As data centers scale to meet the demands of digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI) workloads and hybrid cloud architectures, the operational model that underpins the network infrastructure must evolve. Traditional, manually intensive network operations are unsustainable in this fast-moving environment.

Tasks such as provisioning fabrics, monitoring performance, managing changes and troubleshooting are still largely done by hand. This creates operational drag: Errors slip through, experienced engineers get overburdened, and scaling becomes a game of diminishing returns. With complexity rising, the pressure is on data center operators to do more with fewer resources and do it reliably.

So, how do we break free from this cycle?

The answer lies in end-to-end automation and a shift toward cloud-native operational models.

Why manual operations are breaking down

Every engineer knows the pain of late-night alerts, rushed config changes, or chasing root causes through CLI output and log files. Manual operations aren’t just inefficient, they're risky.

• Provisioning takes too long and varies across teams.
• Monitoring requires constant vigilance and often misses correlated patterns.
• Troubleshooting is reactive, fragmented and time-consuming.
• Upgrades come with fear, hesitation and potential downtime.

Even teams with strong processes and skilled staff can struggle to keep pace when growth accelerates or architectures become distributed.

Automating the essentials of data center network management

A modern operations model relies on full automation across the four core operational pillars:

1. Intent-based provisioning
   Define what you want; let the system determine how to implement it. The shift away from scripts and templates and toward intent-based automation enables teams to deploy consistent, scalable and error-resistant configurations across diverse vendor environments.
2. Real-time telemetry and event-driven monitoring
   Pulling telemetry from every node and interface, modern platforms offer continuous visibility and proactive alerting. Engineers no longer need to stare at dashboards. Instead, insights and anomalies can be pushed directly to them through Slack, Teams or other notification tools.
3. Automated troubleshooting
   Traditional root cause analysis often eats up hours, if not days. Automation changes this by isolating issues, correlating alarms and analyzing logs automatically. The result? Faster resolution times and less burnout for ops teams.
4. Safe, non-disruptive upgrades
   In a cloud-first world, orchestrators must be resilient and upgradeable without disrupting services. Automated pre-checks, test environments, and customer-controlled upgrade windows reduce operational risk and support continuous improvement.

Cloud-hosted platforms: The future of network automation

One of the most impactful changes in infrastructure management is the move toward cloud-hosted automation platforms. Cloud delivery models offer:

• Elastic scalability for handling growing infrastructure needs.
• Global availability for distributed operations.
• High availability and redundancy without the need for teams to administer the management plane.
• Continuous delivery of improvements from the vendor without burdening internal resources.

And perhaps most importantly, cloud-hosted platforms enable smaller teams to operate large environments without compromising reliability or control.

Embracing the shift

The industry is moving fast, and data center operators need tools that will help them keep up. Automation of the entire data center network lifecycle and cloud-based operations are no longer nice-to-haves—they're essential for survival in modern IT environments.

For organizations ready to make this shift, solutions like Nokia Event-Driven Automation (EDA) SaaS offer a proven path forward. By combining intent-based configuration, real-time fabric insights, automated troubleshooting and cloud-hosted resilience, EDA SaaS helps organizations achieve operational excellence with fewer resources and less stress.

Because the future of network operations isn’t just about speed, it’s about clarity, consistency and confidence at scale.

Find out more

1.  Visit our EDA web page to learn how end-to-end automation and cloud-native operational models can help your team keep pace with the demands of the AI and digital era.

2.  Tune in to the Packet Pushers podcast to hear how EDA SaaS makes automation more accessible, trustable, and easier to use.