In the rapidly evolving landscape of network infrastructure, efficient and agile operations are paramount. The Cisco Crosswork Network Services Orchestrator (NSO) continues to be a cornerstone for organizations striving for comprehensive network automation. Over the past six months, Cisco has delivered significant enhancements to NSO, further solidifying its position as a leading solution for service providers and enterprises. This blog post summarizes the key updates and their implications for potential customers seeking to optimize their network operations.
NSO 6.5: A Leap Forward in Operational Resilience and Security
The recent release of NSO 6.5 introduces a suite of features designed to enhance operational resilience, bolster security, and improve the overall user experience
Existing Service Protection and Enhanced Out-of-Band Interoperation
One of the most impactful advancements in NSO 6.5 is the improved handling of existing environments and out-of-band configuration changes. The new confirm-network-state commit mode significantly enhances interoperation, allowing NSO to better coexist with other systems and protect already provisioned services from unintended modifications. This feature is crucial for organizations with existing, complex networks where manual changes or other automation tools might introduce discrepancies. NSO now supports policy-defined handling of configuration data that overlaps with NSO-configured services, reducing the need for extensive pre-checks and pre-provisioning sync-from operations. This directly translates to smoother deployments and reduced operational risk in heterogeneous environments.
FIPS 140-3 Compliant Installation
Security remains a top priority, and NSO 6.5 addresses this with the introduction of FIPS 140-3 compliant installation mode. For organizations with stringent security requirements, this update enables NSO to operate within a FIPS-restricted setup, ensuring cryptographic modules meet the specified standards. This is a significant advantage for government agencies, financial institutions, and other entities that must adhere to strict compliance mandates.
Continued Enhancements in the NSO Web UI
The NSO Web UI continues to evolve, offering a more intuitive and efficient user experience. NSO 6.5 brings substantial updates to key tools such as the Package Manager (now simply "Packages"), Alarms, and Compliance Reporting. The redesigned "Packages" tool provides a more visually appealing and detailed approach to package management. The "Alarms" tool boasts an updated design and improved functionality for handling NSO alarms, offering enhanced information and interaction options. Furthermore, the "Compliance Reporting" tool now provides more visual details via graphs in report results, making it easier to assess network compliance at a glance. These UI improvements empower network operators with better visibility and control, streamlining daily operations.
Underlying Strengths: Model-Driven Automation and Multi-Vendor Agility
Beyond the latest release, the core strengths of Cisco Crosswork NSO continue to drive its value proposition:
Model-Driven Architecture with YANG
At its heart, NSO leverages a powerful model-driven architecture built on YANG. This allows for the abstraction of network services from the underlying device configurations. Service definitions can be changed on the fly, enabling dynamic adoption of orchestration solutions based on evolving service portfolios. This flexibility is critical for rapid service innovation and deployment.
Unparalleled Multi-Vendor Support
One of NSO's most compelling features is its extensive multi-vendor support. Through Network Element Drivers (NEDs), NSO can communicate with and manage devices from a vast array of vendors, providing a unified automation platform across your entire network. This eliminates vendor lock-in and simplifies operations in heterogeneous environments, allowing organizations to leverage their existing infrastructure investments while embracing automation.
Distributed Transactions for Fail-Safe Deployments
NSO's ability to deploy configuration changes to multiple devices in a fail-safe manner using distributed transactions is a game-changer. Changes are either fully committed across all affected devices or completely rolled back, ensuring network consistency and preventing partial configurations. This atomic approach significantly reduces the risk of network outages due to misconfigurations..
Why Consider Cisco Crosswork NSO?
Cisco Crosswork NSO: Driving Network Automation Forward
In the rapidly evolving landscape of network infrastructure, efficient and agile operations are paramount. Cisco Crosswork Network Services Orchestrator (NSO) continues to be a cornerstone for organizations striving for comprehensive network automation. Over the past six months, Cisco has delivered significant enhancements to NSO, further solidifying its position as a leading solution for service providers and enterprises. This blog post summarizes the key updates and their implications for potential customers seeking to optimize their network operations through consultation and support.
NSO 6.5: A Leap Forward in Operational Resilience and Security
The recent release of NSO 6.5 introduces a suite of features designed to enhance operational resilience, bolster security, and improve the overall user experience.
