Network Virtualization with VMware NSX

This presentation on network virtualization and VMware NSX was given at the Boston VMUG on Tuesday, October 29, 2013.

Transcript

1. 1 Network Virtualization with VMware NSX Scott Lowe, VCDX Engineering Architect Networking & Security BU, VMware, Inc. http://blog.scottlowe.org
2. Before we get started 2 §Get involved! Audience participation is encouraged and requested. §If you use Twitter, feel free to tweet about this session (use @MyVMUG or @BostonVMUG) §I encourage you to take photos or videos of today’s session and share them online §This presentation will be made available online after the event
3. Your name is familiar... 3
4. Compute Virtualization Networking can be a barrier to the software-defined data center 4 Software Defined Data Center SOFTWARE-DEFINED DATACENTER SERVICES VDC § Provisioning is slow § Placement is limited § Mobility is limited § Hardware dependent § Operationally intensive Any Physical Infrastructure
5. How can we solve this challenge? 5
6. Many technologies are claiming to be able to address this challenge 6 Merchant silicon OpenFlow Northbound APIs Open vSwitch Network overlays SDN SDN controllers OpenStack Networking Fabrics STT VXLAN NVGRE SR-IOV TRILL LISP
7. By themselves, these technologies don’t change the operational model. 7
8. To change the operational model, what’s needed is the right abstraction. 8
9. Let’s look at compute virtualization 9 §Multiple forms of virtualization existed in x86-based computing before VMware § 80386 “protected mode” § Virtual memory § Application virtual machines (e.g., JVM) § Remote presentation (X Window System) §These were all important developments, but... None of them had the power to change the operational model.
10. Along comes VMware and the VM 10 §VMware introduced a new abstraction: the virtual machine (VM)
11. Why is the VM important? §The VM abstraction encompassed other virtualization technologies, but enabled operational change §Operational change enabled customers to address pain points (speed of provisioning, for example) § Now users could easily create VMs, destroy VMs, clone VMs, start/stop/pause VMs § VMs encouraged more standardized configurations § VMs could be deployed programmatically, which enables self-service tools and methodologies §Success encouraged adoption; adoption encouraged ecosystem development (positive feedback loop) 11
12. So what does this have to do with network virtualization? 12
13. What’s needed is the right abstraction 13 §The right abstraction—the virtual network—lets us change the operational model §Changing the operational model brings benefits: § Greater speed and agility § Lower operational overhead § Decreased capital expenditures § But...it’s really about greater speed & agility
14. What is a virtual network? 14 Server Hypervisor Requirement: x86 Virtual Machine Virtual Machine Virtual Machine Application Application Application x86 Environment Decoupled Hardware Software Network Hypervisor Requirement: IP Transport Virtual Network Virtual Network Virtual Network Workload Workload Workload L2, L3, L4-7 Network Services General Purpose Server Hardware (Dell, HP, IBM, OpenCompute, Quanta) General Purpose IP Hardware (Arista, Cisco, HP, Juniper, Accton)
15. Networks aren’t just about connectivity 15 §A virtual network must be more than just connectivity §It has to also provide virtual network services: § Routing § Firewalling § Load balancing § VPNs §It has to be extensible, allowing technology partners to “plug into” the virtual network to bring additional services and functionality to bear for customers
16. Key functions of a virtual network 16 1. Decouples Physical Virtual 2. Reproduces 3. Automates Network Operations Cloud Operations Hardware independence Operational benefits of virtualization No change to network from end host perspective Virtual Physical
17. VMware NSX provides the right abstraction—the virtual network—to enable operational change that addresses pain points and meets business needs. 17
18. Compute Virtualization Networking can be a barrier to the software-defined data center 18 Software Defined Data Center SOFTWARE-DEFINED DATACENTER SERVICES VDC § Provisioning is slow § Placement is limited § Mobility is limited § Hardware dependent § Operationally intensive Any Physical Infrastructure
19. Network virtualization addresses this challenge 19 Software Defined Data Center SOFTWARE-DEFINED DATACENTER SERVICES VDC Compute Virtualization Network Virtualization § Programmatic provisioning § Place any workload anywhere § Move any workload anywhere § Decoupled from hardware § Operationally efficient Any Physical Infrastructure
20. Looking a bit deeper at VMware NSX 20
21. Some technologies you might find helpful 21 §Linux §Open vSwitch (OVS) §OpenFlow §OVSDB §Cloud management systems § vCloud Automation Center (vCAC) § OpenStack § CloudStack
22. Questions & answers 22
23. Scott Lowe slowe@vmware.com Thank you 23