Cumulus content roundup: February

We’ve made it through the first month of the year, and the future of networking is looking bright — but is your data center ready for the brave new world? In this content roundup, we’re giving out the latest articles, videos and reports so you’re ready for 2018 and not left behind in twenty late-teen. There’s no time to waste! Get started on your data center upgrade today.

What’s new from Cumulus:

Cumulus Networks: What we do: Looking for an overview of who we are and what we’re working towards? We’ve got you covered. Watch this video for more information about our mission and our products, and share it with anyone else who wants to know what we’re all about.

Getting started with Linux: the basics – part 1: Everyone has to start their journey with Linux somewhere, so why not start here? This three part blog series about the basics of Linux networking teaches you everything you need. Check out part one to start learning the language of the data center.

Understanding Linux internetworking: Let’s say you’ve already got the hang of the basics of Linux. What’s the next step, and how can you take your Continue reading

Cumulus content roundup: January

Got a New Year’s resolution for a data center revolution? We’ve got your back! The Cumulus content roundup is here to make sure you start out 2018 on the right foot. With a variety of blog posts, videos and networking resources at your disposal, you’ll find that upgrading your networking knowledge is an easily achievable goal (and much easier than starting a diet or going to the gym). Don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone if you’ve already broken your resolution! It’s a time for new beginnings and looking to the future; let’s check out what’s in store.

Cumulus resources

Cumulus in the Cloud overview: What is Cumulus in the Cloud, and what can it do for you? In this video overview, let CTO JR Rivers walk you through the pre-built virtual data center and teach you all about the great Cumulus tech you can play with.

 
NCLU: Network Command Line Utility overview: There’s a new chapter in our how-to video series. This time, our highly qualified instructors will teach you the ins and outs of Cumulus Networks CLI, the Network Command Line Utility. Watch the tutorial to learn more.

 
Open networking drives forward with Cumulus Linux Continue reading

A Cumulus holiday special: unboxing the Facebook Backpack Chassis

Season’s greetings from Cumulus Networks! We wish you all the happiest of holidays and hope they lead into a fantastic new year.

But before we take off for our holiday break, we’ve got one more present for you — a Facebook Backpack Chassis! Well, a video of a Facebook Backpack Chassis. Pour yourself a mug of hot chocolate and prepare yourself for some laughs as we unwrap this exciting new addition to our data center. Check it out:

The post A Cumulus holiday special: unboxing the Facebook Backpack Chassis appeared first on Cumulus Networks Blog.

Web-scale data: Are you letting stability outweigh innovation?

At Cumulus Networks, we’re dedicated to listening to feedback about what people want from their data centers and developing products and functionality that the industry really needs. As a result, in early 2017, we launched a survey all about trends in data center and web-scale networking to get a better understanding of what the landscape looks like. With over 130 respondents from various organizations and locations across the world, we acquired some pretty interesting data. This blog post will take you through a little teaser of what we discovered (although if you just can’t wait to read the whole thing, you can check out the full report here) and a brief analysis of what this data means. So, what exactly are people looking for in their data centers this coming year? Let’s look over some of our most fascinating findings.

What initiatives are organizations most invested in?

There are a lot of exciting ways to optimize a data center, but what major issues are companies most concerned with? Well, according to the data we acquired, cost-effective scalability is the most pressing matter on organizations’ minds. Improved security follows behind at a close second, as we can tell from the Continue reading

Cumulus content roundup: December

It’s the most wonderful time of the year — that’s right, it’s time for another Cumulus content roundup! We’ve wrapped up all of the best content in a neat little package just for you. (Think of it as an early holiday gift!) Whether you’re interested in centralized configuration or just trying to learn the basics of Linux, this roundup is your roadmap for what’s in this season. The latest articles, videos, industry reports and more are at your fingertips, so get cozy by the fireplace and check out what’s new in open networking trends.

Cumulus content

Linux Networking 101 guide: Searching for an easy, comprehensive guide to Linux networking? Look no further! Download this ebook and start learning the language of the data center.

