Intent-Driven Network Automation Agent

Overview

The Intent-Driven Network Automation Agent is an AI-powered system designed to translate natural language instructions into structured network configurations. It supports automated provisioning and management of BGP and VLAN configurations using Ansible.

The agent enables network engineers to define desired outcomes in plain language, which are then parsed, validated, and executed across network devices.

Key Capabilities

Natural language to network intent translation
Automated BGP peering configuration
VLAN creation, deletion, and inspection
Intent validation prior to execution
Parallel configuration across multiple devices
Post-deployment verification of network state
YAML-based intent generation

Agent Definition

Name: BgpIntentAgent

Description: An AI-based network automation agent that interprets user intent, generates structured configuration data, and applies changes to network devices using Ansible automation.

Tools and Their Uses

Tool Name	Description / Use
`list_supported_intents`	Returns all supported intent types available in the agent
`get_intent_template`	Retrieves the predefined structure for a given intent type
`parse_bgp_intent`	Extracts ASN, router IPs, and credentials from natural language input
`validate_bgp_intent`	Validates the correctness and completeness of BGP intent data
`generate_intent_yaml`	Converts structured intent into YAML format
`check_ansible_installed`	Verifies whether Ansible is installed on the system
`run_ansible_bgp`	Executes BGP configuration across routers using Ansible
`check_existing_bgp_connection`	Checks if BGP peering is already configured and its state
`check_bgp_status`	Retrieves BGP summary from routers
`remove_bgp_configuration`	Removes BGP configuration from routers
`parse_vlan_intent`	Extracts VLAN ID, name, switch IPs, and credentials from input
`list_vlans`	Lists VLANs configured on switches

Tool Responsibilities

BGP Tools

Intent Parsing Extracts ASN, router IP addresses, and credentials from user input. Automatically builds neighbor relationships between routers.

Validation Ensures required fields such as ASN and router list are present and valid.

Configuration Execution Applies BGP configuration using Ansible. Assigns unique AS numbers per router and establishes neighbor relationships dynamically.

Verification Checks whether BGP sessions are established and provides summary outputs from devices.

Removal Deletes BGP configuration from target routers.

VLAN Tools

Intent Parsing Extracts VLAN ID, VLAN name, switch IP addresses, and credentials.

Validation Ensures VLAN ID falls within the valid range (1–4094).

Configuration Execution Creates VLANs on switches using appropriate CLI commands via Ansible.

Monitoring Retrieves VLAN information from switches.

Removal Deletes VLANs from specified switches.

Operating Rules and Constraints

Default ASN is 1001 if not specified
Minimum of two routers required for BGP configuration
VLAN ID must be between 1 and 4094
Intent must be validated before execution
Only Ansible ad-hoc commands are used
SSH host key checking is disabled
Parallel execution is used for scalability

Authenticate with NCP

ncp login

Install NCP SDK Package

pip install ncp

Create NCP Package

ncp build

This command generates a deployable .ncp package.

Deploy Agent to NCP Playground

ncp deploy

Using the NCP Interface

Open the NCP Playground
Select the BgpIntentAgent
Enter natural language commands

Example BGP Request

Configure BGP between x.x.x.x and x.x.x.x with ASN 65000 creds admin/admin

Example VLAN Request

Create VLAN 100 name SALES on x.x.x.x creds admin/admin

Screenshots

BGP configuration execution output BGP Configuration Output

Example Workflow

Input:

Setup BGP between x.x.x.x and x.x.x.x ASN 65000

Execution Flow:

User Input
    ↓
Parse Intent
    ↓
Validate Data
    ↓
Check Existing BGP
    ↓
Apply Configuration (Ansible)
    ↓
Verify BGP Status
    ↓
Success/Error Output