Virtualisation

Solutions Network Virtualization

Today’s building management companies can derive revenue from their commercial tenants by providing facilities beyond just floor space. Reliable and secure network connectivity and data storage services are now highly attractive to commercial tenants. However, when your company manages a multiple tenant building – this could be a shopping mall or office block – how do you provide these services securely, affordably, and simply?

They key is to be able to build a single network infrastructure through the building, and then allow the individual tenants to overlay their own virtual networks over this shared infrastructure. Moreover, it is vital that you achieve this network virtualization securely. Individual tenants need to

be 100% confident that their virtual network is completely invulnerable to snooping or infection by other tenants.

In addition, to meet your network management needs the infrastructure must be resilient, scalable, and simple to manage.

Allied Telesis have developed a combination of products and features that provide remarkably secure, reliable, high-performance virtual network infrastructure at extremely cost-effective price points.

The key component in this solution is the standards-compliant VLAN encapsulation (known as VLAN double tagging or QinQ). This makes it possible for each tenant to have their own complete VLAN structure overlaid onto the physical network, running parallel with every other tenant’s VLAN structure, even if they are using the same VLAN IDs as other tenants.

Each tenant is assigned a unique encapsulating VLAN, which forms their own virtual tunnel right across the whole shared network. On the shared segments, each tenant’s data runs within its own tunnel, completely separated from anyone else’s data, with no possibility of cross-over from one virtual network to another.

Resilience

Allied Telesis premium ring resiliency technology, Ethernet Protected Switching Ring (EPSR), has been developed and hardened in demanding Service Provider and Telco sectors.This technology provides true carrier-class network resiliency, and has been made available on Allied Telesis switches at an Enterprise-level price point with absolutely no drop in reliability or performance.

The layout of typical commercial premises, such as office blocks, shopping malls, and airports, lends itself to the use of a core ring of switches as a high-speed backbone of the network infrastructure. This highly resilient network technology is perfect to overlay multiple virtual networks for many tenants or clients, where everyone benefits from the maximum network uptime and high bandwidth provided.

More information on using EPSR in enterprise applications can be found in the “Resilient Networking with EPSR” technology solution available here:

http://www.alliedtelesis.com/resources/literature/literature.aspx?id=5

Other features such as excellent network storm control and prioritisation of network control traffic also contribute to creating extremely high network availability. Add switch hardware features like dual hot-swappable power supplies, and continuation of services is all but guaranteed.

Security

Allied Telesis switches combine leading LAN security with comprehensive privacy protection to ensure complete security for end-customers who virtualize their LANs over a shared physical infrastructure. More information on the advanced LAN security features found in Allied Telesis switches can be found on our website:

http://www.alliedtelesis.com/solutions/category.aspx?5

The IP-binding and Private VLAN (using MAC-Forced Forwarding) implementations in Allied Telesis products have been developed to meet the stringent user privacy and data security requirements of Service Providers. Private VLANs ensure that no traffic from a switch port can be seen from another switch port.The addition of MAC-Forced Forwarding adds further security by sending

all traffic only to a specific known destination, making snooping on your neighbour near impossible. Commercial tenants can be fully confident that their privacy and security is ensured.

2 Allied Telesis Solutions: Network Virtualisation

www.alliedtelesis.com

The Allied Telesis SwitchBlade, x908, x900 specifications

The Allied Telesis x908 and the SwitchBlade x900 series of network switches are cutting-edge solutions designed to address the demands of modern networking environments. These switches are known for their high performance, reliability, and robust feature sets, making them ideal for enterprise and service provider networks.

The Allied Telesis x908 series consists of modular and chassis-based systems that can accommodate a variety of network configurations. One of the main features of the x908 series is its ability to offer high scalability with support for a large number of ports. This makes it suitable for data centers and large enterprise networks where space and bandwidth optimization are critical.

In addition to scalability, the x908 series supports advanced Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching capabilities. This allows for efficient traffic management and routing, ensuring that data is delivered swiftly and reliably. The x908 also incorporates intelligent features such as Quality of Service (QoS), which prioritizes critical network traffic, ensuring that time-sensitive data—like voice and video—maintains its quality during transmission.

The SwitchBlade x900 series takes this functionality further with its innovative modular architecture. This allows organizations to configure their networks to meet specific needs by choosing from a variety of interface cards and service modules. The SwitchBlade x900 also supports advanced security features such as Access Control Lists (ACLs) and VLAN segmentation, which provide enhanced protection against unauthorized access and network threats.

Another hallmark of the x908 and SwitchBlade series is their support for high-speed Ethernet technologies, including 10G and 40G Ethernet. This enables organizations to keep pace with the increasing bandwidth demands of applications and services, particularly in cloud computing and data-intensive workloads.

Both the x908 and the SwitchBlade x900 series are designed with energy efficiency in mind, featuring power-saving technologies that reduce overall operational costs. Coupled with Allied Telesis' management tools, which provide detailed analytics and monitoring, network administrators can optimize performance and energy consumption simultaneously.

In summary, the Allied Telesis x908 and SwitchBlade x900 series offer a comprehensive suite of features, high performance, scalability, and advanced networking technologies. They represent a strategic investment for organizations looking to build resilient, efficient, and future-proof network infrastructures.