A network protocol for distributed orchestration using intent-based forwarding

Network management systems have undergone tremendous changes to adapt to the growing complexity and diversity of network deployments. A new trend of intent-based frameworks has emerged, where network administrators only input an abstract view of their desired network model instead of specifying the necessary steps to attain it. Intent-based networking holds the promise of autonomous, agile, and learning networks that configure themselves according to abstract policy without requiring human intervention.In this demonstration, we introduce a novel architecture for distributed intent-based network orchestration. For this purpose, we first extend the standard YANG to carry intent rather than configuration, adding missing features for in-network orchestration. Second, we use the model intents as network-native objects on which to perform routing and forwarding in-between orchestrators. Finally, we highlight the benefits of pushing intent in the network rather than fully processing it in a centralized orchestrator and illustrate potential improvements in term of scalability, programmability, and reliability.