This presentation provides insight on why integration, transformation, & federation are crucial components for scaling network automation.

1. Integration & Federation:
The Key to the Next Wave of Network Automation
WEBINAR
Morgan Stern
VP of Service
Provider Architecture
Itential
Karan Munalingal
Senior Solutions Architect,
Itential

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1. Itential’s Vision for
Extending Automation
2. Challenges
3. The Automation Model –
Integration & Federation
4. Demonstrations
5. Q & A
Agenda

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Our software enables enterprise organizations to produce sophisticated automations quickly
with a DevOps mindset, treating the network infrastructure as code.
Automating the most complex networks in the world:
Itential is Intelligent Automation for Multi-Domain Networks
©2020 Itential Confidential and Proprietary
6 out of 10 of
the largest
service providers
in the world
3 out of the top
5 US financial
service
institutions
Trusted by the
US military
Headquarters
in Atlanta,
offices in EMEA
Over 150+
employees

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Extending the Scope of Automation
REACH | INTEGRATE
Easily integrate with any IT, OSS,
cloud & network technology
• Value of automation
increases with each
connection
• Eliminates manual handoffs
and ”swivel-chair” operational
model
MANAGE | FEDERATE
Create a ”meta-map” of all
connected resources
• Provides a unified & abstracted
view across your network
• Distributed source of truth
for your data
SIMPLIFY | AUTOMATE
Make it easy for non-coder,
network engineers to use
• Data transformations simplify
and extend data interchange
• Pre-built automations and
applications enable immediate
usability

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Typical Network Change Model
Planning & Scheduling
Implementation
& Activation
VerificationDesign & Preparation Closure
Key Metrics for Measuring Business Value = Effort and Duration

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Typical Network Change Model
Planning & Scheduling
Implementation
& Activation
VerificationDesign & Preparation
20%
Closure
40% 10% 25% 5%
Most automation activities only impact 10% of the overall process. What about the other 90%?
This is what most
automation focuses on
Key Metrics for Measuring Business Value = Effort and Duration

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What Makes the 90% Difficult?
Lack of Exposure
Ability of the automation system to expose
consumable capabilities to all stakeholders
in the process.
Inflexibility
Ability of the system to automate a diverse
range of activities and quickly adapt to
changes.
Access to Data
Ability of the automation system to engage
with environmental and operational data
sources necessary for completing complex
tasks.
Limited Reach
Ability of the automation system to interact
with multiple network systems, models, and
infrastructures.

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Trigger
Targets
Fundamental Automation Components
• The condition that prompts
automation.
• Manual, API, or event-driven.
• What action(s) need to occur?
• Provides sufficient detail to start
the automation.
Automator
• Receives and processes the trigger.
• Collects additional required data.
• Executes changes to targets.
• Processes and provides feedback.
• Can be devices, OSS systems,
controllers, orchestrators, etc.
• Accepts changes and provides
feedback.
Automation activities
can include:
• Configuration Changes
• Testing
• Data Transformation
• Updates
• Management
• Policy Changes
• Etc.

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What’s Needed to Achieve the 100%
Automator
Events CRM OSS People Orchestration
Data Sources
Security DB
Inventory
Perf Mgmt
Fault Mgmt
Topology
IPAM
Test
SDN/SD-WAN
Controllers
Script Assets
Service
Orchestrators
Cloud
Controllers
Trigger
East/Westbound
Northbound
Southbound
Challenges
1. Source(s) of Truth
2. Data Replication &
Timeliness
3. Data Models &
Schemas
4. Resource Location –
Finding a Needle in
a HaystackTargets
Network
Orchestrators

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Reach: Increase the
Value of Automation
with Integration
1. Metcalfe’s Law and non-linear
value creation
2. Large-scale integration enables
a much larger, richer set of use
cases for automation
3. Historically, the challenge has
been cost/time/complexity to
integrate and increasing rate in
change from vendors

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Manage: Federation in Network Automation
Device Broker
Automation
Gateway
Orchestrator
SDN/SD-WAN
Controller
Configuration Manager
List Devices Is Alive Get Config Set Config
Federation aggregates and harmonizes
data from multiple sources, such as:
• Network controllers
• Orchestrators
• Inventory management systems
• Other OSS
Federation creates a meta-map of
connected systems and queries those
systems in real-time during execution of
workflows or other business logic.
Federation enables a global view of
devices, data, and APIs for automation
users and northbound systems.
Cloud
Platform
Example of Device Federation
YANG &
TOSCA
Python /
YAML

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Simplify: Data
Transformation in a
Federated Model
1. What if the contents are different?
2. Translation can be expensive.
3. Data transformations reduce cost,
speed time to implementation,
and provide flexibility.
4. Developing code for data
transformation is expensive

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Integration & Federation Maximize Business Value
Planning & Scheduling
Implementation
& Activation
VerificationDesign & Preparation
20%
Closure
40% 10% 25% 5%
Federated interaction
with network and OSS
Integration with Asset
Mgmt, Scheduling, PMO
Real-time interaction with
inventory and network
systems
Post checks,
automated testing,
validation
Duration reduction of up to 90%
Final closure &
realization of
business benefits
REAL-WORLD EXAMPLE:
Subscriber Activation
Business Days
MANUAL
AUTOMATED
42
2
Human Effort Hours
MANUAL
AUTOMATED
100+
0: Fully Automated

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1. Correlation and simplified management
of common entities.
2. Global, real-time interaction with
southbound systems.
3. Common platform for execution of
business logic.
4. Simplification of northbound exposure.
With federation and integration,
organizations can extend the reach from
the 10% to the 100% in a scalable, flexible
way.
©2020 Itential Confidential and Proprietary
Benefits of Integration & Federation

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DEMO
Device Federation
DEMO
Data Transformation
• Configuration Manager –
Federation driven and technology
agnostic applications.
• Itential Adapters - Integration
(adapter) on-boarding.
• Broker - Registration of adapters
to broker.
• Automation Studio - Use of
federation concepts within
network intelligent automations.
• JSON Schema Transformation –
Overview of application.
• Data Transformation –
Walkthrough real life examples.
• Low-Code – Showcase method to
rapidly address data structure
changes through drag-and-drop.
• Automation Studio - Use of Data
Transformation concepts within
network intelligent automations.

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Q / A
info@itential.com
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