Category Archives: Networking

Dell Open Networking and SDN – All About Disaggregation

Posted on May 10, 2015 by Humair

When Dell first announced its Open Networking initiative a little over a year ago, they were the first major networking vendor to do so. Very similar to what Dell did for servers, Dell is now doing for networking – allowing … Continue reading →

Posted in Big Switch Networks, Big Switch Networks, Cumulus Linux, Dell, Dell Force10, IP Infusion, Microsoft, Midokura, Midokura, NEC, NEC, Networking, Technology | Tagged 1000BASET, 100GbE, 10GbE, 40GbE, bare metal, bare metal physical switch, bare metal switch, BCF, Big Cloud Fabric, Big Switch, Big Switch Networks, Big Switch Networks Switch Light OS, Big Tap Monitoring Fabric, boot loader, BusyBox, control plane, Cumulus, Cumulus Linux, Cumulus Linux OS, Cumulus Networks Cumulus Linux OS, data plane, Dell, Dell 100GbE, Dell 100GbE Switch, Dell Force10, Dell multi-rate switching, Dell Networking Operating System, Dell Networking S3048-ON, Dell Networking S4048-ON, Dell Networking S4810-ON, Dell Networking S6000-ON, Dell Networking Z9100-ON, Dell Networking Z9100-ON 100GbE, Dell Open Networking, Dell S3048-ON, Dell S4048-ON, Dell S4810-ON, Dell S6000-ON, Dell Z9100-ON, Dell Z9100-ON 100GbE, Dell Z9100-ON multi-rate switching, DNOS, enhanced boot loader, IP Infusion, IP Infusion OcNOS, Label Distribution Protocol, LDP, linux, Microsoft, Midokura, MPLS, multi-rate switching, Multiprotocol Label Switching, NEC, network OS, Network Virtualization, NSX, OcNOS, ONIE, ONL, Open Compute Project, Open Network Linux, Open Networking, Open Networking Install Environment, OpenFlow, Quagga, Quagga routing suite, S3048-ON, S4048-ON, S4810-ON, S6000-ON, SDN, Switch Light OS, U-Boot, Virtual Private LAN Service, vmware, VMware NSX, VPLS, VXLAN, VXLAN L2 Hardware Gateway, Z9100-ON, Z9100-ON 100GbE | Leave a comment

6WIND – From Data Plane Acceleration to Virtual Appliances

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Humair

6WIND is an interesting company I’ve been following for some time now, initially out of curiosity, and then out of more curiosity :-). They first started as a networking software company claiming to solve performance challenges for software defined networks … Continue reading →

Posted in 6WIND, 6WIND, Dell, Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, Linux, Network Architecture, Networking, Operating Systems, Servers, Technology, Virtualization and Cloud Computing | Tagged 6WIND, 6WIND packet processing software, 6WIND Turbo IPsec, 6WIND Turbo Router, 6WIND Virtual Accelerator, 6WINDGate, 6WINDGate packet processing software, CPU core, CPU cores, CPU multi-core multi-processor architecture, Data Plane Acceleration, Data Plane Development Kit, Dell, Dell PowerEdge, Dell PowerEdge Server, Dell Server, DPDK, Emulex, forwarding throughput, hypervisor, Intel, Intel CPU multi-core multi-processor architecture, Intel Data Plane Development Kit, Intel DPDK, Intel Xeon, Intel Xeon processor, kernel, KVM, L3 forwarding throughput, linux, Linux kernel, Linux network stack, Linux networking stack, Linux Open vSwitch, Linux operating system, Linux OS, Linux OVS switch, Linux user space, Mellanox, multi-core multi-processor architecture, network function virtualization, network packet processing, networking software company, networking stack, NFV, Open Networking Summit, Open vSwitch, Open vSwitch Conference, OVDK, OVS, OVS switch, packet processing, packet processing software, PowerEdge, PowerEdge server, SDN, Separate Control Plane and Data Plane, software defined networking, standard Linux networking stack, TCP/IP stack, throughput, user space, Vincent Jardin, Virtual Accelerator, virtual appliance, virtual networking, virtualization, Xeon, Xeon processor, zero-copy, zero-copy mode | Leave a comment

VMware NSX Service Composer: Advanced Security & Micro-segmentation

Posted on March 16, 2015 by Humair

In a prior blog, Firewalling & Micro-segmentation with VMware NSX, I discussed some of the basics of firewalls and micro-segmentation with VMware NSX. In this blog, I’ll introduce how security groups via NSX Service Composer can be used with VMware … Continue reading →

