APPLICATION CENTRIC
INFRASTRUCTURE
Gustavo Santana
CCIE# 8806 (DC,SAN,R&Sw)
Data Center TSA
Cisco Confidential
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SDN Hype
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What is SDN?
(per Wikipedia definition)
Software Defined Networking (SDN) is an
approach to building computer networks that
separates and abstracts elements of these systems
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“A way to optimize link utilization in my network
enhanced, application driven routing”
“An open solution for VM
mobility in the Data-Center”
“A way to reduce the
CAPEX of my network
and leverage commodity
switches”
“An open solution for customized flow forwarding
control in and between Data Centers”
“A platform for developing new
control planes”
“A means to get assured
quality of experience for
my cloud service offerings”
“Develop solutions at software speeds: I don’t
want to work with my network vendor or go
through lengthy standardization.”
“A solution to build a very large
scale layer-2 network”
“A means to do
traffic engineering
without MPLS”
“A solution to build
virtual topologies
with optimum
multicast forwarding
behavior”
“A way to optimize broadcast TV delivery by
“A means to scale my fixed/mobile gateways and optimizing cache placement and
cache selection”
optimize
“A way to build my own
security/encryption solution”
their placement”
“A way to distribute policy/intent, e.g.
for DDoS prevention, in the network”
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“A way to configure my entire network
as a whole rather than individual
devices”
“A solution to get a global view of the
network – topology and state”
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SDN Flavor 1:
Centralized Intelligence
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Control Plane
(IOS)
Network Device
(router, switch, ...)
Data Plane
(ASIC)
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Applications
SDN Controller
Programming
(software)
(ex.: OpenFlow)
Examples: Wireless Controllers,
Performance Routing (PfR), ...
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SDN Flavor 2:
Virtual Overlays
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LAX
JFK
Air Traffic Control
Packets
IP Network
Examples: MPLS, IPSec, OTV, ...
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VM
VM
VM
VM
Software
Software
VM
VM
Virtualized Server
Virtualized Server
Virtualized
Server
Software
VM
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VM
Examples: VXLAN, NVGRE, ...
VM
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MANAGING TWO NETWORKS...
Virtual Network
Internet / WAN
Physical Network
...creates
complexity
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WHY SDN?
SIMPLICITY
SPEED
PROGRAMMABILITY
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A NEW NETWORK MODEL IS CERTAINLY REQUIRED
TRADITIONAL
NETWORK MODEL
TODAY’S SDN
DATACENTER MODEL
FUTURE
OPEN MODEL
Network of Boxes
Software-Based
Network Virtualization
Application Centric
Infrastructure
Needs Agility and Time
to Applications
Lacks Scale, Visibility, Security
Open Source, Open APIs
Physical and Virtual
Policy and Automation
More Complexity
Disjointed Overlay and Underlay
Cisco Confidential
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Adoption
Server
Virtualization
Intel/AMD Virtualization
Support
Network
Virtualization
ACI-Enabled Hardware
True virtualization and abstraction requires hardware innovation
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ACI BUILDING BLOCKS
APPLICATION-CENTRIC INFRASTRUCTURE
NEXUS
9000 SERIES
APPLICATION POLICY
INFRASTRUCTURE
CONTROLLER
INDUSTRY LEADING
ECOSYSTEM
APIC
OPEN STANDARDS OPEN SOURCE
Cisco Confidential
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WHAT IS NETWORK CONTROL?
 the rest is path optimization
NO You can’t
YES You can talk about this:
{ subject*, L4 Ports, … }
A
 End point A can talk to end point B
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B
C
D
 End point C can’t talk to end point D
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THE ACI FABRIC
API
Policies
 Who can talk to whom
 What about
 Topology control
Performed by embedded policy enforcement agents (PEs)
Draw a software boundary around collection of switches to make a system
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MULTI-HYPERVISOR-READY FABRIC
Network
Admin
APIC
ACI Fabric
VLAN
VXLAN
ESX
VLAN
NVGRE
Hyper-V
VLAN
VXLAN
VLAN
KVM
PHYSICAL
SERVER
Application
Admin
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Hypervisor
Management
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SPOTLIGHT ON THREE GAME-CHANGING DIFFERENTIATORS
1
APPLICATION-CENTRIC
POLICY MODEL
• Operationally Simple
• Lowest TCO
• Zero-touch provisioning
Cisco Confidential
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PHYSICAL + VIRTUAL
• Health Metrics
• Visibility / Telemetry
• Troubleshooting
3
OPEN AND SECURE
• Open APIs / Open Source
• Advanced Security
• 3rd Party Integration
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www.cisco.com/go/aci
Cisco Confidential
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NEXUS 9000 INNOVATIONS
MERCHANT+ ASIC APPROACH
Innovation in Cisco ASICs
POWER
PORT
PROGRAMMABILITY
DENSITY
EFFICIENCY
JSON/XML
STATE
OF THEAPI
ART
20% HIGHER
PRICE
PERFORMANCE
COST
STRUCTURE
INDUSTRY
LEADING PRICE /
for
to 1/10GT
LINE1G
CARD
BANDWITH
and
40G
1.9210G
Tbpstoper
slot
migration
100G ready
50% less ASICS
Linux
Container
for
BACKPLANE
FREE
DESIGN
Non-blocking
Density
customer
15%
greater
apps
power
and cooling efficiency
NEXUS 9500
PRICE
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PERFORMANCE
PORT DENSITY
PROGRAMMABILITY
POWER EFFICIENCY
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