Scaling the Facebook backbone through Zero Touch Provisioning

This post introduces Vending Machine, a new workflow system for automating the provisioning of Facebook's global backbone networks and edge network points-of-presence. It details the challenges of rapid growth in heterogeneous IP and optical networks, moving from manual MOPs to a software-centric approach. The system leverages Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) with custom Python agents executed on network devices for initial configuration and software upgrades. Vending Machine's core innovation is its workflow framework, which breaks down provisioning tasks into independent 'steps' that can be developed and executed in parallel, allowing for iterative automation of all manual MOP procedures. This system has enabled faster, more creative problem-solving and an iterative approach to network building and deployment tools.