Forrester’s 2017 Vendor Landscape Report: This report will take you through the characteristics of a network that’s built for the future and help you navigate the vendor ecosystem. Read on to see if your data center is ready for 2018.

Gartner report: How open is your network vendor?: Many vendors claim to have open solutions, but which ones can support those claims? Check out this report to learn the five questions you Continue reading

Cumulus community: giving back and giving thanks

It’s that time of year when people start to get a little sentimental. The seasons change, the new year starts to hurriedly approach, and it makes you want to think about all of the things you’re grateful for. And like a contagious laugh, it looks like some of us here at Cumulus have caught those feelings. We’ve got a lot to give thanks for, so let’s take a moment to reflect on the year so far and all the bounty it’s brought us. Here are some of the things Cumulus Networks is thankful for:

Our company’s continued growth

It’s been an eventful year for Cumulus as we’ve continued to push the boundaries of web-scale networking. So when we receive recognition for our hard work and vision, it means the world to us. This July, we were incredibly grateful to be included in Gartner’s 2017 Magic Quadrant for Data Center Networking in the “visionary” category. Creating a culture of visionaries is incredibly important to us, and it’s great to hear that other people are catching on as well. But the celebration doesn’t stop there. In addition to being recognized for our vision, we were also honored for our innovation this year. Continue reading

How to gauge your network’s openness

So, you’ve done your research, learned about the many benefits of open networking, and decided you’re interested in building an open network. Congratulations, and welcome to the future of networking! You’ve made a great first step, but maybe you’re concerned about where to begin when it comes to vendors. A lot of network providers will claim that they have open solutions…but how can you be sure you’re choosing the best one? Or how can you determine if your vendor is truly an open solution? Fortunately, there are ways to gauge if your solution is as open as you need it to be. If you don’t want to get duped by phony open vendors, make sure to keep these three things in mind:

The definition of “open networking” is not set in stone

While there are common criteria and ideologies that tend to be associated with open networks, the definition of open networking is still very fluid and can mean different things to different vendors. So, when you’re trying to decide which vendor to go with, don’t let them off easy with simple answers. Ask specific questions about what exactly “open” means to them. Simplicity, flexibility, and modularity are Continue reading

Cumulus content roundup: November

Saddle-up and get ready to ride — the Cumulus content roundup is back to take you on a journey through the best in industry news! It’s been a great month for innovation and forward-thinking, here at Cumulus Networks and beyond. From clouds to chassis to microservices, we’ve got the latest in data center networking trends covered. Check out what’s going on, and let us know what you think!

The best from Cumulus:

Private vs. public cloud white paper: Trying to decide which cloud is best for your organization? This white paper weighs the costs and benefits of private, public, and hybrid clouds for you. Read more so you can pick the perfect cloud.

Cumulus Networks inducted into JPMorgan Chase Hall of Innovation: We are humbled and honored to announce that Cumulus Networks has been inducted into the JPMorgan Chase Hall of Innovation. Read this blog to see what it takes to be an innovator.

Technical video and demo: NetQ: This video is perfect for anyone searching for a technical breakdown and demonstration of NetQ’s immense capabilities. Watch here, and see the awesome power of NetQ for yourself.

Choosing your chassis: This blog post provides an up-close Continue reading

3 must-attend events at OpenStack Summit Sydney

OpenStack Summit Sydney is just around the corner, and Cumulus Networks wouldn’t miss it for the world! We’ll be there at our booth, doing daily contests and raffles, so make sure to stop by. If you’re lucky, you might walk away with a 6 pack of Linux Lager. But of course, you don’t need beer to have fun at OpenStack — there’s so much to keep you busy and fired up! With so many amazing panels and presentations, it’s hard to pick and choose which events to attend. Fortunately, we’ve done the research and picked out the top 3 must-attend activities. If you’re going to be at OpenStack in Sydney next week, make sure to check these out:

1. 1-on-1 OpenStack demo: Eager to get hands-on with everything OpenStack has to offer? Then you should sign up for a live demo with Cumulus Networks! We will first be doing a theater session at 4:00 PM on Monday at the Marketplace Demo Theater Level 2, where CTO JR Rivers will give insight as to how production deployments are leveraging IP fabrics and OpenStack networking to simplify operations and deliver services at scale. But of course, nothing beats seeing the tech up-close and Continue reading

5 Reasons to buy NetQ

It’s becoming clear that web-scale networking is the future of networking, and companies need the technology in order to remain competitive against cloud giants like Amazon. So, how do organizations looking to move on from traditional networking start to get their feet wet and bring web-scale efficiencies like automation and scalability to their operations?

