Cisco wants to empower the network engineer, just like Embrane, to deploy virtual network services.  But it’s not easy due to servers, virtualization, virtual networking, and flat out fear to not run big specialized boxes.  Cisco has the Nexus 1110 that can run multiple Cisco virtual services such as VSM, VSG, etc.  However, there are limitations on quantities and what particular services can be run on the 1110.  Cisco cannot create a pool of 1110s and deploy virtual resources dynamically.  There is a GUI manager, but not a hypervisor-like manager.  The Nexus 1110 is a physical server running a Cisco modified hypervisor.  This hypervisor doesn't seem to be off the shelf.

Post Update 6/26/2013:  Think about deploying multiple virtual firewalls, load balancers, and other virtual services in a given environment.  How do you know where to put a particular virtual FW (which physical host)?  How do you know if it should be moved? How do you instantly deploy another FW VM based on a certain trigger?  You may be thinking of vCenter as a comparison, but what I was referring to above was a hypervisor-like manager specifically built for network resources (services/VMs).  It may be similar to an existing hypervisor in reality, but this one could be dedicated to the network team because we all know the Compute/Network teams will be independent for the foreseeable future.

I wanted to do a post on different tools used to automate physical and virtual networks. They were going to include BMC Blade Logic Network Automation (BBNA), Cisco Network Services Manager (NSM), and vCloud Director. OpenStack may have found its way in there too.  Note: Cisco NSM is the product of the LineSider acquisition.

The post was going to compare what each product calls its network construct. For example, in NSM network containers are defined, but in vCloud, External, Organization, and vApp networks are defined. Other tools refer to networks as domains and PODs.  Trying to decipher what the next tool is going to call a basic Layer 2 segment will likely take even more time.  Imagine trying to remember all of this?

I flew down to Florida last night to get back in the car at 5am this morning to drive back to Jersey with my grandmother. After just finishing the first shift driving which was about 4.5 hours, I figured it would be a. good time to write instead of dozing off.

There is a lot of SDN hype right now --- that is obvious. And it is way too early to tell who the big winners will be over the coming years. What we do know though is networking is changing. The skills that employers will want and need will likely be different. That is my opinion anyway. Not just in networking, but in IT.

So as a network pro, where should you focus your time if you want to stay ahead of the game?