Citrix and Cisco: A New Playbook for New Times

Citrix and Cisco: A New Playbook for New Times -

Citrix and Cisco have been partners for years. We have delivered some of the largest virtual office facilities in the world together using UCS, Nexus and XenDesktop. With joint experiments linking together applications, infrastructure and networking, it was a natural step for us to collaborate and solve some of the most pressing problems in the data center rather than go it alone.

To tell the mobility was a huge disturbance is an understatement. We all understand how it changed the way users interact with companies fundamentally. But what we do not talk about how it has changed the requirements of the data center. The radical change we need to review the interaction of applications and mobile users and its implications for the next generation of cloud networks

What we see are three things :.

1. demand management is fundamental :. for data center networks to respond to the interaction between users and mobile applications, it is a fundamental requirement to understand the semantics of the application and how these interactions affect mobile network architectures
2. the services must be software the adoption of software for networking services is the key to creating a truly malleable solution. The resulting software services enable data centers to react quickly to changes in user interactions, deployments of mobile and largely the overall context of the application. This enables the integration of network services at the right place for the right need
3. The solution should be unified vs. integrated :. For all the talk of how the data center is changing, people who manage data centers always tell us that where possible, they always want someone to call, someone they can demand accountability ie leverage a truly unified solution.

So how do we get there? We are redefining the playbook delivery of data center services.

Application Fluency is Foundational

Citrix NetScaler has been at the forefront of the application currently more than a decade. With the advent of cloud architectures, we found that the core network necessary for the smooth application. Therefore, we started with the solution that has been enabling application virtualization with genuine switching fabrics: Cisco Nexus 7000. Working together, we were able to create an industry first: a logical link NetScaler makes appear as a service blade on the Cisco Nexus 7000 result makes the application of fluid core network fabric while dramatically simplifying deployment of application delivery services.

As we explore the link between the products, we expect all kinds of creative solutions to complex network problems where data centers have had to give up the control application to host the network topologies. With this new link, we will be able to address these limitations and make the topology of a non-issue in the future.

The services must be Software

different applications require different network services to drive them. Some simply need an application delivery controller (ADC) as a NetScaler, others need extra security from a modern firewall. Whatever the case, the requirements resulting from requests resulted topologies "compartmentalized" that create unnecessary duplication of network infrastructure simply because of limitations in physical connectivity and network separation. We look forward to seeing this combination later this calendar year.

With vpath Cisco (http://blogs.cisco.com/datacenter/vpath-the-secret-sauce-to-enabling-virtual-network- services /) technology added to Citrix NetScaler chaining Service we worked around this limitation. Using the Cisco Nexus 1000 virtual switch in a data center powered Nexus, a NetScaler enabled vpath can now be woven into the path of an application in any part of the network without having to change any physical network topology.

The solution should be unified

so we have solved some technical problems. And we responded to real business needs to enable true data center agility. We are even working on a Cisco validated solution guide. But if there is a problem with NetScaler integrated into the broader fabric of Cisco, who do you call? Citrix, Cisco ... Ghostbusters?

As announced this morning, Cisco has integrated into Citrix NetScaler and will be available on the Cisco Nexus 1110 platform, UCS server and x86 generic servers. The result, Citrix NetScaler 1000V - sold and supported exclusively by Cisco. With performance up to 4Gbps, we expect to meet a wide range of ADC requirements demanded by companies, suppliers of Cloud and Telcos.

When we decided to address what both companies felt a major change in the landscape of the data center, we were both happy with the prospect of expanding our relationship further in the field of services distribution of smart applications in the fabric of the database center. Today we have seen that the work has finally announced and we are excited by the progress made so far. At the same time, we know there is much more to do and more to come. Stay tuned!

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