Adding an API to networking hardware doesn’t solve management challenges
This is why cloud-inspired networks win: virtual switches are all consistent
Network management remains a significant challenge despite adding APIs to networking hardware. This is due to the vast inconsistency of features among devices, even from the same vendor. The Network Automation and Programmability Abstraction Layer with Multivendor support (NAPALM) project addresses some of these issues by supporting multiple vendor operating systems.
However, simply adding an API to devices does not solve the problems of network management. A centralized controller is needed to manage a distributed set of forwarding devices, as shown by the success of virtual switches in datacenter networks. The concept of Conway's Law explains why product teams are resistant to introducing new configuration interfaces, such as APIs.
While APIs can be used to manage virtual networks, they require integration into cloud management systems, which can be a hurdle for product teams. A more effective approach to network management is to build abstractions for networks, rather than just providing different interfaces to existing devices.
Written by urgent.news from The Register Science's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
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