence” that is dedicated solely to cloud-based technology. While this may look like “plumbing” that doesn’t concern the business side, it is deeply user-facing in terms of performance and experience, and you may well discover important use cases when you include the end-to-end view.

The important message here is that people and processes are every bit as important as technology choices; IT operations should never operate in silos again.

Register to watch the Global Networking Trends on-demand webinar

Securely connect people, places, and things in an ever-changing world

and download the 2023 Global Networking Trends Report

  Dynamic shifts in domains and workforce habits require an IT operating model that is just as dynamic—one that fosters collaboration with a common agenda and simplifies all domains of IT operations.  Read More Cisco Blogs 

How can Ansible help people building simulations with Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)?

Similar to Terraform, Ansible is a common, open-source automation tool often used in Continuous Integration/Continuous… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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How can Ansible help people building simulations with Cisco Modeling Labs (CML)?

Similar to Terraform, Ansible is a common, open-source automation tool often used in Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) DevOps methodologies. They are both a type of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) or Infrastructure as Data that allow you to render your infrastructure as text files and control it using tools such as Git. The advantage is reproducibility, consistency, speed, and the knowledge that, when you change the code, people approve, and it gets tested before it’s pushed out to your production network. This paradigm allows enterprises to run their network infrastructure in the same way they run their software and cloud practices. Afterall, the infrastructure is there to support the apps, so why manage them differently? 

Although overlaps exist in the capabilities of Terraform and Ansible, they are very complementary. While Terraform is better at the initial deployment and ensuring ongoing consistency of the underlying infrastructure, Ansible is better at the initial configuration and ongoing management of the things that live in that infrastructure, such as systems, network devices, and so on. 

In a common workflow in which an operator wants to make a change to the network, let’s say adding a new network to be advertised via BGP, a network engineer would specify that change in the code or more likely as configuration data in YAML or JSON. In a typical CI workflow, that change would need to be approved by others for correctness or adherence to corporate and security concerns, for instance. In addition to the eyeball tests, a series of automated testing validates the data and then deploys the proposed change in a test network. Those tests can be run in a physical test network, a virtual test network, or a combination of the two. That flow might look like the following: 

The advantage of leveraging virtual test networks is profound. The cost is dramatically lower, and the ability to automate testing is increased significantly. For example, a network engineer can spin up and configure a new, complex topology multiple times without the likelihood of old tests messing up the accuracy of the current testing. Cisco Modeling Labs is a great tool for this type of test. 

Here’s where the Ansible CML Collection comes in. Similar to the CML Terraform integration covered in a previous blog, the Ansible CML Collection can automate the deployment of topologies in CML for testing. The Ansible CML Collection has modules to create, start, and stop a topology and the hosts within it, but more importantly, it has a dynamic inventory plugin for getting information about the topology. This is important for automation because topologies can change. Or multiple topologies could exist, depending on the tests being performed. If your topology uses dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) and/or CML’s PATty functionality, the information for how Ansible communicates with the nodes needs to be communicated to the playbook. 

Let’s go over some of the features of the Ansible CML Collection’s dynamic inventory plugin. 

First, we need to install the collection: 

ansible-galaxy collection install cisco.cml 

Next, we create a cml.yml in the inventory with the following contents to tell Ansible to use the Ansible CML Collection’s dynamic inventory plugin: 

plugin: cisco.cml.cml_inventory 
group_tags: network, ios, nxos, router

In addition to specifying the plugin name, we can also define tags that, when found on the devices in the topology, add that device to an Ansible group to be used later in the playbook: 

In addition to specifying the plugin name, we can also define tags that, when found on the devices in the topology, add that device to an Ansible group to be used later in the playbook:

CML_USERNAME: Username for the CML user
CML_PASSWORD: Password for the CML user
CML_HOST: The CML host
CML_LAB: The name of the lab 

Once the plugin knows how to communicate with the CML server and which lab to use, it can return information about the nodes in the lab: 

