73. Agentic AI Spells the End of Dial Twiddlers

Learn more about AI Infrastructure Field Day 3 here.Hardware always matters, especially in AI and now software is automating your AI data centre infrastructure. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Gina Rosenthal, Barton George, Andy Banta, and Alastair Cooke. Generative AI brought new hardware into enterprise data centres; GPUs, TPUs, NPUs, XPUs all offload AI processing from CPUs for more performance and efficiency. Feeding these accelerators requires fast networks and fast storage, common topics for AI Infrastructure Field Day events. In parallel, sophisticated software to automate the deployment and operation of this new hardware is vital to return value fast and optimize the value from the hardware investment. Automation platforms are moving up towards delivering multiple AI applications on shared XPU infrastructure, where AI inference delivers the business value.Host⁠⁠⁠⁠Alastair Cooke⁠⁠⁠⁠, Tech Field Day Event LeadPanelistsGina Rosenthal, Digital Sunshine SolutionsAndy Banta, MagnitionlOBarton George, Al Infrastructure and Cloud SpecialistFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on the podcast page of the website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tech Field Day⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on upcoming and current event coverage ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit our website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

You aren’t in the business of twiddling the dials, even though the dials may still be important. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Guy Currier, Jay Cuthrell, and Alastair Cooke. Knowledge of all the dials and controls has historically been a defining characteristic of infrastructure experts. The introduction of infrastructure as a service, then as code, and policy as code have shifted focus to more abstracted controls. Do these abstractions reduce the value of knowing every feature and setting, or eliminate the value of technology specialists? Generative AI and business-as-code may spell the end of the dial twiddlers. Optimizing every setting at every level in an infrastructure and application is probably not valuable to business, but there are still places where maximum business value comes from detailed knowledge of those dials.Host⁠⁠⁠Alastair Cooke⁠⁠⁠, Tech Field Day Event LeadPanelists:Guy Currier, Chief Analyst, Visible Impact, Part of the Futurum GroupJay Cuthrell, Chief Product Officer, NexusTekFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on the podcast page of the website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tech Field Day⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on upcoming and current event coverage ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit our website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Agentic AI is reshaping the IT landscape and networking is no exception. Building upon the previous research into machine learning means we have a head start on harnessing that power. In this episode of the Tech Field Day podcast, brought to you by HPE Juniper Networking, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Keith Parsons and Sunalini Sankhavaram. They talk about how agentic AI is driving new methods for operating networks and helping humans concentrate on real problems instead of menial tasks. They also discuss how agentic AI can power self-driving networks where configuration and provisioning are done automatically or with a minimum of effort to ensure resiliency and enhance user expectations.HPE Juniper Networking Panelist: Sunalini Sankhavaram, VP Product Management, AIOps for Enterprise Networking HPE Juniper NetworkingPanelists: Keith Parsons, Managing Director, Wireless LAN, Professionals ConferenceFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on the podcast page of the website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tech Field Day⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on upcoming and current event coverage ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit our website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Converged networking is creating complexity with network operations and engineering teams. Ensuring that users are able to access resources and complete workflows means being up-to-date with the latest technology behind the scenes. You need a trusted partner to make it all happen with minimal issues.In this episode of the Tech Field Day Podcast, brought to you by HPE Aruba Networking, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Chris Grundemann, Jeff Olson, and Adam Fuoss as they discuss the growing challenges with networking and how HPE Aruba Networking is addressing them. They talk about SASE and SSE and how tools such as Cloud-Native NAC and SASE AI Copilot work together to address the needs of the modern network. These features, debuted at Black Hat 2025, help teams by making sense of the network and keeping it secure from intruders.They discuss how AI is going to accelerate operations teams while providing context and understanding for challenges. They also talk about how cloud native principles an apply to both online and on-prem configurations. The panel wraps up with a discussion of the importance of a sole-source provider for these solutions and how HPE Aruba Networking is addressing the integration of recent acquisitions.Learn more here.HPE SASE Landing PageHPE Black Hat 2025 Press ReleaseHPE Juniper Networks Panelists:Jeff Olson, Director, SD-WAN Product and Technical MarketingAdam Fuoss, Vice President, Product Management, SD-WANPanelists:Chris Grundemann, Network Infrastructure AdvisorFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on the podcast page of the website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tech Field Day⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on upcoming and current event coverage ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit our website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

