Cisco Announces Open Network Environment to Unleash Application-Driven Network Programmability

Evolutionary approach delivers deep network programmability; Encompasses emerging software-defined networking models

Cisco Live! San Diego – June 13, 2012 –  Cisco today introduced a versatile and broad approach to network programmability— Cisco ® Open Network Environment (Cisco ONE) —  aimed at helping  customers  drive the next wave of business innovation through trends such as cloud, mobility, social networking, and video. Cisco ONE enables flexible, application-driven customization of network infrastructures to help realize business objectives such as:  increased service velocity, resource optimization, and faster monetization of new services.

The Cisco Open Network Environment is delivered through a rich set of platform APIs, agents and controllers, and overlay network technologies. Cisco ONE complements current approaches to software-defined networking while encompassing the entire solution stack from transport to management and orchestration.  With Cisco’s Open Network Environment customers can harness the intelligent network through programmability and abstraction across multiple layers, offering a choice of protocols, industry standards, and usage-based deployment models.

As part of the Open Network Environment, Cisco announced One Platform Kit (onePK) which provides application programming interfaces (APIs) for developers across Cisco operating systems: Cisco IOS ®, IOS-XR, and NX-OS. Cisco also announced proof-of-concept controller software and proof-of-concept OpenFlow agent for Software Defined Networking (SDN) research.  Cisco is also enabling scalable virtual overlay networks for multi-tenant cloud deployments with the Cisco Nexus® 1000V virtual switch. New innovations include: OpenStack support, programmability, multi-hypervisor capability, and VXLAN gateway functionality.

Cisco is collaborating on emerging network technologies with industry leaders, academic organizations, and standards bodies to meet their heterogeneous requirements for network programmability. Cisco’s Open Network Environment supports a wide variety of deployment models including:

• Universities and Research Organizations: Network partitioning or “campus network slicing” using proof-of-concept  controller software and OpenFlow agents for SDN research
• Hyperscale Data centers: Network flow management with programmatic access via APIs
• Cloud Providers: Automated provisioning and programmable overlay network for scalable multi-tenancy
• Service Providers: Programmatic access, policy and analytics to optimize and monetize service delivery
• Enterprises: Private cloud automation for virtual workloads , including VDI

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Cisco Open Network Environment is adopting a multi-pronged product strategy to deliver network programmability.

One Platform Kit (onePK) Software development kit for customers and partners

• onePK delivers a rich set of APIs for deep programmatic access across Cisco operating systems and hardware platforms.
• Cisco will provide phased support for onePK on IOS, IOS-XR, and NX-OS operating systems and hardware platforms including ASR, ISR G2, CRS, Catalyst ® and Nexus® switches.  Cisco onePK support will be provided initially for the ASR1000 and ISRG2.
• onePK allows tight integration with software applications for greater visibility, orchestration and control of network infrastructure for rapid service creation and delivery, and automate multiple network tasks and processes.
• With onePK, developers can select the language they are familiar with, use existing tools, and easily integrate into existing development environments.
• On June 12 Cisco announced its Cloud Connected Solution Partners and customers can also develop their own Cloud Connectors using onePK APIs to enhance and differentiate Cloud Services.  Cloud Connector is a software component residing on ISR G2 and ASR1000 routing platforms to improve availability, performance, and security for cloud services.

Cisco Controller Software and OpenFlow Agents for Software Defined Networking (SDN)

• Cisco will provide proof-of-concept controller software for SDN and is collaborating with academic and research institutions in these efforts. For example, universities will be able to partition or “slice” their campus network to enable academic research on SDN with consistent policy management.
• Cisco will provide proof-of-concept OpenFlow v1.0 agents on the Cisco Catalyst 3750-X and 3560-X Series Switches.
• Cisco is also leading several workgroups at the Open Network Foundation.

Virtual Overlay Networks extend support for OpenStack, multiple hypervisors,  and VXLAN gateway functionality for consistency across physical and virtual networks

• Cisco will expand virtual overlay network solutions for scalable, multi-tenant cloud infrastructures and Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IAAS) through enhanced capabilities of its Nexus 1000V portfolio with support for open-source hypervisors.  This adds to existing support for VMware and Microsoft hypervisors.
• Cisco will also provide the Virtual Extensible Local Area Network (VXLAN)  gateway to bridge traditional VLAN-based physical network environments with VXLAN-based virtual overlay networks.
• Cisco will extend vPath technology implemented on Nexus 1000V to support virtual services on VXLAN-based overlay networks, including VSG and ASA1000V.  Cisco vPath will steer or “chain” traffic across VSG and ASA1000V through pre-defined policies to simplify operational workflows on a per-tenant basis.
• Cisco will offer standards-based OpenStack Quantum Plug-in and REST APIs for the Cisco Nexus 1000V virtual switch to rapidly orchestrate multi-tenant cloud infrastructures.

