Zero touch provisioning (ZTP) uses a network switch feature to automatically configure hardware devices when adding them to a network. With ZTP, you install new hardware into the environment, and when it is powered on, the switch requests the location of its image and configuration using information you have configured on a DHCP server, which it then downloads and runs.
ZTP removes the need for IT personnel to manually provision and configure hardware devices and reduces the risk of human error. It automates the process of updating operating systems, installing patches and bug fixes, and greatly speeds the configuration of network switches. Without ZTP, network switches must be configured one at a time through a command line interface. For large data centers with hundreds of switches to provision and configure, the time and effort savings can be significant.
Automations like ZTP are useful in improving efficiency in existing operations, and are considered essential in a cloud-based infrastructure.