Leading IT research firm EMA and Pluribus Networks partnered on market research to understand how enterprises are modernizing their data center networks to support their multi-cloud strategies, with a particular focus on data center network fabrics and network automation. These slides based on the webinar provide insights into key findings, including: - How enterprises are building network fabrics that enable greater agility and application availability across multiple data centers - How network automation is playing a role in these new architectures - How enterprises incorporate the public cloud into these architectures - The challenges enterprises encounter when adopting these new technologies

1. The Future of the
Data Center Network in
a Multi-Cloud World
New Research from EMA
and Pluribus
Shamus McGillicuddy
Vice President of Research
Shamus@emausa.com
Jay Gill
Senior Director of Marketing
JayGill@pluribusnetworks.com

2. Watch the On-
Demand Webinar:
The Future of the
Data Center Network in
a Multi-Cloud World
https://bit.ly/3mNseAa

3. Featured Speakers
Shamus McGillicuddy is the vice president of
research at Enterprise Management Associates,
where he leads the network management practice.
He has worked in the IT industry since 2006 as an
industry analyst and journalist.
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 3
Jay Gill
Senior Director of Marketing
Pluribus Networks
Shamus McGillicuddy
Vice President of Research
EMA
Jay Gill is senior director of marketing at Pluribus
Networks. Prior to Pluribus, he worked in variety of
engineering, product management, marketing and
strategy roles at Cisco Systems, Infinera, and multiple
service providers.
| @ema_research

4. Agenda
Private Cloud
Infrastructure
Continues to
Anchor Digital
Services
1 2 3
Enterprises are
Embracing
High-
Availability
Data Centers
Reduce
Architectural
and Operational
Complexity
with Network
Overlays
4
Streamline
Operations
with Network
Automation
5
Closing
Thoughts
6
Q&A
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 4
| @ema_research

5. Key Research Findings: Long Live Private Cloud
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 5
Private cloud will
anchor multi-cloud
strategies
• ~75% of apps
remain in private
cloud
• 56% of companies
are expanding
data center
footprints
Private clouds are
evolving into high-
availability
architectures
• Broad use of
active-active and
active-hot standby
data centers will
double by 2023
• Network complexity
remains an
obstacle
Network virtualization
& automation will grow
significantly by 2023
• Broad use of
network
automation will
increase by 57%
• Deployment of
network overlays
will double
| @ema_research

6. Private Cloud
Infrastructure
Continues to Anchor
Digital Services

7. Private Cloud is the Core of Multi-Cloud Architecture
7
Why do companies keep
applications in the private cloud?
1. Security risk (48.3%)
2. Application performance requirements (40.7%)
3. Compliance (36.9%)
4. Cost control (29.3%)
5. Legacy apps can’t migrate (28.5%)
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. | @ema_research
Sample Size = 263
What percentage of your applications (excluding SaaS) reside in
the following locations, today and 24 months from now?

8. Private Cloud Investment Persists
Most companies are adding new
data center sites
• Traditional on-premises data centers
• Colo infrastructure
• Edge computing deployments
Nearly 3 in 10 are modernizing
existing footprints
• Replace legacy sites with new data centers
• Upgrade existing sites
Only 12.5% are consolidating to
fewer data centers
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 8
| @ema_research
How will your data center footprint change over the next 24 months?

9. Drivers of Multi-Data Center Strategies
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 9
Multi-cloud, global architectures are driving decisions
1. Cloud transformation (54.8%)
• Hybrid and multi-cloud architecture
• Data center modernization
2. Improved application performance (39.5%)
• Via global availability zones
Secondary drivers
• Security initiatives (30.8%)
• Disaster recovery/business
continuity (27%)
• Work from home/anywhere (27%)
• Compliance (26.6%)
• Edge computing (26.2%)
| @ema_research

10. Enterprises are
Embracing High-
Availability Data
Centers

11. High-Availability Private Cloud Architecture
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 11
High-availability architecture choices:
• ”Always-on” application resilience
• Replicate applications across 2+ data centers
• Application state is synched across sites
• Active-active architecture
• Applications are active in multiple sites
• Optimize application experience by routing users to the best site
• Active-hot standby architecture
• Automated failover, little or no disruption of services
High availability requires a network fabric
• Data center network fabrics that span data centers can enable
high-availability architecture
• Enables centralized management, policy consistency,
path optimization, workload mobility, etc.
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC
| @ema_research

12. Broad Deployment of Active-Active or Active-Hot-Standby Data Center
Architectures will Nearly Double by 2023
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 12

13. Network Architecture and Operations Complexity Are
High-Availability Roadblocks
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 13
What are the most challenges aspects of adopting active-active or active-hot
standby data centers?
| @ema_research

14. Reduce
Architectural and
Operational
Complexity with
Network Overlays

15. What is an overlay?
• Layer of infrastructure that abstracts the physical network underlay
• Enables network virtualization, multi-tenancy, automation, and more
How is an overlay implemented?
• Overlay tunneling protocol, e.g. VXLAN, runs over any L2 or L3
network underlay
• Tunnel end-points can be implemented in software or hardware
• Software: Hypervisor- or server-based encapsulation, adding to
CPU load
• Hardware: Switch-based encapsulation, leveraging
switching ASIC
• Overlay control plane options
• SDN controller-based abstraction
• Layer 3 protocol-based control plane e.g. BGP-EVPN
Network Overlays Transform Data Center Networking
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 15
| @ema_research

16. Network Overlays Transform Data Center Networking
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 16
Data Center 1 Data Center 2
DCI
WAN
L3
leaf-spine
underlay
VXLAN overlay
Virtual Network A
Virtual Network B
Virtual Network C

17. 89% of Enterprises Plan to Use Network Overlays
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 17
| @ema_research
Which of the following overlay technologies is your
organization using or planning to use?
Does your organization have any plans to use a
network overlay in one or more of its data centers?