Availability

Beta trials and phased general availability are scheduled to begin the last quarter of 2012.

SUPPORTING QUOTES

Cisco:  Padmasree Warrior, CTO, SVP Engineering, GM Enterprise Business   “The Cisco Open Network Environment is key to our vision of an intelligent network that is more open, programmable, and application-aware—  a vision in which the network is transformed into a more effective business enabler,” said Padmasree Warrior, Cisco chief technical officer, senior vice president of Engineering, and general manager of Enterprise Business. “With Cisco’s Open Network Environment, customers get a comprehensive and robust set of capabilities to address emerging enterprise and service provider requirements to harness network intelligence and provide value for new business platforms in an evolutionary manner.”

Cisco:  David Yen, SVP and GM of the Data Center Technology Group “Today’s announcement is a milestone event that signals Cisco’s leadership, contribution and dedication to open networking,” said David Yen, senior vice president and general manager of the Data Center Technology Group at Cisco. “Using the Cisco ONE Platform Kit, developers will have access to over 20 years of intelligent networking software produced by Cisco’s top R&D talent.  Together, we’ll usher in a new era of programmability through transparent and granular interaction between applications and network infrastructure.”

CTERA: Liran Eshel, chief executive officer:  “By leveraging Cisco ISR G2 as a platform, CTERA and Cisco allow customers to bridge the gap between local and cloud storage by combining LAN speed user experience with the resilience of the cloud,” said Liran Eshel, chief executive officer at CTERA. “Utilizing the ISR’s network capabilities, the consolidated solution can effectively manage cloud storage traffic in an optimized way. The integration, which was rapidly implemented as a connector using Cisco’s Open Network Environment and the onePK API, allowed us to deliver the world’s first cloud-storage-enabled router with intelligent QoS and superior user experience.”

NTT-Data:  Mr. Kobayashi, Senior Manager  “The Cisco Nexus 1000V ability to span both physical and virtual workloads with a rich portfolio of physical and virtual network services on a scalable VXLAN network is what NTT-Data requires for cloud deployments,” said Mr. Kobayashi, Senior Manager, NTT-Data. “The added flexibility of multiple hypervisors is particularly helpful for us to develop multiple tiers of cloud offerings with multiple service level agreements and cost structures for our customers.”

MLB.com:  Kushal Patel, VP of Networking  “Baseball has dedicated and passionate fans who have high expectations for the quality and value of their interactive experiences, which demands a reliable network,” said Kushal Patel, vice president of networking at MLB.com.  “We like the strategic direction Cisco is taking with its Open Network Environment, which provides a platform to more closely integrate customer-built software applications with the network.”

Indiana University:  Brad Wheeler, vice president of information technology and CIO “Indiana University is delighted to have Cisco as the newest member of InCNTRE’s SDN Interoperability Lab,” said Brad Wheeler, Indiana University vice president of information technology and CIO.  “This collaboration, along with Cisco’s vision for dynamic and multi-dimensional networks – the Open Network Environment-  will help drive innovation to advance next generation networks.”

University of Wisconsin Madison:  Bruce Maas, Vice Provost for Information Technology and CIO  “Our IT network engineers and computer science department researchers have been collaborating with Cisco to develop and advance SDN solutions that will help move SDN from the R&D lab to mainstream business and academic production environments,” said  Bruce Maas, vice provost for information technology and CIO at University of Wisconsin Madison. We believe that programmable networks—providing program interfaces to devices and software that take advantage of network intelligence-will enable new research innovations that will advance science and boost economic development.”

HCL Technologies LTD:  Prabhuraman Sayanam, Vice President   “As a leading global IT and software development company, HCL Technologies is always interested in taking advantage of network innovations,” said Prabhuraman Sayanam, vice president at HCL Technologies LTD. “As one of the first developer partners for Cisco’s onePK, we have already begun working with the application programming interface.  We’re looking forward to using Cisco’s Open Network Environment and onePK to create innovative new software applications to serve our joint customers’ needs.”

SUPPORTING RESOURCES

• Watch the CiscoLive Press Conference
• Read:  Cisco Blog on Open Network Environment
• Learn more: Cisco Platform Blog
• Read Cisco Blogs

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO, news, filings) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate.  Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

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