Reachability Assurance Using Auto Tests

Anurag Singh Maurya
45 steps
3 minutes

Netbraintech

**Objective:** Demonstrate how NetBrain Auto Tests use intent defined in the Base Table to automatically validate network reachability, visualize results through Observability Dashboards, and enforce consistent, auditable pre- and post-change validation—reducing manual effort, operational risk, and time to resolution.

## **In this lab, we will be:** **Walking through the Base Table** to understand how Auto Test logic and test parameters are centrally defined and reused across automations. **Leveraging a Runbook to add and execute Auto Tests**, automating reachability validation and eliminating repetitive manual checks across the network. **Using Automation Insight to apply prebuilt Auto Test automations**, designed for multi-vendor environments to validate end-to-end reachability of critical infrastructure services—including routing gateways, DHCP, DNS, syslog, and other core service endpoints—proactively detecting unreachable services or inconsistent behavior across devices. **Visualizing Auto Test results in Observability Dashboards**, providing a single, real-time view of service health, reachability, and compliance. **Reusing the same Auto Test automation within a Change Runbook by embedding it into pre-check and post-check nodes**, establishing a clean validation baseline before changes and enforcing disciplined, repeatable change workflows—without creating new automation—while reducing human error. **Completing the workflow with a Documentation Node**, automatically generating a summary of validation results and change activities for audits, change reviews, and post-implementation analysis. --- ### **By the end of this lab, you’ll see how Auto Test–driven automation enables proactive reachability assurance, simplifies change validation, and delivers consistent, auditable outcomes—making network operations more reliable, predictable, and easier to govern.**

Navigate to \[linkWithIcon\]

**Let’s begin by reviewing a critical prerequisite—the Base Table.**\ To access the Base Table, click the **Intent** icon in the side menu to open the **Automation Data Table Manager**, where the Base Table is stored.\ \ Click "Automation Data Table (ADT)"

Click "Batch Ping by Region"

The **Base Table** defines a **reachability matrix** that establishes what healthy connectivity looks like for each site or environment. For this lab, we’ll focus on the **Boston** and **San Francisco** sites. When reviewing the San Francisco entries, note that one policy explicitly denies ping access to a decommissioned server. This ensures that **expected behavior**—such as intentional reachability restrictions—is accurately reflected in the validation results. The Base Table also houses the **Network Intent logic**, which is dynamically applied to the devices listed in the first column when the Base Table is initially created. In this example, the column labeled **Ping Check** represents the Network Intent automation used to validate reachability from each listed device to the destination defined in the Base Table.

Let's begin by mapping a **network path** from **San Francisco** to one of the servers listed in the **Base Table**.\ \ Once the path is mapped, the relevant SFO devices are automatically included for **reachability validation**, establishing the scope for Auto Test execution.\ \ Click "Path"

Click "Draw Latest Path on Map"

Enable **Runbooks** and select a **Network Intent** node.

Click "Add"

Let's add the Auto Test automation embedded in the *Base Table* by navigating to the *Automation Data Table Manager* and selecting it from the *Solution-Based Series* subfolder. Click "Add Existing Intent"

Click "ADT Intent"

Use the search field and type *Ping* to display the relevant tables.\ \ Select the Base Table named "Batch Ping by Region", as this table also includes the Auto Test Automation.

Once added, this automation can be executed **on demand or on a schedule**, supporting both **ad-hoc troubleshooting** and **continuous validation** workflows.\ \ Click "Run"

Click "Show Result on Map"

In this example, the Auto Test flags a **policy violation**, indicating that a **decommissioned server remains reachable** alongside active servers. This result highlights missed cleanup and a potential security gap, detected automatically without manual device access.\ All validation results are recorded directly on the **mapped devices** for clear and consistent visibility.

Let's now add the results from Auto Test into an Observability Dashboard, providing real-time visibility into reachability and policy compliance across the network.\ \ Click "Build Dashboard"

Enter values for the *Dashboard Name* and *Chart Name* fields, then click *OK*.

