Programmable configlets through opaque intents in graph based intent controllers

A controller device that manages a plurality of network devices, the controller device comprising one or more processing units implemented in circuitry and configured to:

• receive, for a data structure, a configlet specifying a set of configuration changes to be applied to a resource of a plurality of resources of the plurality of network devices, the data structure comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges, each node of the plurality of nodes being representative of a respective network device of the plurality of network devices and the plurality of edges defining relationships between the plurality of nodes, wherein a low level configuration for each respective owned resource of a set of owned resources of the plurality of resources includes a pointer indicating an owner for the respective owned resources;
• determine the set of configuration changes does not conflict with the set of owned resources when the low level configuration for the resource does not include a pointer indicating the owner for the resource is not the configlet, wherein the set of owned resources comprises one or more resources that are controlled by one or more intent-generated configurations and/or one or more previously applied configlets different from the configlet and wherein the low level configuration comprises device-level configuration data;
• and
• apply the set of configuration changes to the resource in response to determining the set of configuration changes does not conflict with the set of owned resources.

A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause a processor of a controller device that manages a plurality of network devices to:

• receive, for a data structure, a configlet specifying a set of configuration changes to be applied to a resource of a plurality of resources of the plurality of network devices, the data structure comprising a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges, each node of the plurality of nodes being representative of a respective network device of the plurality of network devices and the plurality of edges defining relationships between the plurality of nodes, wherein a low level configuration for each respective owned resource of a set of owned resources of the plurality of resources includes a pointer indicating an owner for the respective owned resources;
• determine the set of configuration changes does not conflict with the set of owned resources when the low level configuration for the resource does not include a pointer indicating the owner for the resource is not the configlet, wherein the set of owned resources comprises one or more resources that are controlled by one or more intent-generated configurations and/or one or more previously applied configlets different from the configlet and wherein the low level configuration comprises device-level configuration data;
• and
• apply the set of configuration changes to the resource in response to determining the set of configuration changes does not conflict with the set of owned resources.