That’s where NetQ steps in to save the day. NetQ is a telemetry-based fabric validation system that enables organizations to deploy & operate data center networks with the speed and agility of web-scale giants. Where network configuration used to be slow, require manual intervention, and cause network downtime, NetQ automates configuration and ensures that your network is behaving as intended. It’s preventative, proactive, and diagnostic, and should be the next product you incorporate into your data center.

Here are the top five benefits of NetQ:

1. Save money and reduce downtime: Having a traditional, non automated system means that whenever there’s far more room for manual error. This leads to increased downtime, which costs businesses a lot of money. In fact, hourly downtime can cost up to $1 million or even $5 million! NetQ, however, is a preventative system that validates network behavior on a per-pod Continue reading

NetDevOps: what does it even mean?

Move over “selfie” — “NetDevOps” is the hottest buzzword that everybody is talking about! It’s so popular that the term even has its own hashtag on Twitter. But when you take the word out of social media, does anyone really know what it means? Or how this perfect portmanteau can revolutionize your data center? Let’s take a moment to discuss what NetDevOps really is all about. In this post, we’ll go over the definition, the best practices, and the tech that best incorporates NetDevOps. Now, when you see #NetDevOps appear on your feed, you can tweet it out with confidence.

What does it all mean?

If you understand the basic principles of DevOps, then congratulations! You’re two-thirds of the way to grasping the concept of NetDevOps. For the uninitiated, DevOps embraces the ideology of interoperability and communication between the development and operations teams in order to break down silos and create better products. The movement also encourages automation and monitoring in order to increase efficiency and reduce error.

DevOps is certainly a great movement, but like the VCR and the DVD player, something new came along and improved upon it. This is where NetDevOps comes in. So, what exactly is Continue reading

Cumulus content roundup: October

Welcome back to the Cumulus content roundup! This month, we think it’s time to get our hands dirty and play around with the latest technology. From video tutorials to how-to blogs to thought-provoking articles, this issue brings together all the resources you need to start experimenting with new configurations, networking practices and more. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get off of the couch (or stay on the couch, if that’s where you work) and start upgrading that datacenter!

What’s new from Cumulus:

Web-scale networking how-to videos: This month, we launched a series of how-to videos to show you the ropes of web-scale networking. What’s the difference between configuring an IP address with Cisco or Cumulus Linux? How do I automate my datacenter? Watch our tutorials to answer these questions!

Cumulus Express — proof that our customers’ success is our success: Announcing Cumulus Express has done great things for Cumulus Networks, but the greatest asset we have is listening to our customers. Read on to see how paying attention to what people want returns the best rewards.

Contain yourself! Best practices for container networking: This webinar covers everything that you need to know about container architecture, the challenges they Continue reading

Why it pays to spend more on premium people

To spend, or not to spend — that is the question. Whether it’s wiser to invest in the latest and most-hyped hardware and suffer the great misfortune of mediocre talent, or to take the hit and invest in greater minds, and thus end troubles. We can wax poetic for much longer on the many dilemmas that accompany partitioning a budget, but we think our time is better spent providing an actual solution. The reality is that too much of funding is spent on hardware, and not enough is spent on investing in the people who make the technology mean something. In this blog post, we’ll help you understand the benefits of investing more money in employees, and then show you how you can reduce your TCO so that you can stop overspending on hardware and start investing in premium people.

What are the benefits of investing in people?

It pays to invest in people who can really make your company great. In fact, failing to properly invest in your hires can actually cost your company. A study in 2013 showed that seventy percent of American workers were actively disengaged at their job, which cost businesses more than $450 million. So, Continue reading

Announcing our new how-to video series!

