I'm sat in Schiphol Airport ready for the (very) brief flight home and I had a moment to reflect on what I've seen this week at Cisco Live in Amsterdam. So here goes...
Full-Stack Observability, Quantum Dreams, and my own personal intrigue: My Takeaways from Cisco Live 2024 in Amsterdam.
Fresh off the heels of Cisco Live, my head is crammed with the latest in networking tech and, yes, a healthy dose of questions that pop in to my head at random points in the day (and night). I'm always on the lookout for solutions that can empower both infrastructure and application teams, and this year's Cisco Live event offered some intriguing possibilities. Despite moving to the world of network architecture I still enjoy getting my hands dirty and trying things out.
Observability Ascendant: OpenTelemetry in Action
Cisco's Full-Stack Observability (FSO) caught my eye, particularly its foundation on the open-source OpenTelemetry project from the CNCF. Now, I'm not a blind believer in any vendor's magic bullet, but the promise of vendor-neutral observability data is hard to ignore. FSO's ability to ingest data from across the stack, regardless of vendor, is a potential game-changer for gaining unified insights. For global banks with complex, multi-vendor environments, this could be a dream come true. However, true interoperability hinges on open standards and community adoption, and I'll be watching FSO's progress in that realm closely.
AI and AIOps: Friend or Foe?
AI and AIOps were omnipresent at Cisco Live, and rightfully so. Automating tasks and leveraging AI for anomaly detection can free up valuable IT resources. But let's be honest, AI is still evolving, and its effectiveness depends heavily on the quality of data it's trained on. I'm wary of black-box solutions that promise magic without transparency. I'll be looking for concrete examples of how Cisco's AI solutions are addressing real-world challenges, and how they empower IT teams to understand and trust their decisions. That said, the brief experience I saw where four lines of syslog output were put in to an interface using ChatGPT4 with knowledge of the RFC's and understanding, responding and resolving a problem was outstanding (albeit the feedback was 1/5 could be an inaccurate response) shows the development and trajectory.
Quantum: A Glimpse into the Future
Finally, Cisco's research/investment/involvement into quantum networks is fascinating, albeit a long way from mainstream adoption. While the potential for ultra-secure, high-bandwidth communication is undeniable, the practical hurdles are significant. That said it's one to be keeping an eye on the future. Quantum networking might be a dream now, but who knows what the next decade holds?
Openness, Transparency, and the Power of Choice
In conclusion, Cisco Live in Amsterdam offered a glimpse into the future of networking, with a focus on open-source technologies, AI-powered solutions, and even the fringes of quantum computing. However, as a network architect, I remain cautiously optimistic. My skepticism is a healthy dose of reality, reminding us that vendor solutions should be evaluated critically and within the context of our specific needs. Openness, transparency, and a commitment to interoperability are paramount in this ever-evolving landscape.
What were your thoughts and takeaways?