ok: [hq-rtr1] => { 
    "cml_facts": { 
        "config": "hostname hq-rtr1nvrf definition Mgmt-intfn!naddress-family ipv4nexit-address-familyn!naddress-family ipv6nexit-address-familyn!nusername admin privilege 15 secret 0 adminncdp runnno aaa new-modelnip domain-name mdd.cisco.comn!ninterface GigabitEthernet1nvrf forwarding Mgmt-intfnip address dhcpnnegotiation autonno cdp enablenno shutdownn!ninterface GigabitEthernet2ncdp enablen!ninterface GigabitEthernet3ncdp enablen!ninterface GigabitEthernet4ncdp enablen!nip http servernip http secure-servernip http max-connections 2n!nip ssh time-out 60nip ssh version 2nip ssh server algorithm encryption aes128-ctr aes192-ctr aes256-ctrnip ssh client algorithm encryption aes128-ctr aes192-ctr aes256-ctrn!nline vty 0 4nexec-timeout 30 0nabsolute-timeout 60nsession-limit 16nlogin localntransport input sshn!nend", 
        "cpus": 1, 
        "data_volume": null, 
        "image_definition": null, 
        "interfaces": [ 
            { 
                "ipv4_addresses": null, 
                "ipv6_addresses": null, 
                "mac_address": null, 
                "name": "Loopback0", 
                "state": "STARTED" 
            }, 
            { 
                "ipv4_addresses": [ 
                    "192.168.255.199" 
                ], 
                "ipv6_addresses": [], 
                "mac_address": "52:54:00:13:51:66", 
                "name": "GigabitEthernet1", 
                "state": "STARTED" 
            } 
        ], 
        "node_definition": "csr1000v", 
        "ram": 3072, 
        "state": "BOOTED" 
    } 
} 

The first IPv4 address found (in order of the interfaces) is used as `ansible_host` to enable the playbook to connect to the device. We can use the cisco.cml.inventory playbook included in the collection to show the inventory. In this case, we only specify that we want devices that are in the “router” group created by the inventory plugin as informed by the tags on the devices: 

mdd % ansible-playbook cisco.cml.inventory --limit=router 
ok: [hq-rtr1] => { 
    "msg": "Node: hq-rtr1(csr1000v), State: BOOTED, Address: 192.168.255.199:22" 
} 
ok: [hq-rtr2] => { 
    "msg": "Node: hq-rtr2(csr1000v), State: BOOTED, Address: 192.168.255.53:22" 
} 
ok: [site1-rtr1] => { 
    "msg": "Node: site1-rtr1(csr1000v), State: BOOTED, Address: 192.168.255.63:22" 
} 
ok: [site2-rtr1] => { 
    "msg": "Node: site2-rtr1(csr1000v), State: BOOTED, Address: 192.168.255.7:22" 
} 

In addition to group tags, the CML dynamic inventory plugin will also parse tags to pass information from PATty and to create generic inventory facts: 

If a CML tag is specified that matches `^pat:(?:tcp|udp)?:?(d+):(d+)`, the CML server address (as opposed to the first IPv4 address found) will be used for `ansible_host`. To change `ansible_port` to point to the translated SSH port, the tag `ansible:ansible_port=2020` can be set. These two tags tell the Ansible playbook to connect to port 2020 of the CML server to automate the specified host in the topology. The `ansible:` tag can also be used to specify other host facts. For example, the tag `ansible:nso_api_port=2021` can be used to tell the playbook the port to use to reach the Cisco NSO API. Any arbitrary fact can be set in this way. 

Getting started 

Trying out the CML Ansible Collection is easy. You can use the playbooks provided in the collection to load and start a topology in your CML server. To start, define the environment variable that tells the collection how to access your CML server: 

% export CML_HOST=my-cml-server.my-domain.com 
% export CML_USERNAME=my-cml-username 
% export CML_PASSWORD=my-cml-password 

The next step is to define your topology file. This is a standard topology file you can export from CML. There are two ways to define the topology file. First, you can use  an environment variable: 

% export CML_LAB=my-cml-labfile 

Alternatively, you can specify the topology file when you run the playbook as an extra–var.  For example, to spin up a topology using the built in cisco.cml.build playbook: 

% ansible-playbook cisco.cml.build -e wait='yes' -e cml_lab_file=topology.yaml

This command loads and starts the topology; then it waits until all nodes are running to complete.  If -e startup=’host’ is specified, the playbook will start each host individually as opposed to starting them all at once.  This allows for the config to be generated and fed into the host on startup.  When cml_config_file is defined in the host’s inventory, it is parsed as a Jinja file and fed into that host as config at startup.  This allows for just-in-time configuration to occur. 

Once the playbook completes, you can use another built-in playbook, cisco.cml.inventory, to get the inventory for the topology.  In order to use it, first create a cml.yml in the inventory directory as shown above, then run the playbook as follows: 

% ansible-playbook cisco.cml.inventory 
PLAY [cml_hosts] ********************************************************************** 
TASK [debug] ********************************************************************** 
ok: [WAN-rtr1] => { 
    "msg": "Node: WAN-rtr1(csr1000v), State: BOOTED, Address: 192.168.255.53:22" 
} 
ok: [nso1] => { 
    "msg": "Node: nso1(ubuntu), State: BOOTED, Address: my-cml-server.my-domain.com:2010" 
} 
ok: [site1-host1] => { 
    "msg": "Node: site1-host1(ubuntu), State: BOOTED, Address: site1-host1:22" 
} 

In this truncated output, three different scenarios are shown.  First, WAN-rtr1 is assigned the DHCP address it received for its ansible_host value, and ansible port is 22. If the host running the playbook has IP connectivity (either in the topology or a network connected to the topology with an external connector), it will be able to reach that host. 

