CloudBand Improves Communication between Virtualization Apps and the Network

With cloud computing, BYOD, virtualization and everything-as-a-service placing increasing demands on the network, helping networks bear the load and prepare for the future requires better communication between applications and the network.

“In a virtualized world,” noted TMCnet columnist Peter Bernstein in a blog post earlier this week, “understanding the ‘blurring’ and accommodating the reality of optimal performance is going to entail a blended approach to infrastructure architecture, coupled with the ability to create, monitor and enforce policies and rules for people, devices and apps.”

This means optimizing network infrastructure for virtualized applications and cloud-based services, which was the focus of a recent TMCnet webinar.

During the webinar, IDC’s (News - Alert) director of enterprise communications infrastructure, Rohit Mehra, noted that IDC’s research showed that there was greater need to ensure security between virtual servers, provide more bandwidth to support the virtualized environment, and clear up the network bottleneck that can slow new service provisioning.

That’s exactly what Alcatel-Lucent (News - Alert) and Citrix have been working on with Alcatel-Lucent’s just-announced carrier cloud solution, CloudBand Management System and CloudBand Node. The verified Citrix Ready solution combines the computing power and flexibility of the cloud with the performance, security and reliability of communications networks.

CloudBand leveraged the Citrix CloudPlatform, which is powered by open-source cloud platform, Appache CloudStack. It leverages the service provider’s distributed architecture to provide cloud services closer to customers. That helps give lower latency, better control of bandwidth and better guaranteed quality of service. It serves as a cloud-in-a-box for service providers who need to set up a network node location in as little as a few hours.

The CloudBand Management System orchestrates and optimizes services between the application cloud layer and the network infrastructure. CloudBand Node delivers the computing, storage and networking hardware and software to host a wide range of cloud services offerings.

Together, the system breaks down the applications and network silos that hinder optimal cloud service performance.

The Citrix Ready program certifies solutions that are trusted to enhance virtualization, networking and cloud computing solutions with Citrix offerings such as its popular XenDesktop, XenApp, XenServer, NetScaler and GoToMeeting.

“As a result of the silos between applications and the network,” noted Bernstein, “most enterprises are in need of a transformation that breaks down the barriers in order to facilitate optimal performance in an increasingly virtualized world where a premium will be placed on speed, flexibility and security.”

He added, “The silos need to be eliminated as obstacles and companies recognize the need and are going to need to invest capabilities that enable the transformation of their data centers and networks so they can be orchestrated, federated and harmonized to provide optimal performance.”