Virtualize The Network

The firmware of network switches and routers (control plane) has traditionally remained proprietary, locked and under the control of the companies that manufactured the equipment. Software defined networking seeks to change this oligarchy.

VMware’s recent acquisition of Nicira allows the virtualization giant to become the “industry leader in software-defined networking.” Nicira’s software acts as an intelligent layer that sits on top of data-center servers and manages and controls the resources and capacity of networking gear.

Interesting fact: Nicira’s founders invented OpenFlow. Today OpenStack uses Nicira’s API for its network interface.

Combined with VMware’s market proven expertise virtualizing systems, software-defined networking is well positioned to become a data-center game changer.

Video: Nicira: Creating Virtual Networks in Cloud Data Centers