VMware announces the latest releases of NSX-T Data Center 2.4 and NSX Cloud, allowing enterprises both large and small to leverage cloud-scale and performance to accelerate the adoption of Networking Function Virtualisation (NFV).
According to the company, the Virtual Cloud Network is the future of networking-- one based on a software-defined network architecture spanning all infrastructure and tying all pieces with one-click deployment. At the heart of the Virtual Cloud Network is NSX, a means to deliver consistent, pervasive connectivity and security for apps and data wherever they reside. NSX can optimise workload placement across a larger pool of physical resources, unlocking "stranded" capacity in a hardware-based network segment or VLAN.
NSX-T 2.4 accelerates Day 0 installation to Day 1 provisioning of a software-defined network from days to minutes, and simplifies Day 2 network operations. An HTML5-based UI gives customers a simpler network management console, with prescriptive guidance reducing the number of clicks and page hops required to complete configuration tasks. Ansible modules enable the automation of installation workflows, and a single API call or a few clicks allow the provisioning of new networks and services.
NSXT-T also supports higher levels of cloud-scale, resiliency and performance, with near line-rate speed using a DPDK-based hardware-accelerated data plane, high availability with clustered management plane nodes and scalability to tens-of-thousands of unique networks per NSX-T instance. IPv6 support adds a critical requirement for cloud-scale networks, and the addition of Network Service Header (NSH)-based service chaining makes service provider networks more efficient, programmable and flexible by leveraging the IETF SFC framework.
On the security side NSX-T 2.4 supports L7 application awareness, identity-based firewalling, agentless endpoint protection via 3rd party integrations and service insertion. A new management dashboard and UI add a new level of analytics and visualisation, as do support for Splunk and VMware vRealize Log Insight.