Automation of maintenance mode operations for network devices

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network controller comprising one or more processors, an indication to place at least one network device in a maintenance mode;

identifying, by the network controller and based on the indication, at least a first network device that is to be placed in the maintenance mode;

determining, by the network controller, device information for the first network device;

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 the maintenance mode and enables a diversion of network traffic from the first network device to a second network device;

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 , wherein receiving the indication to place the at least one network device in the maintenance mode comprises receiving, by the network controller, user intent-based information for a data model that is associated with a topology of the network, and wherein the user intent-based information provides the indication to place the at least one network device in the maintenance mode.

4. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein receiving the indication to place the at least one network device in the maintenance mode comprises receiving, by the network controller, one or more metadata tags that are assigned to the at least one network device, and

wherein identifying at least the first network device comprises determining, by the network controller, that the one or more metadata tags are assigned to the first network device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more metadata tags are assigned to the first network device and at least one additional network device that are to be placed in the maintenance mode, and the method further comprising:

determining, by the network controller, based on the one or more metadata tags, a defined order in which to place the first network device and the at least one additional network device into the maintenance mode.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the defined order comprises determining, by the network controller, based on the one or more metadata tags, to place the first network device into the maintenance mode before placing the at least one additional network device into the maintenance mode.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining the defined order comprises determining, by the network controller, based on the one or more metadata tags, to place the first network device and the at least one additional network device into the maintenance mode substantially in parallel.

8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

before receiving the one or more metadata tags, assigning, by the network controller, the one or more metadata tags at least to the first network device, wherein the network controller assigns the one or more metadata tags based on one or more characteristics that are associated with the first network device.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more metadata tags comprise one or more of a name metadata tag, a time zone metadata tag, a communication protocol metadata tag, or a color metadata tag assigned to the at least one network device.

10. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the first network device is included in a first data center,

wherein the second network device is included in a second data center different from the first data center,

wherein sending the first configuration information causes the first network device to switch into the maintenance mode and enables the diversion of network traffic from the first network device in the first data center to the second network device in the second data center, and

wherein sending the second configuration information causes the first network device to switch out of the maintenance mode and enables the reversion of network traffic, via the data center interconnect networking, from the second device in the second data center back to the first network device in the first data center.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

before initiating the one or more maintenance procedures, enabling, by the network controller, the diversion of network traffic from the first network device to the second network device at least by increasing cost values of communication links associated with the first network device above a determined cost threshold value, and sending the increased cost values to one or more network devices in the network.

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

sending, by the network controller and 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, by the network controller and from the first network device, the network traffic information associated with the traffic flow through the first network device; and

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

13. A network controller system, comprising:

at least one data store configured to store device information for network devices; 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:

receive an indication to place at least one network device in a maintenance mode;

identify, based on the indication, at least a first network device that is to be placed in the maintenance mode;

determine device information for the first network device;

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 the maintenance mode and enables a diversion of network traffic from the first network device to a second network device;

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 configured to receive the indication to place the at least one network device in the maintenance mode at least by being configured to receive one or more metadata tags that are assigned to the at least one network device, and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify at least the first network device at least by being configured to determine that the one or more metadata tags are assigned to the first network device.

15. The network controller system of claim 14 , wherein the one or more metadata tags are assigned to the first network device and at least one additional network device that are to be placed in the maintenance mode, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine, based on the one or more metadata tags and on a topology of the network, a defined order in which to place the first network device and the at least one additional network device into the maintenance mode.

16. The network controller system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the defined order at least by being configured to determine, based on the one or more metadata tags and on a topology of the network, to place the first network device into the maintenance mode before placing the at least one additional network device into the maintenance mode.

17. The network controller system of claim 15 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the defined order at least by being configured to determine, based on the one or more metadata tags and on a topology of the network, to place the first network device and the at least one additional network device into the maintenance mode substantially in parallel.

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

before initiating the one or more maintenance procedures, enable the diversion of network traffic from the first network device to the second network device at least by increasing cost values of any communication links associated with the first network device above a determined cost threshold value, and sending the increased cost values to one or more network devices in the network.

19. 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.

20. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause a network controller having one or more processors to:

receive an indication to place at least one network device in a maintenance mode;

identify, based on the indication, at least a first network device that is to be placed in the maintenance mode;

determine device information for the first network device;

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 the maintenance mode and enables a diversion of network traffic from the first network device to a second network device;

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.