Acronymopedia: API

Application Programming Interface.

APIs are a way for one program to use the functions of another program. For example, If I write a program that catalogs the name, address and phone numbers of my favorite restaurants, I can use the Google Maps API, to incorporate maps and directions to these locations. I don’t have to add the mapping functionality to my program.

Some APIs are publicly usable (like Google Maps, Twitter, etc). (here is a list of the most popular APIs).  Some APIs are just used from an internal program to another internal program.

Most SDN implementations utilize a REST (or RESTful) API. This type of API allow the programmer to use information from the network, either to see status, make changes, etc. without having to write a networking application, or dig through a database of information.

In SDN-world, APIs are divided into two groups;

Northbound – which are APIs from the Higher layer orchestration or management layer. OpenStack Neutron (the networking component of OpenStack) has an API which would be considered a northbound API (OpenStack can make changes to the network using this API).

Southbound – which are APIs to and from the actual network devices. OpenFlow is considered a southbound API, as is Cisco’s onePK.

Introduction to Cisco’s ACI

ACI Overview

When Cisco announced the acquisition of Insieme in Nov. 2013, Cisco revealed  its long-awaited Software Defined Network (SDN) strategy; Application Centric Infrastructure (or ACI).

ACI is essentially a “policy-driven” network. Network policies are defined by the network administrator, and the network implements those policies.

Cisco Live 2014 – Day 0

Day zero, since the primary Cisco Live! activities start tomorrow. Today however, you could sign up for and attend workshops (Labs). After learning the hard way from a different conference, I decided not to miss the opportunity to get some hands-on training.

So, early Sunday morning, I walked from my hotel to the Moscone Center. to attend a Nexus 7000 course.  Having never actually logged into one, it was a chance to actually run my fingers on the CLI. The good new is, its all Nexus-OS. Nothing really new there. However, the concept of Virtual Device Context (VDC) was new to me. It sounds reasonable when you read about it, but, actually logging into the device and creating a VDC, makes it somehow more real. (Does that make me a tactile-learner?)

This evening, there was a “tweetup” where you could get to meet people that have only been a twitter handle on your screen. Being somewhat new to the game of Twitter, I’ve been tweeting some things in relation to Cisco Live using the hashtag #CLUS. I even had a twitter conversation with @CiscoLive.  At any rate, I was also lucky enough to meet some of my “heroes” in the networking industry, namely, Ethan Banks (@ecbanks), Amy Renee (@amyengineer) and Tom Hollingsworth (@networkingnerd).

https://twitter.com/kcorkins/status/468188436227448832

I’m trying to meet-up (the old-fashioned way, by phone) with an old friend who is also supposed to be here, but, unfortunately, I’ve yet to make the connection.

All-in-all, a good day 0.

Acronymopedia: BRAS

Broadband Remote Access Server, and the virtualized version; vBRAS.

Effectively sits at the core of the ISP’s network. Used to route DSL traffic to and from the DSLAM (digital subscriber line access multiplexer) and the Internet router(s).

More information in this Wikipedia article.

Software Defined Networking

Introduction to SDN

(This entry is scheduled to be published on our corporate newsletter, the Datatrend Insider. A link will be added here when it is published)

As a new and emerging technology, Software Defined Networking (SDN) is somewhat difficult to define. Ask 10 different people what SDN means, and you are likely to receive 10 different answers. (Does this remind you of the term “Cloud” in its early days?)

Acronymopedia: BYOD

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), is a term used to describe the trend of employees bringing their own computing devices to work. Laptops, tablets and smartphones, sometimes referred to as the “consumerism of IT”. The intent of BYOD is to enable “anywhere access” to corporate information from devices owned by the employee. Without a well thought out plan from the IT organization, BYOD can expose the corporation (and its customers) to security problems.

BYOD can also be an acronym for “Bring Your Own Destruction”, which refers to the potential chaos a poorly planned policy from corporate management and IT.

Tuples

In my reading about different technologies, I keep running across the term, “tuple”. I’ve ran into it on multiple occasions, in different networking topics. The authors of these documents seem to believe I already know what a tuple is, and use the term quite frequently. Unfortunately for me, somewhere along the way in all of the study I’ve done over the last few years, I apparently failed to notice when the term came in to popular use. So, being the good geek that I am, I decided to do a bit of research to make sure I know what a tuple is, and how its used.

Acronymopedia: SDN

Software Defined Networking (SDN)

Generally speaking, SDN is the ability to utilize an application framework (software)  function to control the movement of network traffic through the entire network. More specifically, the idea is to separate the control plane (decision making, “brains”) of a network device, from the data plane (data movement, “braun”), and then to centralize the control plane of multiple devices under a single control point. This single control point can then be a part of a higher-level management or orchestration framework, which allows for a more holistic view of the entire infrastructure.

Other terms that may be used in congestion with SDN; abstraction, OpenFlow, OpenDaylight, Controller. Application Programming Interface

 

Additional Links;

Open Networking foundation

OpenDaylight Foundation

Wikipedia Article

 

Acronymopedia: NaaS

Network as a Service (NaaS) is a business model for offering networking services in the cloud, or on a pay-as-you-go basis. Some items that could be considered NaaS include Virtual Private Network (VPN) or Bandwidth on Demand. 

 

A couple of resources for more information on NaaS;  

Network as a Service Wikipedia entry

Network as a Service entry at SearchSDN

OpenNaaS.org

Items of Interest 12-09-13

This is the first Items of Interest post for me. These are a few things I found interesting for the week ending Dec. 6^th, 2013.

CIO Article: 2013 Prediction: BYOD on the Decline?

As I’ve been ramping up with different network companies, one of the trends I felt I needed to look into is “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD). With my experience working for a major corporation, and now working for a much smaller company, I see both side of the coin; where is the line between personal and business use? Employes want access to apps/data from the device of choice, companies need to keep data secure. Nobody wants to pay a lot of money for access, devices or security. I’ve seen some pretty neat solutions for keeping business and personal separate and secure, but not every employee wants “that company cr*p” on their phone. This article inspires me to keep watching not only the technology, but the people trends as well.

SPARK: VMware NSX design document

VMware NSX is the virtual Networking component of vSphere 5.5. This is a topic I need to dig into and ensure I’m up to speed, and dare I say, an expert on the topic. Anthony Burk is one of the bloggers that I mentioned in the Tech Field Day posts earlier.

Tech Data Youtube channel

As a network solution provider, (as opposed to a vendor), I utilize Distributors to gain access to network products for resale. Currently, I utilize Tech Data for my Cisco and Brocade product. I’ve met most of the Tech Data resources that support my business, but was surpassed to find this Youtube channel. And, to my greater surprise, it seems to be more network focused. (Tech Data carries more brands than Brocade and Cisco).

The Open Group Certified Architect (Open CA) Program

On the certification front, along with the other certifications I’m working on, I found this certification offered by the Open Group. I think its a good idea, and it gives some credibility to System Architects. Why would they need that? Most industry certifications are vendor specific, and cover the vendor’s products. There are some generic certifications from groups like A-plus, but, in my opinion, they should be considered “entry-level”. A System Architect is tasked with designing a solution that crosses multiple disciplines; storage, compute, network, etc. I believe this certification would help to prove to potential clients you have the skills across multiple disciplines. Although you could bring multiple vendor certifications to the table, you might be considered biased toward the vendors where you obtained your certs.

These are just a few of the things I bookmarked, added to my Diigo account, or added to my DevonThink database. I’ll plan to use this technique to further push me to publish more.