Path Intent Workflow

Traditionally, tunnels are provisioned on a per-instance basis directly from the network information. Path intent abstracts this process by breaking down the attributes of a tunnel into reusable components, known as sub-profiles. These sub-profiles include the tunnel profile, optimization profile, and endpoint profile. This modular approach allows you to define and manage these components separately and then combine them to create one or more tunnels. Path intents simplify tunnel management and enhances the efficiency.

The following procedure lists the step to create and apply a path intent to your network:

1. Login in to the Paragon Automation GUI. See Administration Workflow.

2. Onboard devices. For information on onboarding the devices, see Device Onboarding Workflow.

   Note: When you onboard devices, ensure that you do the following while adding a device profile:

   • Enable the Traffic-Engineering check box in the Analytics tab. You must do this for all devices.

   • Add the PCEP VIP address in the PCEP settings of the Protocols tab.

3. Enable dynamic topology and ensure PCEP session is established with PCC. For more information, see Dynamic Topology Workflow.

   Dynamic topology requires configuration of BGP-LS settings on one router in the domain. See the following example:

4. Navigate to Network Optimization > Network > Network Optimization Intent. On this page:

   1. (Optional) On the Topology map, view the devices that you have onboarded and the links associated to those devices.

   2. Navigate to the Tunnel Profiles tab and click + to create a tunnel profile. Ensure that you publish the tunnel profile. For more information, see Add a Tunnel Profile.

   3. Navigate to the Optimization Profiles tab and click + to create an optimization profile. Ensure that you publish the optimization profile. For more information, see Add an Optimization Profile.

   4. Navigate to the Endpoint Profiles tab and click + to create an endpoint profile. Ensure that you publish the endpoint profile. For more information, see Add an Endpoint Profile.

5. Navigate to the Path Intent tab and click + to create a path intent. For more information, see Add a Path Intent.

When you click the Publish button, the path intent is applied to the network. The tunnels are created and all the attributes and constraints specified in the profiles are applied consistently across the tunnels.

You can view and manage the tunnels on the network topology map. The topology map shows the start and end points of each tunnel, the path it takes, and any relevant attributes such as utilization and delay. You can filter and select tunnels to view detailed information and metrics, helping them monitor and manage the network effectively. This visualization is critical in understanding network topology and ensuring that tunnels meet the desired performance and reliability criteria.