(Belarus) Foundation for data center: Juniper MetaFabric architecture

Despite the obvious advantages of introducing modern data centers, there are a number of serious problems associated with the operation and implementation of new technologies and services. Juniper Networks offers a solution to overcome these difficulties and improve the efficiency of data centers. About this under the cut.

With the advent of data centers based on virtualization technologies, enterprises and service providers have gained wide opportunities to use information infrastructure as sources of income. Cloud computing, mobility, and big data transform a business qualitatively, making it increasingly closely related to IT. However, with the expansion of capabilities, data center infrastructure requirements are increasing in terms of flexibility, efficiency and cost-effectiveness. New applications and services require constant dynamic network modification. However, the complex and fixed network structure, difficulties in managing and troubleshooting, and weak links with the rest of the infrastructure and other components often impede the necessary flexibility. As a result, the IT departments of organizations are faced with the need for a major network change every time a new protocol, technology or application is implemented, which not every company can afford.
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All this leads to the emergence of two key problems of organizing a network of data centers. The first is that, due to the high complexity, the network increases the payback period and hinders the fast operation of the data center; the second, the network’s low value over time due to the need for constant changes. The MetaFabric architecture, developed by Juniper Networks, is designed to help overcome these difficulties and allow the improvement of the network infrastructure to meet the requirements.

Ideal data center: myths and facts
Manufacturers have repeatedly tried to solve the problems described above with the help of simplified network architectures, automation tools and the introduction of software-configured networks. However, many of these solutions are designed to work with the so-called ideal version of the data center, with which several common myths are associated.
The first is that the data center can only exist within the office. In fact, data centers are not limited to a single physical location and in most organizations have a distributed structure.
The following myth states that 100% of the data center is already virtualized or will be virtualized in the near future. Data centers are a combination of virtual and physical elements. Although many companies use server virtualization technologies, even the most technically equipped remain non-virtualized applications. This may be due to the existing application architecture or using servers without operating systems and end devices with 86-bit operating systems that cannot be fully virtualized.

The essence of another myth lies in the statement that mobility of workloads is a common and widespread phenomenon. However, this issue is not so simple as it seems. As a rule, mobility is limited to highly specialized maintenance windows for creating backup copies of applications and data. Managing such workloads is difficult, no matter where they are located - in different countries or in the same building. The difficulty lies in the high performance and bandwidth required to move applications and the datasets they use closer to each other.
The last, fourth myth - security focuses on the application. In fact, security policies are tied to geographic location, as well as hardware and software platforms, which increases the overall level of complexity. Therefore, organizations are often forced to combine different security products to perform various tasks in the data center.
In fact, the problem with such ideal environments is that applications are “locked up” in certain geographic locations, and the network and security system consist of fragmented solutions. Information sharing and sharing of resources and data are hampered by the above difficulties, security policies, the need to comply with regulatory requirements and performance issues.



Data Center new generation
To achieve the necessary infrastructure flexibility, such “ideal” data centers must be synchronized and networked to allow resource sharing. However, the creation of such a network is impossible without an appropriate platform. This is the Juniper MetaFabric architecture, which allows you to create simple intelligent data centers, accelerating the payback period of investments and increasing the value and safety of the network.

MetaFabric uses a simplified approach to physical and virtual infrastructure, network operations and security, reducing operating costs and simplifying the deployment, operation, integration and scaling of the network and data center security systems. Based on open standards, it interoperates with any applications and eliminates binding to specific vendor products, specific protocols, orchestration platforms, security technologies, and software-configured network controllers. MetaFabric uses comprehensive network virtualization, analytics, and automation to capture data that enables you to deploy proactive intelligent networks that are optimized for specific applications.

The MetaFabric architecture makes it possible to simplify the management of distributed data centers. Customers can choose their own management tools, such as Juniper Networks, Junos Space Network Director, software-configured network controllers (including Juniper Networks Contrail and VMware NSX) and cloud-based orchestration platforms, such as OpenStack. All components of the architecture have the ability to share information, providing an integrated approach to analytics.

The platform uses standardized network protocols and extends these functions to a management layer that supports overlay virtual networks and software-configured network protocols. This integration provides a comfortable interaction of physical and virtual gateways.

The performance of the data center is significantly increased by optimizing traffic routes. MetaFabric uses versatile switching fabric with low predictable latency. Ethernet VPN (EVPN) allows you to automatically and dynamically change traffic routes, ensuring maximum efficiency in the use of network resources.

An important feature of the new architecture is the ability to safely modify the network. Whatever my challenge, whether updating software, installing an additional rack, adding a transitional device, or even creating a new data center node, MetaFabric provides seamless implementation at any level while maintaining open standardized technologies.



All inclusive
It is worth remembering that MetaFabric is not a separate product or technology. The architecture is a complete data center solution developed based on a combination of highly efficient switching, routing and security platforms using multifunctional microprocessors, programmable systems, adaptable software, orchestration, software-configured networks and open APIs for integration with the existing technological ecosystem. MetaFabric represents simple and open composite components suitable for any data center deployment scenario.

The switches included in MetaFabric are optimized for the data center. They provide the best balance of performance, functionality and flexibility needed to support any switching fabric for any application. Routers are high-performance gateways that allow using several protocols and open interfaces to integrate several data centers into a single network.

The use of a flexible and fully open software-configured network provides automation and orchestration of the process of creating virtual networks for new services, which, in turn, helps to achieve greater flexibility and increase revenue. Adaptive security systems using innovative protection technologies allow you to effectively detect various threats and respond quickly to them. And fast application delivery and high availability is ensured through the use of intelligent management tools.

Juniper MetaFabric includes a whole ecosystem in which various technologies successfully interact and which is equipped with a full range of computing resources, data storage systems, virtualization tools, security functions, software-configured networks and orchestration.

Thus, the new architecture provides customers with the foundation for building a network infrastructure that is flexible enough for future development and provides long-term investment protection.

Who benefits from MetaFabric architecture
Juniper MetaFabric's simple and open approach will help reduce the payback period of investments and achieve higher long-term value for both companies with one geographically located data center and enterprises with distributed data centers that plan to develop through the introduction of cloud environments, mobile technologies and big data. This applies to any organization in any vertical industry or service provider segment, including:
• IT enterprises planning further virtualization;
• Financial institutions that require a higher degree of reliability and higher performance;
• Government agencies where compliance with certain safety rules is required;
• Large enterprises that need a software-configured network to orchestrate a private cloud;
• Cloud service providers who want to maximize revenue per user (RPU) by offering new services.

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