Communications systems provider Avaya has announced its ?Software-Defined Data Center? framework, which is designed for businesses operating highly virtualized data centers.
Avaya demonstrated the new framework at the ongoing VMworld 2013 conference at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California.
The Avaya SDDC framework includes an orchestration process that combines, customizes and commissions compute, storage and network components.
Use of the OpenStack cloud computing platform will allow data center administrations to deploy virtual machines, assign storage and configure networks through a single graphical user interface.
Avaya Fabric Connect further enhances the OpenStack environment by removing restrictions in traditional Ethernet VLAN / Spanning Tree-based networks to enable a more dynamic and scalable network services model than exists today.
The Avaya SDDC framework is based on the following components:
? Avaya Fabric Connect technology as the virtual backbone to interconnect resource pools within and between data centers with increased flexibility and scale
? An Avaya OpenStack Horizon-based Management Platform, delivering orchestration for compute (Nova), storage (Cinder/Swift) and network via Avaya Fabric Connect (Neutron)
? Open APIs into the Avaya Fabric Connect architecture for ease of integration, customization and interoperability with other Software-Defined Networking architectures
The Avaya SDDC framework can provide the following benefits to businesses:
? Reduced Time-to-Service: cloud services enabled in minutes through a five-step process
? Simplified Virtual Machine Mobility:?end-point provisioning enabling virtual machine mobility within and between geographically dispersed data centers
? Multi-Vendor Orchestration: coordinated allocation of data center resources via a single interface to streamline the deployment of applications
? Scale-out Connectivity: services scale to more than 16 million unique services, up from the limitation of 4000 in traditional Ethernet networks
? Secure Multi-Tenancy: leveraging network, compute, and storage layer abstraction and isolation
? Improved Network Flexibility: overcomes current VLAN challenges to deliver a load-balanced, loop-free network where any logical topology can be built, independent of the physical layout
Avaya?s Software-Defined Data Center framework is the first phase of Avaya?s Software-Defined Networking roadmap.
Avaya Fabric Connect is available on a wide range of networking platforms including Virtual Service Platform 9000, Ethernet Routing Switch 8800, Virtual Services Platform 7000 and Virtual Services Platform 4000.
The Avaya Horizon-based Management Platform and open APIs will be generally available next year.
Future initiatives include the extension of Fabric Connect and Orchestration to deliver end-to-end service creation and delivery from data center to desktop.
Last June, Avaya also introduced its Video Collaboration Solution for IP Office, an all-new video collaboration solution designed specifically for the small and midsize enterprise segment (SME).
The Avaya Video Collaboration Solution for IP Office provides an affordable yet comprehensive desktop, mobile, and HD room-system video collaboration capabilities.
Avaya IP Office is the company?s flagship unified communications solution for small and midsize enterprises.
According to research firm IDC, 30 percent of midsized firms are currently using some videoconferencing resources beyond simple webcams.
Intentions are at roughly the same level, which sets the stage for significant growth ? the number of small and midsized firms using video collaboration could potentially double in the next 12 months.
The Avaya Video Collaboration Solution is unique in its ability to deliver BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and HD room-system capabilities in a single, highly affordable and easy to deploy solution for SMEs.
The Avaya Video Collaboration Solution offers the following features:
? Direct integration including a common dial plan with Avaya IP Office Version 8.1.
? A ?virtual conference room? for up to eight participants with click-to-join capabilities from any standards-based room system, desktop or mobile device.
? Freely distributed desktop and mobile video clients for PCs, Macs and the most popular iOS and Android devices ? enabling those inside and outside an organization to easily join a video meeting.
? Low-bandwidth, HD multi-party video conferencing and rich data collaboration via native SIP/H.323.
? The collaboration solution can also be deployed in an HD video conferencing room system configuration for maximum flexibility and value.
? Automatic firewall traversal allows SMEs to engage with participants outside their network, enabling face-to-face meetings with customers and partners to help strengthen business relationships.
