Microland Digital Warriors

Microland Digital Warriors | 33 © MICROLAND LIMITED 2020. Internal Circulation Only 32 Timepass + Python = Digital innovation Harish AS is fidgety by nature. That’s a good thing. One day it led to developing a tool to visualize network configuration. Harish says he did it for “timepass”, between reading blogs and smart magazines BTW, those unfamiliar with the deeply Indian concept of “timepass” should know that it means “spending time aimlessly doing nothing important”. For Harish it was in the company of books, music and movies. Timepass has (almost) acquired the status of a national pursuit and is now a legit word in the Oxford English Dictionary! For Harish, it was to lead to bigger things. His manager at Microland found utility in the tool and wanted it tweaked for a client. “I was developing the visualization tool for entertainment,” says Harish. “It ended up becoming a network validation tool for GE.” Harish’s python-based network validator checks if devices on the network—switches, firewalls, routers, etc.—meet the organization’s standards and are in line with best practices. It checks for 31 parameters and if standards are not met, it flags the missing standards in a report and provides pointers to network administrators on what they need to do to fix the problem. Amazingly, Harish developed the tool in a language he didn’t know until a few months ago—Python. During the COVID-19-enforced lockdown, with time on his hands, Harish decided to do some timepass. He Googled Python and spent nights teaching himself the language. “My intent was to learn a new skill. I am okay with trial-and-error,” says Harish. With no fear of failure, he jumped right in, his manager encouraged him, and the client agreed to host the validator, adding and integrating it to a network tool that Microland had developed for the client. One outcome of Harish’s validator is that it saves administrator’s time and improves the quality of service – and indirectly improves Microland’s reputation in the client’s eyes. With digital success behind him, Harish is keen to take the tool to the next step by developing a configuration generator. Meanwhile, the shining lights of automation have captured his imagination. “Everyone is migrating to automation. Why are we still manually configuring switches?” asks Harish. Good question. We look forward to his digital answer – in Python! Harish A S This Digital Warrior built a python-based network change module that verified all the configured parameters for routers and switches to ensure they were in-line with the technical best practices and complied with design and architecture standards.”