Much has been made of the emergence of Software Defined Networking and the programmable network.  At its core, SDN involves opening up network interfaces in order to make the network programmable and allow for the development of applications.  While some of those applications interact directly with the data plane, determining how individual packets are treated, many applications actually involve what can fundamentally be described as management functionality – automation of workflows, reaction to events, closing of control loops.   A popular example concerns orchestration, in which resources are allocated and state modified so that collectively a service is provided – in many ways resembling a reincarnation of service provisioning in a new context and under a new name.

Of course, management applications and management interfaces have been around for a long time, so what is really new and different this time?  Is SDN simply an exciting new label for a tired old concept? Does SDN obviate the need for traditional management? At the core of these questions are the concepts of programmability and manageability.  Read More »

Tags: applications, Intelligent Network, Manageability, network management, programmability, SDN, software defined networking

This blog is a follow on to my introductions to onePK and the onePK software architecture. This post is special, as I have the pleasure of introducing, by way of conversation, my colleague Shelly Cadora, an experienced speaker on SDN, and developer with onePK, and to highlight some of the work she has done with onePK.

Nathan:

“So, Shelly, in my blog on onePK a few months ago I said that I thought that we would start to see new models for network management and deployment enabled by onePK. Lo and behold! You created just such an example for demonstration at Cisco Live, so what’s that mean for us all?” Read More »

Tags: API, application networking services, cisco live, Cisco onePK, network management, onePK, process hosting, programmable networks, SDN, simplify deployment, software

Many of us in the IT world are at Interop New York this week and we’re very excited. Tablets and smartphones enable new and innovative ways to engage employees, guests and customers; the technology tantalizes with the promise of business transformation. More organizations are allowing mobile and personal devices for work use. But there are also many challenges for IT during these technology transitions.  IT is struggling to keep up with the latest mobility trends.

As you know, we first launched Cisco Unified Access about 3 months ago at Cisco Live in San Diego.  Now at Interop New York, we are announcing a number of significant enhancements to the Cisco Unified Access solutions. These enhancements enable IT to spend less time running the network and more time collaborating and innovating with the lines of business.  If IT organizations want to have a seat at the table and impact the business, a strong and agile IT platform is required. This platform can become a business differentiator and will enable business transformation.  This is what Cisco’s Unified Access is all about -- One Policy, One Management, One Network, enabling the IT to discover what is possible with the business.

Today, I’m excited to share with you the latest Cisco Unified Access innovations that we are announcing at Interop New York.

Read More »

Tags: access points, Catalyst switching, Cisco AP 1600, Cisco AP 2600, Cisco AP 3600, Cisco Unified Access, interop, Interop New York, mobility, network management, networking, New Cisco Access Points, policy, wireless, wireless LAN controller

Many of us are at Interop New York this week and we’re very excited. In New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg runs the entire city from an iPad.  Tablets and smartphones enable new and innovative ways to engage employees, guests and customers; the technology tantalizes with the promise of business transformation. More organizations are allowing mobile and personal devices for work use. But there are also many challenges for IT during these technology transitions.  IT is struggling to keep up with the latest mobility trends.

As you know, we first launched Cisco Unified Access about 3 months ago at Cisco Live in San Diego.  Now at Interop New York, we are announcing a number of significant enhancements to the Cisco Unified Access solutions. Our enhanced solution enables IT to spend less time running the network and more time collaborating and innovating with the lines of business.  If IT organizations want to have a seat at the table and impact the business, a strong and agile IT platform is required, this becomes a business differentiator and will enable business transformation.

This is what Cisco Unified Access is all about -- One Policy, One Management, One Network, enabling the IT platform to discover what is possible with the business.

Read the full article at Cisco Unified Access Shines at Interop New York.

Tags: access points, Catalyst switching, Cisco Unified Access, interop, Interop New York, mobility, network management, networking, policy, wireless, wireless LAN controller

Say you were on an advisory board for a city where population growth, traffic congestion, and demand for services (ambulances, police, & firefighters) presented major challenges, what actions would you suggest the city to take?  Similarly, say you were managing IT operations for your company, what actions would you put in place to respond to the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend and the potential impact on your network as users flood it with tons of iPads, Ultrabooks and other personal devices?

Before you rush out of the door to take action, you may want to ask yourself two questions:
- Is my action plan going to deliver a consistent and high quality user experience?
- Is my action plan sustainable, given the demand, available IT headcount and budgetary resources?

Read More »

Tags: access points, Aironet, Application Visibility and Control, AVC, byod, Catalyst switching, Cisco Unified Access, High Availability, mobility, network management, Network Resiliency, policy, Security Group Access, SGA, Smart Operations, switching, wireless