Existing Service Protection and Enhanced Out-of-Band Interoperation
One of the most impactful advancements in NSO 6.5 is the improved handling of existing environments and out-of-band configuration changes. The new confirm-network-state commit mode significantly enhances interoperation, allowing NSO to better coexist with other systems and protect already provisioned services from unintended modifications. This feature is crucial for organizations with existing, complex networks where manual changes or other automation tools might introduce discrepancies. NSO now supports policy-defined handling of configuration data that overlaps with NSO-configured services, reducing the need for extensive pre-checks and pre-provisioning sync-from operations. This directly translates to smoother deployments and reduced operational risk in heterogeneous environments.
FIPS 140-3 Compliant Installation
Security remains a top priority, and NSO 6.5 addresses this with the introduction of FIPS 140-3 compliant installation mode. For organizations with stringent security requirements, this update enables NSO to operate within a FIPS-restricted setup, ensuring cryptographic modules meet the specified standards. This is a significant advantage for government agencies, financial institutions, and other entities that must adhere to strict compliance mandates.
Continued Enhancements in the NSO Web UI
The NSO Web UI continues to evolve, offering a more intuitive and efficient user experience. NSO 6.5 brings substantial updates to key tools such as the Package Manager (now simply "Packages"), Alarms, and Compliance Reporting. The redesigned "Packages" tool provides a more visually appealing and detailed approach to package management. The "Alarms" tool boasts an updated design and improved functionality for handling NSO alarms, offering enhanced information and interaction options. Furthermore, the "Compliance Reporting" tool now provides more visual details via graphs in report results, making it easier to assess network compliance at a glance. These UI improvements empower network operators with better visibility and control, streamlining daily operations.
Underlying Strengths: Model-Driven Automation and Multi-Vendor Agility
Beyond the latest release, the core strengths of Cisco Crosswork NSO continue to drive its value proposition:
Model-Driven Architecture with YANG
At its heart, NSO leverages a powerful model-driven architecture built on YANG. This allows for the abstraction of network services from the underlying device configurations. Service definitions can be changed on the fly, enabling dynamic adoption of orchestration solutions based on evolving service portfolios. This flexibility is critical for rapid service innovation and deployment.
Unparalleled Multi-Vendor Support
One of NSO's most compelling features is its extensive multi-vendor support. Through Network Element Drivers (NEDs), NSO can communicate with and manage devices from a vast array of vendors, providing a unified automation platform across your entire network. This eliminates vendor lock-in and simplifies operations in heterogeneous environments, allowing organizations to leverage their existing infrastructure investments while embracing automation.
Distributed Transactions for Fail-Safe Deployments
NSO's ability to deploy configuration changes to multiple devices in a fail-safe manner using distributed transactions is a game-changer. Changes are either fully committed across all affected devices or completely rolled back, ensuring network consistency and preventing partial configurations. This atomic approach significantly reduces the risk of network outages due to misconfigurations.
Why Consider Cisco Crosswork NSO Consultation and Support ?
For organizations looking to harness the full power of Cisco Crosswork NSO, engaging with expert consultation and support services can accelerate your automation journey. Our specialists can help you:
Design and Implement Tailored Automation Solutions: Leverage NSO's capabilities to automate your specific network services and operational workflows, from device turn-up and service provisioning to ACL and QoS management.
Navigate Brownfield Deployments: Expert guidance in integrating NSO into existing, complex brownfield environments, ensuring smooth transitions and minimizing disruption.
Ensure Security and Compliance: Implement NSO in a FIPS-compliant manner and establish robust configuration audit processes to meet regulatory requirements.
Optimize Operations and Reduce TCO: Streamline network operations, reduce manual errors, and accelerate service delivery, leading to significant cost savings and improved efficiency.
Develop Custom Integrations and Extensions: Extend NSO's functionality through custom NEDs, service models, and integrations with your existing OSS/BSS systems.
The continuous innovation in Cisco Crosswork NSO, particularly with the advancements in NSO 6.5, underscores Cisco's commitment to delivering a robust, secure, and highly capable network automation platform. By embracing NSO, organizations can achieve unprecedented levels of agility, efficiency, and control over their complex network infrastructures.
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