{"id":226729,"date":"2024-10-11T14:53:42","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T21:53:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zpesystems.com\/?p=226729"},"modified":"2024-10-11T14:53:52","modified_gmt":"2024-10-11T21:53:52","slug":"network-virtualization-platforms-zs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zpesystems.com\/network-virtualization-platforms-zs\/","title":{"rendered":"Network Virtualization Platforms: Benefits & Best Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Network Virtualization Platforms: Benefits & Best Practices<\/h1>\n

\"Simulated<\/p>\n

Network virtualization decouples network functions, services, and workflows from the underlying hardware infrastructure and delivers them as software. In the same way that server virtualization makes data centers more scalable and cost-effective, network virtualization helps companies streamline network deployment and management while reducing hardware expenses.<\/p>\n

This guide describes several types of network virtualization platforms before discussing the benefits of virtualization and the best practices for improving efficiency, scalability, and ROI.<\/p>\n

What do network virtualization platforms do?<\/h2>\n

There are three forms of network virtualization that are achieved with different types of platforms. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Type of Virtualization<\/th>\nDescription<\/th>\nExamples of Platforms<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Virtual Local Area Networking (VLAN)<\/th>\nCreates an abstraction layer over physical local networking infrastructure so the company can segment the network into multiple virtual networks without installing additional hardware.<\/td>\n\n

SolarWinds Network Configuration Manager<\/p>\n

ManageEngine Network Configuration Manager<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Software-Defined Networking (SDN)<\/th>\nDecouples network routing and control functions from the actual data packets so that IT teams can deploy and orchestrate workflows across multiple devices and VLANs from one centralized platform.<\/td>\n\n

Meraki<\/p>\n

Juniper<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Network Functions Virtualization (NFV)<\/th>\nSeparates network functions like routing, switching, and load balancing from the underlying hardware so teams can deploy them as virtual machines (VMs) and use fewer physical devices.<\/td>\n\n

Red Hat OpenStack<\/p>\n

VMware vCloud NFV<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

While network virtualization is primarily concerned with software, it still requires a physical network infrastructure to serve as the foundation for the abstraction layer (just like server virtualization still requires hardware in the data center or cloud to run hypervisor software). Additionally, the virtualization software itself needs storage or compute resources to run, either on a server\/hypervisor or built-in to a networking device like a router or switch. Sometimes, this hardware is also referred to as a network virtualization platform.<\/p>\n

The benefits of network virtualization<\/h2>\n

Virtualizing network services and workflows with VLANs, SDN, and NFVs can help companies:<\/p>\n