Studio

Studio (formerly "Automation Studio") is a comprehensive design platform that gives you the tools to create, test, and manage network automation solutions. Think of it as your automation workshop—a unified environment where you build workflows, design forms, create templates, and develop data transformations that work together to automate complex network operations.

Studio brings together multiple specialized applications in one integrated platform, allowing you to design complete automation solutions from concept to deployment.

Why use Studio?

Studio transforms how you approach network automation by providing these key advantages:

Complete automation toolkit — Access all automation development tools in one platform. Design workflows, create input forms, build templates, and develop data transformations within a unified environment instead of using separate, disconnected tools.

Visual design experience — Build automation solutions using intuitive, visual interfaces rather than writing complex code. Studio's drag-and-drop workflow builder and form designers make automation accessible to network engineers, regardless of programming experience.

Built-in testing — Test automation assets with mock data before using them in workflows. Validate transformations, Jinja2 templates, TextFSM templates, and command templates using sample data.

Team collaboration — Work together on automation projects with shared workspaces, version control, and project organization tools that support both individual and team-based development.

Core applications

Studio includes several specialized applications, each designed for specific automation tasks:

Workflows — Create visual, step-by-step automation processes that orchestrate tasks across your network infrastructure. Build everything from simple device configuration updates to complex multi-system orchestration workflows. Address error handling with automated rollbacks and external notifications to ensure reliable automation execution.

Projects — Organize related automation assets into collaborative workspaces. Group workflows, forms, templates, and other assets for specific automation initiatives like device onboarding or compliance management.

JSON Forms — Design custom input forms that collect user data for workflow execution. Create dynamic, user-friendly interfaces that guide users through automation parameters and options.

Templates — Use TextFSM templates to standardize network device responses and Jinja2 templates to modify or process API responses. Studio comes with pre-loaded TextFSM templates that reduce the work needed to parse responses from various network device types. Build additional reusable templates to standardize how information is collected and processed from network devices and systems.

Transformations — Bridge data format differences between systems using JSON schema transformations. Convert data structures to ensure seamless integration between different network tools and platforms.

Command Templates — Standardize device command execution with reusable command structures that work across different device types and vendors.

Analytic Templates — Create standardized data collection and analysis patterns for network monitoring and reporting workflows.

Common use cases

Studio excels in scenarios that require comprehensive automation design and testing:

Multi-step network operations — When you need to automate complex processes that involve multiple systems, devices, and decision points, such as device provisioning workflows that include configuration, testing, and notification.

Cross-platform integration — When your automation needs to work with different network vendors, management systems, and data formats, Studio's transformation and template capabilities ensure seamless integration.

User-guided automation — Create automation that non-technical users can execute safely with Studio's form builders and guided workflows that provide the necessary user interfaces and guardrails.

Collaborative automation development — Enable multiple team members to contribute to automation design, from network engineers defining requirements to developers implementing complex logic.

Automation standardization — Create consistent, reusable automation patterns across your organization with Studio's project and template features that support standardization efforts.

Integration with Itential ecosystem

Studio serves as the design foundation for the entire Itential automation platform:

• Operations Manager executes the workflows and automation solutions you create in Studio
• Configuration Manager uses templates and workflows built in Studio for compliance and configuration management
• Adapter Builder creates system integrations that your Studio workflows can use
• Analytics processes data using the collection patterns and transformations you design in Studio

Studio sits at the center of your automation development lifecycle, providing the design environment where you create the automation solutions that run throughout your Itential platform.

Getting started

Ready to begin building automation solutions with Studio?

• Explore the workflow builder to create your first automation process
• Design custom forms to collect user input for your workflows
• Create templates to standardize data collection from your network devices
• Set up projects to organize and collaborate on automation initiatives

To get familiar with Studio features and capabilities, see Navigating Studio.