The second scenario shows an example of the PATty functionality with the host nso1 in which the dynamic inventory plugin reads those tags to determine that the host is available through the CML server’s interface (i.e. ansible_host is set to my-cml-server.my-domain.com).  Also, it knows that ansible_port should be set to the port specified in the tags (i.e. 2010).  After these values are set, the ansible playbook can reach the host in the topology using the PATty functionality in CML. 

The last example, site1-host1, shows the scenario in which the CML dynamic inventory script can either find a DHCP allocated address or tags to specify to what ansible_host should be set, so it uses the node name.  For the playbook to reach those hosts, it would have to have IP connectivity and be able to resolve the node name to an IP address. 

These built-in playbooks show examples of how to use the functionality in the CML Ansible Collection to build your own playbooks, but you can also use them directly as part of your pipeline.  In fact, we often use them directly in the pipelines we build for customers. 

If you want to learn more about the CML Ansible Collection, you can find it in Ansible Galaxy as well as on Github. 

You can also find a full, IaC CI/CD pipeline using these modules here.

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  Ansible can be used with CML (Cisco Modeling Labs) to automate the deployment and management of network infrastructure, offering reproducibility, consistency, and automation in network infrastructure management.  Read More Cisco Blogs 

Reflections from the Consumer Electronics Show and predictions for the year in tech

At Cisco, we empower people to connect and collaborate with each other from anywhere. From home, the office and… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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Reflections from the Consumer Electronics Show and predictions for the year in tech

At Cisco, we empower people to connect and collaborate with each other from anywhere. From home, the office and everywhere in between, we use Cisco collaboration solutions to solve hybrid work’s greatest challenges, while inspiring innovation, enhancing productivity and simplifying communication.

As the world continues to transition into a more permanent hybrid workforce, 80% of leaders are confident in their current hybrid work strategy – that’s according to the third annual EY Future Workplace Index. Not surprisingly, the biggest challenge employers are facing in optimizing office spaces is creating the right kind of space for their employees. One that makes people want to come into the office. One that delivers an experience more unique, immersive and seamless than what they experience in their home offices. Leaders are looking to strike the right balance between investing in physical office spaces and empowering workers with the flexibility to get work done on their own terms, with the end goal of optimizing the performance of today’s hybrid workforce.

So what does 2024 have on the horizon for striking that balance?  Conversations stemming from last week’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) can help answer this question, as the event provides a window into emerging tech trends.  With no surprise, AI was a significant topic at CES. In 2023’s AI boom, direct interaction with AI increased tenfold. At CES there was also an emphasis on technology designed to make the day-to-day lives of consumers easier.

Reflecting on Cisco’s innovations in 2023, the trends unveiled at this year’s CES, and the solutions we’re prepping to unveil this year, these are my predictions for the year ahead.

AI will enhance collaboration experiences for hybrid workers.

The ‘Year of AI’ was echoed at CES, across industries like tech, food & beverage, entertainment & media, government & security, agriculture, retail, healthcare… every corner of industry. At Cisco, our collaboration solutions have leveraged AI for years, as a powerful tool to make hybrid interactions seamless (our solutions also feature NVIDIA’s Jetson edge AI platform — a company which generated big buzz at this year’s CES). As employees continue to embrace hybrid work, there is an enormous opportunity to leverage AI to enhance the way we work and collaborate.

This past year, Cisco Collaboration announced the concept of Distance Zero, our north star; it’s an aspiration to build technology that delivers the feeling of being there – even when you’re not. Distance Zero can only be accomplished with powerful AI, bringing the rich, human interaction happening into the meeting room into the virtual space.

Since 2016, we’ve been building audio and video intelligence to support reimagined collaboration experiences. Today, with the combination of powerful video and audio AI, Cisco devices follow presenters around the room, intelligently listen for audio cues, and switch between multiple cameras. Combined with framing, zoning, multiple streams and more, our technology chooses the best view of any meeting at any moment— making it feel like you’re in the room with your virtual colleagues. In 2024, we’ll get even closer to fundamentally eliminating distance in any room type.

As organizations map priorities for the year, it will be critical to invest in technology which supports the integration of rapidly evolving AI capabilities, which in turn will increase the longevity of their workplace investments. And, has big implications for inclusivity and equitability – a good segue into my next prediction.

There will be an increased need to address location barriers to ensure equitable and inclusive meetings.

Meetings where everyone is physically present are no longer the norm. In fact, 98% of meetings going forward will have at least one remote participant – it is critical to provide equitable and inclusive meeting experiences. This shift has been so impactful, that the type of work that happens in the office has fundamentally shifted. Prior to the office reopening, those who worked in office had the lowest  average number of virtual  meetings. Today,  people in the office have significantly  higher virtual meeting volume  than  other working modes, going from 50% fewer virtual  meetings before reopening to 40% more today (check out Cisco’s 2023 Future of Work survey to learn just how significantly in-office work has  changed since the pandemic).

