Cisco unveiled its Digital Network Architecture (DNA) for transforming business with the power of analytics driven by programmable networks, cloud applications, open APIs, and virtualization. The Cisco DNA aims to extend the company's data center-based, policy-driven Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) technology throughout the entire network: from campus to branch, wired to wireless, core to edge.
Cisco DNA is built on five guiding principles:
- Virtualize everything to give organizations freedom of choice to run any service anywhere, independent of the underlying platform – physical or virtual, on premise or in the cloud.
- Designed for automation to make networks and services on those networks easy to deploy, manage and maintain – fundamentally changing the approach to network management.
- Pervasive analytics to provide insights on the operation of the network, IT infrastructure and the business – information that only the network can provide.
- Service management delivered from the cloud to unify policy and orchestration across the network - enabling the agility of cloud with the security and control of on premises solutions.
- Open, extensible and programmable at every layer – Integrating Cisco and 3rd party technology, open API’s and a developer platform, to support a rich ecosystem of network-enabled applications.
“The digital network is the platform for digital business,” said Rob Soderbery, SVP for Enterprise Products and Solutions, Cisco. “Cisco DNA brings together virtualization, automation, analytics, cloud and programmability to build that platform. The acronym for the Digital Networking Architecture – DNA – isn’t an accident. We’re fundamentally changing the DNA of networking technology.”The first deliverables of Cisco DNA include:
DNA Automation: APIC-Enterprise Module (APIC EM) Platform
- APIC-EM Platform: A new version of Cisco’s enterprise controller has been released. Cisco claims 100+ customer deployments running up to 4000 devices from a single instance. The company is adding automation software that removes the need for staging for pre-configuration or truck roll-outs to remote locations. The Plug and Play agent sits on Cisco routers and switches and talks directly to the network controller. A new EasyQoS service enables the network to dynamically update network wide QoS settings based on application policy.
- Cisco Intelligent WAN Automation Services: This service automates IWAN deployment and management, providing greater WAN deployment flexibility and allowing IT to quickly configure and deploy a full-service branch office with just 10 clicks. IWAN automation eliminates configuration tasks for advanced networking features, and automatically enables Cisco best practices, application prioritization, path selection and caching to improve the user experience.
- DNA Virtualization: Evolved IOS-XE is a network operating system optimized for programmability, controller-based automation, and serviceability. The new OS provides open model-driven APIs for third party application development, software-defined management, application hosting, edge computing and abstraction from the physical infrastructure to enable virtualization. It supports the Cisco Catalyst 3850/3650, ASR 1000 and ISR 4000 today, and will continue to be expanded across the Enterprise Network portfolio.
Evolved Cisco IOS XE includes Enterprise Network Function Virtualization (Enterprise NFV) that decouples hardware from software and gives enterprises the freedom of choice to run any feature anywhere. This solution includes the full software stack - virtualization infrastructure software; virtualized network functions (VNFs) like routing, firewall, WAN Optimization, and WLAN Controller; and orchestration services - to enable branch office service virtualization. - DNA Cloud Service Management: CMX Cloud provides business insights and personalized engagement using location and presence information from Cisco wireless infrastructure. With CMX Cloud enterprises can provide easy Wi-Fi onboarding, gain access to aggregate customer behavior data, and improve customer engagement.
