Multi cloud networking software (MCNS), it addresses the issue of how to connect networks and applications across various public cloud environments safely and effectively. It is offered by industry giants like Cisco and VMware as well as a host of startups.
Traditional approaches to network architecture and operations are untenable in today’s multi-cloud world, says Brian Casemore, vice president of research, datacenter and multi-cloud networking at IDC.
According to Ron Howell, leading enterprise network architect at IT consulting firm Capgemini Americas, cloud service providers have struggled to successfully connect various clouds. He claims that each public cloud provider focuses primarily on its own cloud as if it were the only cloud a business would ever want, which is untrue or unrealistic. “This is where multi-cloud networking software adds value,” Howell claims. In this article, newtimezz.com will discuss 4 benefits of multi cloud networking software.
What is multi cloud networking software?
Through a single point of management, MCNS seeks to guarantee uniform networking governance, policy, security, and visibility across various cloud environments.
“Multi-cloud networking provides automated, policy-based networking that offers connectivity and network services for distributed workloads in and across multiple clouds,” explains Casemore.
Enterprises currently address multi-cloud networking in various ways, Some organizations follow a do-it-yourself approach, often involving manual configuration of routers and virtual routers, Casemore says. Scripting or open-source automation technologies can occasionally be used to facilitate that laborious configuration.
“Meanwhile, organizations that have adopted a data-center software-defined networking (SDN) platform often look to extend SDN policy and control to cloud environments,” he adds.
MCNS is declaratively controlled, on demand, elastically scalable, highly available, and secure whether it is provided as network software or as a service based on underlying software. Casemore asserts that it complies with the fundamental characteristics of cloud environments in other words.
Who offers multi cloud networking software?
Andrew Lerner from Gartner has recognized a number of companies as active MCNS market participants, including Alkira, Aviatrix, Arista, Cisco, F5 Networks, and VMWare. Other market participants mentioned by IDC include Prosimo, Arrcus, Isovalent, and Nethopper.io.
Vendors offer software that adds features for single cloud environments and ensures operational consistency for multi-cloud operations. In order to meet enterprise requirements, these new cloud software products, according to Rod Stuhlmuller, vice president of strategic customer and analyst relations at Aviatrix, both replace native cloud software and use native cloud provider APIs.
What advantages do multi cloud networking software offer?
Enterprises are adopting multi-cloud architectures because it allows them to distribute workloads across various cloud services providers, shared colocation facilities, and on-premises data centers by establishing common foundational baselines in the underlying services, says Joe Hielscher, product manager, cloud networking software, with Arista Networks.
The following are a few advantages of multi-cloud networking software:
- Speed: By removing the need to manage many networking silos with various tooling and capabilities, MCNS claims to significantly speed up cloud deployments. “With the right MCNS, organizations no longer require specialized cloud knowledge or have to employ error-prone manual configurations to unify their clouds,” explains Alkira creator and CEO Amir Khan. Work that used to take months to accomplish can now be finished in a matter of hours.
- Performance: Casemore claims that the MCNS services feature abstractions or low-code improvements that are intended to make networking within and across various clouds simpler. The abstractions reduce the difficulty, hassle, and expense of coping with and administering separate, dispersed cloud APIs and network constructions designed specifically for clouds.
- Staffing Costs: Enterprises will no longer need to find, hire, build, and maintain teams with experience in various cloud environments thanks to a uniform network and security infrastructure that spans an entire multi-cloud environment. “Multi-cloud networking software makes building and managing network and security the same in every public cloud environment,” claims Stuhlmuller. “In large enterprises, this benefit alone can translate to a reduction in human resources costs of millions of dollars annually.”
- Operational Efficiency: According to JL Valente, vice president of product management for enterprise routing and SD-WAN at Cisco, MCNS also promises to close the current gap between NetOps, DevOps, and SecOps teams by offering a common controller and management framework to identify cloud application intent and then implement it across the cloud and non-cloud infrastructure in a secure and seamless manner. According to him, MCNS should make it possible for businesses to foster collaboration between DevOps and NetOps teams in order to increase operational effectiveness and hasten application deployment.
