The document discusses the integration of VMware NSX and Cumulus Linux to create a software-defined data center (SDDC) that abstracts and automates networking. It highlights the benefits of VMware NSX in network virtualization, including support for physical and virtual workloads, scalability, and operational flexibility. The document also addresses misconceptions about overlay networks and offers a joint value proposition for utilizing both technologies to enhance network management and performance.

1. v
Software Defined Data Center
With
VMware NSX & Cumulus® Linux®
Aug 6th 2014

2. Introduction
Roberto Mari
Manager Technical Marketing
VMware
Meena Sankaran
Ecosystem & Solutions
Cumulus Networks
Twitter: meena_sankaran
August 6, 2014 2

3. What is a Software Defined Data Center (SDDC)?
Software
Hardware
4 5
Virtual
Machines
Virtual
Networks
Virtual
Storage
Compute
Capacity
Network
Capacity
Storage
Capacity
Applications
Location Independence
Application Consumption
Desktop
Internet
Virtual Desktop
Laptop
Tablet
Mobile
3
2
1
November 17, 2014 3

4. SDDC and VMware NSX Network Virtualization
§ Abstracts, pools, automates networking for the SDDC
§ Reproduces L2/3 networking, L4-7 services
§ Runs on any existing networking hardware
§ Applications need no modification
§ Provides scale out / distributed switching, routing,
firewalling
§ Enables seamless service insertion for application
delivery, security, and network security partners
November 17, 2014 4

5. Provides
A Faithful Reproduction of Network & Security Services
in Software
Switching Routing Firewalling Load
Balancing
VPN Connectivity
to Physical
November 17, 2014 5

6. VMware NSX Logical Services
L2
NSX Controllers
SCALABLE ROUTING – Simplifying Multi-tenancy
L2
Tenant A
Tenant B
L2
L2 Tenant C
L2
L2
L2
L2
CMP
LOGICAL SWITCHING – Overlay Networks Enabling L2 over Layer 3
DISTRIBUTED FIREWALL – Micro segmentation of virtual workloads
November 17, 2014 6

7. Virtualized DC Physical Designs
November 17, 2014
WAN
Internet
Compute Racks Infrastructure Racks
Edge Racks
Leaf
Spine
Edge Leaf
(L3 to DC
Fabric, L2 to
External
Networks)
L3
L2
L3
L2
L3
L2
Web App Web
App Web
App
DB
DB
DB
Web
App
DB
Cumulus® Linux®
November 17, 2014 7

8. Support for Physical & Virtual Workloads
Ideal for DCs that have a mix of virtual and physical workloads
Cumulus® Linux®
Cumulus® Linux®
Cumulus® Linux®
Cumulus® Linux® Cumulus® Linux®
November 17, 2014 8

9. How do Hardware L2 Gateways work?
§ Registration of hardware appliance into NSX Controller (one time)
§ Creation of a L2 Gateway Service including the hardware appliance physical port.
§ NSX API calls to connect a physical port/VLAN to a Logical Switch
Virtual Network L3
L2
L2
Open vSwitch Data Base (OVSDB) is a
communication protocol between NSX
Controllers and NSX 3rd party Gateways
Internet Draft spec at: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-pfaff-ovsdb-proto/
VXLAN
OVSDB Client
VMware NSX
OVSDB Server
Cumulus Hardware
November 17, 2014 9

10. Cumulus Linux VXLAN Support – Integration with VMware NSX
10
VMware NSX Controllers,
Manager and Service Node
Virtual Network VXLAN 100
VM1
Layer 3
Cumulus Linux
Gateway – vtep1
swp2s1 – vxlan100
Enabled for gateway services
LogicalPort2, VTEP attached
OVS1
swp2s0 – vxlan100
Enabled for gateway services
LogicalPort2, V LogicalPort3, vlxan100, type VIF TEP attached
Logical View
Logical Switch VXLAN 100
VM
A B
A B
Logical
Port3
Logical
Port1
Logical
Port2

11. Virtualized DC Physical Designs
November 17, 2014
WAN
Internet
Compute Racks Infrastructure Racks
Cumulus® Linux® Cumulus® Linux®
Edge Racks
Leaf
Spine
VXLAN and
OVSDB capable
Cumulus ToRs
allowing L2 to
non-virtualized
workloads
L3
L2
L3
L2
L3
L2
Web App Web
App Web
App
DB
DB
DB
Web
App
DB
Cumulus® Linux®
November 17, 2014 11

12. Unlock the power of an Open Ecosystem
Empowered Natively by
Linux Tools
App App App sFlow App
Virtualization
NW
Automation Routing Monitoring Security
Cumulus® Linux®
App
Form Factor Configurations Supply chain
Open Networking Hardware
v
diversity
No hardware lock-in
Orchestration NW
Technology
diversity
Global Fulfillment, Logistics, and
Professional Services
November 17, 2014 12