Click "Open Dashboard"

You have now created a dashboard that aggregates both alerts and successful results from the Network Intent. Click "*Options"* to explore *Share Dashboard* and *Export Dashboard to Document*.

To deepen our analysis and validate whether configuration issues may be contributing to the problem, we’ll now move to the next Runbook step: the **Automation Insight Node**. From here, we’ll leverage the **Golden Assessment Library (GAL)**. The Golden Assessment Library is a comprehensive repository of automated checks that compare live device configurations against a defined golden baseline — the organization’s standard for configuration accuracy and performance. GAL includes both system-provided assessments and custom checks built from an organization’s own operational expertise. This ensures validations are not generic, but closely aligned with real-world network behaviors and internal best practices.

Click "Automation Insight"

Using the **Automation Insight** node, type **“Auto”** in the search field to display the **prebuilt Auto Test** category, which includes reachability checks designed for multi-vendor environments. These Auto Tests validate end-to-end reachability for essential infrastructure services, including: - Routing Gateways - DHCP - DNS - Syslog - Other core service endpoints The tests proactively assess **device-to-service reachability**, automatically identifying unreachable services or inconsistent behavior across vendors.

Click "Show Result on Map"

We have successfully added the results from a prebuilt check that validates reachability to the default gateway on the mapped devices.\ \ \ Click "Options"

Click "Open Assessment Rule Dashboard"

All results are displayed in **Observability Dashboards**, providing a **single, real-time view** of service health and compliance.

Now that we’ve seen how Auto Tests support troubleshooting and continuous validation, let's shift our focus to ***Change Management***. Add a ***Change Runbook***, where the ***same Auto Test*** automation can be reused to enforce disciplined change workflows—without creating any new automation.

Click "New Network Change"

Click "OK"

Click the *+* icon before the *Change Execution* node and add a *Network Intent* node.\ Rename this node to *Pre-Check*.

Click "Add"

Click here.

Click "OK"

Add another *Network Intent* node after the *Change Execution* node and rename it *Post-Check* to perform post-change validation.

Click "Add"

Click here.

Click "OK"

Once the nodes are in place, select the ***Pre-Check*** node.\ \ Click "**ADT Intent**"\ \ As before, add the Auto Test automation embedded in the ***Base Table*** by navigating to the *A**utomation Data Table Manager***, then locate it in the same subfolder and select the Auto Test automation.

Since no configuration change is being implemented in this lab, do not run the Auto Test from the *Post-Check* node. This step is included only to demonstrate how Auto Tests can be incorporated into a Change Workflow to perform reachability validation alongside other pre- and post-change checks.

Use the search field to enter *Ping*, then select the corresponding Base Table from the results.

Click "OK"

Click "Run"

Click "Show Result on Map"

It's time to export the results to documentation using the **Documentation** node.\ \ The Document Node allows us to automatically generate structured documentation of the troubleshooting process — including the steps taken, the results of each diagnostic node, and the identified root cause. With documentation, NetBrain can intelligently summarize these findings, create readable narratives, and even format the information into a ticket-ready report. For instance, it can automatically include the network path diagram, health status summaries, CLI output highlights, and GAL assessment results — all presented in a concise, professional format. This eliminates the need for manual note-taking or after-action reporting, ensuring that every investigation is fully documented and auditable.

Your document is now ready for download. Click "Create"\ \ If you’d like to refine, edit, or summarize the content, you can continue working with it using the AI Document feature.

**Conclusion:** This lab demonstrated how NetBrain Auto Tests automate reachability validation across the network, replacing manual checks with consistent, intent-based verification. By reusing the same Auto Test logic across troubleshooting, dashboards, and change workflows, teams gain real-time visibility, reduce risk, and enforce disciplined, auditable change validation—improving reliability while lowering operational effort.