NSP's intent-based networking framework provides the capabilities to plan and design configurations at a network level. An intent based system implies a clear separation between expressing the desired end-state (the intent) and the actions to reach that state. The configurations provided in the intent are automatically translated to the network, putting it in the desired state along with policy enforcement.

The intent-based networking framework allows a high level configuration goal to be defined using an intent type. The intent type defines the parameters for the service and provides mappings for device models. The intent type can be saved in the NSP Network Intents views for future use. The Network Intents database can also store service topology and configuration information for later deployment, and schedule audits of the network against the saved configuration requirements.

An intent is an instance of the intent type with any required inputs provided. Intents are customizable and can be deployed during runtime.