How cloud native and automation impact next-generation WLANs

Why apply cloud native principles to WLAN?

Why change a model that has proven to be so effective? The reason is that priorities have changed. Today's enterprises are shifting their focus to business outcomes rather than simply maintaining technology infrastructure.

As it stands now, IT is forced to spend a significant portion of its operational resources just to "keep the lights on." Consider the following aspects of today’s network models:

• Many independent technologies and monolithic software
• Complex configurations are embedded in the hardware
• Painful software upgrade cycle
• limited automation
• Limited data collection
• Separate AI models are needed to generate insights

Decades of layered complexity consume every budget, security and performance compromise when developing WLANs today. Today's CIOs don't care where the AP is located or what version of 802.11 it is running. They only care that the network is running as expected and that the team is working hard to build their business. If IT is freed up to focus on high-value projects that drive business growth, then applying the benefits of cloud native to enterprise networks should be a priority.

What does a cloud-native WLAN look like?

First, cloud-native WLAN is delivered through a cloud-based subscription model. The IT department has made it clear that it prefers this route for its applications and services. For WLAN, the service may be provided by channel partners, traditional telecommunications companies or even technology vendors. This includes zero upfront capital expenditure and no need to purchase hardware. In fact, many traditional enterprise networking vendors have recognized the advantages of this approach and have begun to offer basic Network as a Service (NaaS) products, but the simple fact is that most of these products are hidden behind clunky services. The old hardware-centric model.

Second, related to the cloud-based subscription model, true cloud-native WLAN eliminates the need for IT to manage the product life cycle. This means there's no need to manage the transition from Wi-Fi 5 to Wi-Fi 6, 6E or even 7. This means never having to cobble together switches, controllers, and five different types of access points (APs). The burden of maintaining this technology should fall on the entity providing the cloud-based service. This allows IT staff to focus on the applications and services running on the network itself, rather than spending time evaluating new hardware and figuring out how to integrate each new generation of wireless technology.

Third, cloud-native WLANs should incorporate zero-trust network security principles as part of their foundation. Simply put, security must be built into the network from the start. There is no doubt that cybersecurity incidents pose an existential threat to businesses around the world. Most hardware-centric on-premises models are vulnerable to rogue APs, evil twin networks, and man-in-the-middle attacks that threaten enterprise data. By incorporating zero-trust network security principles designed for cloud decentralized architectures, cloud-native WLAN ensures that any device connected to the network is authenticated and monitored at the time of connection.

Ultimately, a WLAN that integrates cloud-native principles should be able to provide the same types of assurances that IT expects from other cloud services. When an enterprise contracts with AWS to run critical applications, it has specific expectations and guarantees about uptime and reliability. IT departments need to expect WLANs to provide similar guarantees in terms of coverage, capacity and reliability.

What technologies are used to provide cloud-native wireless LAN?

In order to build next-generation WLAN based on cloud-native principles, several common strategies and technologies must be adopted. In summary, the upcoming next generation of WLANs can safely be described as artificial intelligence networks. Industry analysis giant Gartner defines AI networking as follows: “AI networking provides granular and specific actionable network insights. It can be a feature within a network vendor management platform, a standalone multi-vendor platform, or part of an AIOps platform; Also available as part of a managed network service... it provides recommendations to speed incident resolution and prevent outages and trouble tickets.”

Among these common strategies, first is standardized system design. The idea behind this approach is to eliminate the need to build a unique architecture for each property that requires wireless connectivity. Since physical infrastructure cannot be designed to determine optimal coverage and performance, every cloud-native WLAN should leverage the same AP and switching infrastructure managed by a decentralized management architecture. This is very different from today's WLAN model, which requires IT staff to choose from five different types of APs, multiple switch models and different controllers depending on the building.

Once a standard architecture is implemented, 24/7 network performance monitoring should be driven by sensor-based technology. Sensor-driven network performance monitoring, including physical and virtual "bots" strategically placed throughout the network, proactively monitor the network and the applications running on it. When configured with appropriate policies and deep inspection, the network itself will alert IT when anomalies are detected. This could be a performance issue, a security vulnerability, or a severe outage in an important application. The key is that this work is performed by WLAN and not IT staff. It also leads to very rich and in-depth insights into the performance of wireless LANs and the applications running on them.

These insights bring us to the next key to implementing cloud-native WLANs: AI-driven automation. This is a very different capability from the current trend in AIOps, which provides insights into Day 2 operational trends but rarely does anything with those insights. AI automation delivers productivity-saving capabilities from day 0, significantly reducing overall network operations. This means that the network can actually identify and resolve minor network issues on its own.

This means that once standardized network design and sensor-driven insights are in place, IT has the ability to fully automate most network operations. This includes everything from AP placement to coordinating software upgrades to using voltage sensors to identify cabling issues. For example, continuous RF optimization and capacity planning of the network will allow IT departments to easily add and remove new users. In fact, by adopting cloud-native principles, IT should be able to effectively eliminate the traditional need for a network operations center (NOC), allowing its teams to focus on higher-level priorities.

Leapfrogging to next-generation WLAN

Today’s CIOs are just beginning the transition from traditional wireless architectures to more advanced cloud-native principles. Just as it will take time for enterprises to adapt to running mission-critical applications in the cloud, it will also take time for CIOs to grasp the productivity, security and reliability benefits of WLANs based on this new architecture. There will undoubtedly be challenges with this transition, particularly among those who may feel their roles are threatened by the associated levels of automation. But these same "threats" arise during the transition to the cloud, so there's still a strong need for skilled IT staff. Roles will change, but the need remains and will almost certainly grow over time. This will shift because this shift, like the shift to the cloud before it, is inevitable.