SDN is getting a lot of hype at the moment. Coupled with its kissing cousin, network virtualization, it is all the buzz. So what exactly is it? At its most basic level, SDN is an approach to networking in which the control plane is decoupled from hardware and given over to a software controller.
TVP Tag Archives
Network Virtualization: Not Just for the Service Provider
Many network virtualization products appear to be aimed at the top 10,000 customers worldwide, accounting for their price as well as their published product direction. While this is a limited and myopic view, many claim it is for the best, their reason being that network virtualization is only really needed by the very large networks. The more I think about this approach, the more I believe it is incorrect. Let us be frank here. Most networking today, within many different organizational sizes, is a hodgepodge of technologies designed to solve the same problem(s) over and over: how to get data quickly from point A to point B with minimum disruption to service.
Virtual Networking Is Not Network Virtualization
While SPB is a very interesting protocol, my questions were about how deep into the virtual environment the protocol extends. While SPB and other networking protocols are considered by some to be network virtualization, I could not see this within the realm of the virtual network and hence, confusion reigned supreme. Depending on who is talking to each other, the same words can mean many different things. What I found amazing, still, is that most people thinks networking ends at the physical NIC within the virtualization host, and that what is inside, does not matter as much as what is outside.
Automation Weaknesses
Over the last few weeks I have been struggling with automating deployment and testing of virtual desktops for my own edification. This struggle has pointed out automation weaknesses which need to be addressed for automation and the software defined data center to succeed and not only be deployed from software but also self-healing and all the great things we associate with SDDC, SDN, etc. But current automation has some serious flaws and weaknesses. In essence, in order to automate something you must have a well known exact image from which to work.
IT Automation: Where Is the Center?
The network binds it all together, the network could be the center of IT Automation.
Vyatta: Building Block for Brocade SDN Plans
Brocade has stated they will buy Vyatta for an all cash deal. This is good news for Vyatta and perhaps a way for Brocade to partake of software that could rival VMware’s purchase of Nicira when Vyatta’s own SDN features are married with Brocade Ether Fabric technology. Brocade has been in the software business for a while now, but only with respect to their own hardware. With Vyatta, they will shortly own a building block to allow Ether Fabric to extend into the virtual and cloud environments. It would be short sighted to say this is just an SDN play, this purchase shows there is quite a bit of benefit to Brocade.