Simon Brown of Scalable and Trevor Dearing of Juniper Networks discuss the consolidation and virtualisation of data centre servers and storage.

Dynamic and shared IT infrastructures are the future. Using them IT Managers can deliver more agile services, improve the user experience and meet demands to reduce costs. But, to secure maximum advantage, networks must change too. This article describes the three steps organisations must take to deploy cloud-ready, intelligent networks.

The consolidation and virtualisation of data centre servers and storage enables IT departments to create resource pools that can be securely shared across multiple applications, users, departments, suppliers and customers. The resources in these pools can then be dynamically allocated to accommodate changing capacity requirements and improve utilisation.

Such infrastructures, often referred to as cloud computing, simplify management, reduce operating and ownership costs, and allow services to be provisioned at unprecedented speeds. However, there is currently a barrier to achieving all the promised benefits – the network.

Traditional tree-structure networks have a problem scaling and delivering the consistent performance the new data centre needs. And, as more and more devices are added, operations and management complexity, and cost, increase exponentially. To maximise the benefits of cloud computing, organisations must put in place new, intelligent networks that support dynamic and shared IT resources. Doing so involves taking three very important steps – simplification, dynamic protection and automation.

Simplification

The first step to intelligent, high performance networks is simplification. In a virtualised data centre east-west traffic increases exponentially. In today’s 3-layer access, aggregation and core networks, this traffic always has to climb the tree to reach its final destination.

In addition, today’s networks demand that applications and storage are placed in close proximity, to reduce the number of hops between the two and, therefore, the latency. It’s a major headache for administrators.

“To overcome these challenges organisations need to look at network solutions that collapse the number of layers,” says Simon Brown, Scalable, an independent IP networking and security specialist. “At our customers we’re routinely using technologies like Juniper Networks virtual chassis technology to collapse the network down to two layers, significantly reducing latency, improving bandwidth utilisation and simplifying management, as there are less devices to administer.”

Dynamic protection

Achieving the required level of security and protection in virtualised data centres is an increasingly complex challenge. Traffic between the virtual machines on a host server doesn’t touch the physical network, so it is invisible to traditional network monitoring tools and unprotected by physical network security devices.

In a virtualised network, for various reasons, it is all too easy for virtual machines with different levels of trust to be placed on the same physical server. As a result, there is a possibility that unauthorised people could view sensitive information. This problem is further compounded by the fact that virtualisation allows virtual machines to be actively migrated across physical servers, leading to unpredictable combinations of trusted and untrusted virtual machines.

“In virtualised data centres, the old security rules don’t apply,” says Brown. “To protect themselves, organisations must put in place dynamic security solutions that deliver application visibility and are identity aware.”

“Policies have to be applied in real time, so the solutions must be capable of handling dramatically changing traffic volumes and security threats. They must also be capable of handling very high throughput rates and inspecting and controlling high volumes of traffic travelling between different domains.”

Automation

Organisations that want to maximise the benefits they gain from consolidation and virtualisation must also look carefully at how they provision, manage and support their network. The more tasks can be automated, the more efficient the environment will be.

However, as networks have grown, companies are frequently faced with a myriad of operating systems, often from the same supplier. As well as the inefficiency of having to use multiple operating systems, organisations are faced with the costs of maintaining skill sets, knowledge, best practices, updates and support for each system.

“Because the benefits are so great, we’re advising our customers to standardise on a single system for configuring, provisioning, trouble-shooting and managing their network wherever possible,” says Brown.

“In addition, we’re strongly suggesting they favour solutions that are built on open standards and development platforms, like Juniper Networks Junos® operating system. Such platforms allow customers and partners to develop their own applications, allowing for greater innovation. They also stop companies becoming locked in to one supplier.”

“Cloud computing offers companies the opportunity to fundamentally change how they deliver applications and services,” concludes Brown. “By following the three steps of simplification, dynamic protection and automation they can develop the intelligent networks they need to support the new data centres that are being developed and maximise the benefits they gain.”

Founded in 1997, Scalable has an enviable reputation as an IP networking and security specialist. We put the intelligence into IP networks; secure, converged, high performance IP networks that are optimised for you now and provide agility for your future. Partnering with Scalable has enabled organisations such as Conde Nast Publications, B&Q and Liverpool Women’s Hospital to drive increased profitability and competitive advantage. We take pride in our unequalled IP expertise, our deep understanding of emerging technologies and our strategic relationships with best-of-breed vendors. Delivering both data centre and campus solutions, we work with you consultatively to assess, design, implement, optimise and support your network, taking a cyclical approach of continuous improvement. For more information please contact us

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