SAFLA: Semantic-aware Full Lifecycle Assurance Designed for Intent-Driven Networks

Abstract: Intent-driven Networks (IDNs) are crucial in enhancing network management efficiency by enabling the translation of high-level intents into executable configurations via a top-down approach. The escalating complexity of network architectures, however, has led to a semantic gap between these intents and their actual configurations, posing significant challenges to the accuracy and reliability of IDNs. While existing methodologies attempt to address this gap through a bottom-up analysis of network metadata, they often fall short, focusing primarily on intent extraction or reasoning without fully leveraging insights to tackle the inherent challenges of IDNs. To mitigate this, we introduce SAFLA, a semantic-aware framework specifically designed to assure the full lifecycle of intents within IDNs. By seamlessly integrating top-down and bottom-up approaches, SAFLA not only provides comprehensive intent assurance but also effectively bridges the semantic gap. This integration facilitates a self-healing mechanism, substantially reducing the need for manual intervention even in dynamically changing network environments. Experimental results demonstrate the framework's feasibility and efficiency, confirming its capacity to quickly adapt intents in response to network changes, thus marking an important advancement in the field of IDNs.