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The Future of Intent-based Networking and Multi-domain Architectures: Part II
The second in our series, this article explores what intent-based networking (IBN) is and how organizations can leverage it to build multi-domain architectures.
The Future of Intent-based Networking and Multi-domain Architectures: Part I
This series of articles will explore what intent-based networking (IBN) is and how organizations can leverage it to build multi-domain architectures. As more organizations embrace these architectures, WWT is seeing a change in networking the likes which haven't been seen in many years.
The Future of Intent-based Networking and Multi-domain Architectures: Part III
The last in a series of articles exploring intent-based networking, this article focuses on the art of the possible as it pertains to linking all the disparate SDN domains.
VMware NSX-T Virtual Lab
This is an On-Demand Lab for VMware NSX-T. It provides the same lab experience as the one day NSX-T training class but without the slide content and on-site architect. This lab is not meant to teach operations, best practices or replace VMware's hands-on classes.
NSX-T Virtual Lab 8: Configure Logical Routing
In this lab, you will configure the distributed logical routing components of NSX-T. Though not required, we will be creating a two-tier routing topology, with one Tier-0 and Tier-1 router respectively.
NSX-T Virtual Labs 9-11: Configure VMs, Explore Routing and Test 3-Tier App
In these labs, you will be migrating the three-tier app virtual machines to your new NSX segments. Then you will verify that all the application components are reachable and that BGP is peering correctly. Lastly, you will confirm that the three-tier app is working appropriately.
NSX-T Virtual Lab 4: Inventory Preparation
In this lab, we will be creating objects that will help us lay the foundation for our NSX-T environment.
NSX-T Virtual Lab 7: Configure Logical Switching
Logical switching is configured as "segments" within NSX-T. Previously known as "logical switches," segments represent Layer 2 broadcast domains within the NSX-T environment. These segments can be deployed on both the N-VDS and native vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS) and will be backed by either a VLAN or Overlay transport zone.
NSX-T Virtual Lab 13: Distributed Firewall
The NSX-T Distributed Firewall is a powerful feature that provides robust security at the vNIC level, allowing for segmentation of workloads in a myriad of ways. In this lab, you will utilize the groups you created using tags (in Lab 12) to deploy firewall rules.
NSX-T Virtual Lab 1: Explore NSX-T Environment
In this lab, you'll spend some time familiarizing yourself with the lab environment you will be working in.
NSX-T Virtual Lab 5: Prepare ESX Hosts for NSX-T
Here you will be preparing the VMware hosts within the "Compute" cluster to be NSX Transport Nodes. During this process, NSX Manager will install various components on the host and will provision the TEP interface.
NSX-T Virtual Lab 3: Add Compute Manager
In the context of NSX-T, a compute manager is a system that manages hypervisor hosts and their accompanying virtualized workloads. A prime example of this is VMware vCenter Server.
NSX-T Virtual Lab 6: Deploy Edge Node
An NSX Edge Transport Node is a node within NSX-T that has several functions, including acting as the gateway into and out of the NSX-T fabric. In this section, we will be deploying an edge in the virtual machine form factor so that the endpoints in our environment can access external resources.
NSX-T Virtual Lab 12: Tags & Groups
VMware NSX-T provides a robust tagging mechanism that allows metadata to be applied to nearly every logical object created within the system. Tags can also be applied to workloads that are part of the NSX environment, such as virtual machines.
NSX-T Virtual Lab 2: Add vSphere Distributed Switch
In this lab, you will be adding a new distributed switch to your vSphere environment.
NEXUS Dashboard, NEXUS Insights and AppDynamics Lab
Over the years, Cisco has developed various ACI tools (now for DCNM and NX-OS and eventually public cloud visibility) known as the day 2 operations suite. The tools are Network Assurance Engine (NAE) and NEXUS Insights (NI is now the combination of Network Insights Resources (NIR) and Network insights Advisor (NIA)). Cisco has embarked on combining NAE and NI into a single pane of glass view and providing sharable data lakes for all apps, allowing for correlating application performance and fabric events.
VMware Cloud Foundation
The VMware Cloud Foundation Learning Path is an educational journey designed to equip learners with the fundamental knowledge to get started working with VMware Cloud Foundation environments.
VMware NSX-T
VMware NSX Datacenter(NSX-T) platform allows the creation of secure virtual networks on top of your current physical network and virtual server infrastructure. SDN abstracts the underlying infrastructure of your network and programs separate virtual networks using the software. Using the NSX-T manager to create the NSX infrastructure, we prepare the Compute and Edge hosts participating in NSX. The compute hosts connect to the DC fabric, typically a CLOS or Spine/Leaf architecture. The Edge is connected to the DC fabric and external switches to provide public and private routing to WAN and Internet.
Using the software, NSX can recreate entire physical networks, from the layer two switching, complex BGP routing, and FWs load balancers VPNs. This is possible by creating layer 3 Virtual Tunnel Endpoints (VTEPs) that use the Geneve encapsulation protocol to create an overlay in the compute and Edge cluster hosts. This overlay can then build layers two and three segments to connect our Virtual NSX routing and switch infrastructure.
This Geneve Encapsulated Overlay also allows us to create a Physical to Virtual (P/V) point where we can either encapsulate the virtual networks and send them across the layer three underlays or decapsulate to connect to devices outside NSX.
Key Takeaways From VMware EMPOWER 2022
VMware held their annual EMPOWER for the Americas in May of 2022. The three day virtual partner conference consisted of general/breakout sessions, "ask the expert" sessions, hands-on labs and technical training.
All the sessions were available to VMware partners online, but there are often themes and details that get lost along the way. So, we asked WWT's VMware technical experts what they found most interesting from EMPOWER. Here is what they had to say.