[NANOG] Re: The Network CLI -- Love it ? Hate it? Needed?

[Mark Prosser via NANOG <nanog () lists nanog org>]

On 2025-03-21 16:56, Matthew Petach wrote:

> In looking at the thread, I will 
> argue (feebly)
> in my defense that I wasn't the only one falling prey to the "if he's 
> asking about
> CLI, the counterpoint must be GUI" error.  ^_^;

The thread definitely went in that direction. But it also went in other 
wild & wonderful directions as well :)


> I will also take this moment to second Brian's amazingly sage point that 
> thus
> far, there doesn't seem to be a non-CLI way of managing devices that works
> over serial-based communication lines to the physical console of a device;
> so out of necessity, pretty much every network engineer I've run into is 
> at least
> familiar enough with the device CLI to get it onto the network enough 
> that they
> can switch to their favorite GUI/API/management tool.
> <snipped really good stuff here>

It's very true in a lot of environments. The problem set is a bit 
fragmented in approach thus far -- in my opinion, at least -- but it's 
an important situation to consider.

> And so, for the third aspect of "Love it/Hate it/Needed?", I would say 
> that some
> type of CLI-ish access to the device is always going to be necessary in 
> order to
> configure it with initial network parameters for environments where 
> there is no
> ZTP-type provisioning system in place (yet).

Yeah, I knew the "needed" part would be the most controversial of the 
question. But I wouldn't have asked, if I hadn't heard enough folks 
suggest it's not.


> But back to you, Mark--you're absolutely right, I took your neutral 
> question, and
> brought my own soapbox along to perch on, and in doing so, I attributed 
> to you
> what was not originally present--and for that, I apologize.  :(

That's alright, Matt. No apology needed. I was just letting you know 
that we're birds of a feather; finding pragmatic solutions together.

> Thanks!
>
> Matt

Thank you for your responses.

Best regards,

--
Mark Prosser
// E: mark () zealnetworks ca
// W: https://zealnetworks.ca
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