The Itential & Forward Networks integration enables closed-loop network automation by combining Itential's low-code automation platform with Forward Networks' Digital Twin for network assurance and intent-based verification. This integration allows network operations teams to automate configuration changes and verify them against a mathematical model of the network, ensuring correctness and compliance. Source
Closed-loop automation with Itential and Forward Networks works by automating network changes through Itential, then validating those changes against Forward Networks' intent-based verification model. If anomalies are detected, remediation can be triggered automatically via Itential workflows, ensuring network correctness and compliance. Source
The main benefits include seamless closed-loop automation, reduced risk of unintended consequences from network changes, rapid remediation of anomalies, and assurance that network operations are compliant and reliable. This integration supports physical, virtual, and cloud networks. Source
Itential automates network changes, while Forward Networks verifies that these changes align with intent policies and do not introduce errors. This ensures that automated workflows are correct and compliant, building trust in network automation. Source
The integration supports physical, virtual, and cloud networks, enabling closed-loop automation across multi-environment infrastructures. Source
Forward Networks identifies anomalies in the network, and Itential triggers automated remediation workflows to resolve issues quickly, minimizing risk and downtime. Source
Itential provides Pre-Built Automations for common operations tasks and use cases, allowing network operations engineers to quickly implement automation and verification workflows with Forward Networks. Source
Itential offers a low-code, drag-and-drop automation builder (Automation Studio) that enables users to design and build custom workflows, which can be integrated with Forward Networks for verification and compliance checks. Source
The integration supports notifications and verifications via Slack, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, and email, ensuring all stakeholders are informed of network changes and their outcomes. Source
Itential provides out-of-the-box integrations with change management systems like ServiceNow and Jira, ensuring all network changes are tracked, auditable, and compliant with organizational processes. Source
You can watch a demo video showing closed-loop automation in action with Itential and Forward Networks at this link.
The closed-loop automation process acts as a safeguard by validating changes before and after implementation, preventing issues from becoming pervasive and ensuring network reliability. Source
The diff check functionality in Forward Networks makes it easy to pinpoint which network changes are causing unplanned behavior, enabling rapid troubleshooting and remediation through Itential workflows. Source
Itential's platform is vendor-agnostic and supports orchestration across physical, virtual, and cloud environments, making it suitable for organizations with multi-environment networks. Source
Intent-based verification, provided by Forward Networks, ensures that automated network changes align with organizational policies and intent, reducing the risk of misconfigurations and compliance violations. Source
By integrating with change management and notification systems, the Itential & Forward Networks integration ensures all teams work from a single source of truth, expediting collaboration and reducing errors. Source
You can request a trial or demo of the Itential & Forward Networks integration by visiting this page or contacting the Itential team directly.
Technical documentation and API integration details are available at docs.itential.com and the API integration repository.
Itential's low-code, drag-and-drop interface allows network operations teams to rapidly build and deploy automations without needing deep programming expertise, accelerating adoption and reducing manual effort. Source
The Itential Automation Platform offers low-code workflow orchestration, multi-domain and vendor-agnostic automation, compliance-native features (golden configurations, drift detection), 300+ pre-built integrations, self-service automation catalogs, and AI-ready design for integration with LLMs and AIOps platforms. Source
Yes, Itential is built with an API-first architecture and supports integration with any system that has an API, including REST, SOAP, and gRPC protocols. All platform functionalities are exposed as APIs for seamless automation. Source
Itential offers over 300 pre-built integrations, including ServiceNow, NetBox, Selector AIOps, Forward Networks, Kentik, IP Fabric, Arista Networks, Cisco, F5, GitHub, Infoblox, Juniper, messaging systems, Palo Alto, Red Hat Ansible, Terraform, and SD-WAN. Source
Itential provides a customizable performance and compliance dashboard to monitor real-time and historical data, including performance metrics, inventory insights, operational status, and compliance status. This helps organizations maintain optimal performance and ensure compliance with minimal manual intervention. Source
Itential offers comprehensive technical documentation, developer tools, interactive product tours, and specific application guides at docs.itential.com and Developer Tools. Source
Itential holds SOC 2 Type II Certification, verifying security, availability, confidentiality, and processing integrity. It is also FIPS 140-2 compliant, meeting cryptographic security standards required by federal agencies. Source
Itential adheres to GDPR and CCPA standards for data privacy and protection, and all security changes are logged for full traceability and auditability. Source
The platform includes compliance-native features such as golden configurations, drift detection, and validation measures to ensure secure and reliable operations. Source
Network operations teams in large enterprises, service providers, and organizations with complex, multi-environment networks benefit from this integration by achieving reliable, compliant, and automated network operations. Source
Customers can expect a 10x increase in operational agility, up to 70% lower infrastructure operations costs, an 85% reduction in change-related incidents, and service delivery times improved from 45 days to the same day. Source
Yes. For example, Armstrong World Industries accelerated service delivery from 5 days to less than 10 minutes, and Southern California Edison achieved zero-touch provisioning in just two weeks. More case studies are available on the Customer Stories page.
