Automating Virtual Network Services: Cisco Prime Network Services Controller at VMworld

Let’s face it – data center network management is a complex ordeal. IT infrastructure is even becoming more complicated as network virtualization, VM mobility, multiple networking models, multi-tenancy, hybrid cloud environments, and networking scalability evolve. But luckily for network admins, there are solutions to help simplify and solve these challenges by automating frequent changes to complex data center networks.

In previous blogs, we outlined the Nexus 1000V InterCloud solution for hybrid cloud networking and the Dynamic Fabric Automation solution for simplifying VM and physical server deployments in your data center network.

A key software component for each of these solutions is our control point for network services deployment, with template-oriented policy management. That control point and management interface is Cisco Prime Network Services Controller (formerly VNMC).

How does Prime Network Services Controller help?  The graphic below shows the vision and some of the key use cases for this software, including:

Cisco Prime Network Services Controller is the main control point and management software for Nexus 1000V InterCloud, providing VM workload mobility between enterprise data centers (e.g. private clouds) and a cloud service provider (e.g. public clouds),

It is the interface for Cisco’s network security stack (including Nexus 1000V, ASA 1000V & Virtual Security Gateway [VSG] firewalls) using dynamic template-oriented policy management,

And finally, it controls network services insertion (e.g. firewalls, load balancers) when provisioning or migrating VMs.

If you are headed to San Francisco for VMworld U.S. next week, come visit the Cisco booth to see these solutions in action.  Here are some of the demos that we’ll be featuring:

Building Hybrid Clouds with Nexus 1000V InterCloud: We’ll be showcasing one of the most exciting features in the latest version of Prime Network Services Controller. Come see us deploy a secure network tunnel between your enterprise data center to the public cloud with this solution.

Network Services and Cisco Dynamic Fabric Automation: Here, Prime Network Services Controller provides network service automation by working with Cisco Prime Data Center Network Manager (DCNM).

Virtualized Network Services: This demo will feature Prime Network Services Controller and vPath integration with Citrix NetScaler 1000V and Imperva SecureSphere running on Cisco Nexus 1000V series switches (on VMware vSphere, of course).

And don’t miss our theatre session on August 27th, 5:00PM PST in the Cisco booth.

For a preview of what you’ll see, watch this video on Prime Network Services Controller with product manager Dedi Shindler from Cisco Live earlier this summer:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoEXeE7fa6A]

If you won’t be at VMworld in San Francisco, you can learn more about Cisco Prime Network Services Controller at www.cisco.com/web/go/services-controller

You can also follow the action and stay up to date by following our Twitter handle, @CiscoUM.