Cisco is sponsoring a Federal Innovation Challenge to bring together ideas to accelerate modernization across the federal and defense landscape. The challenge will enable Cisco Partners and Customers to showcase their innovative solutions in three focus areas:

• Network Automation and NetDevOps

• IT Modernization and Lifecycle Management

• Telemetry and Visualization

Participants may leverage Cisco’s DevNet Platform and provided development tools or their own DevOps and automation environment to tackle use cases that address challenges that Cisco Partners and their customers face today.

The Challenge

Prototype and demonstrate an automation solution with DevOps, CI/CD, and/or agile in mind that solves one (or more) of the following use cases with repeatability and scalability in mind:

1. Accelerating Modernization: Using the pipeline to migrate from legacy infrastructure to modernized infrastructure. For example, harvesting data from a simulated IOS device and replacing it with a Catalyst 8Kv with minimal downtime. Additional Integration with available APIs (no logging into devices with CLI) and simulating a typical customer journey from purchase to deployment is preferable.
   
   

2. Model-Driven Telemetry: Using data configured and generated by the network to visualize changes executed using the pipeline. Critical is to show that the requested or necessary change had the outcome on the network intended. OpenSource visualization tools are preferable (TIG, ELK stacks). 
   
   

3. Software Lifecycle Management: Integrating Software Image Management into the network pipeline by automating upgrades based on external events. For example, using the OpenVuln PSIRT API, a workflow is instantiated that upgrades software based on a published security vulnerability - This includes executing tests post-upgrade and report generation. OpenSource tooling is preferable (PyATS, Batfish, TextFSM). Additional points if reporting can map to federal standards such as RMF. 
   
   

4. Stretch Project: Closed Loop Automation: Using telemetry generated from the network and data visualization to execute pipeline workflows. Example use cases are traffic flow optimization, Cyber-attack simulation, etc. Additional points for integration into AI or ML tooling such as ChatGPT, Bard, etc.

Prizes

1st Place: 3 Cisco Live Explorer Passes* and their winning submission recognized at a special DIB leadership event with top billing in the post-event idea book that we will publish and share with Federal and DIB CIOs. (Estimated Total Retail Value $2400.00)

2nd Place: 2 Cisco Live Explorer Passes* and Ideabook recognition (Estimated Total Retail Value $1600.00)

3rd Place: 1 Cisco Live Explorer Pass* and Ideabook recognition (Estimated Total Retail Value $800.00)

*Does not include any travel or lodging expenses to Cisco Live.

Challenge Phases

Phase 1: Participants will register and submit a Solution Abstract for their idea. Ideas will be reviewed by a committee to determine if they will move on to Phase 2.

Phase 2: Participants/teams that have had their Solution Abstract greenlit will build a proof of concept and create a presentation explaining their idea, how it works, and the impact will to have.  

Phase 3: Participants/teams will be invited to present to a panel of experts at the in-person Innovation Challenge Presentation Day.

For a detailed breakdown of the Cisco Federal Innovation Challenge schedule, please visit the "Schedule" page.