Gluware vs NAPALM

Gluware is a network automation and orchestration platform for complex, multi-vendor networks. It discovers network configuration and operational state, then builds an intent data model from that information. Its DIAL layer provides semantic translation for 56 operating systems across 22 vendors. Config Drift & Audit monitors configuration, detects drift, and surfaces audit and compliance issues; OS Manager is designed to coordinate network operating system and firmware upgrades. Integrations include Ansible, Linux and Python scripts, NetBox, and StackStorm integration packs, while GluAPI provides programmatic access. Gluware Control is available in cloud or on-premises deployments. Titan adds agentic AI capabilities with MCP integration, validation, governance, and auditable outcomes. Its Exposure Management identifies relevant network CVEs, proposes and validates remediations, and can execute changes autonomously. Pricing is on request. The free Community Edition is renewable annually, supports up to 20 devices, excludes Topology from the full application suite, and includes community support and on-demand training.

NAPALM is a free Python library for automating network devices from multiple vendors through a shared API. It connects to devices, changes configurations, and retrieves operational data. Its core drivers cover Arista EOS, Cisco IOS, Cisco IOS-XR, Cisco NX-OS, and Juniper JunOS, with additional community drivers. Configuration methods include replace, merge, compare, commit-confirm, and rollback, although availability depends on the platform. Getters can return device facts, configurations, interface information, BGP neighbors, and environment data, with coverage varying by driver. For validation, NAPALM can compare live device state against YAML expectations and create a compliance report. The project identifies integrations with Ansible, SaltStack, and StackStorm. Installation uses `pip install napalm`, which includes the currently available core drivers. Version 5.1.0 and later supports Python 3.9 and later. It is self-hosted, licensed under Apache-2.0, and free at free. Documentation advises checking platform-specific caveats before use.