Network engineers are notorious for doing whatever it takes to keep their customers and users happy. No reference architecture is safe from modification. However, these unique designs, commonly referred to as “snowflakes”, create challenges when unforeseen consequences occur. In this episode of the Tech Field Day podcast, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Dakota Snow, Steve Puluka, and Bob McCouch as they discuss the challenges behind snowflake design and operations. They talk about the best way to build better systems and prevent the challenges caused by uniqueness.
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Learn more about Networking Field Day 36 and the presenting companies on the Tech Field Day website.
Stop Building Snowflakes
Network engineers are notorious for doing whatever it takes to keep their customers and users happy. No reference architecture is safe from modification. However, these unique designs, commonly referred to as “snowflakes”, create challenges when unforeseen consequences occur. In this episode of the Tech Field Day podcast, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Dakota Snow, Steve Puluka, and Bob McCouch as they discuss the challenges behind snowflake design and operations. They talk about the best way to build better systems and prevent the challenges caused by uniqueness.
The reasons why networks stray into unique territory are myriad. Customers may demand support for a custom application or use case. Organizations may grown in unanticipated ways, including acquisitions. Businesses, always faced with budget constraints, may cut funding or create heterogenous systems with their own challenges. The growth of these networks create an opportunity for designers to focus on completing the requirements and not on proper design guidelines.
These roadblocks create problem for those that want to build networks that can be automated with ease. Inconsistent deployments and poor documentation lead to the inability to properly automate operations and reduce the need for human interaction to accomplish goals. Every special exception to the rules creates a point of contention in your design that forces you to make an even more custom automation solution that doesn’t scale past your compromises.
The key to a proper network design is modular building blocks. By creating standard pieces that can be assembled in recognizable configurations you create consistency. That consistency makes it much better for future troubleshooting and even expansion. That’s because if the future additions to the network are necessary they will follow the same guidelines, which means more standardization and more capability to be automated. That consistency is the key to building a network that doesn’t melt at the first sign of trouble.
Podcast Information
Tom Hollingsworth is the Networking Analyst for The Futurum Group and Event Lead for Tech Field Day. You can connect with Tom on LinkedIn and X/Twitter. Find out more on his blog or on the Tech Field Day website.
Bob McCouch is a Presales Leader and Architect at AHEAD. You can connect with Bob on LinkedIn and on X/Twitter. Learn more about Bob on his personal website, Herding Packets.
Steve Puluka is a Network and Security Engineer as well as an IP Architect. You can connect with Steve on LinkedIn, on X/Twitter, and on Bluesky. Learn more about Steve on his personal website.
Dakota Snow is a Network Operations Director and Host of The Bearded IT Dad. You can connect with Dakota on LinkedIn or on X/Twitter. Learn more about The Bearded IT Dad and Dakota’s content on his website.
Thank you for listening to this episode of the Tech Field Day Podcast. If you enjoyed the discussion, please remember to subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast application so you don’t miss an episode and do give us a rating and a review. This podcast was brought to you by Tech Field Day, home of IT experts from across the enterprise, now part of The Futurum Group.
