Connectivity provided by Intune’s unique distributed switch is controlled via its SDN API and used to migrate Virtual Machines over a long-distance cloud infrastructure
Intune Networks has demonstrated the flexibility of its unique distributed switch by creating a proof-of-concept demonstration that uses its SDN API to create a distributed cloud infrastructure for the migration of Virtual Machines (VM’s). It represents the next generation of private cloud networks and services that will securely and dynamically connect Enterprise users to cloud infrastructure.
The demonstration includes the migration of multiple virtual machines under the control of VMware’s vSphere system, with support for OpenStack controlled migrations (and its Open vSwitch software suite) to be delivered shortly afterwards. The demonstration shows how both VMware and OpenStack Virtual Machines can migrate in parallel across the same Intune network. The VM’s are seamlessly moved between different physical servers either with or independently of their associated storage. The virtual machines are migrated between servers located at sites spread over a 50km radius.
Seamless and rapid migration of VM’s is important for large organisations who are looking to consolidate their data centre infrastructure in co-located facilities and need to easily migrate their VMs. In addition, real-time data driven decision making requires applications to be run as close to the location of the relevant data generation as possible, due to the massive quantities of what is often called "Big Data", and the costs involved in moving it around. Moving the VM to the data is a more cost effective approach to handle Big Data.
Intune’s demonstration shows how the highly dynamic flows created by the movement of VM’s between locations can be delivered on-demand and how they are unaffected by other traffic flows crossing the dynamic Intune cloud infrastructure.
John Dunne, Intune’s CTO, explained, ‘Intune’s system is unique, because it creates a single pool of connectivity that any traffic flow can use. As well as virtualising the compute and storage, for the first time we’ve now virtualised the network, completing the puzzle of how to effectively deliver cloud services. This is the perfect way to build secure private cloud networks.’
Even though the physical servers can be separated by hundreds of miles, Intune’s system allows them to be connected to the same distributed switch, as though they were all in the same location. This hugely simplifies the challenge of managing and controlling the dynamic traffic flows that VM’s and cloud services will require from the wide area network.
John Dunne, Intune’s CTO, added, ‘We’re demonstrating how our system can support VM migration using de facto industry applications such as VMware, but also how it will work with new emerging open standards such as OpenStack and OvS. In essence, what we’ve built is the world’s first programmable distributed forwarding fabric for cloud compute.’
Intune plans to make the demonstration available to prospective clients in North America and the rest of the world between now and the end of the year.
About OvS
Open vSwitch is a production quality, multilayer virtual switch licensed under the open source Apache 2.0 license. It is designed to enable massive network automation through programmatic extension, while still supporting standard management interfaces and protocols (e.g. NetFlow, sFlow, SPAN, RSPAN, CLI, LACP, 802.1ag). Open vSwitch also supports OpenFlow as a method of exporting remote access to control traffic.
http://www.intunenetworks.com/home/news/latest_pr/vm_migration_across_sdn_cloud/
