Open networking drives forward with Cumulus Linux 3.5
‘Tis the season for spreading holiday cheer! As mentioned a few weeks ago, we at Cumulus feel so thankful for all the great success in 2017. Our focus and stated goal has been to disrupt and transform the future of networking. We are pioneering a new generation of hyper-scale, automated and open networks designed to drive network agility in an era of digital transformation.
As 2017 comes to a close, we know many of you are excited to celebrate the holidays. We’d like to give you even more to cheer for this season by announcing a few exciting enhancements to Cumulus Linux with our 3.5 release — all designed to help you create an agile, open network that gives you the web-scale benefits of automation, interoperability, cost savings and choice.
In our new release of Cumulus Linux 3.5, we bring you the following open networking benefits:
The industry’s most comprehensive VXLAN routing suite
Most legacy vendors offer either asymmetric routing or symmetric routing. For comparison, Cisco and Arista implement their VXLAN routing solution using symmetric mode. Juniper implements its VXLAN routing solution using asymmetric mode and some symmetric. With these different routing solutions, these vendor switches can’t operate Continue reading
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
Top benefits of using Linux in the modern enterprise
Let’s be honest. There are many enterprise data centers (and data center admins) who aren’t crazy about Linux. But most of that opposition comes from simply not understanding the benefits of Linux and not experiencing Linux hands-on. Fortunately, we’ve got a comprehensive guide to everything Linux that you can use to get familiar with the basics. Once you start testing out Linux for yourself and getting comfortable with it, I think you’ll find that Linux is the best operating system available today.
So what are the benefits, in general, of using Linux? Some of these benefits include:
- Consistent operating model. No matter what version or distribution of Linux you use, whether you’re on a supercomputer or a tiny embedded device, the general operation of Linux is the same no matter where you go. What this means is that, with some exceptions, the command line syntax is similar, process management is similar, basic network administration is similar, and applications can be (relatively) easily ported between distributions. The end result of this consistent operating model is a cost savings generated by greater staff efficiency and flexibility.
- Scalability. Linux is eminently scalable and is able to run on everything from wristwatches to supercomputers 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
VXLAN designs: 3 ways to consider routing and gateway design (part 1)
With VXLAN design, the easiest thing to overlook is how communication occurs between subnets. I think many times, network engineers take for granted that our traffic will flow in a VXLAN environment. And it’s also easy to get confused when trying to figure out traffic routing path between your overlay and underlay.
As I work with customers in designing VXLAN infrastructures, one of the first questions I always ask is: “Where do you expect the gateway of the servers?”
This always leads to one of three designs, which I will outline over the next two posts. Before we start, know that all these designs leverage BGP EVPN. Ethernet Virtual Private Networks (EVPN) are an address family within BGP that are used to exchange VXLAN related information. This blog won’t go into detail about EVPN, but we have previous blogs to help fill in the gap.
With that said, let’s get started with the first VXLAN design example.
The first case is the simplest environment, and that is the gateway on an internet edge service. In this case, the VXLAN acts as a strict L2 overlay, and the L3 routed BGP underlay is hidden from the end hosts and servers.
NetDevOpEd: The right tool for the right job
I’ve been traveling to northern Europe these past few months to meet with various customers, deliver onsite trainings and speak at meetups. I’ve noticed some common themes that crop up no matter with whom I speak. IT professionals are exhausted by the complexity required to manage and maintain their infrastructure. Somehow, networking and server interconnectivity has become this unmanageable complex mess over the past 20 years. And I don’t blame them. As networking has layered on more and more solutions, it becomes hard to separate out the complexity from the deployment.
Normally when I have these conversations, I start at the most basic levels. I focus on two topics that create the most grief for the vast majority of networks:
- Layer 1 cabling issues
- Typos and misconfigurations
The reason I start there is because resolving these two issues in the data center would eradicate over 90% of all issues that cause late maintenance windows and urgent midnight troubleshooting calls.
