Scott Peterman

About

Passionate about network observability, automation, and building tools that make network engineers more effective.

As a Senior Infrastructure Platform Engineer at Kentik, I leverage over three decades of network engineering experience to build innovative solutions in network datacenters and automation. My journey has taken me from traditional network engineering to becoming a multi-language, multi-framework developer creating production-grade network automation tools.

My core philosophy: "Work the problem, build the solution, make it better." I focus on creating practical solutions, tooling and implementations that solve real operational problems, not theoretical dashboards. This approach has led to the creation of comprehensive network automation ecosystems that are actively used by network engineers worldwide.

I'm the creator of the VelociTerm ecosystem - a comprehensive suite of network engineering tools including web-based SSH terminal managers, desktop terminals with real-time monitoring, and network topology discovery platforms. My work has gained industry recognition from other FOSS Companies and is actively shared with the network automation community.

Development & Languages

Python, Go, JavaScript
TypeScript, C#, Java
PyQt6, Flask, FastAPI
Node.js, React
Full-Stack Development

Network Automation

NAPALM, Netmiko, Paramiko
TextFSM, Nornir, pyATS
SSH Automation Libraries
Network Discovery & Mapping
Multi-vendor Integration

Network Platforms

Cisco (IOS-XE, NX-OS)
Arista, Juniper, Aruba
Network Observability
NetBox Integration
SNMP, CDP/LLDP

Infrastructure

SD-WAN, MPLS, BGP
Docker, CI/CD
Database Design (SQL, NoSQL)
REST APIs, WebSockets
Infrastructure-as-Code

Professional Experience

Career journey from traditional networking to AI-assisted polyglot development and network automation innovation.

Senior Infrastructure Platform Engineer

Kentik

October 2025 - Present

Contributing network automation and infrastructure engineering expertise to a leading network observability SaaS Company.

Developing network automation solutions and tooling
Supporting network platform engineering initiatives
Applying 30+ years of network engineering experience to critical infrastructure

Principal Infrastructure Engineer

Columbia Sportswear Company

March 2022 - October 2025

Led comprehensive network automation initiatives, designing and deploying full-stack automation platforms using Python Flask/FastAPI with MySQL for device state collection, parsing, and compliance reporting. Built network automation foundation that later evolved into open source tools.

Developed custom API integrations with Prisma SDWAN, Palo Alto Panorama, and LogicMonitor
Automated Cisco, Palo Alto, and HPE support contract reporting via vendor APIs
Engineered simplified custom frontend for Cisco Webex Calling with RBAC automation
Built fully automated provisioning for new retail store networks
Created foundation for tools that became RapidCMDB and other open source projects

Network Automation Engineer

Maximus

July 2021 - March 2022

Led development of "Single Pane of Glass" network visibility solutions with comprehensive integrations to enterprise systems.

Implemented data-driven Infrastructure-as-Code architecture using GitLab CI/CD
Utilized Nornir and Netmiko for multi-platform network automation
Automated NAC 802.1x configuration management and compliance

Principal Engineer - QA Network Automation Architect

Charter Communications

May 2017 - March 2021

Technical lead for QA Network Automation development in data center environments, designing and deploying full-stack custom solutions.

Implemented Robot Framework and Python 3 test automation architecture within GitLab CI/CD
Designed Docker container and VMware environments supporting DevOps methodologies
Served as Python instructor and mentor for network engineering teams

Architect IP Edge Engineering

Level 3 Communications

April 2013 - April 2017

Lead engineer for merger-initiated IPVPN product normalization and next-phase development across multiple service provider infrastructures.

Managed IP Services (IPVPN, Converged VOIP/Data, managed Internet)
Designed low-touch provisioning solutions for service automation
Implemented Anycast solutions for DNS, syslog, and hosted Netflow

Banner Projects

Production-grade network automation tools and ecosystems actively used by network engineers worldwide.

Secure Cartography

Comprehensive network discovery and mapping tool that automates network topology documentation through SSH-based device interrogation. Leverages CDP/LLDP protocols to discover device relationships and generates professional-grade network diagrams with customizable icons and multiple export formats.

Python PyQt6 SSH Discovery TextFSM Network Mapping Multi-vendor

TerminalTelemetry

Modern cyberpunk-inspired terminal emulator and network telemetry platform built with PyQt6. Combines powerful SSH terminal capabilities with real-time network device monitoring in a sleek, themeable interface. Features 20+ built-in themes, live telemetry dashboards, and comprehensive platform support.

Python PyQt6 SSH/Telemetry Real-time Monitoring Multi-platform

VelocityCMDB

Tactical, highly portable network CMDB with automated discovery, change detection, and operational intelligence. Combines asset management, configuration tracking, and real-time monitoring in a unified pip-installable platform. Managing 357+ devices across 53 sites with 99.3% classification accuracy.

Python Flask CMDB Network Discovery Change Detection Material Design

VelociTerm NB

Web-based platform that organizes and manages SSH connections to network devices with advanced session filtering, NetBox integration, and multi-terminal capabilities. Enterprise jump host solution with user-based session management and LDAP authentication support.

Python FastAPI WebSockets NetBox Integration LDAP Auth

TerminalTelemetryVSC

Visual Studio Code extension making SSH terminals first-class citizens in the editor. Powerful utilities for managing and organizing SSH connections with advanced terminal features, device fingerprinting, and network discovery capabilities directly in VS Code.

TypeScript VS Code Extension SSH Network Discovery Terminal Mgmt

Python LibreNMS MIBs

Comprehensive collection of 298 vendor MIB libraries compiled for use with PySNMP, sourced from LibreNMS's curated MIB repository. Includes tools to compile, validate, and manage SNMP MIBs for network monitoring and automation workflows.

Python SNMP PySNMP MIB Management Multi-vendor

TextFSM Cross-Platform Ports

Multi-language implementations of Google's TextFSM template engine. JavaScript and C#/.NET ports enabling network data parsing across diverse technology stacks with over 92% compatibility with the original Python library.

JavaScript C#/.NET 8 Cross-Platform Template Engine Network Parsing