NetUK3

6 Jul 2026, 09:00 → 7 Jul 2026, 17:00 Europe/London

The Porter Tun (1st Floor) (The Brewery)

NetUK3 will be held on 6th & 7th of July 2026 in London.

---

NetUK is an open and vibrant community of individuals and organisations that are passionate about network infrastructure and wider internet technologies across the United Kingdom. Its events enable participants to share key technical knowledge, discover community achievements, develop industry connections and promote participation regardless of experience or background.

NetUK 3 - Sponsorship 2026.pdf

Monday 6 July

Workshop Registration

Workshops

1 An Introduction to Data Centre Networks

Short Abstract: 
Given the rapid pace at which technology is evolving, there is a growing gap between fresh graduates and the expectations of entry- to mid-level roles. Many positions that previously required highly specialised expertise now demand a broader and more diverse skill set. At the same time, data centres networks have rapidly evolved for almost every type of organisation—including enterprises, colocation and service providers. Changes in business requirements, traffic types, patterns, applications and increased availability has redefined data centre architectures. 

In this context, we would like to propose a workshop that introduces the key concepts behind modern data centre networks and campus fabrics. The session would explore the inner workings of modern data centre fabrics, how interconnections extend across different environments, and the role telecommunications providers play within this ecosystem. We would also provide a brief overview of common tools and traffic flows. As data centres are now classified as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) in the UK, we believe it is important to highlight their real-world importance and the need for designing highly available, high uptime and highly resilient architectures. As part of the workshop, we would present three practical real-world use cases to demonstrate how end-to-end networks operate in modern data centre environments. These examples would help illustrate the critical nature of these mission-critical systems and provide attendees with a clearer understanding of the broader picture.

We would also briefly discuss the evolution of modern data centre networking, giving participants insight into how architectures have developed to support today’s scale, resilience, and performance requirements. To make the workshop engaging and interactive, we propose having two speakers, each covering a different dimension of the topic. Three real world case studies would further help tie theoretical concepts with real life applications for these architectures. These examples would help illustrate the critical nature of these mission-critical systems and provide attendees with a clearer understanding of the broader picture. We would also actively involve the audience throughout the session to ensure participants remain engaged and enthusiastic.  There are no prerequisite requirements for the audience and we believe our talk will cover audiences with limited experience to computer networking as well as entry-level to mid-level network engineers.

Speakers: Mr Foeh Mannay, Utkarsh Shah

NetUK - An Introudction to Data Centre Networks - Workshop Draft Presentation .pptx

2 Workshop: Open Source Data Management Platform - Infrahub

Open-Source Infrastructure Data Management : Infrahub Workshop

Infrahub reimagines infrastructure automation by combining Git-like version control capabilities on top of a graph database. The platform's three pillars - flexible schema, native version control, and unified storage - create an ideal teaching environment where participants can experiment with real-world scenarios in this hands-on workshop.

Module 1: Foundation (40 minutes) establishes core concepts. Participants begin with Infrahub's sandbox environment, creating their first network objects and understanding the relationship between schema, data, and version control. This foundation addresses the immediate need for practical source of truth implementation.

Lab 1: Network Source of Truth Setup (20 minutes) introduces participants to Infrahub's interface through basic device and IP address management tasks. Beginners focus on GUI navigation while advanced users explore CSV imports and API interactions. This foundational lab establishes confidence and familiarity with core concepts.

Module 2: Config Generation (40 minutes) builds on foundational knowledge by connecting Infrahub to existing automation tools. After covering concepts around GraphQL queries and Jinja2 templating, we will cover generating device configurations.

Lab 2: GraphQL Mastery (20 minutes) transforms participants from consumers to creators of network data queries. Using the built-in GraphiQL explorer, attendees progress from simple device queries to complex relationship traversals, preparing them for real-world data extraction and integration scenarios.

Speakers: Alex Gittings, Pete Crocker (OpsMill)

Doors Open, Registration & Lunch: In-person attendees

Newcomer Introduction

NetUK3 Plenary

Sponsor Content

NetUK3 Plenary

15:20 30 Minute Break

NetUK3 Plenary

Social Event

Tuesday 7 July

Doors Open & Registration: In-person attendees

NetUK3 Plenary

11:30 30 Minute Break

NetUK3 Plenary

13:00 Lunch Break

Sponsor Content

NetUK3 Plenary

15:00 30 Minute Break

NetUK3 Plenary