Intent-based networking automatically translates high-level business objectives into network policies and configurations. This happens behind the scenes thanks to automation, intelligence, and machine learning.
IBN software also enables faster root-cause identification when things go wrong. It means that human network admins can address issues much more quickly. Intent-based networks also do routine validation tasks that previously required manual processes, such as verifying best practices and proactively notifying IT when bandwidth is needed.
Know What You Want
What is Intent based networking? Intent-based networking provides an opportunity to reduce manual tasks and misconfigurations, which can lead to outages that cost money and take time to resolve. This is because an IBN system can automatically detect and correct issues.
It translates business objectives into network configuration without the need for administrators to fiddle with devices or other nerd knobs. It’s the next evolution of software-defined networks.
You might think this sounds like a traffic management tool, but it’s much more than that. It is also a continuous process ensuring the network meets its goals.
Prioritize Your Needs
Intent-based networking is a fairly new concept that requires specialized software. That means there aren’t many companies currently providing it yet.
IBN translates business requirements into policy that is translated into network infrastructure configurations. It uses analytics to align network operations with original business intent throughout the service lifecycle.
For example, you may need to prioritize your traffic differently for different locations and times of day. IBN can adjust the network to meet these needs automatically. It saves time and reduces human error. It also improves performance and security.
Automate Your Network
IBN software acts like the sound presets on a graphic equalizer, automatically prioritizing certain types of traffic over others. It does this in real-time, reducing the potential for errors that can lead to network downtime.
While protective change management processes are a must, they often do not consider the impact on applications during those changes. Intent-based networking automates and validates these changes, bringing the network closer to its original Intent. It also provides ongoing assurance that the actual and intended networks remain aligned. This is called closed-loop validation.
Automate Your Policies
Using intent-based networking, network engineers can automate high-level policies to manage networks – this simplifies network management and reduces misconfigurations. It also enables faster root-cause identification and speeds up troubleshooting time.
Intents are compiled into policies that manage the network, with operations and results specifying the specific actions to be taken. After these are deployed, the system monitors the network to ensure the policies are properly implemented and delivered for their intended purposes.
Implementing a new strategy like this can be complex, but it’s worth the effort to avoid unnecessary downtime and improve performance.
Automate Your Monitoring
Companies that offer intent-based networking provide software that translates network goals into configurations. Network administrators specify an outcome or business objective, and the system determines how to achieve it using machine learning and artificial intelligence.
The system can even prioritize one range of traffic over another. In essence, it’s like a graphic equalizer that lets you boost the bass and reduce the high frequencies.
The network also continually performs self-checks to ensure it performs as expected and complies with any previously deployed policies. It reduces downtime and helps prevent security breaches from going unnoticed.
Automate Your Troubleshooting
Intent-based networking technology allows you to automate the process of troubleshooting. It detects issues and corrects them before they impact business productivity.
It happens through a reasoning loop that continuously monitors the network to ensure the Intent is met and provides feedback on whether the network infrastructure complies with policy requirements.
Intent-based networking is a new IT network management method, replacing low-level configuration. This technology configures the network based on a high-level goal from the network manager and then interprets that goal into policies and deploys them automatically.
Automate Your Configuration
IBN software translates high-level business goals into network configurations to support them, saving time spent planning and manual deployment. It makes the network more responsive to changing traffic patterns and reduces downtime.
Intent-based networks prioritize network resources based on user activity. The system uses a series of validation tasks to ensure best practices are in place and that key performance indicators are met.
These systems also automatically detect security issues and provide fixes, eliminating the need to rely on manual processes that are more error-prone. IBN software also reduces downtime by detecting problems and taking corrective action.
Automate Your Monitoring
Monitoring network performance is a time-consuming and resource-intensive task. With intent-based networking, you can automate this process to improve uptime and reduce operational costs.
Network administrators define an outcome or business objective, and the software determines how to achieve it. Then, it automatically transforms that goal into network configuration through machine learning and AI.
Once the network implements these changes, it monitors them and takes corrective action if needed. It makes the network self-aware and ensures that your goals are always met. Using this approach, you can avoid downtime and ensure your applications are always available to users.
Automate Your Security
You may have heard about the promise of intent-based networking – a network managed via high-level business goals, not low-level policy configuration. It has a lot of benefits, including faster troubleshooting and resolution and better security.
Intent-based networks think for you, automating and deploying your network’s policies to your devices. It enables administrators to spend less time troubleshooting issues and more time optimizing their network’s performance. They also reduce the risk of being out of policy compliance by constantly monitoring and resolving problems.
Automate Your Compliance
IBN provides full visibility into the network beyond mere confirmation that a device is present. It also enables policies to be enacted, ensures that the network operates correctly, and supports the desired business initiatives.
This is where intent assurance functions come in, comparing the current state of the network to its intended state and identifying when those differences are causing a failure. It then proactively corrects the problem and brings the network back into compliance.
Using an IBN system can save you time and resources by automating many of the most tedious tasks involved in networking.