Automation of maintenance mode operations for network devices

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a network controller comprising one or more processors, device information for a first network device in a network;

sending, by the network controller and to the first network device, first configuration information that is included in the device information, wherein sending the first configuration information causes the first network device to switch into a maintenance mode and enables a diversion of network traffic from the first network device to a second network device in the network;

responsive to verifying that the first network device has diverted traffic to the second network device, initiating, by the network controller, one or more maintenance procedures on the first network device while the first network device is in the maintenance mode; and

sending, by the network controller and to the first network device, second configuration information that is included in the device information, wherein sending the second configuration information causes the first network device to switch out of the maintenance mode and enables a reversion of network traffic from the second device back to the first network device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the one or more maintenance procedures on the first network device comprises initiating one or more software upgrade procedures on the first network device while the first network device is in the maintenance mode.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving an indication of a plurality of network devices included in the network;

determining, based on a topology of the network, a maintenance mode strategy; and

before sending the first configuration information to the first network device, selecting, based on the maintenance mode strategy, the first network device from the plurality of network devices.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

before sending the first configuration information, sending, to the first network device, maintenance mode configuration information that is included in the device information, wherein the maintenance mode configuration information is kept inactive on the first network device,

wherein sending the first configuration information to the first network device comprises sending the first configuration information to activate the maintenance mode configuration information and cause the first network device to switch into the maintenance mode and divert network traffic from the first network device to the second network device, and

wherein sending the second configuration information to the first network device comprises sending the second configuration information to deactivate the maintenance mode configuration information and cause the first network device to switch out of the maintenance mode and revert network traffic from the second device back to the first network device.

5. The method of claim 3 ,

wherein determining the maintenance mode strategy comprises determining, based on the topology of the network, a defined order in which to place the plurality of network devices into the maintenance mode, and

wherein selecting the first network device comprises selecting, based on the defined order, the first network device as a first device from the plurality of network devices to place into the maintenance mode.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the defined order comprises receiving, from a database, an indication of a defined role of each of the plurality of network devices in the network.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the defined order comprises determining the defined order in which one or more groups of the plurality of network devices may be placed into the maintenance mode in parallel.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein verifying that the first network device has diverted traffic to the second network device comprises:

sending, to the first network device, command information that is included in the device information, wherein the command information includes a request for network traffic information associated with traffic flow through the first network device;

responsive to sending the command information, receiving, from the first network device, the network traffic information associated with the traffic flow through the first network device; and

verifying, based on the network traffic information, that network traffic has been diverted from the first network device.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after sending the second configuration information to the first network device, sending, to the first network device, command information that is included in the device information, wherein the command information includes a request for network traffic information associated with traffic flow through the first network device;

responsive to sending the command information, receiving, from the first network device, the network traffic information associated with the traffic flow through the first network device; and

verifying, based on the network traffic information, that network traffic has been reverted to the first network device.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

before sending the first configuration information to the first network device, capturing first system state information of the first network device;

after sending the second configuration information to the first network device, capturing second system state information of the first network device;

comparing the first system state information to the second system state information; and

verifying, based on the comparing, an operational mode of the first network device.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

before sending the first configuration information to the first network device, verifying that the second network device has the same Ethernet segment identifier (ESI) as the first network device.

12. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the first configuration information comprises a first underlay routing protocol policy and a first overlay routing protocol policy associated with the network, and

wherein the second configuration information comprises a second underlay routing protocol policy and a second overlay routing protocol policy associated with the network.

13. A network controller system, comprising:

at least one data store configured to store device information for network devices in a network; and

at least one processor communicatively coupled to the at least one data store, wherein the at least one processor comprises processing circuitry configured to:

determine device information for a first network device in a network;

send, to the first network device, first configuration information that is included in the device information, wherein sending the first configuration information causes the first network device to switch into a maintenance mode and enables a diversion of network traffic from the first network device to a second network device in the network;

responsive to verifying that the first network device has diverted traffic to the second network device, initiate one or more maintenance procedures on the first network device while the first network device is in the maintenance mode; and

send, to the first network device, second configuration information that is included in the device information, wherein sending the second configuration information causes the first network device to switch out of the maintenance mode and enables a reversion of network traffic from the second device back to the first network device.

14. The network controller system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

receive an indication of a plurality of network devices included in the network;

determine, based on a topology of the network, a maintenance mode strategy; and

before sending the first configuration information to the first network device, select, based on the maintenance mode strategy, the first network device from the plurality of network devices.

15. The network controller system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

before sending the first configuration information, send, to the first network device, maintenance mode configuration information that is included in the device information, wherein the maintenance mode configuration information is kept inactive on the first network device,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the first configuration information to the first network device at least by being configured to send the first configuration information to activate the maintenance mode configuration information and cause the first network device to switch into the maintenance mode and divert network traffic from the first network device to the second network device, and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to send the second configuration information to the first network device at least by being configured to send the second configuration information to deactivate the maintenance mode configuration information and cause the first network device to switch out of the maintenance mode and revert network traffic from the second device back to the first network device.

16. The network controller system of claim 14 ,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the maintenance mode strategy at least by being configured to determine, based on the topology of the network, a defined order in which to place the plurality of network devices into the maintenance mode, and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to select the first network device at least by being configured to select, based on the defined order, the first network device as a first device from the plurality of network devices to place into the maintenance mode.

17. The network controller system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to verify that the first network device has diverted traffic to the second network device at least by being configured to:

send, to the first network device, command information that is included in the device information, wherein the command information includes a request for network traffic information associated with traffic flow through the first network device;

responsive to sending the command information, receive, from the first network device, the network traffic information associated with the traffic flow through the first network device; and

verify, based on the network traffic information, that network traffic has been diverted from the first network device.

18. The network controller system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

after sending the second configuration information to the first network device, send, to the first network device, command information that is included in the device information, wherein the command information includes a request for network traffic information associated with traffic flow through the first network device;

responsive to sending the command information, receive, from the first network device, the network traffic information associated with the traffic flow through the first network device; and

verify, based on the network traffic information, that network traffic has been reverted to the first network device.

19. The network controller system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

before sending the first configuration information to the first network device, capture first system state information of the first network device;

after sending the second configuration information to the first network device, capture second system state information of the first network device;

compare the first system state information to the second system state information; and

verify, based on the comparison, an operational mode of the first network device.

20. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first network device and from a network controller, first configuration information for the first network device;

responsive to receiving the first configuration information, switching, by the first network device, into a maintenance mode to enable a diversion of network traffic from the first network device to a second network device in the network;

after network traffic has been diverted from the first network device to the second network device, performing, by the first network device, one or more maintenance procedures while the first network device is in the maintenance mode;

receiving, by the first network device and from the network controller, second configuration information for the first network device; and

after receiving the second configuration information, switching, by the first network device, out of the maintenance mode to enable a reversion of network traffic from the second device back to the first network device.