The present technology provides a framework for user-guided end-to-end automation of network deployment and management, that enables a user to guide the automation process for any kind of network deployment from the ground up, as well as offering network management, visibility, and compliance verification. The disclosed technology accomplishes this by creating a stateful and interactive virtual representation of a fabric using a customizable underlay fabric template instantiated with user-provided parameter values and network topology data computed from one or more connected network devices. A set of expected configurations corresponding to the user-specified underlay and overly fabric policies is then generated for deployment onto the connected network devices. Network deviations from the intended fabric policies are addressed by the provision of one or more configuration lines to be deployed onto or removed from the connected network devices to bring the network state in agreement with the set of expected configuration.