Configuring a network

A system for configuring a network, comprising:

• a processor configured to:
• receive a set of network requirements;
• store at least a portion of the set of network requirements to a system data store prior to completing a configuration of any one of a plurality of network devices to be configured based on the set of network requirements;
• in response to the storage of at least the portion of the set of network requirements, receive from the system data store the stored network requirements;
• use the stored network requirements to determine device requirements for the plurality of network devices;
• store to the system data store the determined device requirements for the plurality of network devices, wherein the device requirements include declarative device requirements generated using the set of network requirements for the plurality of network devices;
• provide to each different corresponding instance of a proxy agent component included in each network device of the plurality of the network devices to be configured based on the stored device requirements, at least a portion of the stored device requirements including a corresponding portion of the declarative device requirements, wherein the corresponding portion of the declarative device requirements received at the each corresponding proxy agent component includes a specification of a desired configuration;
• and
• wherein each of the network devices that includes the corresponding proxy agent component generates native hardware instructions for the corresponding network device based on the corresponding received device requirements to configure the corresponding network device;
• and
• a memory coupled with the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

A computer program product for configuring a network, the computer program product being embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

• receiving a set of network requirements;
• storing at least a portion of the set of network requirements to a system data store prior to completing a configuration of any one of a plurality of network devices to be configured based on the set of network requirements;
• in response to the storage of at least the portion of the set of network requirements, receiving from the system data store the stored network requirements;
• using the stored network requirements to determine device requirements for the plurality of network devices;
• storing to the system data store the determined device requirements for the plurality of network devices, wherein the device requirements include declarative device requirements generated using the set of network requirements for the plurality of network devices;
• providing to each different corresponding instance of a proxy agent component included in each network device of the plurality of the network devices to be configured based on the stored device requirements, at least a portion of the stored device requirements including a corresponding portion of the declarative device requirements, wherein the corresponding portion of the declarative device requirements received at the each corresponding proxy agent component includes a specification of a desired configuration;
• and
• wherein each of the network devices that includes the corresponding proxy agent component generates native hardware instructions for the corresponding network device based on the corresponding received device requirements to configure the corresponding network device.