Why Does It Take So Long to Upgrade Network Devices?

One of my readers sent me a question about his favorite annoyance:

During my long practice, I’ve never seen an Enterprise successfully managing the network device software upgrade/patching cycles. It seems like nothing changed in the last 20 years - despite technical progress, in still takes years (not months) to refresh software in your network.

There are two aspects to this:

Network Automation Engineer Persona: Proof-of-concepts

If you’ve chosen to do a proof-of-concept (PoC), you should already know what the challenge or requirement is, what your satisfactory results look like and what the product or tool set is that will deliver on your commitment. A proof-of-concept is a recipe that should give you a well baked set of results.

Approaching a PoC

Approaching a PoC is a conscious decision to trial an idea that if successful, your business will put in to daily production to satisfy one or more business requirements.

So why aren’t the results more apparent in our day to day lives? Why do we not see these decision points more transparently?

Some people approach PoCs as a tyre kicking exercise, or a means to get a vendor to commit to them and then use as leverage against cost. If you’re just playing, you’re wasting time. If you’re tyre kicking then be prepared for lack of commitment or interest in the future from individuals or organisations. Genuine PoCs and evaluations are a normal and acceptable part of business, so the responses are different from those assisting with PoCs.

Approach a PoC with clear intent and understanding of the challenge that faces you. You must Continue reading

Worth Reading: Classifying Route Leaks

Did you know there’s an RFC describing typical BGP route leaks? I didn’t until I stumbled upon this blog post.

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

Cisco Wireless Solution : Local Mode Vs Flex Connect

Today I will talk about the Wireless deployment modes and will discuss which and why to use that deployment mode in the your wireless network. 


Wireless Deployment :Local Mode

In local mode, an AP creates two CAPWAP tunnels to the WLC.  One is for management, the other is data traffic.  This behaviour is known as "centrally switched" because the data traffic is switched(bridged) from the AP to the controller where it is then routed by some routing device.

Locally switched means the traffic is terminated at the local switch adjacent to the access point. 

Fig 1.1- Local Mode behind Mesh Network

Its a good idea if you have traffic that the client is sending to the local site rather than it going via the controller and travelling over the WAN link twice say for file or print services

Wireless Deployment : Flex Mode

Flex Connect also known as HREAP by the old timers, allows data traffic to be switched locally and not go back to the controller.  It basically causes the AP to behave like an autonomous AP, but be managed by the WLC.  In this mode, the AP can still function even Continue reading

Software Defined Networking : Introduction to VeloCloud SD-WAN Solution

Arista vEOS Vagrant Libvirt Box Install

Arista vEOS Vagrant Libvirt Box Install

Accenture, Pivotal Spin Up Cloud Migration Business Group

Two Accenture Pivotal Business Group sites, in Columbus, Ohio, and New York City, will open by the end of the year.

Chef and Puppet Throw DevOps Features at AWS OpsWorks Platforms

Chef and Puppet both trail Red Hat Ansible as DevOps tool of choice.

Securing the Multi-Cloud: It’s Harder Than It Looks

Enterprises must realize the advantages of the cloud without introducing new risk.

Korean Corner

Broadcom Finally Closes $5.9B Brocade Deal

Arris expects to close on Ruckus Wireless after the CFIUS review ends.

SDxCentral’s Weekly Roundup — November 17, 2017

Cisco throws $1B at smart cities; Ericsson files first 5G patent; AT&T gears up for the Super Bowl.

Weekend Reading: 2017-11-17

There’s an “automation meteor” headed right at us, according to financial adviser and Reformed Broker blogger Josh Brown, who used this troubling “chart o’ the day” from Wharton to show just “how quickly things have changed” over the past decade. And how they’re going to keep on changing. — Sean Langlios @ MarketWatch

Andrew Ng, formerly the head of AI for Chinese search giant Baidu and, before that, creator of Google’s deep-learning Brain project, knows as well as anyone that artificial intelligence is coming for plenty of jobs. And many of us don’t even know it. — Racel Metz @ MIT Technology Review

Cloudflare provides security and domain name services for millions of the most prominent sites on the web. The company has built a solid reputation for its secure encryption and one of the key factors in its system is a wall of 100 lava lamps in the lobby of its San Francisco headquarters. — Rhett Jones @ gizmodo

Red Hat Hugs AWS with Latest OpenShift Container Platform Release

Tighter Microsoft Azure integration is expected early next year.

Predictions As A Service

It’s getting close to the end of the year and it’s time once again for the yearly December flood of posts that will be predicting what’s coming in 2018. Long time readers of my blog know that I don’t do these kinds of posts. My New Year’s Day posts are almost always introspective in nature and forward looking from my own personal perspective. But I also get asked quite a bit to contribute to other posts about the future. And I wanted to tell you why I think the prediction business is a house of cards built on quicksand.

The Layups

It’s far too tempting in the prediction business to play it safe. Absent a ton of research, it’s just easier to play it safe with some not-so-bold predictions. For instance, here’s what I could say about 2018 right now:

• Whitebox switching will grow in revenue.
• Software will continue to transform networking.
• Cisco is going to buy companies.

Those are 100% true. Even without having spent one day in 2018. They’re also things I didn’t need to tell you at all. You already knew them. They’re almost common sense at this point. If I needed to point out that Cisco Continue reading

What do John Chambers and crickets have in common? The IoT

Earlier this year, Cisco announced the man who turned it from a small router company into the world’s dominant network vendor, John Chambers, was exiting his post as executive chairman of the board and it turned the mothership fully over to Chuck Robbins. This raised the question: What has Chambers been up to? Retired?Also on Network World: IoT catches on in New England fishing town Hardly. I met with Chambers near the end of his tenure as CEO, and he most emphatically stated he was not retiring. There are many things I admire about Chambers, but two of his more notable attributes are that he has a knack of catching market transitions and he has a burning desire to change the world. In fact, under Chambers, Cisco put together perhaps the best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program in the industry, and that legacy has carried over in the Chuck Robbins era.To read this article in full, please click here

Show 366: Inside Cisco EVPN (Sponsored)

ISOC hosts successful inaugural Indigenous Connectivity Summit

If U.S. Senator of New Mexico Tom Udall’s call that “we must do better” to ensure connectivity in Indigenous communities set the tone, delegates of the Indigenous Connectivity Summit (ICS) in Santa Fe this month left with little doubt in our ability to do so.

Whether it’s a pueblo at the top of a mountain or a fly-in region in the Arctic, Internet access in many Indigenous communities is characterized by high costs, low speeds, data caps and poor or non-existent service.

At the Internet Society, we work to make sure the Internet is open and accessible to everyone, everywhere. The ICS was the first event of its kind to focus on ensuring Alaska Native, American Indian, First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities have access to affordable, high-quality and sustainable Internet access. We heard from several Indigenous community network operators in North America and abroad about their experiences and the impact it’s had on their communities.

Perhaps the most resonant and inspiring message at the ICS was the potential of Indigenous community networks to provide access where commercial networks do not reach or serve, or areas where they may not be economically viable to operate. Speakers shared success stories Continue reading