Traditional Campus Device Management and Cisco DNA Centre

In this section, we explain the comparison between traditional campus device management and Cisco DNA centre.

Introduction to Traditional Campus Device Management and Cisco DNA Centre

Traditional campus device management involves manual configuration and management of each and every device like switch and routers in a network. Network administrators have to log on to every device separately and use command line interface (CLI) to to configure the network devices. This method is more time-consuming and tiresome that may lead to human error. It is also very difficult to scale as the network grows.

Whereas Cisco DNA Center offers a modern, centralized, and software-driven approach to network management. It serves as a single management platform for the entire campus network, allowing administrators to configure, monitor, and troubleshoot devices from one unified dashboard. This eliminates the need to individually access each device.

Comparison of Traditional Campus Device Management with Cisco DNA Centre

Let’s compare how traditional device management differs from Cisco DNA Center–enabled management in a modern enterprise environment.

1. Configuration and Deployment

Traditional Management:
In traditional networks, each device—switch, router, or access point—must be configured manually using command-line interfaces (CLI). Network administrators spend hours writing configuration scripts, leading to inconsistent policies and potential human errors.

Cisco DNA Center:
With Cisco DNA Center, configuration and deployment are automated using templates and policies. Administrators can push configurations across multiple devices simultaneously from a centralized dashboard. This not only saves time but ensures network consistency and compliance across the entire campus.

2. Network Monitoring and Troubleshooting

Traditional Management:
Monitoring in traditional setups relies on SNMP-based tools and manual log analysis. Detecting faults or performance issues often requires multiple tools and manual correlation of data.

Cisco DNA Center:
DNA Center uses AI and machine learning to provide proactive insights into network performance. It automatically identifies anomalies, user experience issues, and root causes through Assurance and Analytics, helping administrators resolve issues before they affect users.

3. Policy Enforcement and Security

Traditional Management:
Implementing consistent security policies across all devices is a challenge. Each device needs to be manually updated with access control lists (ACLs) or VLAN configurations, which increases the risk of configuration drift and security loopholes.

Cisco DNA Center:
DNA Center integrates with Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) to apply intent-based policies automatically. Network segmentation, access control, and user profiling are managed centrally, ensuring stronger and consistent network security across the campus.

4. Scalability and Flexibility

Traditional Management:
Scaling traditional networks requires adding more hardware and manual reconfiguration, which becomes complex and resource intensive.

Cisco DNA Center:
Cisco DNA Center supports software-defined networking (SDN), allowing dynamic scaling and simplified network expansion. Administrators can quickly onboard new devices or remote sites using automated provisioning and zero-touch deployment.

5. Insights and Analytics

Traditional Management:
Conventional tools provide limited visibility — usually device-level status or interface utilization. There’s no holistic view of network performance or user experience.

Cisco DNA Center:
With AI-driven analytics, Cisco DNA Center offers real-time and historical insights into network health, client behavior, and application performance. This helps IT teams make data-driven decisions for capacity planning and optimization.

Comparison Table

Feature	Traditional Device Management	Cisco DNA Center Management
Configuration	Manual (CLI-based)	Automated (Template & Policy-based)
Monitoring	Reactive & fragmented	AI-driven proactive monitoring
Security	Manual ACLs	Centralized policy enforcement
Scalability	Limited and manual	Automated and scalable
Analytics	Basic device stats	AI-based assurance & insights

6. Operational Efficiency and Cost Savings

Traditional Management:
Manual management increases operational costs due to repetitive tasks, more staff requirements, and higher downtime during troubleshooting.

Cisco DNA Center:
Automation reduces operational expenses, accelerates deployment, and enhances uptime. Organizations can achieve greater agility and lower total cost of ownership (TCO) through intelligent automation.

Conclusion

Cisco DNA Center is not just a management tool, it’s the brain of a modern, intent-based network. By shifting from manual, device-centric management to an automated, policy-driven approach, organizations can improve performance, security, and scalability across their campus networks.

If your network still relies on traditional device management, now is the time to embrace automation and intelligence with Cisco DNA Center.