Class is in session! This week, we are excited to announce that the new networking how-to video series is live on the Cumulus Networks website. Join our highly-qualified instructors as they school you on everything you need to know about web-scale networking. No backpack or homework required — learn everything you need from the comfort of your couch.

So, what’s on the syllabus for web-scale 101? Our goals this semester are to make open networking accessible to everyone, to teach the basics and beyond of Linux, and to demonstrate exactly what you gain from leaving behind traditional networking. Are you confused by configurations? Or have you ever wondered what APT stands for? Our instructors will answer all of your questions. After watching these how-to video tutorials, you’ll be a web-scale scholar!

These video tutorials cover topics such as:

• Configuring trunks and access ports
• How Linux networking differs from traditional networking
• Automating your data center
• …And much more!

What’s the difference between configuring IP addresses with Juniper or Cumulus Linux? We’ll let you decide that for yourself. Head over to our how-to video page and begin your educational journey. No need to worry about tuition — this priceless educational experience is Continue reading

Cumulus content roundup: September

The Cumulus content roundup is back! This month, we’ve journeyed to the far-reaches of the Internet to bring you the best articles, blog posts, and videos about network automation trends. Now, the latest news about containers, clouds and configurations is a click away. Wondering what the CNCF is up to? Or are you more interested in bringing connectivity and visibility to your network? Read on to satiate your curiosities and find the answers to your burning questions. Then, let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Cumulus’ current content

Introduction to Host Pack: Are you searching for software essentials that remove the difficulties of container networking while also bringing visibility and connectivity to the entire stack? Then Host Pack is the product for you! Watch this video to learn about what Host Pack can do for you.

What is FRRouting?: FRRouting (FRR) is the open source software that makes Host Pack’s connectivity so revolutionary. This page goes into deeper, more technical detail about how FRR was developed and how it is used in Cumulus Networks’ Host Pack. Read about FRR here.

NetDevOps: important idempotence: What exactly is idempotence, and what does it have to do with Continue reading

Cumulus content roundup: August

It’s time for another Cumulus content roundup! To bring you some of our favorite think-pieces about open source networking trends, both from our website and around the Internet, we’ve wrangled all the links into one convenient spot. From virtual network optimization to private clouds to hyperscale data centers, we’ve got all of the best topics covered. Take a look at these exciting new developments, and let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Cumulus Networks’ latest and greatest

Private cloud vs. public cloud: If you’re getting ready for a data center refresh or thinking about moving to a private cloud, this article is for you. We break down the major differences, benefits and use cases between each type of cloud environment, giving you the information you need to make the right choice for your organization. Read on and find out if it’s time for you to switch to a private cloud.

Monash University video: How did Cumulus Networks manage to migrate Monash University’s entire data center in just two weeks? Senior Consulting Engineer Eric Pulvino breaks it down for you and explains how Cumulus was able to do the impossible. Watch the video to learn more.

Continue reading

Announcing the ultimate BGP how-to guide

The Border Gateway Protocol has become the most popular routing protocol in the data center. But for all its popularity, some consider BGP to be too complicated. Despite its maturity and sophistication, many network operators and data center administrators won’t go anywhere near it. If only there were an equally sophisticated BGP guide to solve this problem…

Fortunately, your prayers to the data center gods have been answered. We at Cumulus are incredibly proud of our Chief Scientist, Dinesh Dutt, who has added the title of “published author” to his impressive repertoire with the publication of the ebook BGP in the Data Center. This handy BGP how-to guide, published by O’Reilly Media, is the ideal companion for anyone looking to better understand the Border Gateway Protocol and its place in the data center. It’s perfect for any network operators and engineers that want to become masters of this protocol, regardless of their base level of familiarity with BGP.

In this ebook, Dinesh covers BGP operations and enhancements to simplify its use in order to help readers truly appreciate the elegance and ultimate simplicity of BGP.

This guide covers topics such as:

• How the BGP theory of operations works for the Continue reading