NSoT for NetDevOps : Key Insights from EMA Research

As network environments grow more complex, many organizations are finding that their network data foundations cannot support advanced automation. New research from Enterprise Management Associates (EMA) shows that although most teams have a Network Source of Truth (NSoT), few consider it effective. This blog explores why NSoT for NetDevOps matters, how it is used, and how to overcome the factors limiting its success. 

NSoT at a Crossroads: Adoption and Maturity

Network automation is now a top strategic priority, yet many organizations struggle to scale it. As IT organizations mature their approaches to network automation, the need for a Network Source of Truth (NSoT) has emerged. 

According to EMA, while 80% of network automation teams have a Network Source of Truth (NSoT), only 20% consider it to be completely effective, putting network teams at a crossroads in how they adopt and evolve NSoT solutions.

This disconnect between adoption and operational impact was one of the findings in EMA’s new report, The Network Source of Truth: How Engineering Teams Establish and Use These Critical Tools.

The report examines how teams build and use NSoTs as networks expand across data centers, cloud platforms, and hybrid multicloud environments. Many organizations still rely on spreadsheets, outdated documentation, and disconnected tools – but these approaches fail at scale.

To support consistent automation, teams need a centralized, authoritative repository of operations data that network automation tools can reference programmatically when interacting with and modifying the network. However, as outlined in the EMA report, the value of an NSoT extends beyond automation with NSoT for NetDevOps.

Defining the “Truth”: What Is a Network Source of Truth?

One of the fundamental issues around NSoT is that many still misunderstand exactly what it means. There is a tendency to believe it’s a case of documenting what is currently on the network, but a true Network Source of Truth goes beyond this to focus on intent.

It defines how the network should operate and becomes the standard against which changes and outcomes are measured.

As one network automation architect interviewed anonymously by EMA explains, “A Network Source of Truth is a place where you model your production network the way you intend it to work.”

This makes the NSoT the authoritative reference for engineers, automation tools, and operational processes.

The report set out three core data components required to establish a reliable NSoT: inventory, IP address management, topology and connectivity. Inventory must include details such as the make, model, serial numbers or lifecycle information, while IPAM covers IP allocations, subnets and public/private space. Finally, topology encompasses all physical and logical connections.

Together, these create a structured model of network intent that supports daily operations, network automation, and integration across the wider ecosystem.

The “Why”: Drivers Behind NSoT Adoption

There are multiple factors behind the growing strategic need for a reliable NSoT. A long-standing lack of good network documentation is one issue driving adoption. Network information is often scattered across Excel files, CMDBs, IPAM systems, DNS platforms, DDI tools, and proprietary vendor software. Each source may be partially accurate. Storing the information separately creates fragmentation and inconsistency that slows operations and increases risk.

EMA’s research shows engineers frequently waste time searching for data, reconciling conflicting records, and updating multiple systems after changes. In outages or audits, poor documentation can delay resolution. A centralized NSoT addresses this by providing a single, trusted reference.

NSoT is also essential for scalable automation. As teams move beyond scripts to workflows affecting thousands of devices, automation depends on accurate, structured data.

NSoT is equally fundamental for successfully establishing NetDevOps practices. This is a confluence of Network, Development, and IT Operations which aims to drive greater efficiency, automation and collaboration.

A network engineer at a Fortune 500 financial services company elaborated: “The NetDevOps group’s whole philosophy is treating the network more like applications. Instead of doing this engineering task and that engineering task, NetDevOps engineers are more interested in analyzing workflows and then codifying those workflows. ‘How can I take this series of tasks that you’re doing and make that more into an application that you can execute?”

NSoT for NetDevOps: Key Use Cases Beyond Data Storage

In order to properly codify network infrastructure into applications and drive consistent automation, network data as available in an NSoT is the foundation.

EMA’s research shows that a Network Source of Truth is at its most valuable when embedded into operational workflows, and EMA delves into some of the most powerful use cases of NSoT for NetDevOps.

Provisioning and deployment are common starting points. With intent data centralized, teams can support Day 0 operations such as onboarding devices or deploying sites. NSoTs can help generate configurations, validate IP plans, and enforce standards. In mature environments, this data feeds automation tools to support Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) across on-premises and cloud infrastructure.

Change and configuration management is another core use case. Because the NSoT contains the data needed to generate configurations, teams use it to plan and manage changes. EMA found growing interest in branching, which allows engineers to model and test changes without affecting the authoritative dataset. Changes can be reviewed and merged once approved. 

NSoTs also support network validation, compliance management, and audits. By defining the intended state, teams can compare it to the actual network state, detect configuration drift, and validate that planned changes were successful. It also enables them to enforce compliance and generate audit reports more efficiently.

Finally, NSoTs accelerate troubleshooting. Engineers can quickly understand how the network should look, compare intent to reality, and identify root causes. Integrated with observability and automation, the NSoT enables faster, controlled remediation.

The Hurdles: Why Adoption is Long and Painful

Despite clear benefits, EMA found that building an effective NSoT is difficult, as highlighted by the fact that only 20% believe their NSoT implementations to be fully successful.

One of the biggest challenges is populating it with accurate data. Information is often missing, outdated, or scattered across informal sources. Finding, cleaning up, and importing data is painful.

Some data is offline, requiring manual verification of cabling or physical connections. This makes the initial population a long process rather than a quick deployment.

Cultural resistance also undermines success. An NSoT only works if engineers treat it as authoritative. EMA found that bypassing the NSoT or failing to update it erodes trust and makes the data unreliable.

This is especially true further up the leadership ladder, and securing management buy-in is another barrier. Failure to justify a dedicated NSoT budget is leading many teams to rely on open-source or homegrown tools, creating technical debt that demands scarce and costly networking and software development expertise. 

EMA’s research suggests that many organizations may now be at an inflection point, considering how commercial NSoT solutions could help accelerate adoption and address some of these challenges.

What to Look for in an NSoT for NetDevOps

EMA’s findings show that long-term success depends on NSoT capabilities. A flexible, extensible data model is essential to enable teams to model inventory, IP addressing, routing, security policies, and new technologies as networks evolve.

Alongside this, an API-first design is equally critical. Network teams rely on APIs to integrate the NSoT with automation tools, observability platforms, and service management systems across the ecosystem. 

Support for event-driven operations is essential for understanding what is happening on the network and feeding timely data into the NSoT. . As one network automation engineer noted, a source of truth is ineffective without web hook or discovery capabilities. This allows networking teams to orchestrate operations through the NSoT.

Finally, some teams are exploring AI with their NSoT to make it more accessible for non-experts via virtual assistants, while also using it as a foundation for AI-driven NetOps by enabling proactive and predictive insights.

EMA’s research shows that a Network Source of Truth is essential for modern networking operations, enabling scalable network automation and NetDevOps. When treated as an authoritative model of intent, NSoT for NetDevOps becomes a control plane that streamlines operations, improves operational efficiency, and reduces risk.