Apstra Describing the Network with Derick Winkworth

Derick Winkworth, a Systems Engineer at Apstra, presented at Networking Field Day 13 in Palo Alto, California, where he discussed how to define a network within the Apstra Operating System (AOS) without requiring direct interaction with command-line interfaces (CLI). The aim is to create a network environment that is as vendor-agnostic as possible, allowing flexibility in switch and vendor choice. Winkworth highlighted the traditional approach where the selection of vendors and switch models is often locked in during the network design phase, which makes future changes cumbersome and limits the potential for automated network management.

Winkworth elaborated on the decoupling of network design from switch and vendor selection using AOS, describing this as essential for achieving true network automation. The approach allows network designers to conceptualize their topology in abstract terms, without prematurely committing to specific vendors or models. This separation means that choices about hardware can be made later during implementation, allowing for more flexibility and potentially cost savings as different vendor options are evaluated based on current needs and availability. By doing so, networks can adopt a more fluid and adaptive approach, changing vendors or models as needed without being confined by the initial design constraints.

Furthermore, Winkworth emphasized that Apstra’s AOS supports a wide range of hardware platforms, making the process of multi-vendor integration seamless. This extensibility is critical, as it allows users to customize their networks to meet specific requirements without being bound to a single vendor’s ecosystem. This method includes building generic port representations for switches, facilitating easier deployment and implementation. Through this process, network operations become more streamlined, enabling engineers to focus on design and performance optimization rather than on specific hardware configurations, ultimately enhancing efficiency and adaptability in network management.