What Happens After BGP?
Gaining Full Path Visibility in Hybrid Cloud Networks In the modern enterprise, Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) plays a foundational role in connecting distributed networks. It is the routing protocol that...
Join us at NetBrain LIVE 2025 – Learn, Connect, Grow!
by Kelly Yue Jul 19, 2023
In early 2023, Cisco made a significant announcement – Cisco Prime, their decade-old device aggregation solution, would be retired, and they would not provide any new functional updates. Organizations using Cisco Prime will now have to find a suitable replacement. Cisco Prime was originally intended to take the operational guesswork out of managing distributed campus topologies, essentially trying to make them all appear as a single service-delivery management domain. While it delivered some strong early results, it fell behind in the race to multi-vendor and the cloud. Cisco DNA was introduced and does and excellent job of managing or perhaps aggregating Cisco core offerings to make them appear as a more homogenous structure. Customers that are choosing Cisco DNA can augment that domain with NetBrain’s Next-Gen, which essentially adds multi-vendor and cloud support to a Cisco DNA shop.
Fast forward to today, network operation demands have evolved to an application service delivery focus, making a more modern replacement for Cisco Prime crucial and many Cisco shops will find themselves deploying DNA and then looking for an add-on with their non-Cisco world. Managing the extensive inventory of multi-vendor components found in modern enterprises, including virtualized service and the cloud, has become a complex challenge, as nearly half of all computing in enterprises is now handled by various public clouds. However, the challenge is no longer just about one-and-done network deployment configuration; businesses now need to deliver IT infrastructure services with optimal performance for each application, while adhering to overall design and security architectures and compliance. And with typical Enterprises managing thousands of network service tickets per month, the selection of a replacement for Cisco Prime must be made carefully.
Cisco DNA Center and NetBrain Combined: Completing the Picture!
Cisco recommends that the logical migration path from Cisco Prime is to Cisco DNA Center, and for environments that are using the latest devices from Cisco exclusively, it’s a great solution. It aggregates all of their “beefy” devices into a management domain that mostly self-administers itself. DNA is truly magic for the core Cisco components. But it doesn’t go far enough for the multi-vendor shop…
When environments are heterogeneous and include huge multi-vendor chunks and the cloud, Cisco DNA may need to be augmented to embrace the multi-vendor and cloud portions of it’s infrastructure to support end-to-end service delivery goals.
Today’s NetOps teams have three common workflows that need to be addressed by any replacement:
What’s Needed is a Multi-Vendor Network Assurance and Automation Solution
NetBrain Next-Gen PLUS Cisco-DNA stands out as a reliable Cisco Prime replacement. In fact, this combination is the only network assurance automation solution that fully supports today’s cloud-connected, multi-vendor infrastructures, effectively delivering IT application services. NetBrain Next-Gen is worth consideration as a complement to DNA and empowers organizations to create, manage, and enforce any number of service delivery business goals, known as “network intents,” at scale without code, ensuring a seamless Cisco Prime replacement process.
Replacing Cisco Prime with DNA and NetBrain Next-Gen is the ideal choice for organizations looking to elevate their network management capabilities. Unlike Cisco DNA alone, the combination ensures that no device or infrastructure is left behind. Its unmatched ability to auto-discover the entire network, from on-premises to the Cloud, using patented neighbor discovery technology, empowers network administrators with a complete view of their hybrid-cloud connected network.
With NetBrain Next-Gen on top of DNA, network teams can dynamically view, map, and document every aspect of the hybrid network in seconds, creating network logical topologies, baselining configurations, and monitoring changes over time. By protecting change management with pre- and post-change validations, automated change approvals, and critical application performance and configuration insurance, NetBrain Next-Gen working with eliminates the risks of unintended consequences from changes in the network.
Troubleshooting has never been more efficient, as NetBrain Next-Gen goes beyond traditional dashboards and telemetry with event-driven automation. It proactively detects issues, automates repetitive tasks, facilitates collaboration, and enables self-service, resulting in reduced escalations and faster incident resolution.
In contrast to Cisco DNA acting alone, NetBrain Next-Gen as a complement to DNA offers powerful automation platform that removes the limitations of traditional code-based approaches. NetBrains no-code automation approach allows network teams to create and manage network intents without the need for complex coding, streamlining the automation process and accelerating time-to-value.
NetBrain Next-Gen enables organizations to define and enforce network intents at scale, aligning the network’s behavior with business objectives. Whether it’s ensuring performance for critical applications, improving security and compliance, or enhancing overall service delivery, NetBrain Next-Gen empowers organizations to achieve their network management goals effortlessly.
As networks continue to grow in complexity and hybrid environments become the norm, embracing NetBrain Next-Gen layers on top of DNA as a Cisco Prime replacement is the key to unlocking the full potential of your network. With its unparalleled support for multi-vendor devices and multi-cloud infrastructures, NetBrain Next-Gen is the future-ready solution that propels your network management efforts into the future.
Seize this opportunity to future-proof your network management practices with NetBrain Next-Gen’s no-code network automation platform. Embrace a network management solution that provides end-to-end visibility, empowers efficient change management, proactively troubleshoots issues, and aligns network behavior with business objectives. With Cisco Prime now retired, the combination of NetBrain and DNA enables you to step into a new era of network management excellence. Let DNA drive your core Cisco components into a simple management domain, and then layer NetBrain as the catalyst for transforming your network management practices and driving your organization towards unmatched success in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Gaining Full Path Visibility in Hybrid Cloud Networks In the modern enterprise, Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) plays a foundational role in connecting distributed networks. It is the routing protocol that...
Your Network Automation Is Holding You Back Network teams across industries are caught in an automation paradox. While 64% of enterprises rely on homegrown scripts and open-source tools like Ansible,...
NetBrain CEO Insights from ISMG Interview at RSAC How Agentic AI decodes network intent to automate diagnosis In the rapidly evolving world of IT infrastructure, preventing recurring network outages...
We use cookies to personalize content and understand your use of the website in order to improve user experience. By using our website you consent to all cookies in accordance with our privacy policy.