Introduction to Cisco Wireless Intent Based Networking
Today I am going to talk about Intent based Wireless networks for which I will discuss about the various components used by Cisco Intent bases Wireless infrastructure. As we are going to discuss about Intent based Wireless network, the solution offers secure, scalable, worthwhile wireless LANs for business-critical mobility.
A mobile user needs the same convenience, security, quality-of-service (QoS), and high availability currently enjoyed by wired users. These mobile requirements mandate a robust network that enables seamless mobility and secure connectivity.
The various core components used in the intent based wireless networks are as below
Access Points (APs): It provides CleanAir, Hyperlocation, client coverage, flexible radio assignment, over the air encryption
Wireless LAN controller (WLC): AP management, Radio resource management, High availability, client mobility, Security
Management and Control Plane (DNA Center and Prime Infrastructure):It provides you the automation, assurance, management, visibility and reporting.
Connected Mobile Experience (CMX):It basically provides client information, location analytics and operation insights.
The intent-based networking in Cisco for wireless network is the Software defined Access network for Wireless, SD-Access Wireless architecture delivers a way to segment the network without complicated technologies and also offers a way to stretch the client subnet without extending the same VLAN everywhere.
The wireless control plane is still centralized at the Wireless LAN controller and the controller continues to provide functions such as client sessions management, RRM, AP management, and troubleshooting, just as in Centralized mode.
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Fig 1.1- Cisco Intent Based Wireless Networks
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This deployment is done using the orchestration solution called DNA Center, which simplifies the creation and management of the SD-Access Wireless network. All components, from SSIDs to policies, are created with a few clicks.
The entire SD-Access fabric appears to the endpoints as if it were one big switch or one large roaming domain. This architecture optimizes the data plane because the data is distributed. Cisco DNA Center is the automation platform for the Cisco wireless solution and its main purpose is to convert the administrator's intent into meaningful device-level configurations.
DNA Center provides multiple levels of automation and orchestration for the different wireless deployment modes and greatly simplifies the network setup and initialization.
SD-Access Wireless breakdowns this dependency by separating the policy definitions and separating them from network constructs (IP address, subnet, VLAN, etc.). This abstraction helps simplify how networks are deployed. Policy is defined irrespective of the user or device IP address or VLAN. DNA Center is the single touch point for policy definition and the SD-Access fabric nodes are the single points of policy enforcement
