This chapter covers
- Network automation and its benefits
- The three logical planes of networking functions
- Software-defined networking architecture and solutions
- Cisco DNA Center-enabled network management
Enterprise networks can potentially have hundreds, or even thousands, of routers, switches, firewalls, and other network infrastructure devices. In the past, deploying, managing, and maintaining such large networks was very labor intensive, requiring manual configuration of each individual device. However, modern enterprises are increasingly adopting automation to streamline the deployment, management, and maintenance of their networks.
In this chapter, we will take a high-level look at the topic of network automation as a whole and the advantages it offers, allowing networks to scale to meet the needs of modern organizations. We will then move on to look at software-defined networking (SDN), an approach to networking that centralizes network intelligence in one or more controllers, facilitating the management and operation of the entire network with a programmatic approach. We will cover the following CCNA exam topics: