I previously discussed using LISP to optimize your client-server traffic so today I’ll discuss the reverse direction: Egress Path Optimization from the Server to the Client. Let’s go over the need for Path Optimization in the direction from Server-to-Client with some pictures and explanations.

The Virtual Machine (VM) server is configured with a default gateway IP address, 192.168.1.1, which is the next hop IP address that the VM will forward packets towards as the traffic returns to the client outside the data center.  In this data center environment, we’ve deployed the default gateway using the First Hop Redundancy Protocol (FHRP).  In reality, FHRP is an umbrella technology term that includes Hot Standby Routing Protcol (HSRP) and Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP), two main technologies that provide transparent failover and redundancy at the first hop IP router.  Please see info on FHRP here.

Also notice that the VM default gateway is the same as the HSRP Virtual IP Address (VIP). The HSRP VIP binds itself to one of the physical HSRP Routers via an HSRP election process using Layer 2 control packets between the two physical HSRP Routers and this means that the VM default gateway, since it points to a VIP, may move between physical HSRP Routers, and of course which is then intent and design when using any type of FHRP.

In the above picture, the Path is Optimized from Server to Client, so now let’s take a look at what happens when we migrate the VM to the new data center.

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Tags: cloud, data center, Data Center Interconnect, DCI, FHRP, HSRP, LISP, mobility, N7K, Nexus 7000, OTV, vMotion, Workload Mobility

As we start off this New Year, how about including a resolution to improve application delivery? In Best Practices for Application Delivery in Virtualized Networks – Part I , we covered key application delivery challenges that have come up due to the complexities of managing the many types of applications that enterprises use today, and further complicated by data center consolidation and virtualization. We then covered some best practices, courtesy of Dr. Jim Metzler’s 2011 Application Service Delivery Handbook, which recommended taking a lifecycle approach to planning and managing application performance.

A key step to the lifecycle approach is to implement network and application optimization tools, such as WAN Optimization solutions and Application Delivery Controllers, including server load balancers. Of course, these solutions are not new to the market and already address many of the needs that exist with delivering enterprise applications in virtualized data centers -- namely, the need to ensure network reliability, availability and security for users accessing these applications. In this post, we will discuss a recent study by IDC, where IT decision makers across Europe and the US spoke out about their strategies for using server load balancers to deal with emerging challenges.

.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              What important attributes do you look for in your server load balancers?

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Tags: ACE, application control engine, application delivery, application delivery controller, application performance, availbility, Cisco OTV, cloud bursting, data center security, DWS, Dynamic Workload Scaling, enterprise application, IDC, jim metzler, load balancer, Load Balancing, network optimization, Network Services, Nexus 7000, OTV, Overlay Transport Virtualization, resiliency, security, server load balancer, server load balancing, Tina Feng, Unified Network Services, virtual machine intelligence, virtual network services, virtualization

VMworld Europe is just around the corner and the final preparations are being completed.  The Bella Center, in beautiful Copenhagen Denmark, is undergoing a cloudy transformation that will tickle the technical fancy of geeks and provide answers and directions for the business minded.  The cloud has come to the Bella Center and it has a Cisco lining.

Cloud is changing the way we do IT and Cisco is leading the charge.  We have the products, innovation and partnerships to help you on your journey to the cloud.  Cisco can help you own the cloud.  Stop by our booth in the Bella Center to hear about some of these great Cisco solutions:

• Cisco Intelligent Automation for Cloud: Cisco powered orchestration and automation tools, which are key component to a successful cloud initiative.  We will demo the software in action as it powers the internal Cisco private cloud CITEIS (Cisco IT Elastic Infrastructure Services).
• Cisco Nexus 1000v:  Cisco’s award winning virtualized switch providing networking and security solutions for the data center.  Learn how the Nexus 1000v compliments VMware vCloud Director and delivers highly secure, multitenant data center networks

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Tags: CIAC, intelligent automation, Nexus 1000v, OTV, UCS, unified computing, vdi, VM-FEX, VMworld Europe, vxi, Workload Mobility

Hey folks--this is the second of three posts looking a little more closely at VXLAN.  If you missed the first post, you can find it here.  In this installment we are going to look at the some of the other options out there.  Two of the most common questions we see are  ”why do I need yet another protocol?” and “can I now get rid of X?”  This should help you answer these questions.So, let’s dig in… Read More »

Tags: data center, LISP, OTV, virtualization, VXLAN

Today’s IT organizations face a broad set of challenges today.

• How to deal with the proliferation of end-user devices? (smartphones, tablets, etc.)
• How to deal with the proliferation of virtualization and it’s new operational model?
• How to adapt to requirement for new application traffic patterns (east-west, VM mobility)?
• How to manage the edges of their networks as work/life locations blur?
• When do they decide to deliver a business need via internal resources vs. external resources?
• With all this technology change happening so rapidly, how do they align their teams?

Tags: Big Data, Cisco UCS, Cloud Computing, Cloud-Ready Network, Consolidation, FabricPath, Hadoop, LISP, nexus, OTV, virtualization