IBM is pleased to announce the latest release of IBM Cloud Pak for Network Automation—version 2.4—available as of October 28, 2022.
IBM Cloud Pak for Network Automation version 2.4 focuses on new automation and orchestration capabilities to reduce OPEX for Communication Service Providers (CSPs) and Managed Service Providers (MSPs). This release introduces three significant new features, including multicloud SD-WAN automation, multi-tenancy mode and a new Designer tool for designing network functions and services.
What’s new in Cloud Pak for Network Automation 2.4?
Multicloud SD-WAN orchestration
Using the new Wired portal, MSPs can automate the deployment of SD-WANs to connect branch offices to their multicloud environment. More specifically, MSPs can onboard cloud accounts, VPCs and virtual networks (VNets), configure connections to SD-WAN controllers, and view the connection status of cloud services in a single view. Enabling customers to self-provision these complex activities using the wizard-driven portal removes the reliance on highly skilled resources.
Multi-tenancy
Now through a single deployment of IBM Cloud Pak for Network Automation, multiple tenants can be supported and users can be assigned to one or more tenants using multi-tenant mode. This new feature allows customers to use their infrastructure more effectively and reduce operational expenses.
Revamped Designer tool
Using the new Designer tool, users design network services and their components with referenced properties and relationships more efficiently. The Designer tool provides a graphical UI from which users can quickly build and validate assembly descriptors. Enhanced features include the ability to select assemblies and resources from the package catalog and display your added elements as cards on a design canvas that can expand and collapse to get important details.
The tool also allows users to drag-and-drop properties from one component to another to create referenced properties that are indicated by arrows and easily publish those properties in the public API. Additionally, any errors or potential problems with your package are highlighted within the Designer tool as you work, so you can address them quickly.
The following screen capture shows an assembly in the Designer tool, including a component and a cluster with referenced properties, and a relationship:
Additional product enhancements
- Orchestration metrics and data: New orchestration metrics and the ability to categorize intent requests can improve troubleshooting and performance monitoring.
- Operational metrics dashboard: Operational metrics appear in a preconfigured dashboard to give insight into the state, health and performance of your orchestration environment.
- Lifecycle management: Enhanced lifecycle management operations include different timeout values for resources, operations, transitions and drivers, and the ability to cancel intent processes to give more control and customization.