At Cumulus Networks, we resolve these issues by rethinking what it means to configure a network device. The most effective solution to both of these issues is simplification of configuration. Because we focus on integration and solution first, we are able 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
OpenStack and CITC – Creating and learning about OpenStack networking
Part 1 – Examining the existing network
In my previous post, I was playing around with Cumulus in the Cloud (CITC) and how it was integrated with OpenStack. Now that I was playing with OpenStack in CITC, I wanted to dive deeper into the networking specific technology.
In this blog post I will be discussing how I leveraged a flat network to initially create simple instance deployments. Then I’ll dive more deeply into how I created a VXLAN network for my OpenStack instances to create more scalable east-west communication. In the previous post I used the CITC console as my primary interface for configuration. This time I will be using an SSH client and the direct SSH information, as the outputs I’m gathering have wider width that is easier to obtain via an SSH client.
To do so, I just clicked the SSH access button on the right hand side of the GUI. This provided me with the username, password and IP address that would allow me to use my own SSH client to connect to the CITC infrastructure.
For the uninitiated, here is a great intro doc into OpenStack networking. In addition, my colleague Eric Pulvino pointed me Continue reading
5 ways to design your container network
There’s been a lot of talk about container networking in the industry lately (heck, we can’t even stop talking about it). And it’s for a good reason. Containers offer a fantastic way to develop and manage microservices and distributed applications easily and efficiently. In fact, that’s one of the reasons we launched Host Pack — to make container networking even simpler. Between Host Pack and NetQ, you can get fabric-wide connectivity and visibility from server to switch.
There are a variety of ways you can deploy a container network using Host Pack and Cumulus Linux, and we have documented some of them in several Validated Design Guides discussed below. Wondering which deployment method is right for your business? This blog post is for you.
Docker Swarm with Host Pack
Overview: The Docker Swarm with Host pack solution uses the connectivity module within Host Pack, Free Range Routing (FRR) in a container. The FRR container runs on the servers and uses BGP unnumbered for Layer 3 connectivity, enabling the hosts to participate in the routing fabric. We use Docker Swarm as the container orchestration tool for simplicity.
Choose this deployment if:
- You’re looking for the easiest and simplest container 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
NetDevOpEd: The power of network verification
Microsoft just published information on their internal tool called “CrystalNet” which Microsoft defines as “a high-fidelity, cloud-scale network emulator in daily use at Microsoft. We built CrystalNet to help our engineers in their quest to improve the overall reliability of our networking infrastructure.” You can read more about their tool in this detailed ACM Paper. But what I want to talk about is how this amazing technology is accessible to you, at any organization, right now, with network verification using Cumulus VX.
What Microsoft has accomplished is truly amazing. They can simulate their network environment and prevent nearly 70% of the network issues they experienced in a two-year period. They have the ability to spin up hundreds of nodes with the exact same configurations and protocols they run in production. Then applying network tests, they verify if proposed changes will have negative impact on applications and services. This work took the team of Microsoft researchers over two years to develop. It’s really quite the feat!
What I find exciting about this is it validates exactly what we at Cumulus have been preaching for the last two years as well. The ability to make a 1:1 mirror of Continue reading
Cumulus Linux + Voyager — Bringing cost-effective scalability to internet infrastructure
We’re thrilled to announce that Facebook has partnered with Cumulus Networks to bring you the industry’s first open optical routing platform loaded with Cumulus Linux. That’s right, Cumulus Networks is branching into some exciting new territory (a new voyage… if you will). We couldn’t be more honored and excited to work closely with Facebook to bring scalability and cost-effective hardware and software to the optical space — an industry that is growing rapidly.
Bandwidth for Internet services is becoming a more tangible challenge every single day, but the current proprietary solutions are too expensive and do not scale. As Facebook explained, “the highest-performing ‘bandwidth and reach’ are still fiber-based technologies — in particular, switching, routing, and transport DWDM technologies.” With the popularity of services that require a lot of bandwidth, like VR and video, there has become a critical need for better backhaul infrastructure that is cost-effective and scalable and supports high-performing wireless connectivity. The issue becomes even more critical when considering a variety of geographic conditions. For instance, rural regions need long backhaul pipes, which is cost-prohibitive.
