Coffee Break – Show 4
This week Andrew & Greg are joined Howard Marks whose abundance of commentary leads to a surfeit of opinions on the lack of anything happening at Mobile World Congress. Show Notes MWC – Wearable computing on the rise? Netflix and Comcast: Is this the first Network Neutrality domino to fall? Frontier customer complaints drop nearly […]
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The post Coffee Break – Show 4 appeared first on Packet Pushers Podcast and was written by Greg Ferro.
Coffee Break – Show 4
[player] This week Andrew & Greg are joined Howard Marks whose abundance of commentary leads to a surfeit of opinions on the lack of anything happening at Mobile World Congress. Show Notes MWC – Wearable computing on the rise? Netflix and Comcast: Is this the first Network Neutrality domino to fall? Frontier customer complaints drop […]
The post Coffee Break – Show 4 appeared first on Packet Pushers.
Coffee Break – Show 4
[player] This week Andrew & Greg are joined Howard Marks whose abundance of commentary leads to a surfeit of opinions on the lack of anything happening at Mobile World Congress. Show Notes MWC – Wearable computing on the rise? Netflix and Comcast: Is this the first Network Neutrality domino to fall? Frontier customer complaints drop... Read more »Network Syntax Highlighting in Sublime Text
Never look at Cisco configs the same way again, try syntax highlighting just as if you were writing C++ or Python or any other programming language...[[ Summary content only, you can read everything now, just visit the site for full story ]]
Network Syntax Highlighting in Sublime Text
Sublime Text 2/3 Syntax Definition for Cisco / Junos router/switch/firewall configurations. This package will highlight Cisco configuration and commands within Sublime Text 2/3. This package contains...[[ Summary content only, you can read everything now, just visit the site for full story ]]
INTER-AS VPNs and Carrier Supporting Carrier (CSC) Part-2
In the first article of this series I mentioned from Inter AS VPN Option A only. This article will be about Option B , C and Carrier Supporting Carrier VPNs. I assume from the readers basic knowledge of these VPNs.Only design points will be highlighted here since my intended audiences are the network designers and […]
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The post INTER-AS VPNs and Carrier Supporting Carrier (CSC) Part-2 appeared first on Packet Pushers Podcast and was written by Orhan Ergun.
What’s the difference between SDN, NV, and NFV?
As many of you know, or newcomers to IT see, we love our acronyms. For whatever reason, IT is littered with two, three or four letter acronyms. SDN seems to have accelerated this phenomenon. As this title suggests I will describe SDN, NV and NFV in this blog. All of them in our opinion (at Pica8) are software driven schemes that will forever change the way we think about service and application delivery. Each is a different approach to network programmability. Let’s look into the latest acronyms.
Network Virtualization (NV)
NV is for anybody who’s using virtual machine technology. One data center challenge is to move VMs across different logical domains. NV attacks this problem. NV creates logical segments in an existing network by dividing the network at the flow level (similar to partitioning a hard drive). The goal is to allow people to move VMs independently of their existing infrastructure and not have to reconfigure the network.
NV is an overlay. Rather than physically connecting two domains in a network, NV creates a tunnel through the existing network to connect two domains. NV saves administrators from having to physically wire up each new domain Continue reading
Utilizing LLDP instead of CDP
In the last years, many vendors of network devices made available in the market equipments with interesting prices and quality that ended transforming the network environment of companies on a scenario that share different models and devices. Despite the fact that there is a seducing cost, unfortunately some property protocols (despite being interesting) create a barrier of integration among many services or replacement of Switches, Routers,etc.
In order to mapping and discovering neighbor devices in a network with controlled environment and with IP telephony, the Cisco suggest the CDP utilization, but unfortunately the protocol is property of Cisco, limiting its utilization with other models and equipment.
The LLDP protocol is an open standard to discovery devices that are neighbors, with similarly as CDP, including the utilization of features for the VLAN voice.
With the tests below, we activate the LLDP in a Cisco 3750 Switch and a HPN 12500 Switch.
Configuring
Cisco3750(config)# lldp run !Run LLDP on Cisco Switch [HPN12K] lldp enable ! Run LLDP on HP Comware-based Switch
To visualize the mapping of neighbors with Cisco we can use:
Cisco3750#show lldp neighbors
Capability codes:
(R) Router, (B) Bridge, (T) Telephone, (C) DOCSIS Cable Device
(W) WLAN Access Point, (P) Continue reading
Installing KVM, Libvirt and Open vSwitch on Fedora
In my NetOps to DevOps Training Plan I mentioned installing KVM, Libvirt and Open vSwitch. I did this a few weeks ago and documented it to produce this tutorial. My motivation was to replace my VMware environment at home with something Open Source. I am also a strong believer in "eat your own dog food" and as a lot of the work I am doing in the Open Source community centers around these 3 technologies, I should get used to using them every day...
