NSP Technology
Fundamentals

This eLearning outlines the many NSP technologies that enable software-defined networking (SDN) and network automation. Gain an understanding of the differences between bare metal machines, virtual machines, and containers and the many technologies used to manage them. Understand the significance of SDN and network automation in network management, learn how DevOp technologies are used to automate network infrastructure and describe telemetry data models, databuses, and the architectural framework.

After completing the course, students should be able to:

• Describe how the traditional Network Management System (NMS) works and its associated challenges.
• Discover what is driving the transformation of communication networks
• Contrast bare metal machines, virtual machines, and containers
• Describe virtualization technologies and container management platforms
• Define software-defined networks and their significance

• Describe and contrast intent-driven and network-driven management
• Define telemetry and analyze the factors behind the shift from SNMP to streaming telemetry
• Contrast the use of protocols with the use of data models
• Compare key open-config and IETF models
• Describe how DevOps technologies are used to automate network infrastructure
• Explain the concept of continuous integration/continuous delivery

Module 1 – Traditional Network Management

• Traditional network management systems
• Challenges and limitations
• Transitioning from traditional to SDN networks

Module 2 – Virtualization and Network Management Platforms

• The concept of virtualization
• Bare metal vs virtual machines vs containers
• VM management and orchestration
• Container management and orchestration
• Monolithic vs microservices applications

Module 3 – Software-defined Networking

• SDN: What? Why? How?
• Model-driven protocols
• YANG data model
• OpenConfig and IETF models
• Source of Truth

Module 4 – Telemetry/OAM

• Introduction to telemetry
• gRPC based telemetry collection
• NSP telemetry framework
• Databuses

Module 5 – Automation

• Introduction to network automation
• DevOps technologies
• Continuous integration / continuous delivery
• Machine learning
• Automation: mitigating network challenges