18. Cost Remains a Barrier for Overlay Adoption
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 18
| @ema_research
Top challenges to using network overlays in a data center

19. IT Organizations are Stretching Overlays, But It Isn’t Easy
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 19
Top challenges encountered when stretching
overlays across data centers
1. Operational overhead (34.2%)  Challenges smaller enterprises
2. Implementation complexity (33.7%)  Challenges larger enterprises
3. Requires infrastructure upgrades (32.9%)
4. Political conflicts between NetOps & DevOps (32.1%)
5. Too expensive (28.0%)
More than 80% of
enterprises intend to
stretch network overlays
across geographically
separated data centers
by 2023
| @ema_research

20. Streamline
Operations with
Network Automation

21. Network Automation Approaches Vary Widely
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 21
Automation options range from simple scripts to
comprehensive hardware-software
architectural solutions
The right choice depends on
many factors:
• Do-it-yourself (DIY) provides the highest level
of control and customization, but requires
the most skill and effort
• Automation frameworks can reduce
repetitive tasks and manual errors
• Comprehensive automation solutions can
further reduce skill requirements and
implementation challenges, but may have
trade-offs in cost and control
Category Examples
General Linux-based scripting
languages
Python, Bash/Shell, Perl, Ruby
Infrastructure automation
frameworks
Ansible, Puppet, Chef,
Saltstack
3rd party external automation
solutions
Apstra, SolarWinds, Gluware
Vendor-based external
management solutions
Cisco Prime, Arista
CloudVision, Aruba Fabric
Composer, Dell Smart Fabric
Director
Software Defined Networking
(SDN) for DC fabrics
Cisco ACI, Pluribus Adaptive
Cloud Fabric, VMware NSX*
| @ema_research

22. Broad Network Automation will Double in Two Years
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 22
| @ema_research
Types of data center network automation in
use today and in 24 months
Extent of network automation in data center networks
today and 24 months from now

23. Network Automation Challenges
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 23
IT leadership issues (39.2%)
| @ema_research
1
2
3
4
6
5
Implementation complexity (28.5%)
Budget issues (25.9%)
Immature solutions (22.8%)
No time – lack of priority (19%)
Functionality gaps (16%)

24. Closing
Thoughts

25. Conclusion: Private Cloud Strategies Require Network
Transformation
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 25
Private cloud will be the
anchor of your multi-
cloud architecture
• By 2023, ~75% of
apps will remain in
private clouds
• 56% of companies
are expanding data
center footprints
Private clouds
are evolving into
high-availability
architectures
• Extensive
implementation of
active-active and
active-hot standby
data centers will
double by 2023
• Network complexity
remains an obstacle
Network virtualization &
automation will grow
significantly by 2023
• Broad use of
network automation
will increase by 57%
• Deployment of
network overlays
will double
| @ema_research

26. Data Center Networking Investment Checklist
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 26
Adopt a modern DC network architecture to enable private cloud:
 Non-blocking leaf-spine topologies + compact, fixed form factor
switching platforms for cost-effective scalability
 Underlay network connectivity based on layer 3 protocols for
optimal load balancing and resilience
 Overlay network virtualization + network automation for agile
service delivery and secure segmentation
 Granular telemetry and analytics to ensure performance
Critical choices:
 When and how should I move to disaggregated networking?
 What’s the best type of overlay to virtualize and segment the
network?
 How can I extend the overlay to unify my private cloud across
multiple data center and edge sites?
 How should I automate network operations?
 How can I maximize visibility for performance and security?
| @ema_research

27. Pluribus Delivers Networking. Simplified.
Comprehensive automation.
Integrated underlay + overlay automation
 operations agility, 95% lower complexity
Disaggregated networking innovation.
Controllerless SDN on open network
switches  no lock-in, 40-60% lower TCO
Pervasive visibility and insight.
Integrated monitoring and analytics 
cost-efficient security and performance
management
Secure network segmentation.
Integrated deep slicing across data + control +
management  secure multi-tenant DC, IoT
IoT Video
Security
Distributed
Cloud
Multi-site
Data Center
Data Center Fabric Test Lab
Automation
Network
Segmentation
Network Packet
Broker
Comprehensive, cost-effective, integrated network solutions

28. Learn More
© 2021 Enterprise Management Associates, Inc. 28
| @ema_research
Download the Report:
pluribusnetworks.com/state-of-dc-networking
Learn More:
pluribusnetworks.com/contact-us/