Virtualization Framework - Automated Network Management

Facilitate Easier Architecture of the Network
For today’s demanding data center environments, architects must design and build networks with the agility to respond to rapidly changing conditions while providing businesses with the cost-effectiveness needed to efficiently operate in today’s economic conditions.

Force10 VirtualControl features partition physical network assets that virtualize logical boundaries, enabling one device, such as a switch/router, to act as many devices. As a core feature of the Force10 Operating System (FTOS), VirtualControl delivers functionality to Layer 2 and Layer 3 environments designed to eliminate spanning tree protocols, while infusing reliability into the network and segmenting certain applications to increase manageability and troubleshooting capabilities.

VirtualControl Increases Utilization and Reliability Across Layer 3 Environments
VirtualControl can be deployed to increase resource utilization, reduce complexity and prevent distribution sprawl, resulting in simpler management and greater TCO. While building out a network at the core/aggregation layer, VirtualControl can be configured to partition the routing table into subtables using Virtual Routing and Forwarding (VRF). Subdividing routing tables in each core/switch router enables business-critical services to be supported across multiple devices, ensuring high availability. This distribution also provides an added security layer by separating applications from each other.

Utilize VLANs for Optimum Resiliency in a Layer 2 Environment
Being able to customize—and customize dynamically—is the cornerstone of any resilient and efficient enterprise network. VirtualControl gives data center managers the virtualization tools required to specifically tailor the network by allocating resources through VLANs. VirtualControl provides increased resiliency by enabling network managers to configure switch/router ports across multiple applications so that the failure of one device does not impact availability or create spanning tree-related issues. 

Part of Terabit-Enabled Virtualization Framework
VirtualControl is available as part of FTOS, which is built on a modular NetBSD kernel and available across the versatile Force10 switch/router product lines. Leveraging the FTOS Hardware Abstraction Layer, the same VirtualControl application software is available across all Force10 platforms, which means the interface protocols to VirtualControl are consistent from core to edge. FTOS also features an industry-standard CLI so administrators new to implementing Force10 solutions can more easily build data centers in part by deploying devices with minimal training.

Answering the Complex With Simplicity
The volume and structure of data facilitated by the proliferation of Web 2.0 applications continue to put pressure on network architects to efficiently design and build a robust, yet agile and resilient infrastructure. As networks expand to meet these conditions, so can the complexity of their management. Force10 VirtualScale features enable network managers to consolidate physical network fabrics to virtualize physical boundaries, allowing many switch/router devices to perform as one device.

Consolidating Leads to Cost Savings
As part of the Force10 Virtualization Framework, VirtualScale is designed to rationality to your network design by giving network managers the ability to consolidate their view of the network. By doing so, management and operational costs are decreased while network resiliency is increased. Having multiple switch/routers in the core/aggregation layer acting as one device drives down TCO since less management is required. Enhanced network resiliency is achieved because a secondary switch/router can share network loads and act as a failover device despite it appearing as a single device.

Simplying Your Stacking with VirtualScale
At the access layer or the top-of-rack network position, VirtualScale can act as a device stacking technology for the Force10 S-Series access switch/routers. Capable of managing up to eight stacked S-Series devices, VirtualScale provides greater resiliency from having fast failover as well as improved TCO through lower management costs.

Part of Terabit-Enabled Virtualization Framework
VirtualScale is available as part of FTOS, which is built on a modular NetBSD kernel and available across the versatile Force10 switch/router product lines. Leveraging the FTOS Hardware Abstraction Layer, the same VirtualScale software is available across all Force10 switch/router platforms, which means the interface protocols to VirtualScale are consistent from core to edge. FTOS also features an industry-standard CLI so administrators new to implementing Force10 solutions can more easily build data centers in part by deploying devices with minimal training.

Establishing Measurement to Drive Efficiency
Virtualized network environments hold great promise for businesses that demand agility and efficiency from the capital and operating expenses invested in these areas.  However, using wiring diagrams, spreadsheets and server locations are no longer adequate to troubleshoot network issues.

Force10’s VirtualView – a native feature of Force10’s operating system (FTOS) – offers a core-to-edge, real-time traffic analysis solution that samples and analyzes data to establish baseline and ongoing application performance statistics. With a baseline of overall measurement in place, data center managers can offer service level agreements for virtualized machines (VMs) and applications that can be monitored and enforced for internal and external customers.  Leveraging VirtualView helps roll out new VM-based services rapidly with lower TCO.

VirtualView Benefits for Measurement & Monitoring

By collecting real-time traffic statistics on VMs using sFlow sampling technology, VirtualView monitors, troubleshoots and benchmarks network performance in virtualized environments. sFlow software is embedded in FTOS and provides the ability to continuously monitor application-level traffic flows at wire speed on all interfaces (reference: http://www.sflow.org/sFlowOverview.pdf).

Leveraging technology from partners InMon Corporation and Plixer International, sFlow collectors receive and analyze sFlow data collected from switches and routers in the data center or core of the network. These sFlow collectors are widely deployed by Force10 customers today enabling them to optimize and control bandwidth delivery to VMs by looking at real-time data and then updating Quality of Service (QoS) policies on switches/routers.

Force10 VirtualView Automates Network Behavior

Data center managers use virtualization to optimize resource utilization, increase agility and reduce overall complexity.  A key enabler to managing VMs is the ability to automate network behavior to support changes in network demands as application and virtual machine assignments change.

Force10’s FTOS can respond to command line interface (CLI) commands from an orchestration platform or management tool to change Virtual LAN (VLAN) assignments, resulting in automatically provisioning and managing VMs.  This helps data center managers tune resource pools to deliver greater application agility, flexibility and efficiency while reducing total cost of ownership.

VirtualView Benefits for Network Automation
By using Force10 switch/routers in conjunction with orchestration platforms, data center managers can better control network resources and VM pools. VirtualView also enables the response to industry-standard protocols, such as CLI or SNMP MIBs, to change VLAN assignments and deliver policy-based dynamic control of the pools of resources available to applications.

Cohesive Solution Set Brings Additional Value

VirtualView is available through FTOS, which is built on a modular NetBSD kernel and available across the versatile Force10 switch/router product lines. Leveraging the FTOS Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) and portable software architecture, the same VirtualView application software is available across all Force10 platforms, bringing interface protocols to VirtualView are consistent from core to edge.  FTOS also features an industry-standard CLI so administrators new to implementing Force10 solutions can quickly deploy the devices with minimal training.

For more information, visit http://www.force10networks.com/solutions/ApplicationNotes/an-virtualview.asp