Intent-based networking (IBN) is a form of network administration that incorporates artificial intelligence (AI), network orchestration and machine learning (ML) to automate administrative tasks across a network. The goal of IBN is to reduce the complexity of creating, managing and enforcing network policies and reduce the manual labor associated with traditional configuration management. For example, an IBN command may look like this:
Allow accounting applications to access server ABC, but do not allow manufacturing applications to access.
The IBN management application will then determine which devices and routes match the business intention and make the appropriate configuration changes automatically.
Intent-based networking and software-defined networking (SDN) are similar in many aspects. Both approaches rely on a centralized controller to manage distributed devices on the network instead of individually managing each device from its own management console. Both approaches have the ability to understand network configuration and interaction across multiple devices.
Where the two approaches differ, however, is in how they are addressed at the administrator level. SDN continues to have a device-centric view of the network and commands are primarily about how devices should operate, but intent-based networking commands are issued from a business perspective. This second-level abstraction is the primary difference when it comes to intent-based networking vs. SDN.
