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Gluware Launches Config ModelingTM to Accelerate Automation of Brownfield Enterprise Networks
[March 19, 2018]

Gluware Launches Config ModelingTM to Accelerate Automation of Brownfield Enterprise Networks


Gluware announced today a major innovation in the Gluware Control automation and orchestration platform enabling an industry first ability to leverage existing device configurations to accelerate automation using its new Config Modeling technology.

Enterprise IT continues to struggle with network automation currently performing most configuration changes and compliance checks manually. Network complexity has slowed automation efforts created by multi-vendor devices deployed over many years, vendor unique syntax and lack of programmatic interfaces. While technologies like SDN and NFV show promise for the future, enterprises must operate and build off their existing brownfield networks. Gluware provides the benefits of SDN without re-architecting or re-deploying the network. Software-enabled control is provided from the management plane and Gluware communicates to the existing network devices using vendor-specific SSH/CLI or API.

Gluware's Config Modeling provides:

  • Rapid onboarding of customer-provided configurations
  • Deterministic provisioning, no need to re-deploy the network
  • Software only, no need to buy new hardware
  • No coding skill set required

Using Config Modeling customers are able to use existing device configuration feature-by-feature and enable automation of as many features as needed. This flexibility provides a method to address specific pain points and automate more over time. Working with Gluware, customers identify the most pressing features to automate and for supported platforms they are automated in days without needing to know programming or code anything. In addition to network configuration and change management, Gluware provides an application called Config Drift that reads the current configuration state of every device comparing it to the previous known state and flags any changes. Each change can be viewed to determine if it is approved or if it needs to be remediated.

A Gluware customer, a regional hospital, had a requirement to roll out SNMPv3 updates across hundreds of devices, both routers and switches. Leveraging Config Modeling, Gluware was able to demonstrate the automation of the provided configuration and enabled the team to meet their schedule for a network wideupdate and now enable the automation of more features.



A global pharmaceutical customer was able to model common services including NetFlow, NTP and SNMP. More importantly, they were able to model a critical QoS update for over 400 routers enabling a new application roll out that would have taken over nine months and now can be done in days.

Config Modeling leverages technology base packages in the Gluware platform for routers, switches, firewalls, load balancers, WAN optimizers and wireless LAN controllers. Customer provided configurations are rapidly on-boarded and exposed as simplified form-fill for variables or native vendor CLI. The Gluware platform converts these features into data-models and performs a declarative mode provisioning when writing to each network device. The Gluware platform intelligently implements policy validation, reads the current state of the configuration and writes the changes declaratively to enforce the desired policy. Paired with Config Drift to perform ongoing monitoring of the configuration state, Gluware provides an intent-based networking platform with configuration and monitoring of each feature under management.


Gluware's Config Modeling will be showcased on the Packet Pushers Virtual Design Clinic taking place March 20, 2018. Register today.

Cliff Grossner, Ph.D., senior research director and advisor of cloud and data center research practice for IHS (News - Alert) Markit, a global business information provider, said: "Automation is a top driver for SDN in the data center, enterprise LAN and WAN, and carrier network. It is followed closely by the requirement to bring automation to both existing and new networks. For CY16 we estimated revenue from equipment in-use for SDN in the data center and enterprise WAN was $2.9 billion and, $762 million in the carrier network, signaling a strong need for automation and orchestration. Gluware's focus on bringing automation to enterprise networks answers an important market requirement."

Jeff Gray, CEO and Co-Founder, Gluware, said: "We saw an incredibly important gap in the market for automation of brownfield (pre-existing) networks. Customers have led us to provide automation of the networks that they already have, without needing to re-deploy the network, add new hardware, or code anything. After years of development, we are thrilled to launch Gluware Config Modelling for customers to start their journey to Intent-Based Networking with immediate benefits."

About Gluware

Gluware pioneered the industry's first network orchestration engine enabling software-defined networking (SDN) from the data center to campus LAN and WAN. Gluware automates network lifecycle management on existing networks, allowing companies to roll-out a robust suite of advanced network and security features while reducing manual deployment and support costs. Gluware currently powers mission-critical networks of blue-chip enterprises and managed service providers. For more information visit: www.gluware.com. Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) at: @gluwareinc

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@gluwareinc enables rapid automation of enterprise brownfield networks using Config Modeling to leveraging existing device configuration for network configuration #SDN #Orchestration #Automation


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