Automation and Orchestration for Upgrades and Compliance

Vocabulary flashcards covering automation, orchestration, upgrades, and compliance concepts from the video notes.

Automation

Use of automated scripts and tools to streamline upgrades, reduce human error, and ensure network-wide consistency.

Orchestration

Coordinating automated tasks and policies across multiple systems to enable end-to-end upgrades and compliance enforcement.

Upgrades

Process of applying security patches, firmware updates, or new features to network devices.

Compliance

Adherence to applicable rules, regulations, and contracts, enforced through automation and monitoring.

Off-peak hours

Scheduled periods to perform updates to minimize downtime during busy business operations.

Baseline

Standard software version and configuration used as the target state for devices.

Version control

Regular checks of devices to verify software versions against the baseline and automatic updates to remap to the baseline.

Automated testing and validation

Automated checks after upgrades (e.g., routing, ARP cache, DNS) to confirm proper operation.

PCI DSS

Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard; automation helps monitor and enforce these requirements.

Policy enforcement

Applying security policies across systems automatically, such as minimum password length.

Quarantine

Automatically isolating non-compliant devices until they can be remediated and reintroduced.

Logs and evidence

Generating and preserving logs for audits and compliance reporting.

Patch management

Automated processes to patch endpoints and reduce vulnerabilities across the network.

Continuous monitoring

Ongoing automation-based monitoring of configurations and deviations from the baseline.

Real-time compliance reporting

Live dashboards and reports showing current compliance status.

Deviations

Configurations or states that fall outside the established baseline or policy.

Endpoints

Network devices and hosts that require patching and updates.

Automation tools

Examples include Chef, Puppet, and Cisco DNA Center, used for automation and orchestration.

Downtime minimization

Strategies to reduce downtime during upgrades through scheduling and automation.

High velocity / high availability environments

Environments that require rapid, reliable upgrades with minimal disruption.