13. • Leveraging existing Linux VXLAN
forwarding logic
• Flexible controller integration through
OVSDB server and NSXd
• VXLAN Hardware acceleration
Switch HAL
Cumulus Linux NSX Integration
Centralized management of
physical and virtual ports
OVSDB
Server
NSX
Manager
Controller
Cluster
CMP
Routing Automation
Suite Overlay Network Monitoring
VXLAN config (iproute2/
netlink)
Routing Protocols
Routing
Table
ARP
Table
3rd Party/Customer
Applications
Ethernet
Interfaces
NSXd
VXLAN
Driver
CPU, RAM, Flash, etc
switchd
Switch
Driver
Switch Silicon
Front Panel Ports
User Space
Linux Kernel
Bridge
Table
November 17, 2014 13

14. Why VMware & Cumulus Networks ?
§ Leverages existing Linux expertise
§ Faster time to Market (Accelerate Innovation)
§ Hardware Independence (Power of Choice )
§ Operational flexibility to the customer with Open Standards
§ DevOps /SysAdmins & Cloud Team interactions – Natural extension
§ Lowest Cost Solution with no performance penalty
November 17, 2014 14

15. Myths about Overlay Networks
Software-based Overlays have performance limitations
Lack of visibility in software overlay networks
Cannot integrate physical workloads into a software overlay
November 17, 2014 15

16. Performance & Logical Networks
Software-based Overlays have performance limitations
20
15
10
5
0
VXLAN Bridge
Bandwidth in Gbps
Send Receive
VXLAN based Overlay and a native bridged network
have identical performance characteristics
No Additional Impact due to Encap/De-cap of Overlay Traffic
November 17, 2014 16

17. Providing Visibility in Overlay Networks
Lack of visibility in software overlay networks
Tools in your chest
Traffic Flow visibility IPFIX / Netflow
Flow Monitoring
Traffic Analysis per VM RSPAN/ERSPAN (VM Traffic)
Packet Capture and Wireshark Plugins for VXLAN
Network Inventory, Fault Management NSX Manager, SNMP (MIBS for ports, Switch etc)
Multi-level logging, Event tracking &
Auditing Syslog Export
Transport (Overlay) Health NSX Manager Connectivity Check
NSX Controller Central CLI, Per host CLI
Full Visibility to traffic in the network
November 17, 2014 17

18. Connecting to Physical Workloads
Cannot integrate physical workloads into a software overlay
Physical Workloads
Virtual Bridge
VXLAN VLAN
Physical Workloads
ToR VTEP
VXLAN VLAN
November 17, 2014 18

19. Next Steps
§ Resources available at
http://cumulusnetworks.com/solutions/network-virtualization-overlays/
vmware-nsx/
§ Solution Brief
§ Demo Videos
§ Blog Posts
§ Combined Webinar w/Facebook
§ Knowledge Base Articles
§ User-Guides
§ Customer Support available through the sales field teams at VMware
and Cumulus Networks
November 17, 2014 19

20. § Thank You!
© 2014 Cumulus Networks. Cumulus Networks, the Cumulus Networks Logo, and Cumulus Linux are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cumulus Networks, Inc. or its affiliates
in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. The registered trademark Linux® is used pursuant to a sublicense from LMI, the
exclusive licensee of Linus Torvalds, owner of the mark on a world-wide basis.
November 17, 2014 20

21. v
Appendix
June 19th 2014

22. What is OVSDB ?
§ Open vSwitch Data Base (OVSDB): Protocol to manage/configure NSX vSwitch instances and 3rd party NSX gateways
OVSDB Server
Opera&onal
State
IP
Fabric
Forwarding
State
Service
Nodes
VM
VM
VM
VM
VM
VM
CMP
NSX API
Controller
Cluster
Cumulus® Linux®
November 17, 2014 22

23. Agenda
§ Vision : Software Defined Data Center (10 min)
§ Understanding VMware NSX (5min)
§ Understanding Cumulus Linux ?(5 min)
§ What’s unique with VMware NSX and Cumulus Linux? (10 min)
§ Q & A (15 min)
November 17, 2014 23

24. Joint Value Proposition
§ The combined VMware NSX and Cumulus Linux solution has the
following characteristics:
§ Programmable, open architecture that enables the best of
breed ecosystem
§ Rich automation tools for virtual and physical networks
§ Single point of management for virtual and physical
environments
§ Non-blocking underlying infrastructure with wire-rate layer 2
gateway services
§ Software-only solution leveraging customer’s choice of industry-standard
hardware platforms
Any Application
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25. Virtual Networks
Any Cloud Management Platform
NSX Network Virtualization Platform
Logical Load Balancer Logical Load Balancer
Any Hypervisor
Logical L2 — Switch
Logical L3 — Router
Existing Network Hardware
Logical Firewall
cuNomvemubelru 17s, n20e14t works.com 24

26. v
Case Studies
June 19th 2014