Intent-Based Networking - Concepts and Definitions

Intent and Intent-Based Networking are taking the industry by storm. At the same time, terms related to Intent-Based Networking are often used loosely and inconsistently, in many cases overlapping and confused with other concepts such as "policy." This document clarifies the concept of "intent" and provides an overview of the functionality that is associated with it. The goal is to contribute towards a common and shared understanding of terms, concepts, and functionality that can be used as the foundation to guide further definition of associated research and engineering problems and their solutions. This document is a product of the IRTF Network Management Research Group (NMRG). It reflects the consensus of the research group, having received many detailed and positive reviews by research group participants. It is published for informational purposes. and outcome-driven. Users do not need to be concerned with how intent is achieved and are empowered to think in terms of outcomes. In addition, they can refer to concepts at a higher level of abstractions, independent, e.g., of vendor-specific renderings.