Unlocking Network Programmability and Operational Efficiency
The fast-growing demand for 5G and cloud services has increased the complexity of network management. Network operators are now tasked with managing many network elements while ensuring efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness. Traditional methods relying on vendor-specific command-line interfaces (CLIs) are no longer sufficient to meet these demands. Enter model-driven management leverages data models to define network elements’ structure, configuration, and behavior. By embracing model-driven management, operators can unleash the full potential of network programmability, streamline automation, and significantly reduce operational costs.
What is Model-Driven Management?
Model-driven management is a modern network management approach that utilizes structured data models to configure and operate network elements. Unlike traditional CLI-based management, which requires operators to enter commands specific to each vendor manually, model-driven management integrates resource models that allow new network elements to be added seamlessly.
The key advantages of this approach include:
- Hot pluggability: New network elements can be added without modifying management software.
- Reduced integration complexity: Eliminates the need for custom-built adapters for different vendor CLIs.
- Automated consistency: Ensures configurations and operational states remain standardized across the network.
The Benefits of Model-Driven Management
Flexible Programmability
A model-driven approach rapidly introduces new features and elements into networks that require agility and scalability. It enables manual and automated configuration using industry-standard data models such as Yet Another Next Generation (YANG).
Improved Resiliency
Model-driven management minimizes configuration errors and enhances network resiliency by standardizing rule-based behavior. It reduces manual intervention, thus lowering the risk of human errors leading to outages or misconfigurations.
Consistency Across Interfaces
With model-driven management, standardized YANG-based programmatic interfaces ensure the same look and feel across different management platforms. Whether using NETCONF, gRPC, or a model-driven CLI (MD-CLI), operators and automation systems interact with the network uniformly.
Cost Savings Through Automation
Traditional CLI-based management requires significant manual effort for configuration and troubleshooting, especially when integrating multi vendor network elements. Network operators can significantly reduce operational costs and integration efforts by shifting to model-driven automation.
Increased Operational Efficiency
With human and machine-readable configuration models, model-driven management reduces errors, streamlines workflows, and speeds up the resolution time for network issues. Network telemetry, powered by YANG models, provides real-time operational insights for better decision-making.
Enhanced Visibility and Control
Model-driven management improves network telemetry, allowing real-time streaming of network state data. This ensures quick adaptability to network changes and enhances monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities.
Seamless Multi Vendor Integration
With standardized YANG models, network operators can integrate diverse network elements into a single, multivendor automation platform, making large-scale automation practical and cost-efficient.
Simplified OSS Integration
By abstracting device-specific configurations, model-driven management enables Operations Support Systems (OSS) to interact seamlessly with various network elements without needing device-specific integrations.
The Role of YANG in Model-Driven Management
YANG is the primary data modeling language used in model-driven management. It provides a structured, human-readable format to define network configuration, state, and operations. YANG-based models allow devices to:
- Be configured through programmatic interfaces.
- Report state information to management systems.
- Perform operational tasks with consistency.
YANG-based interfaces use protocols such as:
NETCONF (Network Configuration Protocol): Provides a structured way to retrieve and modify network configurations.
gRPC (gRPC Remote Procedure Call): A high-performance communication framework for automation and telemetry.
MD-CLI (Model-Driven Command Line Interface): Provides a CLI that aligns with model-driven principles, ensuring a consistent approach across various interfaces.
Why Now is the Right Time to Deploy Model-Driven Management
Model-driven management has been evolving for over a decade, and today it is a mature, well-supported technology. The availability of commercial and open-source tools makes transitioning to a model-driven approach smoother and more cost-effective than ever.
Adopting model-driven management can yield operators a significant return on investment (ROI). It reduces complexity, accelerates service deployment, and enhances customer experience. Furthermore, automation can be implemented modularly, allowing for gradual adoption at a pace that suits the organization’s needs.
How Nokia Supports Model-Driven Management
Nokia is at the forefront of model-driven management, offering solutions that integrate seamlessly with modern NetOps strategies. Nokia’s Service Router Operating System (SR OS) is a robust, scalable foundation that enables network automation through:
IP Routing Solutions
Nokia’s SR OS and SR Linux operating systems provide industry-leading model-driven management capabilities. These solutions:
- Use YANG-based CLI, NETCONF, gRPC, and gNMI interfaces for configuration and state management.
- Support streaming telemetry through gRPC and gNMI subscriptions.
- Integrate seamlessly with Nokia Network Services Platform (NSP) for automated operations across multi vendor networks.
Nokia’s IP routing portfolio includes:
7750 SR-s Service Router
7730 Service Interconnect Router (SXR)
7250 Interconnect Router (IXR)
These routers feature built-in model-driven management capabilities that simplify and automate network operations.
Data Center Networks
Nokia’s SR Linux is a highly flexible network operating system for data centers. Its model-driven architecture ensures:
- Scalability and flexibility in data center operations.
- Enhanced automation and visibility through open APIs and telemetry.
- Seamless multi vendor integration using standardized YANG-based interfaces.
Data center platforms running SR Linux include:
7215 IXS Interconnect System
7220 IXR-D and IXR-H Series Interconnect Routers
7250 IXR-6e/IXR-10e/IXR-18e Interconnect Routers
Event-Driven Automation
Nokia’s Event-Driven Automation (EDA) provides a modern infrastructure automation platform that combines:
- Speed and reliability for network changes.
- Scalability from small edge clouds to large AI-driven networks.
- Simplified automation workflows using open, model-driven approaches.
Conclusion
The evolution of network management necessitates a shift from manual, CLI-based configurations to automated, model-driven approaches. Model-driven management, powered by YANG models and industry-standard protocols, enables greater efficiency, flexibility, and cost savings. Nokia’s SR OS and SR Linux offer robust, scalable solutions that empower operators to embrace network automation and optimize operations at scale.
By adopting model-driven management, network operators can streamline network operations, reduce mean time to recovery (MTTR), and accelerate time to revenue. With its proven expertise, Nokia provides the tools and technologies needed to facilitate a smooth and successful transition to model-driven management.
About Infinity Technology Solutions
Infinity Technology Solutions specializes in broadband and critical communications infrastructure development. We help our channel partners create and deploy private wireless, microwave backhaul, IP/MPLS, and optical networking technologies.
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