Trends, Challenges, Benefits,

Key Capabilities
 Module Objectives
Foundational Enablement
• Describe key characteristics of a digital network
• Explain what is meant by Fabric
• Explain how trends such as Fast IT are leading to the need for Fabric
• Provide examples of why traditional networking CANNOT keep pace with the demands
of a Digital Business
• Explain the foundational elements required for a new operational paradigm
• Map general technical capability requirements to the desired business benefits of
Reduced Cost & Complexity and Lower Risk

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Network as a Platform for
Reducing Cost and Complexity While Lowering Risk

DNA Automation/
Analytics
Fabric solution for both
Wired and Wireless

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Enterprise Networks Today are Complex…

WAN Remote
VLAN B

VLAN 1 VLAN 2 VLAN 3

HQ

VLAN A VLAN B
Branch A Branch A

Setting Up Dealing with Defining Policies for Adding Resources

Multiple VLANs Disparate Networks LAN, W-LAN & WAN
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…and Have Multiple Operational Challenges

95%* 70%* 75%*

Network Changes Policy Violations OpEx spent on Network

Performed Manually Due to Human Error Visibility & Troubleshooting
Source: 2016 Cisco Study

Traditional Networking CANNOT Keep Pace with the Demands of Digital Business
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*2016 Internal Customer Study

Next Generation Enterprise Infrastructure
Foundational Elements Required for New Operational Paradigm

Services enablement
Fabric architecture
through controller based
Fabric enabling flexible L2/L3
abstraction and open Services services on a wired,
APIs, with fabric aware
wireless, and WAN
security and application
network that is
services integration
managed as single
system

Assurance for
Policy based automated applications, user
provisioning of network Orchestration experience,
for access, security, infrastructure and
application quality of endpoint function.
experience, and Network health,
monitoring, across
Policy Assurance availability and
multiple domains function.
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 Journey to Secure Automation
Location and
IP Address

Business Driven Architecture Independence

Segmentation
Advanced Context EMPLOYEES
(Device, User, Location)
EMPLOYEES
GROUP GROUP
PERM TEMP

John Mike John Mike

GROUP GROUP x
PROJECTOR PRINTERS

Centralized Point
Building-Systems Provisioning, Policy and Monitoring
Group based Segmentation

Secure, Automated, Flexible

Secure Policy Driven Automated Flexible and Scalable

• Support user/ endpoint authentication,
identification, remediation, quarantine
• Integrated scalable security enforcement
• IP Address agnostic and location
independent
• Software defined segmentation
• Simplified endpoint policy development and • Add/Remove Fabric Elements quickly • Supports L2 and L3 topology overlay with
application and easily location independence
• User Centric : Independent of IP Address • Intuitive User Centric GUI • Supports thousands of infrastructure
• devices within the fabric
Pervasive and Systemic Application • Integrates with other tools and open
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API’s • Wired and Wireless Integration
• Easy to understand, apply, modify or remove
• Supports migration and interoperability
 Key Foundation Takeaways
Summary
• A ‘Digital Network’ is software driven with Open API’s instantiated on flexible and
capable hardware to express business intent and align network behavior to business
objectives
• A fabric delivers architectural flexibility, scalability, intelligence and consistent
networking while providing the ability to implement differentiated services.
• Manual network changes, policy violations due to human error/oversight and OPEX
spent as a result of a lack of visibility and the associated troubleshooting processes are
some of the key reasons why traditional networks and organizations cannot keep pace.
• Services, Policy, Fabric, Orchestration and Assurance are the foundational elements
required for a new operational paradigm
• Secure, Policy Driven, Automated, Flexible and Scalable are the key capability
requirements that must be considered on the journey to secure automation
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