Software-Defined Networking (SDN) isn’t a one-size-fits-all technology. In fact, depending on your business needs, it may or may not be a good fit at this time. However, if you have determined that SDN is right for your organization, the next question is how to choose from among the different flavors of SDN.
Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) and VMware NSX are two popular options. Many organizations deploy one or the other, but again, depending on your needs and how your network is designed, it may make sense to deploy both together.
In a new article for Network Computing, “Cisco ACI and VMware NSX: Better Together,” I explore the strengths and weaknesses of ACI and NSX, and explain how they complement each other. The key takeaway is that when you are evaluating an SDN solution, it is important to consider not only your software overlay, but also your hardware underlay.
What are your experiences with SDN? How did you choose which flavor to implement? I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Michael Edwards is a Principal Architect in Professional Services at GTRI.