Integrate Arista CloudVision with Forward Enterprise to Automate Network and Security Verification

Network automation has many benefits for organizations adopting a DevOps model for managing their infrastructure, including speed, agility, and a consistent change control process. However, with improvements in speed, there comes an added risk of configuration errors rapidly propagating through the network. To safeguard against potential mistakes, network and security verification become an essential part […]

Network automation has many benefits for organizations adopting a DevOps model for managing their infrastructure, including speed, agility, and a consistent change control process. However, with improvements in speed, there comes an added risk of configuration errors rapidly propagating through the network.

To safeguard against potential mistakes, network and security verification become an essential part of the network DevOps lifecycle. By integrating Arista CloudVision^® with Forward Enterprise, network operators can leverage the monitoring, change control, and configuration management of CloudVision, while using Forward Enterprise to execute pre-change and post-change network and security verifications.

Key Benefits of Integration

Seamless integration into manual and automated change workflows
Pre-change and post-change verification of network and security posture
Continuous validation of network and security service availability

*Figure 1: CloudVision and Forward Integrated Workflow*

With this CloudVision and Forward Enterprise integration, users get a turn-key network verification platform that fits into any operational workflow. Operators can prevent mistakes from spreading through the entire network by using CloudVision to:

Provide a single pane of glass to manage device software and configuration.
Propose a change for one or more devices and analyze it to ensure it is feasible.
Request a new pre-change network snapshot from the Forward Enterprise platform using an API call.
Deploy the configuration change to the network.
Provide real-time monitoring of the network and track the configuration changes over time.

After the change is complete, send another API call to Forward Enterprise, triggering another network snapshot and creating a comprehensive report of the differences in the network between the pre-change and post-change. The Forward report includes configuration and state information, policy rules, behavior checks, device connections, interface, and paths. Additionally, it will run automated Network Query Engine queries and validation tests.

*Figure 2: Forward Enterprise pre- and post-change report*

Forward Enterprise is key to continuously ensuring that the network is compliant with security and availability policies. Interested in exploring the benefits of Forward Enterprise for your specific network needs? Request a demo here.

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Chiara Regale

Chiara Regale is the SVP of Product and User Experience at Forward Networks. Prior to Forward, Chiara was a Director of Product Management for the Insieme business unit at Cisco Systems. She was also a Director of Product Management at Riverbed Technology.