I’ve been very unconvinced on the reality and benefits of quantum computing. Sure, a lot of people with fancy degrees from fancy places say it will work miracles. Sure, they make really impressive machines with cooling units that look like they’ll beam you into the movie Tron. Sure, Microsoft just released a new chip with […]
Category: Perspectives
Agentic AI for networking
As I’ve pointed out in several posts, and as you’ve certainly noticed, there is a teeny bit of hype surrounding AI these days. We’re told network engineers will be obsolete as our AI buddies take over our jobs. Want to roll out a network? No problem, your receptionist will do it for you while sipping […]
VRRP, IPv6, and the “Why” Question
Ivan Pelpnjak has an interesting post (H/T to Ethan Banks) critiquing Cisco’s VRRP v3 CLI implementation for IPv6. It got me thinking about a question I was told never to ask: “Why?” Never ask why? Back when I really wanted to get into networking, I took a five-day bootcamp with Global Knowledge taught by a gentleman […]
Are network engineers obsolete?
Continuing on the theme of AI: I can tell you what the MBAs are saying. Remember, the MBAs know more about network engineering than you, despite your training and experience, because, well, they’re MBAs! The went to Stanford! Or Kellogg! Or San Jose State! The MBAs are sure you’re going to be replaced by AI. […]
The Next Big Thing, TLDR version
At the last Cisco Live in June, I was asked by marketing to do a “center stage” presentation. My days of getting normal sessions at Cisco Live seem to be over. Perhaps I’m too far into the management track (although that’s changing) to impress the Cisco Live Session Group Managers. Eager to speak again, I […]
Cisco Live, again and again
It’s funny that I remember a time when Cisco Live used to be a privilege, before it became a chore. I’ve been to every Cisco Live US and every Cisco Live Europe since I started here in 2015. I enjoy the show primarily because I enjoy meeting with fellow network engineers, and there is still […]
Elon Musk and remote work
In a recent article (paywall), Elon Musk has once again turned his wrath to remote workers. Elon has a lot of good ideas, but also many bad ones, such as naming his child “X AE A-XII”. This is certainly proof that we don’t need to take everything he says seriously. Elon has said that those […]
ChatGPT and the problem of authority
I’ve been reluctant to comment on the latest fad in our industry, generative AI, simply because everybody has weighed in on it. I do also try to avoid commenting on subjects outside of my scope of authority. Increasingly, though, people are coming to me at work and asking how we can incorporate this technology into our […]
Some thoughts on “digital twins”
As I mentioned in my last post, I like modeling networks using tools like Cisco Modeling Labs or GNS3. I recalled how, back in TAC, I had access to a Cisco-internal (at the time) tool called IOS on Unix, or IOU. This enabled me to recreate customer environments in minutes, with no need to hunt […]
Back in the lab
We all have to make a decision, at some point in our career, about whether or not we get into the management track. At Cisco, there is a very strong path for individual contributors (IC). You can be come a principal (director-level), a distinguished (senior director-level), and a fellow (VP-level) as an IC, never having […]