Posted in Dell, Dell EqualLogic, Dell Force10, Dell PowerEdge Blade Servers, Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers, iSCSI, Labs, Network Architecture, Network Security, Networking, Security, Servers, Storage, Technology, Virtualization and Cloud Computing, VMware, VMware | Tagged advanced security, advanced security policies, container, converged network, DCB, Dell, Dell DCB iSCSI, Dell end-to-end converged infrastructure, Dell iSCSI, Dell MXL, Dell S4810, Dell S6000, Dell VMware NSX, Dell VMware NSX Architecture, Dell VMware NSX design, Dell VMware NSX Guide, Dell VMware NSX RA, Dell-VMware NSX Reference Architecture, dynamic membership, end-to-end converged infrastructure, ESXi, firewall, firewall rules, iSCSI, iSCSI converged network, logical switch, micro-segmentation, Micro-segmentation with VMware NSX, microsegmentation, microsegmentation with VMware NSX, MXL, NSX, NSX advanced security policies, NSX Distributed Firewall, NSX firewall, NSX firewall rules, NSX logical switch, NSX partners, NSX security group container, NSX Security Group dynamic membership, NSX Security Groups, NSX security policy, NSX service chaining, NSX Service Composer, NSX Service Composer advanced security policies, NSX Service Composer Canvas View, NSX Service Composer container, NSX Service Composer Security Group, NSX Service Composer security policy, NSX-V, Palo Alto, Palo Alto Networks, Palo Alto Panorama, Palo Alto's Panorama, Panorama, S4810, S6000, security, security group container, Security Group dynamic membership, Security Groups, security policy, service chaining, Service Composer, Service Composer advanced security policies, Service Composer Canvas View, Service Composer container, Service Composer Security Group, Service Composer security policy, symantec, virtual machines, vms, VMware achitecture, VMware design, VMware ESXi, VMware logical switch, VMware NSX, VMware NSX advanced security policies, VMware NSX architecture, VMware NSX design, VMware NSX Distributed Firewall, VMware NSX firewall rules, VMware NSX logical switch, VMware NSX partners, VMware NSX security group container, VMware NSX Security Group dynamic membership, VMware NSX Security Groups, VMware NSX security policy, VMware NSX service chaining, VMware NSX Service Composer, VMware NSX Service Composer advanced security policies, VMware NSX Service Composer Canvas View, VMware NSX Service Composer container, VMware NSX Service Composer Security Group, VMware NSX Service Composer security policy, VMware NSX-V, VMware NSX-v design, VMware NSX-vSphere design, VMware Security Groups, VMware Service Composer, VMware virtual machine, VMware VM, VMware vSphere, vSphere | 1 Comment

Minecraft for $2.5 Billion – Yes, ‘the App’ is King

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Humair

I’m still not completely over the shock from last November when I learned Microsoft had bought Mojang, the company behind Minecraft, for $2.5 billion dollars. Let me repeat that: “$2.5 BILLION”; you heard right. Markus Persson, the 35 year-old original … Continue reading →

Posted in Amazon, Business, Game Programming, Games, Mac OS X Yosemite, Networking, Operating Systems, PC, Programming Languages, Rack Space, Technology, Technology, Virtualization and Cloud Computing, VMware | Tagged $1.3 Billion, 1.26 Billion, 128 million, 2.5 Billion, 2.7 Billion, Amazon, Amazon EC2, Amazon Elastic Block Store, Amazon Relational Database Service, Amazon S3, Apple, Apple Mac OS X, Apple Mac OS X Yosemite, Aruba, Aruba Networks, AWS Elastic Load Balancing, Billionaire, Carl, Carl Manneh, cloud, cloud platform, developing games, EBS, EC2, Forbes World's Billionaire list, game developer, Hewlett Packard, HP, Jakob, Jakob Porser, Jeff Barr, Lego, Lego-like blocks, MAC, Mac OS X, Manneh, Markus, Markus Persson, Microsoft, Microsoft Windows, Minecraft, Minecraft multiplayer mode, Minecraft on Mac, Minecraft Realms, Minecraft single player mode, Mojang, Nicira, PaaS, PaaS vendors, Persson, Platform as a Service, Platform as a Service vendors, Porser, Rackspace, Rackspace Deployment, Rackspace Deployment services, RDS, Realms, SDN, software defined networking, windows | Leave a comment

