AI Applied to Networking: From Traditional Monitoring to Self-Driving Networks
Enterprise network management is undergoing a profound transformation.
For years, infrastructure teams have relied on traditional monitoring tools designed to detect events, collect metrics, and generate alerts. However, increasing complexity is making this model increasingly difficult to scale.
The current challenge is no longer having access to more information, but turning data into operational intelligence: identifying patterns, understanding context, finding the root cause of problems, and automating actions that reduce the daily workload of IT teams.
The combination of advanced observability, artificial intelligence, and automation is driving a new model based on AIOps for networking, where platforms can help analyze information, accelerate diagnosis, and move toward more intelligent operations.
In this context, the vision of HPE Networking’s Self-Driving Networks emerges: a new generation of networks capable of simplifying operations, improving the user experience, and moving toward increasingly autonomous models.
This evolution is built on four key technological pillars:
1. HPE Aruba Networking Central: the intelligent platform for simplifying operations
Network management is evolving toward cloud-based platforms capable of providing a global, contextualized view of the infrastructure.
HPE Aruba Networking Central is the foundation of this new generation of network operations, incorporating advanced artificial intelligence capabilities to simplify management, improve visibility, and accelerate diagnostics.
This evolution is embodied in New Central (AOS 10), which introduces new capabilities such as natural language interaction, enabling IT teams to query network information and receive recommendations in a more intuitive way.
Key capabilities:
- Centralized visibility across the managed infrastructure.
- AI-powered anomaly detection.
- Recommendations to optimize performance and security.
- Natural language queries to accelerate diagnostics.
The goal: to reduce operational complexity and free up network teams’ time for higher-value initiatives.
2. Mist AI: intelligence focused on the user experience
Historically, network management has been limited to checking whether devices were “on or off.” However, from the perspective of the business and employees, the key question is different: Is the digital experience working properly?
This is where Mist AI comes in—a platform designed to apply artificial intelligence and machine learning to network operations, with a strong focus on the user experience (Client-to-Cloud).
Mist AI continuously analyzes telemetry to understand the network’s actual behavior and anticipate problems before they impact the business.
The paradigm shift:
- Before: The network either worked or it didn’t (a static, device-centric view).
- Now: The network ensures an optimal and seamless experience for users and applications (a dynamic, people-centric view).
3. Marvis AI and Marvis Actions: from recommendations to automated resolution
One of the biggest advances in the evolution of network operations is the shift from systems that simply report problems to platforms capable of analyzing, recommending, and executing automated actions based on defined policies.
Marvis AI, the AI-powered conversational network assistant, enables technical teams to query infrastructure information using natural language, streamlining diagnosis and root-cause identification for incidents.
With Marvis Actions, this intelligence evolves toward greater automation:
- Proactively identifies anomalies and potential issues.
- Analyzes the context to determine potential root causes.
- Recommends corrective actions.
- Executes automated actions in defined scenarios.
This helps reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks related to configuration, connectivity, or service degradation issues. The goal is not to replace the technical team, but to augment its capabilities and enable it to focus more time on strategic initiatives.
4. Aruba + Juniper: a joint evolution to protect your investment
One of the most common questions among existing Aruba customers is how this evolution will affect their installed infrastructure.
HPE Networking’s strategy combines the best of the Aruba and Juniper worlds to accelerate the adoption of AI in networking while ensuring technological continuity.
This integration makes it possible to introduce new automation and intelligence capabilities without the need for a complete replacement of existing deployments:
- Continuity for existing Aruba customers.
- Gradual adoption of analytics and automation capabilities.
- Flexibility in the technology evolution roadmap.
- Protection of existing investments.
Self-Driving Networks: towards truly autonomous network operations
HPE Networking’s ultimate vision is to establish networks capable of detecting problems, understanding their impact, identifying root causes, taking autonomous action, and continuously optimizing themselves. For organizations, transitioning to this predictive and autonomous model translates into direct benefits:
Is your network ready to take the leap?
Artificial intelligence applied to networking is no longer a promise for the future; it is an operational reality that is radically transforming the efficiency of enterprise infrastructures.
At Instel, as integrators of advanced HPE Networking solutions, we help our customers assess their current environment and design a tailored roadmap to incorporate these AI capabilities based on their technology and business objectives.