If you haven’t already, start working with Generative AI now and make sure to control your ongoing costs. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Russ Fellows, Mitch Lewis, and Brian Martin, all from Signal65, and is hosted by Alastair Cooke. Generative AI is delivering value to businesses of all sizes, but significant evolution in models and technologies remains before maturity is achieved. Experimentation is essential to understand the value of new technologies, starting with cloud resources or small-scale on-premises servers. Business value is derived from the inference stage, where AI tools generate actionable information for users. Generative AI is like a knowledgeable and well-intentioned intern; someone more senior must ensure AI is given good instructions and check their work. In production, grounding and guard rails are vital to keep your AI an asset, not a liability.Host⁠⁠Alastair Cooke⁠⁠, Tech Field Day Event LeadSignal65 Representatives: Russ Fellows, VP of Signal65Brian Martin, AI and Datacenter Lead at Signal65Mitch Lewis, Research Analyst at Signal65Follow the Tech Field Day Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on the podcast page of the website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tech Field Day⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on upcoming and current event coverage ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit our website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Enterprise networking is too large and complex, we need AI Operations. This spotlight episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Bob Friday and Ben Baker, both from Juniper Networks, with Jack Poller and Alastair Cooke. Modern enterprise networks reach far beyond the well-controlled walls of data centres and corporate buildings. The rate of change enabled by public cloud platforms makes an enterprise network highly dynamic. Access to cloud and on-premises applications over the Internet means your users are dependent on many network elements outside of your control. Bob founded Mist Networks to help businesses manage the complexity of user-to-cloud networking. Juniper Networks acquired Mist, and now HPE has acquired Juniper. I don’t think he is alone in seeing the necessity of using AI to manage complex and critical networks. Yet new tools always bring new challenges; the cost of AI infrastructure may be a concern, and Generative AI has challenges with hallucinations. The security and governance practices around AI tools are still developing, and the non-deterministic nature of AI needs careful consideration.Host⁠Alastair Cooke⁠, Tech Field Day Event LeadJuniper Representatives: Bob Friday, Chief AI Officer at HPE Juniper NetworksBen Baker, Data Center Marketing at HPE Juniper NetworksDelegatesJack Poller, Principal Analyst, Paradigm TechnicaFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠on the podcast page of the website⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠Tech Field Day⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on upcoming and current event coverage ⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠visit our website⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Network engineers are the firefighters and knowledge bases of enterprise IT, however the role of a network engineer is rapidly evolving. With the rise of automation, orchestration, and AI, the familiar image of an engineer hunched over a command-line interface (CLI) is giving way, leading many to question the future of their profession. In this episode, Tom Hollingsworth is joined by Ryan Harris, Chris Grundemann, and Nathan Nielsen as they discuss how the perception of their role has shifted, the continuous need for learning and adaptation, and whether the CLI is truly dead.The conversation explores the challenges and opportunities presented by these technological advancements, highlighting how network engineers are embracing new tools like chatbots and GUIs for enhanced visualization. While some aspects of the job, like manual CLI work, may be diminishing, the core principles of understanding network functionality remain core to the role of the network engineer. The panel talks about identity crisis in a field where continuous learning is essential, contrasting it with professions like doctors and lawyers who deal with slower-changing fundamentals. They discuss the value of specialization versus being a generalist, the concept of the “pitchfork engineer,” and ultimately, how redefining their identity as lifelong learners can help network engineers thrive in this ever-changing landscape.Learn more about ⁠Networking Field Day 38 here⁠.Host: ⁠Tom Hollingsworth⁠, Tech Field Day Event LeadPanelists: Ryan Harris, Senior Network Engineer⁠Chris Grundemann⁠, Network Infrastructure ConsultantNathan Nielson, Principal Solutions ArchitectFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on the podcast page of the website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tech Field Day⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on upcoming and current event coverage ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit our website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

As Tech Field Day heads to SHARE in Cleveland, we are considering the many ways the mainframe has been re-imagined and re-built for the AI era. This episode of the Tech Field Day podcast features Cynthia Overby of Rocket Software and SHARE, Derek Britton, and Jeffrey Powers discussing the modern mainframe with Stephen Foskett. Walk around the SHARE conference and you’ll see the same concepts and technologies that you would find at any other conference: AI, security, data management, software development, and connectivity. Although the mainframe platform is radically different from the so-called open systems used in the cloud and elsewhere, IBM has re-engineered the new z17 mainframe for the AI age. The mainframe hosts the most valuable data in the world, and if AI is going to be used it has to run locally. That’s why IBM added a second-generation AI accelerator to the latest Telum II processor, the Spyre Accelerator, and z/OS itself. We’re excited to be bringing Tech Field Day to SHARE to learn more about the modern mainframe and share the state of the art with our audience. Host: Stephen Foskett, Organizer and President of Tech Field DayPanel:Cynthia Overby, Director Strategic Security Solutions at Rocket SoftwareDerek Britton, Chief Marketing Officer, PopUp MainframeJeffrey Powers, Founder of Geekazine.comFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on the podcast page of the website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tech Field Day⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on upcoming and current event coverage ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit our website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

The proposed remedies for the HPE acquisition of Juniper Networks did a real disservice to Juniper Mist. The confusion around what’s going on with the proposed Juniper AIOps for Mist auction have professionals asking a lot of questions. In this episode, recorded on the eve of the close of the acquisition, Tom Hollingsworth sits down with Sam Clements, Jake Snyder, and Ed Weadon to make sense of it all. There are discussions about what exactly is included in the auction and what benefit will come from the license to use Juniper AIOps for Mist. Also discussed is who might be a good bidder for the solution and how long it will take for them to get any real value from it.Host: ⁠Tom Hollingsworth⁠Panelists:⁠Sam Clements⁠⁠Ed Weadon⁠Jake SnyderFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on the podcast page of the website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tech Field Day⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on upcoming and current event coverage ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit our website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Enterprise networks are complicated but outsourcing all of the operations team doesn’t lead to better outcomes. It’s important to remember that enterprise covers a wide range of network definitions. In this episode, Ed Weadon, Chris Grundemann, and Jody Lemoine join Tom Hollingsworth as they discuss how businesses see the network and IT in general as a cost center instead of value generation. They also talk about the various sizes of networks and why each of them has issues with the most popular outsourcing methods. They also discuss the human factor and why not all managed providers can give you the same level of service.Learn more about Networking Field Day 38 here.Host: Tom Hollingsworth, Tech Field Day Event LeadPanelists: Ed Weadon, Networking EngineerChris Grundemann, ConsultantJody Lemoine, Wireless Networking EngineerFollow the Tech Field Day Podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and use the Hashtag #TFDPodcast to join the discussion. Listen to more episodes ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on the podcast page of the website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tech Field Day⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on upcoming and current event coverage ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on X/Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠visit our website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.