Prerequsites
Before we get started, I'll assume that you already have a Fedora Minimal Installation that you are ready to work on...
Installing the packages
sudo yum install -y @standard @virtualization openvswitch
That was easy wasn't it!
@standard installs some useful utilities and @virtualization installs libvirt + KVM
I'm sure you can guess what openvswitch does.
Configuration
Now here comes the fun part!
Configure the services
# Disable NetworkManager
sudo systemctl stop NetworkManager.service
sudo systemctl disable NetworkManager.service
# Enable "Proper" Networking
sudo systemctl enable network.service
sudo systemctl start network.service
# Enable the Open vSwitch service
sudo systemctl enable openvswitch.service
sudo systemctl start openvswitch.service
Setting up Networking with Open vSwitch
Our Continue reading
Installing KVM, Libvirt and Open vSwitch on Fedora
In my NetOps to DevOps Training Plan I mentioned installing KVM, Libvirt and Open vSwitch. I did this a few weeks ago and documented it to produce this tutorial. My motivation was to replace my VMware environment at home with something Open Source. I am also a strong believer in "eat your own dog food" and as a lot of the work I am doing in the Open Source community centers around these 3 technologies, I should get used to using them every day...
Setting Up Overlays on Open vSwitch
Most “SDN” solutions involve overlays or at the least HW overlay gateways/ToR of some type. Some sell overlays terminating in hardware, others sell overlays terminating in the server. The encaps include standards like GRE, VXLAN and soon to be Geneve (Generic Network Virtualization Encapsulation: basically the good parts of the other encaps evolved). While none of these overlay networks should ......
Packet Capture in Diverse / Tunneled Networks?
(With the usual caveats that I am just a hick from Colorado, I don't know what I'm talking about, etc.)I just read Pete Welcher's superb series on NSX, DFA, ACI, and other SDN stuff on the Chesapeake Netcraftsmen blog, and it helped me think more clearly about a problem that's been bothering me for a long time: how do we do realistically scalable packet capture in networks that make extensive use of ECMP and/or tunnels? Here's a sample network that Pete used:
Conventionally, we place packet capture devices at choke points in the network. But in medium-to-large data center designs, one of the main goals is to eliminate choke points: if we assume this is a relatively small standard ECMP leaf-spine design, each of the leaf switches has four equal-cost routed paths through the spine switches, and each spine switch has at least as many downlinks as there are leaf switches. The hypervisors each have two physical paths to the leaf switches, and in a high-density virtualization design we probably don't have a very good idea of what VM resides on what hypervisor at any point in time.
Now, add to that the tunneling features present in hypervisor-centric Continue reading
Packet Capture in Diverse / Tunneled Networks?
(With the usual caveats that I am just a hick from Colorado, I don't know what I'm talking about, etc.)I just read Pete Welcher's superb series on NSX, DFA, ACI, and other SDN stuff on the Chesapeake Netcraftsmen blog, and it helped me think more clearly about a problem that's been bothering me for a long time: how do we do realistically scalable packet capture in networks that make extensive use of ECMP and/or tunnels? Here's a sample network that Pete used:
Conventionally, we place packet capture devices at choke points in the network. But in medium-to-large data center designs, one of the main goals is to eliminate choke points: if we assume this is a relatively small standard ECMP leaf-spine design, each of the leaf switches has four equal-cost routed paths through the spine switches, and each spine switch has at least as many downlinks as there are leaf switches. The hypervisors each have two physical paths to the leaf switches, and in a high-density virtualization design we probably don't have a very good idea of what VM resides on what hypervisor at any point in time.
Now, add to that the tunneling features present in hypervisor-centric Continue reading
Installing KVM, Libvirt and Open vSwitch on Fedora
In my NetOps to DevOps Training Plan I mentioned installing KVM, Libvirt and Open vSwitch. I did this a few weeks ago and documented it to produce this tutorial. My motivation was to replace my VMware environment at home with something Open Source. I am also a strong believer in "eat your own dog food" and as a lot of the work I am doing in the Open Source community centers around these 3 technologies, I should get used to using them every day...
Networking is a Service, and you are the Service Provider
The status quo approach to Networking is the biggest barrier to realizing the full potential of Virtualization and the private, public, or hybrid cloud. We must re-think how Networking *Services* are delivered, in a way that comports with automation, decoupling, pooling, and abstractions. I would argue, the solution is a more software-centric approach — Network […]Networking is a Service, and you are the Service Provider
The status quo approach to Networking is the biggest barrier to realizing the full potential of Virtualization and the private, public, or hybrid cloud. We must re-think how Networking Services are delivered, in a way that comports with automation, decoupling, pooling, and abstractions. I would argue, the solution is a more software-centric approach – Network Virtualization. But more importantly, we must re-think how we view Networking as a career skill set and the value we bring to an organization.
