Workflow-based configuration of devices from a cloud SaaS controller

A network device, comprising:

• a processor;
• at least one network interface controller configured to provide access to a network;
• and
• a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises a network management logic that is configured to:
• dynamically register with a network controller node to provide real-time feeds of data including physical port status and environmental sensor readings;
• receive an indication of an action for the network device from the network controller node, the action being part of a workflow associated with a network configuration task wherein the workflow is generated by the network controller node by selecting a workflow template based on a type of the network configuration task and customizing the selected workflow template based on the real-time feeds of data to determine a configuration to be distributed to the network device;
• and
• attempt to perform the action to maintain uninterrupted connectivity with the network controller node, wherein a connection to the network controller node is made through a primary data plane of the network device.

A method for network management, comprising:

• receiving an indication of a network configuration task from a user node;
• dynamically registering one or more network devices to receive real-time feeds of data including physical port status and environmental sensor readings from the one or more network devices;
• generating a workflow by selecting a workflow template based on a type of the network configuration task and customizing the selected workflow template to create the workflow including one or more actions for the network devices, each action in the one or more actions being associated with a network device in the one or more network devices wherein the customizing takes into account the real-time feeds of data to determine a configuration to be distributed to the one or more network devices;
• and
• causing the one or more network devices to attempt to perform the one or more actions based on the generated workflow to maintain uninterrupted connectivity with a network controller node, wherein a connection to the network controller node is made through a primary data plane of the one or more network devices.