Cisco DNA Center

Cisco DNA Center is a central Management and Automation software, an application , that is used as a Controller for Cisco DNA. It is used as a management platform for both SD Access, Intent-Based Networks and existing traditional networks. Cisco DNA Center is the recent Network Management Platform of Cisco for Enterprise Networks. You can also visit Cisco DNA Center page of Cisco, here.

With its efficient dashboard, Cisco DNA Center is very easy too use for network engineers. With reusable templates, efficient workflows, policies etc. it simplifies network operations, configurations and troubleshooting. With DNA Center, your network feels Network Automation convenience. Your network is managed easily, network operations are done efficiently and your network down times decrease.

DNA Center uses recent technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) for this new type of network management. With these systems, network mangement become more proactive, network operations are more effective and troubleshooting activities are faster.

So, how does Cisco DNA Center work? Basically, your network interface is programmed and then sends data to Cisco DNA Center Appliance. DNA Center Appliance is the device that your DNA Center Software exist. On DNA Center Software, the required activities like configurations, settings, buildings etc. are done.  Simply, by using this automation software, you can do what you need to do on your network. All these activities can be seen and set on DNA Center Dashboard. It is the Graphical User Interface (GUI) that user see.

Let’s also talk a little about its interfaces. As the controllers in Cisco, DNA Center has also Southbound interface and Northbound interface. DNA Center uses REST APIs on Northbound interface. With this REST APIs, developers and users can communciate with DNA Center. On Southbound interface, DNA Center uses various protocols like RESTCONF, NETCONF etc. With this interface, DNA Center can communciate with the devices it manages. Under this interface there are both the devices that support SDN protocols like NETCONF, RESTCONF etc. and traditional devices that support SNMP,Telnet, SSH.

Cisco DNA Center brings many features to your network. Especially Enterprise Networks benefit from these features a lot. So, what are the features of DNA Center? Let’s focus on these features now.

Cisco DNA Center Features

Cisco DNA Center is an excellent Network Management and Automation Software. So what are the key features and benefits of this popular Cisco Product? These features are given below:

• Support Intent-Based Networking
• Simple and Fast Network Management
• Increased Network Uptime
• Effective Monitoring
• Lower Operation Costs
• Future Network Optimization
• Network Transform With New Technologies
• Embed Security

Cisco DNA Center Supports Intent-Based Networking

There are many features of DNA Center. The most important feature of DNA Center is SDA support. As you know SD-Access is one of the most recent technology in network World. And with this technology Intent-Based Networking will be also in our lifes. We have talked about Intent-Based Networking in another lesson. But here, we will also say the key differences than traditional networking. With Intent-Based Networking, network engineers’ load will be reduced and system driven configurations, changes will be done on the networks.

Simple Network Management

Network magement with Cisco DNA Center is easy for network engineers. With its logical workflows, design, provision and policy setting activities are easy. By using this management software, you can deploy new devices in a very short time without going on sites. With one click you can configure a device, in seconds you will finish upgrades, you will apply policies shortly.

With Cisco DNA Center, Increase Network Uptime

 DNA Center is a very effective and proactive network management platform that it responds the network failures and changes very fast. It acts before any network failure and whenever a failure occurs, it responds quicly and minimize the network downtime.

With granular views of your network, network engineers can have a very good user experience during operational and troublehooting activities.

Effective Monitoring

With an effective monitoring capability, Cisco DNA Center can monitor your network performance end to end. With a proactive behaviour, it acts before the network error occur. By doing this, it also reduce the downtime of the networks.

The health of the network can be viewed very fast and effectively with DNA Center. With this end to end monitoring, your network performance will be better.

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Lower Operation Costs

DNA Center is a full automated platform. So, by reducing the network engineers working hours on the operation activities and troubleshooting activities, it reduce operational costs. Beside, by detecting the problems earlier and its proactive behaviour, it reduces this costs again.

Future Network Optimisation

As know, network engineers need to think about the network device’s performance and updates. They need to change network devices with new ones if they do not meet the new requirements. DNA Center does this job instead of network engineers. It manages hardware and softwares, their versions and updates. They also plan for the future changes in your network.

Network Transform With New Technologies

With DNA Center new Technologies are also supported in your network. One of the most important recent Technologies is Cloud Services. With DNA Center cloud service are also used.  Cisco Meraki support is one of the most important features for Enterprise Cloud Services.

Embed Security

With a perfect security mechanism, Cisco DNA Center secure your traffic. It can find latest malware and threats even in encrypted traffic with Machine Learning technology. With a good monitoring, it always waits as a guard.