DNA Center Questions

DNA Center Quick Summary

Software-Defined Access (SDA) uses the software-defined architectural model, with a controller and various APIs. At the center sits the Digital Network Architecture (DNA) Center controller.

Note:

 + REST API (Representational State Transfer API) is a web service architecture that provides a standard way for clients to communicate with servers over the web. It is based on the HTTP protocol and uses the concepts of resources (represented by URIs) and HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) to interact with them.

 + RESTCONF, on the other hand, is a protocol that provides a programmatic interface to network devices using RESTful architecture. It is built on top of RESTful principles and is designed specifically for network management. RESTCONF provides a standardized way to access and manipulate network configuration data, state data, and operational data using HTTP methods.

DNA Center is the controller for SDA networks. The southbound side of the controller contains the fabric, underlay, and overlay:

Overlay: The mechanisms to create VXLAN tunnels between SDA switches, which are then used to transport traffic from one fabric endpoint to another over the fabric.

Underlay: The network of devices and connections (cables and wireless) to provide IP connectivity to all nodes in the fabric, with a goal to support the dynamic discovery of all SDA devices and endpoints as a part of the process to create overlay VXLAN tunnels.

The relationship between Overlay and Underlay is shown below:

Fabric: The combination of overlay and underlay, which together provide all features to deliver data across the network with the desired features and attributes

Cisco DNA Center is a software solution that resides on the Cisco DNA Center appliance. The solution receives data in the form of streaming telemetry from every device (switch, router, access point, and wireless access controller) on the network. This data provides Cisco DNA Center with the real-time information it needs for the many functions it performs.

Cisco DNA Center collects data from several different sources and protocols on the local network, including the following: traceroute; syslog; NetFlow; Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA); routers; Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP); Telnet; wireless devices; Command-Line Interface (CLI); Object IDs (OIDs); IP SLA; DNS; ping; Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP); IP Address Management (IPAM); MIB; Cisco Connected Mobile Experiences (CMX); and AppDynamics.

Cisco DNA Center offers 360-degree extensibility through four distinct types of platform capabilities:

+ Intent-based APIs leverage the controller and enable business and IT applications to deliver intent to the network and to reap network analytics and insights for IT and business innovation. The Intent API provides policy-based abstraction of business intent, allowing focus on an outcome rather than struggling with individual mechanisms steps.

For example, the administrator configures the intent or outcome desired of a set of security polices. The DNA Center then communicates with the devices to determine exactly the required configuration to achieve that intent. Then the complete configuration is sent down to the devices.
+ Process adapters, built on integration APIs, allow integration with other IT and network systems to streamline IT operations and processes.
+ Domain adapters, built on integration APIs, allow integration with other infrastructure domains such as data center, WAN, and security to deliver a consistent intent-based infrastructure across the entire IT environment.
+ SDKs allow management to be extended to third-party vendor’s network devices to offer support for diverse environments.

DNA Center APIs

Cisco DNA Center APIs are grouped into four categories: northbound, southbound, eastbound and westbound:
+ Northbound (Intent) APIs: enable developers to access Cisco DNA Center Automation and Assurance workflows. For example: provision SSIDs, QoS policies, update software images running on the network devices, and application health.
+ Southbound (Multivendor Support) APIs: allows partners to add support for managing non-Cisco devices directly from Cisco DNA Center
+ Eastbound (Events and Notifications) APIs: publish event notifications that enable third party applications to act on system level, operational or Cisco DNA Assurance notifications. For example, when some of the devices in the network are out of compliance, an eastbound API can enable an application to execute a software upgrade when it receives a notification.
+ Westbound (Integration) APIs: provide the capability to publish the network data, events and notifications to the external systems and consume information in Cisco DNA Center from the connected systems. Through integration APIs, Cisco DNA Center platform can power end-to-end IT processes across the value chain by integrating various domains such as IT Service Management (ITSM), IP address management (IPAM), and reporting. By leveraging the REST-based Integration Adapter APIs, bi-directional interfaces can be built to allow the exchange of contextual information between Cisco DNA Center and the external, third-party IT systems.