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By Zeus Kerravala, Senior Vice President and Distinguished Research Fellow
The enterprise data center has undergone several major transformations since the introduction of computing as a corporate resource. The computing platform has evolved from main frame computing, to client server, to Internet-based computing, and now we sit on the precipice of the next major data center transition—the evolution to a fully virtualized data center. Each transition saw the cost of computing driven down and the importance of the network elevated. Each phase allowed organizations to increase the efficiency of their data center operations and improve asset utilization, ultimately leading to a better experience for end-users. This white paper provides a perspective on the rise of network value as it acts as the backplane for the virtualized data center and provides design recommendations.
This White Paper discusses the benefits and applicability of the IEEE 802.1aq Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) protocol, which is augmented with sophisticated Layer 3 routing capabilities. The use of SPB and the value to solve virtualization of today’s network connectivity in the enterprise campus as well as the data center are covered.
This document is intended for technically savvy network managers as well as network architects who are faced with:
• Reducing time to service requirements
• Less tolerance for network down time
• Network Virtualization requirements for Layer 2 (VLAN-extensions) and Layer 3 (VRF-extensions)
• Server Virtualization needs in data center deployments requiring a large set of Layer 2 connections (VLANs)
• Traffic separation requirements in campus deployments for security purposes as well as robustness considerations (i.e., contractors for maintenance reasons needing access to their equipment or guest access needs)
• Multi-tenant applications such as airports, governments or any other network with multiple discrete (legal) entities that require traffic separation
Simplified and optimized service orchestration maximizes the return from a virtualized computing environment By Avaya
This white paper discusses Avaya’s approach to Data center Networking from a fabric perspective. Virtualization within the data center is now taken for granted, with some declaring that ‘Cloud Computing’ will be the choice of most enterprises and that applications and information will become commodities. Experience has proved one thing; the data center of the future cannot be built on the technology of the past. General-purpose products, outmoded techniques, and legacy designs cannot be re-packaged as ‘data center-ready’. Ethernet is readily available, cost-effective, extensible, and – as the 40/100 Gigabit developments prove – scalable. Find out Avaya’s approach to data center networking fabric by downloading this white paper.
The world is becoming increasingly mobile, and businesses are feeling the impact of managing PCs, smart phones, desk phones and tablets. Equally important are the effects of consumer mobility trends on businesses’ IT agendas. Learn how to keep costs in check, boost user productivity, deliver a consistent experience, and maintain a single, manageable corporate identity for all end-users.
The consumerization of IT is helping to drive a shift towards collaborative applications convergence. Employees want to plug their consumer technology experiences into their daily work lives. Particularly, IDC believes the industry is on a trend to combine key technologies, such as email, instant messaging (IM), team workspaces, video, voice, Web conferencing and social features into a single “superset” user environment. This Technology Spotlight discusses collaborative applications and explores the role that Avaya plays in this increasingly important market.
Avaya has expanded its cloud networking product portfolio with the Virtual Services Platform or VSP 7000, a 10GbE Top of Rack (ToR) Switch and its new Virtualization Provisioning Service or VPS management software.
The VSP 7000 boasts a multi-Terabit Fabric capable of horizontally stacking many 7000s, offering a new approach to server connections. The VPS virtualization management application provides visibility and automated control of virtualized infrastructure. VPS is designed to provide NetOps and SysOps shared visibility of physical, logical and now virtual IT assets. Dan DeBacker, Director of Data Solutions Architecture at Avaya, discusses the new VSP 7000 plus VPS and the new data center design options they afford.
In November of 2010 Avaya launched its Virtual Enterprise Network Architecture or VENA, which describes its computer networking investment strategy and technology direction. VENA was designed for virtualized data center infrastructure but has been expanded to include campus and branch office networking. Dan DeBacker, Director of Data Solutions Architecture at Avaya discusses the unique attributes VENA possesses to meet today’s enterprise networking needs and the business outcomes its customers are gaining by its deployment.
With a broad series of new Unified Communications (UC) and collaboration offerings by Avaya and Microsoft, IT organizations have been prompted to evaluate their UC strategy. Microsoft promises to lower the overall Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of a UC platform by leveraging an all-encompassing software powered communications environment integrated with its Microsoft Office™ suite through the release of Microsoft Lync, while Avaya introduces its newly released UC platform through Avaya Aura.
The purpose of this whitepaper is to clearly identify the comparisons between both provider’s UC offerings through a process of evaluating value that matter to IT organizations in selecting the right UC platform.
Although line shipments for IP telephony have outstripped TDM for some time, many organizations have not yet fully replaced their TDM phones. In fact, only 17% of companies have fully deployed the technology, and the bulk of those are small and midsize businesses. Larger organizations have rolled out the technology in a spotty manner where the TDM system is end-of-life, or other tactical reasons. IT organizations are evaluating the economics, plus desktop IP phones investment when people increasingly rely on mobile devices and soft clients.
Many others are re-evaluating the market as they solidify unified-communications plans and once again contemplate go-forward strategy for IPT. Will they use the same vendor(s)? Will they shift to a hosted- or managed-services model? And what is the true business case? Understanding the true costs is crucial to a successful business case—and a cost-effective implementation.
To create a seamless collaboration environment for mobile and remote workers, Avaya has fully embraced mobile computing by integrating Android, iOS, BlackBerry and Symbian mobile endpoints plus Windows and Mac computing into its Aura core infrastructure. In this podcast Avaya’s VP of Unified Communications Product Marketing, Nancy Maluso, discusses Avaya’s UC mobile collaboration strategy and how IT business leaders can put this technology to work in their corporation.
To create a seamless collaboration environment for mobile and remote workers, Avaya has fully embraced mobile computing by integrating Android, iOS, BlackBerry and Symbian mobile endpoints plus Windows and Mac computing into its Aura core infrastructure. In this podcast Avaya’s VP of Unified Communications Product Marketing, Nancy Maluso, discusses Avaya’s UC mobile collaboration strategy and how IT business leaders can put this technology to work in their corporation.
This document evaluates the potential benefits and drawbacks of converging data center networks and debunks a myth about lower costs and complexity. It includes quantitative analysis, along with insights gained from discussions with Gartner clients about organizational issues that affect convergence decisions.
For those who have not reviewed or seen the Avaya Flare experience, this on-demand video provides you with a view of its easy to use video conferencing environment. It’s short so press start and get ready to be wowed.
Avaya has developed a unique approach to branch office networking with the introduction of its Advanced Gateway 2330. Previous to Avaya’s acquisition of Nortel’s Enterprise Solutions business, its branch office solution was focused on communications, but now it has computer-networking capabilities that is manifesting into a powerful branch office portfolio offering. I talk with Michael Fitzgerald, Portfolio Leader of the Unified Branch at Avaya, about Avaya’s investment in branch office networking with particular focus on network designs its approach affords.
