NETCONF is the ideal solution for this scenario for the following reasons: * Standards-based: NETCONF is built upon industry-standard protocols (XML, SSH, TLS) ensuring compatibility and adherence to open standards. * Secure transport: NETCONF mandates secure transport mechanisms like SSH or TLS for communication between the automation software and managed devices, aligning with security requirements. * Data Format: NETCONF utilizes XML for data encoding and transport, providing a human-readable and machine-parsable format that is easy to work with. * Remote Device Automation: NETCONF is designed specifically for remote configuration and management of network devices, making it perfect for the task of automating remote device * deployments.