The “good enough” principle for software is a rule of design intended to meet basic requirements. When those basic requirements are exceeded in actual use, a “good enough” level causes inefficiency, unreliability, and business risk. When “good enough” solutions don’t work anymore, users decry “enough is enough”!
“Good enough” solutions typically fall apart in large-scale network environments. The bigger the network, and the more workflows and device diversification, the more limited and vulnerable “good enough” solutions become. When “good enough” won’t cut it, it’s time for something better. That means implementing technology that meets today’s needs while producing programmable network elements for next-generation networking requirements. When network service providers and large enterprises automate programmability using best of breed and best practices into their networks, they gain reliable and consistent data model-driven transactions.
The standards-based advantage
Open standards-based solutions are the definition of best-of-breed. Many vendor solutions are based upon their own proprietary implementations. Conversely, NETCONF and YANG are built upon open industry-driven standards from IETF.
Competing in today’s global markets requires technological innovation that is driven by the deployment of standards and following best practices. Open standards-based network programmability-enabled devices with standard APIs and protocol interfaces provide the following highlighted benefits:
- Interoperability
- Vendor neutrality
- Greater efficiency from existing resources
- Improved use of automation
- Business agility
- Lower risk
- Improved compliance
When you’ve had enough of “good enough”
There are things that are certainties in enterprise networking; change is constant, diversity a necessity, and complexity a fact.
Distributed network transactions (a.k.a. network-wide transactions) require accuracy, completeness, consistency, and reliability. There is no room for error. Automated programmability is the key to unleashing the power of reliable and consistent network-wide transactions.
This can only be accomplished by abstracting away the underlying complexity and interfacing with all network devices and instances through a single, common API. The NETCONF protocol and YANG data models are open standards-based, best-of-breed solutions for programmable networks and services.
Network transactions touch multiple devices, interfaces, and data stores across the network. Orchestrating seamless interactions between disparate devices, and managing them across network-wide infrastructure, requires a unifying solution that doesn’t need to understand different vendor-proprietary APIs and interfaces. Using network devices that use NETCONF and YANG and support transactions eliminates the need to parse code or create new code workarounds for devices that don’t support these important features. NETCONF and YANG enable network programmability and automation, while transactions increase robustness and reliability. This eliminates the need for time-wasting and error-prone coding, to achieve reliable distributed transactions.
Large enterprises and network service providers benefit from improved productivity, while eliminating inefficiencies, overcoming technology silos, and enhancing their business performance. When users or customers ask IT to implement new vendor products, they must be able to quickly respond and have automated network programmability that seamlessly integrates those products and services into their network environment.
Whether a business is merging companies and integrating their network infrastructure, building a new network service with NextGen solutions, or modernizing their existing network infrastructure, they need a technology foundation that allows them to simplify network complexities, unify heterogeneous devices, and streamline the management of everything. NETCONF and YANG network programmability simplifies configuration, management, testing, deployment, and operational tasks, for physical and virtual network devices. Implementing low-code programmable network infrastructure brings greater audit controls and more consistency in maintaining configurations, with faster provisioning.
Best-of-breed, standards-based solutions create a competitive advantage
Network service providers and large enterprises operate in multi-vendor environments. Every day, they depend upon their heterogeneous network infrastructure to work optimally, to deliver a quality user experience.
While technology can be a great equalizer, it can also be a great differentiator. Service agility requires the democratization of network infrastructure. When digital services become more accessible to more people, those offering the services gain a competitive advantage. It is the reliability, consistency, speed, and cost of delivery, that will help make those services successful.
“Good enough” technology solutions are designed for “good enough” business solutions. But business services that are built to have a competitive advantage will deploy best of breed and standards-based technology to win in the marketplace.
To learn more about distributed transactions, read our whitepaper “Managing Distributed Systems Using NETCONF and RESTCONF Transactions“.