Still, only about 15% of conference rooms are equipped with video conferencing technology. For rooms that are equipped, basic camera and audio solutions aren’t enough to achieve equitable and inclusive meetings. They miss the Distance Zero-inspired, rich context that makes face-to-face connections so magical. And, it has big implications for leaders and teams. Reflecting on my own experience, my team is the earliest adopters of Cisco Collaboration technology— and we connect and innovate from around the globe. Our latest product to launch was engineered, designed, and brought to launch by a team spanning 10 cities and 8 countries. That’s significant, and it has implications for access to talent, innovation, efficiency — and so much more.

Companies will need to deploy solutions that help all attendees feel like they’re in the room together, even when they are physically distanced, by deploying technologies that transcend location barriers and embody the feeling of face-to-face collaboration for everyone.

Businesses will reimagine and reconfigure workspaces to make the office a magnet.

Hybrid work is here to stay. And offering employees flexibility & choice in their work increases engagement, recognizes the diverse needs of today’s workforce, and supports talent recruitment regardless of location. It’s an employee -centric model that benefits individuals and organizations alike.

Still, when anywhere can be an office, getting people back into the corporate office is a challenge- organizations must fundamentally reimagine and reconfigure workspaces to generate excitement, by making the experience better than at home.

How do you do it? By building spaces that support interactions that happen best at the office. Consider this – you can’t schedule creativity from 4:30-5:00 on Wednesdays. Creativity and teamwork thrive on serendipitous, happenstance run-ins at the office. Offices should have spaces that support these interactions, like brainstorming areas and technology that supports cocreation and whiteboarding with in-person and hybrid participants alike. The habits we build are also key – at Cisco, we found that employees appreciate remote working but also crave in-person touch points. Bringing people together for intentional and purposeful reasons like relationship-building, innovation, training and mentorship.

Join us for live demos of our latest workspace experiences:

Weekly Customer Walk-Ins

Related links:

Cisco and NVIDIA: Announcing New Devices and Experiences
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  Reflections from the Consumer Electronics Show and predictions for the year in tech: How AI will enhance collaboration experiences for hybrid workers to ensure equitable and inclusive meetings as businesses reimagine workspaces to make the office a magnet.  Read More Cisco Blogs 

A vibrant platform for industry leaders and innovators

Mark your calendars for an event not to be missed. The annual Cisco Automation Developer Days event is returning to Stockholm on May 21-23,… Read more on Cisco Blogs

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A vibrant platform for industry leaders and innovators

Mark your calendars for an event not to be missed. The annual Cisco Automation Developer Days event is returning to Stockholm on May 21-23, 2024. The event will take place at the coo Space Arena, nestled in the heart of the city. 

Call for speakers is open! 

We are privileged to host an exceptional team of subject matter experts who provide comprehensive coverage on updates and forecasts related to Cisco products. In addition, we are currently on the hunt for speakers with valuable insights and hands-on experience in the intricate processes of designing, developing, and operating network automation and orchestration solutions. 

Have you carved a path of success in scaling your network, reconciling services, or automating your first use cases? Are you leveraging or considering the application of network automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to construct a more sustainable and eco-friendly network? How did you navigate the organizational challenges associated with implementing network automation during the onboarding process? We are eager to listen to your narrative. Submit your abstract here! 

Your experiences can inspire and inform others, creating an expansive environment of shared knowledge and innovation. We welcome you to share your journey and contribute to our vibrant and insightful community. 

What can attendees expect? 

Cisco shares product updates and delivers technical deep dives to support your successful journey towards adopting network automation, no matter where you currently stand. Rest assured, you will find a community of peers just as passionate about automation, eager to connect, collaborate, and learn. 

Every session will be live-streamed and available on-demand, ensuring you do not miss a moment. For those attending in-person, we have an array of hands-on labs, clinics, and workshops that delve into Network Service Automation, NetDevOps, Test and Operations. 

Of course, it is not all about work. We have lined up exciting social events, offering the perfect opportunity to unwind, network, and create lasting connections. 

Our mission for Cisco Automation Developer Days 2024 is to foster a vibrant, engaging space where everyone can learn, share, and connect. More information will be shared on our event page. 

If you are new to our event, visit our YouTube channel to get an idea of the enriching experiences that await you. Be sure to save the date to join us for an unforgettable experience at Cisco Automation Developer Days 2024! 

  Get ready to receive, or present, valuable insights and hands-on experience in the intricate processes of designing, developing, and operating network automation and orchestration solutions - May 21-23, 2024 in Stockholm, Sweden.  Read More Cisco Blogs