Intent-based networking
What is Intent-based networking?
Intent-based networking employs artificial intelligence (AI), network orchestration, and machine learning (ML) to automate administrative tasks across a network. IBN promises to make the process of designing, managing, and enforcing network policies easier while also lowering the amount of human work required in traditional configuration management.
It’s a brand-new technology concept that aims to give networking a greater level of intelligence and understanding into its intended condition. In theory, these insights should be able to replace manual network creation and problem-solving operations. Simply put, rather than manually coding and executing individual actions, managers can submit a request to the network informing it of the desired output (their intent).
To validate a given intent, intent-based networking systems not only automate time-consuming operations and provide real-time visibility into a network’s activity, but they also foresee potential deviations from that purpose and prescribe the action required to ensure that intent. The network becomes faster and more agile as a result of the increased intelligence, and errors are reduced. Intent-based networking relies heavily on this ability to self-monitor and self-correct.
The advantages of intent-based networking
Intent-based networking has some clear advantages over regular networking and even over software-defined networking. Most of these advantages translate to a significant time savings:
- Reduction in manual tasks: Through an intent-based network, commands are converted into actions. It is not necessary for a network administrator to configure a network to fulfil a new policy or business requirement. The network thinks, validating that a configuration would function, giving options to the administrator, and finally adapting to the desired configuration. The intent-based network may also deploy and repair itself without the need for human input.
- Faster troubleshooting and resolution: Performance issues are quickly recognised since an intent-based network is always monitoring itself. The intent-based network also addresses these difficulties, employing machine learning to identify and apply the appropriate solution.
- Reduced risk of being out of compliance: Another advantage to a network that is constantly monitoring itself and correcting issues is that the network stays in compliance with any policies set by the network administrator.
- Better security: Even with encrypted communication, the intent-based network is continually checking for risks as part of its surveillance. Security flaws are quickly recognised and remedied.
- Optimized analytics: When network administrators have a better grasp of how their networks operate, they can make more informed decisions that result in better business outcomes. An intent-based network collects data about itself on a continuous basis, which can be analysed in a variety of ways to provide relevant information about network performance, security risks, and other topics.
- Rapid implementation of business goals into network configurations: The intent-based network translates top-level organisational goals into the appropriate network configurations for achieving them. A network administrator may quickly evaluate and choose among pre-approved configuration options, saving hours of planning, testing, and manual setup time. A higher return on investment is achieved when company objectives are met faster.