That’s where Voyager comes in. Voyager was designed to bring the Internet to everyone — from dense urban locations to remote Continue reading
OpenStack now featured in Cumulus in the Cloud
First of all, we’re thrilled to announce that today we launched OpenStack with Cumulus in the Cloud. That means that you can now test out Cumulus Networks technology with an OpenStack environment easily and at zero cost to you.
I’ve written previously about Cumulus In The Cloud (CitC) when we first released it a month ago with Mesos as the initial release flavor. Since then, JR Rivers and his team have been diligently working on adding additional flavors to the CitC offering. I could not have been happier to hear the good news that they had integrated an OpenStack solution with the cloud testing framework.
I immediately launched my own free instance of Cumulus in the Cloud using the standard steps. I was greeted with a new option where I could pick the flavor of CitC I wanted to initiate:
Since I had already experimented with Mesos, I was eager to tinker with OpenStack to better learn this technology.
To be upfront, I am not an OpenStack expert. I have been diligently learning it over the past six months ever since a majority of my customer engagements have involved private cloud deployments leading with OpenStack. As a network engineer first, 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-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
Cumulus Networks inducted into JPMorgan Chase Hall of Innovation
Roll out the red carpet and get your acceptance speech ready — no, Rocket Turtle hasn’t won an Oscar (yet), but we do have some exciting news. Cumulus Networks is happy to announce that we have been inducted into the JPMorgan Chase Hall of Innovation, which recognizes select emerging tech companies for their innovation, business value and disruptive nature. The Hall of Innovation Award was presented at the 9th Annual J.P. Morgan Technology Innovation Symposium in Menlo Park, California.
Cumulus Networks has received this honor after providing JPMorgan Chase with our NOS Cumulus Linux. In fact, Cumulus Networks is currently the networking standard for Gaia, JPMorgan Chase’s private cloud, and is also pursuing other use cases within the firm. Matthew Liste, Head of Cloud Engineering, stated that “Cumulus Networks has helped the firm reduce capital expenditures, optimize data center network costs, and bring infrastructure to the market faster.” That’s the power of web-scale networking!
When asked for comment about our partnership with JPMorgan Chase, our fearless leader and CEO Josh Leslie had this to say: “For a company with the size and reputation of JPMorgan Chase, it is critical that the network operates with efficiency to keep the Continue reading
Top 10 reasons why moving to private cloud isn’t as scary as you think
It’s late October now, which means Halloween (and our upcoming themed webinar, which you can register for here) is right around the corner. This time of year reminds people of lots of scary things such as goblins, zombies, witches and other monsters that go bump in the night. While these creatures aren’t real (at least not for the other 364 days of the year), one very real thing that often gives IT and business leaders nightmares is moving to a private cloud. Today, businesses are moving to the cloud faster than a ring wraith in pursuit of Frodo Baggins. Move too slow and the business will fall behind and perhaps never catch up.
The private versus public cloud debate has raged on for well over a decade and CIOs want to ensure that they’re making the best decision. However, deploying a private cloud only seems scary to some because they’re not aware of the benefits of private clouds. A private cloud delivers the same scale and self-service benefits as a public cloud but does so with a modernized architecture designed for a single enterprise. If that’s not enough to convince you, then check out these 10 reasons why the Continue reading
NetDevOpEd: an engineer’s response to traditional solutions
I was out at Gartner Catalyst in London in September, speaking to IT professionals about their data center deployments. It was an enjoyable time engaging actively with other like-minded technical individuals that were interested in leveraging the boundaries of their technologies to drive greater business efficiencies and competitiveness.
The common theme across all the attendees I spoke to was the urge for containerization, flexibility of design and rapid deployment. These IT professionals were being tasked with reacting faster, and building more rapidly scalable environment. For their server and application needs, they all had turned to open solutions in Linux, leveraging operating systems such as Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Centos, Ubuntu, and orchestration tools such as Mesos and Docker Swarm to control Docker containers. The common point I saw was that all the compute infrastructure relied on open solutions that allowed for greater simplicity without sacrificing flexibility.
I would then ask these same IT professionals: “what do you use in for network infrastructure in these data centers?”
Universally, the response would come back: “Cisco” or “Arista” or “Juniper.”
I would push them: “Why?”
“Because it’s what we’ve always done.”
“It’s all we know.”
“No one ever 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:
- 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