Identifying out-of-band configuration changes to validate intent files

A method comprising:

• maintaining, by processing circuitry of a controller device and in a memory of the controller device, data for a configuration database including a set of stored network device configurations, wherein each stored network device configuration of the set of stored network device configurations corresponds to a network device of a set of network devices managed by the controller device;
• receiving, by the processing circuitry, an intent file corresponding to an intended configuration for the set of network devices;
• translating, by the processing circuitry, the intent file to a low-level configuration for each network device of the set of network devices;
• outputting, by the processing circuitry, the low-level configuration corresponding to each network device of the set of network devices to implement the intended configuration;
• identifying, by the processing circuitry based on the intent file, one or more characteristics to monitor in out-of-band configurations according to one or more instructions other than the low-level configuration corresponding to each network device of the set of network devices output by the processing circuitry of the controller;
• receiving, by the processing circuitry, a message from a network device of the set of network devices indicating an out-of-band configuration change at the network device;
• and
• determining, by the processing circuitry based on a difference between an actual configuration of the network device and a stored network device configuration corresponding to the network device and based on the one or more characteristics, whether the intent file is compatible with the out-of-band configuration change.

A system comprising:

• a set of network devices;
• and
• a controller device that manages the set of network devices, the controller device comprising:
• a memory comprising data for a configuration database including a set of stored network device configurations, wherein each stored network device configuration of the set of stored network device configurations corresponds to a network device of the set of network devices;
• and
• processing circuitry configured to:
• receive an intent file corresponding to an intended configuration for the set of network devices;
• translate the intent file to a low-level configuration for each network device of the set of network devices;
• output the low-level configuration corresponding to each network device of the set of network devices to implement the intended configuration;
• identify, based on the intent file, one or more characteristics to monitor in out-of-band configurations that according to one or more instructions other than the low-level configuration corresponding to each network device of the set of network devices output by the processing circuitry of the controller;
• receive a message from a network device of the set of network devices indicating an out-of-band configuration change at the network device;
• and
• determine, based on a difference between an actual configuration of the network device and a stored network device configuration corresponding to the network device and based on the one or more characteristics, whether the intent file is compatible with the out-of-band configuration change.