IBM introduced a new unified network controller based on OpenDaylight technology.
The new IBM Software Defined Network for Virtual Environments (SDN VE), which is built using open source components and interfaces, can automate and speed up the process of setting up such networks. It also includes support for OpenStack, which enables organizations to integrate their SDNs into private and public clouds. The SDN VE consists of the unified controller, virtual switches for creating overlays, gateways to non-SDN environments and open interfaces for application integration.
IBM said its unified controller was designed for both VMware and Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) virtualization environments. It also supports the Open Networking Foundation’s OpenFlow standard. The goal is to enable network administrators to achieve greater enterprise performance, scalability and security, and address ever-changing business needs by speeding up network provisioning from days to hours.
“Our goal is to take advantage of the openness of the OpenDaylight platform and deliver that advantage to clients by collaborating with other developers to establish an ecosystem of interoperable network applications and services,” said Dr. Inder Gopal, IBM vice president of System Networking Development. “The cooperation needed to realize the benefits of SDN is only possible within an open framework, and IBM is pleased to provide a holistic solution for new and existing networks.”
With the OpenDaylight Project, IBM is working closely with its partners, such as A10 Networks, ADVA Optical Networking, Brocade, Citrix, F5, Juniper Networks, Palo Alto Networks, Plexxi, Radware, SilverPeak, vArmour, VSS Monitoring and others to enable scalable networking applications that include load balancing, firewall, intrusion detection, routing and other services.
