Cloud Infrastructure

 

Introduction

The traditional, hierarchical client-server architecture is no longer optimal for data centers. Cloud-focused applications distributed across multiple Virtual Machines (VMs) require high-bandwidth networking services to support “East-West” traffic. These services must be implemented in Virtual Appliances on commodity hardware, rather than in physical networking equipment, enabling consistent management by data center operators. To address these challenges, 6WIND provides high-performance software-based networking on industry-standard multicore platforms, while simplifying the management of virtual appliances through a fully-scalable networking architecture.

Key Challenges for Data Center Operators

Facing on-going CAPEX pressures, data center operators are challenged to migrate to commodity hardware platforms as quickly as possible, while continuing to deliver increased performance to end-users. At the same time, OPEX constraints require improvements in resource utilization, achieved through the efficient management of Virtual Machines and Virtual Appliances.

With no way to predict the future mix of applications or the growth in workloads, data center networks must be architected for maximum flexibility and scalability, leading to the adoption of Software-Defined Networks based on open standards.

Key Challenges for Network Equipment Manufacturers

Network equipment manufacturers must deliver new cloud-optimized solutions that provide improved cost/performance for virtual appliances, while also accelerating their development schedules so as to be early to market in new product categories. Typically, their systems include a wealth of proprietary software, developed over multiple product generations and proven through extensive field experience. This software must be reused as seamlessly as possible, often on a range of hardware platforms based on different processor architectures.

6WINDGate™ Cloud Edition Solution

The 6WINDGate Cloud Edition software meets the requirements both of software companies developing high-performance, scalable Virtual Appliances and of OEMs who must optimize the cost-performance of networking equipment for public, private and hybrid clouds.

Protocol Suite for Virtual Appliances

6WINDGate Cloud Edition includes a comprehensive set of networking protocols optimized for Virtual Appliances, including routing, security, firewall, VPN and TCP termination functions.

Maximum Performance from Commodity Hardware

To maximize system-level performance, 6WINDGate leverages the unique architectural features of standard processor platforms from leading suppliers, while exploiting advanced data plane libraries such as the Intel® Data Plane Development Kit. Optimized support is implemented for performance-oriented features such as on-chip security accelerators.

Best-in-Class Networking Performance

Performing the most frequently used networking functions on dedicated processor cores, 6WINDGate avoids the performance penalties imposed by OS latencies and overheads. Typically, this innovative fast path architecture improves the performance of cloud networking functions by 10x, compared to OS-based implementations.

Dynamic Scalability

With minimal management overhead, 6WINDGate is fully scalable across processors, across blades and across racks. Avoiding the complexity of instantiating multiple Virtual Appliances as bandwidth requirements increase, data center operators can configure a single 6WINDGate-based Virtual Appliance to dynamically scale up across as many cores as necessary, with no loss in per-core performance (and subsequently scale down when the excess bandwidth is no longer required).

Optimized for Virtualization

6WINDGate supports both open-source and proprietary hypervisors, with no performance penalty compared to non-virtualized configurations. Data center operators can efficiently provision their network resources and adjust that provisioning dynamically in line with changing traffic patterns or application requirements.

Open Standards

6WINDGate is fully-compatible with standard application-level Linux APIs. Proprietary networking software already developed for other platforms can be deployed to run on 6WINDGate without the need for time-consuming rewrites or re-validation. 6WINDGate can be integrated within a virtual appliance with no impact on the virtual appliance itself.

Architecture Flexibility

System architects have the flexibility to select whichever processor is best suited for a specific cloud infrastructure product, with the confidence that the use of 6WINDGate will enable them to extract the best possible networking performance from that platform.

Example Use Case

6WINDGate has been selected by several tier-1 networking equipment providers for cloud-optimized appliances and has been successfully deployed in cloud infrastructure applications. The table below summarizes the successes achieved by one specific client who met aggressive cost, schedule and feature challenges thanks to the 6WINDGate software.

6WINDGate Cloud Edition: Proven Benefits for Cloud Infrastructure

Already deployed in tier-one networking equipment worldwide, 6WINDGate solves today’s data center networking problems while providing the scalability to meet on-going capacity challenges. By delivering industry-leading networking performance for virtual appliances running on commodity hardware, 6WINDGate enables both data center operators and network equipment suppliers to maximize their ROI while achieving profitable business growth.

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