HP-VMware Networking Solution

HP and VMware are jointly announcing a new software-defined networking (SDN) and network virtualization solution. A collaboration to deliver the industry’s first interoperable SDN and network virtualization solution to provide customers unified automation and visibility of the physical and virtual data center networks, enabling business agility and improving business continuity.

The solution combines HP Virtual Application Networks SDN controller and VMware NSX network virtualization platform through federation APIs to deliver SDN automation and agility across physical and virtual data center networks.
Key components of the solution include:
• HP Virtual Application Networks SDN Controller
• HP ConvergedControl SDN application
• HP FlexFabric 5930 Top-of-Rack Switch
• VMware NSX network virtualization platform
The federated solution integrates with orchestration tools to provide cloud automation and agility.
Additionally HP Intelligent Management Center (IMC) with SDN Manager and integrated VMware vCenter plug-in provide a single pane-of-glass management for both virtual and physical networks.

As companies embrace cloud and mobility, manual network configuration has proven time and resource intensive, as well
as error prone. SDN virtual-only solution for network virtualization offers a centralized control plane, but does not
automate configuration and provisioning of network devices. Virtual networks also lack visibility of the underlying physical
infrastructure, which results in blind spots that can impact business continuity and force manual remediation.
Today’s network virtualization and SDN controller solutions lack interoperability. The HP-VMware Networking solution is the
industry’s first multivendor east-west federation to deliver interoperability and openness.

Unifies automation, visibility and control of the complete data center network improving agility, monitoring and
troubleshooting.
• Delivers open, interoperable network virtualization and SDN solution across physical and virtual networks
The HP-VMware Networking solution eliminates manual configuration of both the physical and virtual data center networks
through interoperable automated orchestration of policies and creates a single view of the network – both physical and
virtual.

The HP-VMware Networking solution federates the HP Virtual Application Networks SDN Controller and the VMware NSX
network virtualization platform through Federation APIs.
NSX communicates with the VAN SDN Controller using the Open vSwitch Database (OVSDB) management protocol which is
supported by the VAN SDN Controller via the federation APIs.
This allows NSX to share virtual tunnel state information with the VAN SDN centralized control plane and deliver virtual
network tunnel endpoints on physical network devices such as the HP FlexFabric 5930 Switch with VXLAN support.
In addition, the VAN SDN Controller also integrates with NSX via the federation API to deliver SDN applications across virtual
networks.
Together, the HP VAN SDN Controller and VMware NSX network virtualization platform unify virtual and physical networking
while providing SDN agility.

The complete HP-VMware Networking solution will be available worldwide in 2H 2014. Key components will be available
on the following timeline:
• HP ConvergedControl SDN Application, 2H 2014
• HP FlexFabric 5930 Switch, December, 2013
• HP Virtual Application Networks SDN Controller, Q4 2013

HP and VMware continue to be strong partners across many technologies. From a networking standpoint, this new solution adds to existing collaborative efforts including:
• HP Intelligent Management Center (IMC) and vCenter integration
• HP Advanced Services zl Module and MSR OAP Module with VMware vSphere
• HP FlexFabric Virtual Switch 5900v for VMware ESXi

HP Virtual Application Networks deliver SDN automation and agility. This new joint solution extends the ecosystem and builds upon the open, interoperable approach of HP VAN to deliver SDN applications across physical and virtual networks.

Network virtualization combines network resources, both hardware and software, into a single virtual network

Virtual network refers to a virtual network tunnel that runs across physical infrastructure. The virtual network generally is created via encapsulation at the source endpoint and de-encapsulated at the destination.

Physical network refers to the physical network infrastructure that virtual network tunnels traverse from one endpoint to another.

VXLAN or Virtual Extensible LAN is an encapsulation protocol for running virtual networks across layer 3 networks. VXLAN adds a 24-bit segment ID to the Ethernet frame allowing up to 16 million virtual networks across a common layer 3 infrastructure.

The Open vSwitch Database management protocol which is a protocol used to manage Open vSwitch instances. The protocol manipulates a set of tables representing switch configuration data.

To learn more, visit http://www.hp.com/networking/hvns