Security, Art of Hacking, & the Worst 2014 Security Breaches

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Humair

Security is hot; no doubt about it. Consider the fact that between 2011 and 2013, venture investors put nearly $3 billion into cyber security companies, resulting in new funding for some 300 firms (Source: Thomson Reuters). Worldwide security software revenue … Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Hacks, Labs, Linux, Network Architecture, Network Security, Networking, Operating Systems, Programming Languages, Python, Red Hat Linux Enterprise, Security, Technology, Technology, Tips, Tips & Tricks, Windows | Tagged backdoor, backdoor access, backdoor script, brute-force, cyber security, data breach, DOS, employee negligence, Experion, firewall, firewall misconfiguration, Gartner, Global Cybersecurity Spending, Goodwill industries, Goodwill Industries data breach, Goodwill industries security breach, hacked Linux, hacked pc, hacked target, hacker, hacking, Home Depot, Home Depot data breach, Home Depot security breach, host scanning, JP Morgan, JP Morgan data breach, JP Morgan security breach, linux, malicious code, malware, malware detection software, malware software, malware software detection, Michael Bruemmer, Michaels Data Breach, Michaels security breach, micro-segmentation, microsegmentation, negligence, Neiman Marcus data breach, Neiman Marcus security breach, network security, novice hackers, packet injection, perl, Point-of-sale, Point-of-sale system, Point-of-sale systems, Point-of-sales system, Point-of-sales systems, Ponemon Institute, POS, POS systems, proxy server, Python, Python client, Python hacking, Python hacks, Python server, RedHat, RedHat Linux, RedHat Linux Enterprise, security, security breach, security exploitation, security infrastructure, security perimeter, security software, sensitive information, social engineering, Sony, Sony data breach, Sony security breach, sophisticated hackers, spyware, spyware detection software, spyware software detection, SQL injection, Target, Target data breach, Target security breach, traffic sniffing, trojan, unpatched Windows, unpatched Windows flaw, vi, Visa, windows, Windows flaw | Leave a comment

Cumulus Linux: Devops and Python Scripting

Posted on February 12, 2015 by Humair

As I mentioned in a prior blog, Cumulus Linux on Dell Networking Switches, one benefit of running Cumulus Linux on network switches is that you can run your typical Linux commands that you’re used to running for also configuring and … Continue reading →

Posted in Cumulus Linux, Dell, Dell Force10, Labs, Network Architecture, Networking, Programming Languages, Python, Technology | Tagged backgroud process, chmod, continuous ping, Cumulus, Cumulus background process, Cumulus Linux, Cumulus Linux background process, Cumulus Linux on Dell Switches, Cumulus Linux on network switches, Cumulus Linux OS, Cumulus Linux swp interface, Cumulus Linux with OSPF, Cumulus OS, Dell Networking, Dell Networking S4810, Dell Networking S4810-ON, Dell Networking S6000, Dell Networking S6000-ON, Dell Open Networking, Dell Open Networking Switch, Dell S4810, Dell S4810-ON, Dell S6000, Dell S6000-ON, devops, e-mail, Gmail smtp server, Google's Gmail smtp server, Google's smtp server, import smtplib, linux, Linux Process ID, MIME, Open Networking, Open Networking Switch, open source, OSPF, Python, Python 2.7, Python e-mail, python e-mail attachment, python email, python email attachment, python gmail, python gmail email, Python ICMP, Python MIME, Python on Cumulus, Python on Cumulus Linux, Python script, Python script for monitoring, Python smtp, Python smtplib, Python subprocess, Quagga, Running Python Script in Background, S4810, S4810-ON, S6000, S6000_ON, Scripting on Cumulus, Scripting on Cumulus Linux, smtp server, smtplib, Spine-Leaf, Spine-Leaf Architecture, Spine-Leaf Architecture with OSPF, Spine-Leaf with OSPF, subprocess, swp, swp interface | 5 Comments

Cumulus Linux on Dell Switches: Spine-Leaf Architecture & OSPF on Unnumbered Interfaces

Posted on January 18, 2015 by Humair

In a prior blog, Cumulus Linux on Dell Networking Switches, I demonstrated how to install Cumulus Linux on a Dell S6000 switch and do some basic configuration. In this blog, I’ll demonstrate how to configure routing on Dell switches running … Continue reading →

Dell VRF-lite & VMware NSX: Multitenancy Across Physical & Logical Networks

Posted on December 20, 2014 by Humair

Please checkout the white paper Dell Networking: Multitenancy Across Physical and Logical Environments with VRF-lite and VMware NSX. In the white paper I discuss use cases and how NVO and VRF-lite can be used together to deploy a consistent multitenant … Continue reading →

