Quad CDN vs Broadcom CDA: Features Comparison
Core Architecture
| Feature | Broadcom CDA | Quad CDN |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Driver | Scripts & YAML | Intent & Vibes (natural language) |
| Integration Pattern | Heavy plugins per tool | MCP Servers (universal lightweight) |
| Governance Model | Static gates (pre-deployment) | A2A real-time agent negotiation |
| Context Awareness | Stateless (no memory) | Persistent Semantic Memory (SUMA) |
| Testing Strategy | Pre-scripted test suites | Synthesized from vibe intent |
| Infrastructure Provisioning | Template-based | Synthesized per code need |
| Self-Healing | Reactive (restart on health check) | Cognitive (semantic drift analysis) |
| Security Posture | Shift-Left (post-build) | In-process (during vibe coding) |
| Knowledge Management | Buried in docs / tribal knowledge | Distributed, queryable by anyone |
Deployment Flexibility
| Aspect | Broadcom CDA | Quad CDN |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud SaaS | ❌ Not available | ✅ Fully supported (Gemini/Claude) |
| VPC / Private Cloud | ✅ Available (expensive) | ✅ Fully supported (Bedrock/Azure) |
| Air-Gapped / On-Prem | ❌ Not designed for this | ✅ Native support (Ollama) |
| Critical Infrastructure | ❌ Requires external calls | ✅ Zero external calls option |
| Government Compliance | ⚠️ Limited by cloud dependency | ✅ CSA, utilities sector ready |
Developer Experience
Broadcom CDA
- 📖 Learn YAML syntax
- 📋 Write 42+ line pipelines
- 🔍 Debug via logs
- ⏱️ 2-4 weeks per project
- ❌ No reusable patterns
- ⚠️ High error rate
Quad CDN
- 🗣️ Describe intent in plain English
- ✏️ "Daily grid reconciliation at 2am UTC, exponential retry, 24h SLA"
- 🤖 AI generates YAML/scripts/monitoring
- ⚡ 2-4 hours per project
- 📚 System learns & reuses patterns
- 🛡️ Compliance checked upfront
For Singapore Power Plant (CNI)
Critical Requirements
| Requirement | Broadcom CDA | Quad CDN |
|---|---|---|
| Zero Cloud Calls | ❌ Cannot guarantee | ✅ Native air-gapped mode |
| On-Premise Processing | ⚠️ Requires custom integration | ✅ Built-in (Ollama) |
| Data Residency | ❌ Cloud-first architecture | ✅ All data stays on-prem |
| CSA / Utilities Compliance | ⚠️ Limited support | ✅ Fully supported |
| Audit Trail | ✅ Available | ✅ Enhanced (intent-aware) |
| Cost Savings | $5,000/month license | $500/month infrastructure |
The Innovation: Agentic Coordination
Quad CDN runs specialized agents (Architect, Coder, Security, SRE) that coordinate autonomously via Agent-to-Agent (A2A) protocol and Model Context Protocol (MCP). This replaces static gates with intelligent, real-time negotiation.
Example: Grid Reconciliation Deployment
- Developer intent: "Daily grid reconciliation, 2am UTC, exponential retry, 24h SLA"
- Intent Registry: Translates to technical spec (schedule, error handling, monitoring)
- Architect Agent: Designs infrastructure (batch job, storage, networking)
- Security Agent: Injects compliance rules (data residency, encryption, audit)
- Coder Agent: Generates Python/Bash scripts or IaC
- SRE Agent: Sets up monitoring, alerting, runbooks
- Deployment: All agents sign off → deployment happens automatically
- Memory: System remembers this pattern for future similar intents