  The growth in data traffic and the increased demand for quality of service
had generated a large demand for network systems to be more efficient. The
introduction of improved routing systems to meet the increasing demand and
varied protocols to accommodate various scales of challenges in network
efficiency had further complicated the operations. This means that a better
mode of intelligence has to be infused into networking for smoother operations
and better autonomic features. Cognitive networks are defined and analyzed in
this angle. They are identified to have the potential to deal with the future
user related quality and efficiency of service at optimized levels. The
cognitive elements of a system like perception, learning, planning, reasoning
and decision forming can enable the systems to be more aware of their
environment and offer better services. These approaches are expected to
transform the mode of operation of future networks.