Posted in Dell, Dell Force10, Labs, Network Architecture, Networking, Protocols, Virtualization and Cloud Computing, VMware, VMware | Tagged Dell, Dell Networking, Dell Networking Switches, Dell S4810, Dell S6000, Dell VMware, Dell VMware NSX, Dell VMware NSX 6, Dell VMware NSX 6.0, Dell VMware NSX 6.1, Dell VMware NSX-v, Dell VMware NSX-v 6, Dell VMware NSX-v 6.0, Dell VMware NSX-v 6.1, Dell VMware NSX-vSphere, Dell VMware NSX-vSphere 6, Dell VMware NSX-vSphere 6.0, Dell VMware NSX-vSphere 6.1, Dell VRF, Dell VRF-lite, Dell VRF-lite configuration, Distributed Logical Router, DLR, DLR Control VM, Edge VLAN, ESXi 5.5, multitenancy, Multitenancy Across Physical and Logical, Multitenancy Across Physical and Logical Environments, Multitenancy Across Physical and Logical Networks, multitenant, multitenant framework, Network Virtualization, NSX 6, NSX 6.0, NSX 6.1, NSX L2 Gateway, NSX-V, NSX-vSphere, NVO, NVO and VRF-lite, overlapping IP addresses, overlapping IPs, PE, Perimeter Edge, S4810, S6000, SDN, software defined networking, tenant, tenant VRF, tenant workloads, VDS, virtual appliance, virtual appliances, virtual distributed switch, virtual router, virtualization, vlan, vmware, VMware Distributed Logical Router, VMware DLR, VMware DLR Control VM, VMware Edge Services Router, VMware ESR, VMWare ESX, VMware ESXi, VMware ESXi 5.5, VMware NSX, VMware NSX 6, VMware NSX 6.0, VMware NSX 6.1, VMware NSX L2 Gateway, VMware NVO, VMware PE, VMware Perimeter Edge, VMware VDS, VMware virtual appliance, VMware virtual appliances, VMware Virtual Distributed Switch, VMware vSphere, VMware vSphere 5.5, VNI, VR, VRF, VRF-lite, VRF-lite configuration, VXLAN, VXLAN Network Identifier | 1 Comment

Firewalling & Micro-segmentation with VMware NSX

Posted on December 8, 2014 by Humair

One very exciting and strong use case for VMware NSX is advanced security. VMware NSX has some inherent security features and also allows for 3rd party security appliance integration. In this blog, I’ll briefly discuss the firewalling and micro-segmentation capabilities … Continue reading →

Posted in Dell, Dell Force10, Labs, Network Architecture, Network Security, Networking, Virtualization and Cloud Computing, VMware | Tagged centralized firewall, Dell, Dell Networking, Dell Networking S4810, Dell Networking S4810 switch, Dell Networking S6000, Dell Networking S6000 switch, Dell S4810 switch, Dell S6000, Dell S6000 switch, Dell VMware NSX, DFW, DFW logging, distributed firewall, Distributed Firewall logging, east-west traffic, Edge Services Gateway, ESG, ESXi, ESXi hypervisor, firewall, firewall logging, firewall virtual appliance, firewall virtual appliances, micro-segmentation, Micro-segmentation with VMware NSX, microsegmentation, microsegmentation with VMware NSX, network segmentation, North-South traffic, NSX DFW, NSX DFW logging, NSX Distributed Firewall logging, NSX Edge Services Gateway, NSX ESG, NSX Security Groups, NSX-V, NSX-vSphere, One-Arm Firewall, perimeter-centric, perimeter-centric security, RBAC, Role Based Access Control, S4810 switch, S6000, S6000 switch, SDDC, security, security appliance, Security Groups, Security Tag, segmentation, Software Defined Data Center, traditional firewall, traffic tromboning, vCenter, VM Name, vmware, VMware DFW, VMware Distributed Firewall, VMware ESXi, VMware ESXi hypervisor, VMware NSX, VMware NSX DFW, VMware NSX DFW logging, VMware NSX Distributed Firewall, VMware NSX Distributed Firewall logging, VMware NSX Edge Services Gateway, VMware NSX ESG, VMware NSX firewall logging, VMware NSX-V, VMware NSX-vSphere, VMware vCenter | 5 Comments

Cumulus Linux on Dell Networking Switches

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Humair

It’s pretty cool that Dell allows its customers to install other network switch OSes on their networking switches; it’s the only major networking hardware vendor in the industry that allows for this. Other networking hardware vendors tie their proprietary network … Continue reading →