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Reliability & Operations 90 days 2-3 hours/day updated 2026-06-01

DevNetOps 90-Day Learning Path

Master DevNetOps in 90 days — network CI/CD pipelines, network testing, GitOps for network configs, and programmable infrastructure. Bridge the gap between dev workflows and network ops.

What DevNetOps means

DevNetOps applies DevOps principles — version control, automated testing, continuous integration, and peer review — to network engineering workflows. Network configuration becomes code, changes are reviewed via pull requests, automated tests validate intent before deployment, and rollbacks are as easy as reverting a Git commit. DevNetOps transforms network operations from a ticket-based art into a software engineering discipline.

Who should follow this path

  • Network engineers adopting DevOps practices
  • DevOps engineers extending pipelines to network layers
  • Platform engineers owning network self-service
  • NetOps teams seeking faster, safer change delivery

Prerequisites

  • Network fundamentals (routing, switching, firewalls)
  • Python scripting for network automation
  • Basic Git and version control workflows
  • Familiarity with CI/CD pipeline concepts

The 90-day plan

Daily study recommendation: 2-3 hours/day, six days a week. Consistency beats intensity — block the time in your calendar like a meeting.

Days 1–15: Foundation

  • DevNetOps principles and the network-as-code paradigm
  • Version controlling network configurations with Git
  • Network change management vs software change management
  • Branching strategies for network config repositories
  • Network CI/CD pipeline overview

Outcome: Store and version-control all network configurations in Git with a review workflow.

Days 16–30: Core concepts

  • Network unit testing with pytest and pyATS
  • Batfish for pre-deployment config validation
  • GNS3 and EVE-NG for network simulation
  • Network integration testing strategies
  • Automated compliance and policy checks

Outcome: Implement automated network config testing that runs before any change is applied.

Days 31–45: Tools and workflows

  • CI/CD pipeline for network changes (Jenkins, GitHub Actions)
  • Network change gates and approval workflows
  • Automated rollback and canary network changes
  • Ansible and Nornir in CI/CD pipelines
  • Configuration diff and audit logging

Outcome: Run a complete network change through a CI/CD pipeline with automated test gates.

Days 46–60: Hands-on projects

  • GitOps for network infrastructure
  • NetBox as SSOT integration with CI/CD
  • Intent-based networking with Nautobot
  • Terraform for cloud network resources
  • Event-driven network automation with Nautobot

Outcome: Implement GitOps-driven network management with NetBox as the source of truth.

Days 61–75: Advanced practices

  • Network observability and telemetry pipelines
  • Anomaly detection in network metrics
  • Chaos testing for network resilience
  • Multi-site network automation at scale
  • Security automation for network policy enforcement

Outcome: Operate a resilient, observable network with chaos testing and automated security policy.

Days 76–90: Portfolio, interview & certification prep

  • Portfolio: DevNetOps platform for a multi-site network
  • DevNetOps interview preparation
  • Cisco DevNet Professional exam prep
  • Contributing to open-source network automation projects
  • Writing network engineering ADRs

Outcome: Present a DevNetOps platform portfolio and pass Cisco DevNet certification prep.

Weekly outcomes at a glance

PhaseOutcome
Days 1–15Store and version-control all network configurations in Git with a review workflow.
Days 16–30Implement automated network config testing that runs before any change is applied.
Days 31–45Run a complete network change through a CI/CD pipeline with automated test gates.
Days 46–60Implement GitOps-driven network management with NetBox as the source of truth.
Days 61–75Operate a resilient, observable network with chaos testing and automated security policy.
Days 76–90Present a DevNetOps platform portfolio and pass Cisco DevNet certification prep.

Tools to learn

  • Ansible
  • Nornir
  • pyATS
  • Batfish
  • NetBox
  • Nautobot
  • GitHub Actions
  • Terraform
  • GNS3
  • Python

Labs to practice

Mini projects

  • Build a network CI/CD pipeline with Batfish validation and automated rollback
  • Implement GitOps-driven Ansible network automation with NetBox as SSOT
  • Create automated network compliance checks using pyATS and pytest

Interview questions to prepare

  1. What is the difference between DevNetOps and traditional network change management?
  2. How does Batfish enable pre-deployment validation of network configs?
  3. Explain how you would implement a network change rollback automatically.
  4. What role does NetBox play in a DevNetOps pipeline?
  5. How do you test network automation code safely before deploying to production?
  6. What is intent-based networking and how does Nautobot support it?
  7. How would you implement network policy compliance checks in a CI/CD pipeline?

Certification suggestions

  • Cisco DevNet Associate — Cisco
  • Cisco DevNet Professional — Cisco
  • AWS Certified Advanced Networking – Specialty — AWS

Browse the full certification registry for exam details and official links.

Free resources

// instructor-led option

Prefer live, guided training with mentors and certification support? DevOpsSchool.com runs paid instructor-led programs that pair well with this free path.

Explore paid training on DevOpsSchool.com ↗