Why and how to deploy Voyager

In Part I of this blog series, “What is the open packet optical switch, Voyager?”, we discussed the challenges and remedies for providing additional bandwidth for intra and inter data center connections. DWDM is a powerful technology that provides hundreds of gigabits of bandwidth over hundreds or thousands of kilometers using just a fiber pair. We also reviewed some information about DWDM networks and transponder functionality. Voyager provides all the functionality of Cumulus Linux running on a Broadcom Tomahawk based switch and integrates the transponders into the switch itself, all in 1RU. This makes it the first open and fully integrated box operating at DWDM, Layer 2 and Layer 3 in 1RU, making it extremely flexible.

Incorporating routing, switching and DWDM in one node could mean fewer boxes needed for the network, since DWDM functionality could be incorporated directly into border leafs. Because it runs Cumulus Linux (CL), all CL data center functionality, such as VXLAN Routing with EVPN, is also supported. For example, a pair of Voyager nodes can be used as VXLAN routing centralized routers with EVPN, hosting VXLAN VTEPs, running MLAG, and provide the long distance DWDM connectivity all in one box!

Voyager also Continue reading

Another Step Toward FPGAs in Supercomputing

There has been plenty of talk about where FPGA acceleration might fit into high performance computing but there are only a few testbeds and purpose-built clusters pushing this vision forward for scientific applications.

While we do not necessarily expect supercomputing centers to turn their backs on GPUs as the accelerator of choice in favor of FPGAs anytime in the foreseeable future. there is some smart investment happening in Europe and to a lesser extent, in the U.S. that takes advantage of recent hardware additions and high-level tool development that put field programmable devices within closer reach–even for centers whose users …

Another Step Toward FPGAs in Supercomputing was written by Nicole Hemsoth at The Next Platform.

ONOS traffic analytics

Open Network Operating System (ONOS) is "a software defined networking (SDN) OS for service providers that has scalability, high availability, high performance, and abstractions to make it easy to create applications and services." The open source project is hosted by the Linux Foundation.

Mininet and onos.py workflow describes how to run ONOS using the Mininet network emulator. Mininet allows virtual networks to be quickly constructed and is a simple way to experiment with ONOS. In addition, Mininet flow analytics describes how to enable industry standard sFlow streaming telemetry in Mininet, proving a simple way monitor traffic in the ONOS controlled network.

For example, the following command creates a Mininet network, controlled by ONOS, and monitored using sFlow:
sudo mn --custom ~/onos/tools/dev/mininet/onos.py,sflow-rt/extras/sflow.py \
--link tc,bw=10 --controller onos,1 --topo tree,2,2
The screen capture above shows the network topology in the ONOS web user interface.
Install Mininet dashboard to visualize the network traffic. The screen capture above shows a large flow over the same topology being displayed by ONOS, see Mininet weathermap for more examples.

In this case, the traffic was created by the following Mininet command: 
mininet-onos> iperf h1 h3
The screen capture above shows top flows, busiest Continue reading

Reaction: The NRE as the new architect

Over at the Packet Pushers, Anthony Miloslavsky suggests that network architects have outlived their usefulness, so it is time to think of a new role. He describes a role called the “NRE” to replace the architect; the NRE would—

…spend no less than 50% of their time focusing on automation, while spending the other 50% deeply embedded in the operations/engineering/architecture realms of networking. They participate in an on-call rotation to stay in touch with the ops side of the house, with a focus on “treating operations as if it’s a software problem” in response. NREs would provide a expert big picture view of BOTH the development/automation and network operation/design sides of the house.

The author goes on to argue that we need someone who will do operations, engineering, architecture, and development because “pure architecture” folks tend to “lose touch” with the operations side of things. It is too easy to “throw a solution over the cubicle wall” without considering the implementation and operational problems. But, as a friend used to ask of everything when I was still in electronics, will it work? I suspect the answer is no for several reasons.

First, there is no such person as described, and Continue reading

Lasers could power computers wirelessly

A thin beam of invisible laser light has been used to safely charge a smartphone across a room. The experiment by researchers at the Univeristy of Washington lends credence to the futuristic idea that one day all computers could operate without any plugs or wires — that’s both for data and power.The revolutionary smartphone-charging laser system, which functions from up to 40 feet away, detects devices through inaudible acoustic chirps, according to its desginers at the university. It then zaps a couple watts of power at them using laser beams. Importantly, it does it safely and is potentially scalable to computers.To read this article in full, please click here

Webinar Recap: The Docker Platform on Windows – from 101 to Modernizing .NET Apps

 Windows

Our live Docker webinars are always hugely popular. Last month we hosted a session on Docker and Windows containers, covering everything from the basics to how you can use the  Docker platform (Docker Enterprise Edition and Docker Desktop)  to modernize existing .NET apps and move them to the cloud.

The recording is available now – it clocks in at 60 minutes and has lots of demos showing you how to build and run Windows applications in containers with Docker for Windows:

The sample code, Dockerfiles and Docker Compose files for all the demos are here on GitHub.

In fact there were so many demos, I ran out of time for the Q&A part – so here are the unanswered questions we had from viewers:

Q. Are there any best practices or tutorial to architect sql databases in containers? What about data persistence, database references etc? How can we use SSDT with containers?

SQL Server running in a container is just like any remote SQL Server – you can connect with SSDT or Visual Studio or VS Code or any SQL client. There’s a good SQL Server in Docker tutorial on GitHub which walks through the build and deployment process with containers, and Continue reading

Aruba CTO says IoT is great fun to work on

Not everybody in business IT seems like they’re having a great time at their job, but Aruba CTO Partha Narasimhan is an exception. He sat down with Network World at the company’s 2018 Atmosphere conference in Las Vegas to talk IoT, onboarding and more.Like company president Keerti Melkote, Narasimhan noted that Aruba’s experience in onboarding devices during the era of BYOD being an issue has stood it in good stead for IoT, but he said that the technical challenge is far greater.+ALSO ON NETWORK WORLD: Getting grounded in intent-based networking + Aruba co-founder: We want to live on the edgeTo read this article in full, please click here

Malicious IoT hackers have a new enemy

IoT security is about the farthest thing from a laughing matter in the world of technology today, threatening global trade, privacy and the basic infrastructure of modern society. So you could be forgiven for being taken aback that the newest defender of vulnerable systems against bad actors looks a little like Johnny 5 from the movie Short Circuit.Researchers at Georgia Tech’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering rolled out the HoneyBot robot late last week. In essence, it’s a canary in the digital coal mine, offering an early warning that someone is trying to compromise an organization’s systems.To read this article in full, please click here

Malicious IoT hackers have a new enemy

IoT security is about the farthest thing from a laughing matter in the world of technology today, threatening global trade, privacy and the basic infrastructure of modern society. So you could be forgiven for being taken aback that the newest defender of vulnerable systems against bad actors looks a little like Johnny 5 from the movie Short Circuit.Researchers at Georgia Tech’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering rolled out the HoneyBot robot late last week. In essence, it’s a canary in the digital coal mine, offering an early warning that someone is trying to compromise an organization’s systems.To read this article in full, please click here

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