Digital Twin, a concept originated by NASA back in the 60’s, has found many successful applications since its inception, and one of the latest fields to adopt it is IT networking. Let’s see how this ‘cosmic’ technology contributes to fulfilling the dreams of many network operations teams: autonomous networks.
Question: how to diagnose and solve the problem of a physical asset that’s flying in outer space? Quite simple: you build a representation that serves as its real-time replica beforehand!
Before the actual term was officially coined, NASA’s solution for fixing the damaged Apollo 13 spacecraft is universally referred to as one of the first examples of digital twin usage. After the launch on April 1970, no one could have predicted it would become a fight for survival, as the oxygen tanks exploded early into the mission. Worst of all, the technical issues had to be resolved from more than 300 000 kilometers away…
In order to bring the mission’s crew safely back to Earth, NASA’s engineers created physically duplicated systems that matched conditions on the real-life crippled spacecraft. This allowed them to simulate conditions on board Apollo 13 and test possible solutions from ground level. The simulators themselves were not ‘digital twin’ per se, but the way the mission controllers handled that situation makes it the archetypal digital twin use case which bleeds into modern deployments. Today, a digital twin can mirror a human heart, a factory, or… an enterprise network.
Digital Twins in networking – much more than a simple emulation
As digital twin technology continues to advance, its role in IT networking is growing increasingly significant. In fact, it is expected to become an essential component of future network systems, enhancing planning, construction, maintenance, optimization, and increasing automation and intelligence levels.
This is because a digital twin in enterprise networking goes far beyond merely duplicating the network infrastructure in a virtual environment – something that network software emulators like GNS3 are already more than capable of. By allowing complex modeling of networks, users, devices, and applications, from client devices at the edge all the way up to the cloud, the technology serves as an all-encompassing emulation of user experiences within the specific context of the organization’s specific operational requirements and business needs.
What are the benefits?
The benefits of introducing digital twin technology in the networking area are twofold.
First, it changes the very way enterprise networking vendors operate. From refining designs to detecting bugs and reducing time-to-market, digital twins provide valuable insights and capabilities that can dramatically improve product development. By leveraging digital twins, networking vendors can also enhance the customer experience. New "try and buy" purchasing options, training and enablement on systems that closely mirror reality, evaluating user experiences before the actual sale and deployment, more accurate SLA predictions… those are just a couple of ways to boost the company’s confidence that their investment is optimal and battle-tested.
But what’s more important is how digital twins revolutionize the way businesses and organizations can go about their change management procedures. The ability to validate configuration updates or roll out new applications and devices prior to implementation, coupled with making optimization suggestions and continuously verifying the accuracy of prior predictions thanks to the power of machine learning and artificial intelligence, has significant potential to revolutionize network operations and enhance user experience.
Blazing the trail with ExtremeCloud CoPilot
For enterprise networking vendors like Extreme Networks, the ambitious goal of autonomous networking requires not only the integration of various AI/ML technologies, but also embracing digital twin as a key building block. This an area where we have taken an early lead with ExtremeCloud IQ CoPilot – the industry’s first networking solution with a digital twin capability.
The solution, among other things, simplifies staging, validation, and deployment of switches and access points from the cloud, eliminating weeks or even months associated with hardware deployments. With ExtremeCloud IQ CoPilot, network administrators can play with a digital model of a given network device and familiarize themselves with various OS versions and configurations, without moving anywhere or paying for expensive test labs.
Network technologies of Tomorrow
The age of autonomous IT networks is fast approaching, and we, along with several industry insiders, expect that we can achieve this feat before 2030. To demonstrate how digital twins, among other advanced networking technologies will transform customer experiences, business operations, and product development across industries, Extreme Networks has entered into a strategic partnership with Living Tomorrow Innovation Campus – the largest technological showcase to date, with a 10,000-square-meter demo center located just outside Brussels, Belgium. Follow the full story here.