This was the message of two keynote talks I recently gave at the Sydney & Melbourne VMUG user conferences. The title of the talk was Three reasons why Networking is a pain in the IaaS, and how to fix it. I will share the slides and a brief summary of that talk in a subsequent post. But before I do that, please indulge me in a heart-to-heart chat from one long time Networking professional (me) to another (you):
I emphasize the word services because if you really think about it, that is what Networking really is – Networking is a Service. It always has been, and will always continue to be a service – a service that will always be needed. Continue reading
Networking is a Service, and you are the Service Provider
The status quo approach to Networking is the biggest barrier to realizing the full potential of Virtualization and the private, public, or hybrid cloud. We must re-think how Networking Services are delivered, in a way that comports with automation, decoupling, pooling, and abstractions. I would argue, the solution is a more software-centric approach – Network Virtualization. But more importantly, we must re-think how we view Networking as a career skill set and the value we bring to an organization.
This was the message of two keynote talks I recently gave at the Sydney & Melbourne VMUG user conferences. The title of the talk was Three reasons why Networking is a pain in the IaaS, and how to fix it. I will share the slides and a brief summary of that talk in a subsequent post. But before I do that, please indulge me in a heart-to-heart chat from one long time Networking professional (me) to another (you):
I emphasize the word services because if you really think about it, that is what Networking really is – Networking is a Service. It always has been, and will always continue to be a service – a service that will always be needed. Continue reading
Networking is a Service, and you are the Service Provider
The status quo approach to Networking is the biggest barrier to realizing the full potential of Virtualization and the private, public, or hybrid cloud. We must re-think how Networking Services are delivered, in a way that comports with automation, decoupling, pooling, and abstractions. I would argue, the solution is a more software-centric approach – Network Virtualization. But more importantly, we must re-think how we view Networking as a career skill set and the value we bring to an organization.
This was the message of two keynote talks I recently gave at the Sydney & Melbourne VMUG user conferences. The title of the talk was Three reasons why Networking is a pain in the IaaS, and how to fix it. I will share the slides and a brief summary of that talk in a subsequent post. But before I do that, please indulge me in a heart-to-heart chat from one long time Networking professional (me) to another (you):
I emphasize the word services because if you really think about it, that is what Networking really is – Networking is a Service. It always has been, and will always continue to be a service – a service that will always be needed. Continue reading
Wi-Fi Tools
A good engineer takes pride in his tools.As with many things in IT, there are many options to choose from and most work equally well provided the engineer has a thorough understanding of how to use them. I happen to use and prefer the following tools, but your taste may be different. Use what you like and know as long as it gets the job done.
Items with an asterisk are my preferred tools for each category.
Information Gathering:
*AirMagnet Wi-Fi Analyzer Pro
*MetaGeek inSSIDer
Fluke AirCheck
Ekahau HeatMapper (Free)
Xirrus Wi-Fi Inspector
WiFi Scanner (Mac)
Kismet (Linux)
Predictive Site Surveys:
*Cisco Wireless Control System (WCS)
AirMagnet Planner
Ekahau Site Survey
Motorola LANPlanner
Aerohive Wi-Fi Planner (online - Free)
Post-Installation Site Surveys:
*AirMagnet Survey Pro
Ekahau Site Survey
TamoSoft TamoGraph Site Survey
Veriwave WaveDeploy
Protocol & Roaming Analysis:
*WildPackets OmniPeek
*MetaGeek Eye P.A. (protocol visualization)
*Wireshark with CACE AirPcapNx and Wi-Fi Pilot (now Riverbed Cascade Pilot Personal Edition)
Wireshark with Atheros Adapter (Linux)
AirMagnet Wi-Fi Analyzer Pro with multi-adapter kit
AirMagnet VoFi Analyzer
TamoSoft CommView for Wi-Fi
Spectrum Analysis:
*MetaGeek WiSpy DBx Continue reading
Weighing AWS VPN Options
Earlier this week, a client asked for some assistance in building a VPN from their corporate office to Amazon Web Services for a project they were doing. I’ve done this a few times before, a few different ways, so I proceeded to give my client some pros and cons of the two most common methods I’ve used. After putting that analysis together, I realized it could be helpful for others so here it is (with the addition of a few snazzy diagrams!).
This post is not meant to be a treatise on AWS connectivity, just a quick analysis with some (maybe) little-considered effects of a given design choice. Amazon documents several other recipes which are, of course, valid in various circumstances. Note that I don’t have any examples of configuration. The AWS documentation pages have very thorough configuration examples for each design.
Option 1
Build the VPNs off the Internet routers themselves. Route AWS traffic in to the corporate network through the firewall. In an ideal world, you’d probably dedicate some routers for this purpose, but I’ve never had anyone do that. We’re talking about a LAN-to-LAN VPN, here; one doesn’t commonly deploy totally dedicated infrastructure for each new Continue reading