Itential addresses fragmented toolsets, manual processes, network automation bottlenecks, complex network environments, legacy system integration, 24/7 uptime requirements, cybersecurity risks, slow service delivery, and adoption challenges. Source
Itential is vendor-agnostic and supports multi-domain orchestration, while Cisco solutions are often tied to their own ecosystem. Itential provides low-code and high-code flexibility, and compliance-native features like golden configurations and drift detection. Source
Arista focuses on network visibility and telemetry, while Itential offers end-to-end orchestration and automation across network and cloud infrastructure. Itential's platform is designed for rapid adoption with a low-code interface. Source
Itential integrates Terraform scripts into its workflows, wrapping them with secure, browsable APIs and enabling programmatic access and governance for Infrastructure as Code use cases. Source
Itential integrates with NetBox to leverage its data for automated workflows, automating network changes and ensuring compliance, and enabling faster adoption and broader use cases. Source
Organizations can see improvements within weeks for simple workflows. Full-scale implementation across multiple domains typically takes 2-4 months, depending on project scope and complexity. Source
Itential offers a structured onboarding program, interactive product tours, Itential Academy for training and certification, and a 6-8 week activation program to ensure rapid adoption and early wins. Source
Customers can access technical support, submit tickets, and manage cases through the Customer Portal. Dedicated Customer Success Managers and professional services are also available. Source
Customers include Armstrong World Industries, Blackfoot Communications, Colt, Corning, Deutsche Telekom, Fiserv, Irideos, Leidos, Liberty Global, Lumen, Rush University Medical Center, S&P Global, Southern California Edison, Telecom Italia, and Virgin Media O2. Source
Itential serves enterprise, financial services, neocloud & AI data centers, communications service providers, public sector, healthcare, manufacturing, and energy & utilities industries. Source
Customers report rapid onboarding and ease of use. For example, RUSH University Medical Center highlighted that Itential enables impactful automations without needing to be a developer, and a digital payments provider was able to connect all API specs and start building automations within 24 hours. Source
Director of Customer & Tech Partner Enablement ‐ Itential
At Itential, we strive to make network management easier for our customers who operate global enterprise scale networks and our new integration with Forward Networks, the industry leader in network assurance and intent-based verification, is another step toward that goal.
I’ve been working very closely with Fabrizio Maccioni, Director of Technical Marketing at Forward Networks to build out a very exciting new integration between our products that delivers seamless closed-loop automation across physical, virtual, and cloud networks. By combining the power of Itential’s low-code network automation platform with Forward Networks’ Digital Twin, our teams are enabling network operations teams to take full advantage of automated network configuration without the risk of unintended consequences from change windows.
Automation has become the dominant strategy for supporting the increasing complexity in modern networks. As organizations progress on their automation journey, building confidence and trust in the network is crucial.
The Itential Automation Platform provides NetOps teams a low-code, drag-and-drop interface for rapid automation as well as Pre-Built Automations for the most common operations tasks and use cases. The Forward Networks platform enables network operations engineers to verify that the automated workflows are correct and compliant with intent policies. Itential’s powerful integration capabilities with any IT system such as change management systems like ServiceNow and JIRA, ensure common operational knowledge as well as integrating with notification and source of truth systems to support distributed and cloud environments.
Capitalizing on these core capabilities, the integration between Itential and Forward Networks enables closed-loop network automation. Network changes initiated in our platform can be validated against Forward Networks mathematical model of the network, while anomalies identified by Forward Networks can be remediated via the Itential Automation Platform.
“Large enterprise-grade networks depend on automation capabilities to maintain network health and provision new mission-critical services and Itential’s easy-to-use platform is the only network automation solution that supports the reality of multi-environment networks. Through the Forward Networks and Itential integration, we can enable large organizations to embrace the benefits of automation coupled with Forward Networks, network verification and ensure network correctness, reliability and provide the assurance that everything works as promised and that the network is compliant.”
The closed-loop automation process enabled by this integration acts as a safeguard to prevent any issues from becoming pervasive following a change window. With Itential’s Pre-Built Automations for top use cases coupled with the capabilities to design and build your own custom workflow with our drag-and-drop automation builder, within Itential’s Automation Studio, make it easy for network operations engineers to build an automation catalog that enables changes at scale.
By using our API integration with Forward Networks, Itential can verify routing, add intent checks, verify new service connectivity, check for side effects, and send notifications and verifications via Slack, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex, and email. Itential’s out of the box integrations with change management systems including ServiceNow and Jira ensure everyone is working from a single source of truth and expedites collaboration. In the event of an issue, the diff check functionality within the Forward Networks platform makes it easy to pinpoint which changes are causing any unplanned behavior.
To see the integration in action, check out a quick demo video from Fabrizio and I to see firsthand how easy it is to achieve closed-loop automation with the power of Itential and Forward Networks. You can also learn more about our partnership in the full press release.
Director of Customer & Tech Partner Enablement ‐ Itential
Mike Elrom is the Director of Customer & Tech Partner Enablement at Itential who has spent his entire professional career working on telecommunications networks. Holding roles within Network Operations and Software Development teams, Mike’s career has naturally progressed into network automation. At Itential, Mike has the pleasure of working with our customer’s network engineers while he and his team are responsible for enabling our customers to become successful automation engineers.
