#openvswitch looks interesting

too bad there is not an implementation out for vmware.  I'd much rather use this then the vmware vswitch or Cisco's 1000V

http://openvswitch.org/

Is #Juniper going the #Cisco way?

Not sure if this is true..but JNPR is certainly going to have to make decisions to stay in enterprise.

http://blogs.forbes.com/panosmourdoukoutas/2011/07/27/is-juniper-going-the-cisco-way/

So, what do you think #UPOE actually a requirement for networks?

Some think not...  see the attached HP blog


http://h30507.www3.hp.com/t5/HP-Networking/UPoE-a-solution-to-a-problem-Or-a-solution-looking-for-a-problem/ba-p/96145

curious as to what everyone else thinks?

#HPN supports #VRRP load balancing

Say you have determined that you need resiliency for a L3 default gateway.  VRRP comes to the rescue. But, typical VRRP implemtations means that only one of thoes routers will forward packets. That seems like a waste having a box sit there and doesnt accept traffic until failure of the other box.

No problem...there are advancements to VRRP that allow that second router...or 3rd or 4th to also accept traffic. And...there is no funny business with having to setup multiple VRRP groups and multiple default gateway ip addresses and do manual load balancing.


In load balancing mode, VRRP provides load balancing in addition to virtual gateway redundancy by
mapping a virtual IP address to multiple virtual MAC addresses to assign each router in a VRRP group
one virtual MAC address. In this way, each router in this VRRP group can respond to ARP requests in an
IPv4 network or ND requests in an IPv6 network from corresponding hosts, so that different hosts can
send packets to different routers, and each router in the VRRP group can forward packets. In load
balancing mode, you need to create only one VRRP group to balance load among multiple routers,
instead of allowing one router to bear the load and other routers stay idle.


When VRRP works in load balancing mode, the master assigns virtual MAC addresses to the routers in
the VRRP group and answers the ARP requests or ND requests from different hosts. The backup routers,
however, do not answer the ARP requests or ND requests from the hosts.
Assume that a VRRP group works in an IPv4 network. The following describes how the load balancing
mode works:
1. The master assigns virtual MAC addresses to the routers—including the master itself and the
backups—in the VRRP group. For example, as shown in Figure 35, the virtual IP address of the
VRRP group is 10.1.1.1/24; Router A is the master; Router B and Router C are the backups. Router
A assigns 000f-e2ff-0011 to itself, and 000f-e2ff-0012 to Router B.


2. Upon receiving an ARP request destined for the virtual IP address of the VRRP group from a host,
the master, based on the load balancing algorithm, uses a corresponding virtual MAC address to
answer the ARP request. For example, as shown Figure 36, when Host A sends an ARP request to
retrieve the MAC address of gateway 10.1.1.1, the master—Router A, after receiving the request,
returns the virtual MAC address of Router A to Host A; when Host B sends an ARP request to
retrieve the MAC address of gateway 10.1.1.1, the master, after receiving the request, returns the
virtual MAC address of Router B to Host B.


3.  Different hosts send packets to different routers according to the requested virtual MAC addresses.
For example, as shown in Figure 37, Host A regards the virtual MAC address of Router A as the
gateway MAC address, so it sends packets to Router A for forwarding; Host B regards the virtual
MAC address of Router B as the gateway MAC address, so it sends packets to Router B for
forwarding.

quick example:


<SwitchA> system-view
[SwitchA] vlan 2
[SwitchA-vlan2] port gigabitethernet 1/0/5
[SwitchA-vlan2] quit
[SwitchA] interface vlan-interface 2
[SwitchA-Vlan-interface2] ip address 202.38.160.1 255.255.255.0
[SwitchA-Vlan-interface2] vrrp vrid 1 virtual-ip 202.38.160.111
[SwitchA-Vlan-interface2] vrrp vrid 1 priority 110
[SwitchA-Vlan-interface2] vrrp vrid 1 preempt-mode timer delay 5


<SwitchB> system-view
[SwitchB] vlan 2
[SwitchB-Vlan2] port gigabitethernet 1/0/5
[SwitchB-vlan2] quit
[SwitchB] interface vlan-interface 2
[SwitchB-Vlan-interface2] ip address 202.38.160.2 255.255.255.0
[SwitchB-Vlan-interface2] vrrp vrid 1 virtual-ip 202.38.160.111
[SwitchB-Vlan-interface2] vrrp vrid 1 preempt-mode timer delay 5

and to check its state:


[SwitchA-Vlan-interface2] display vrrp verbose
IPv4 Standby Information:
Run Mode : Standard
Run Method : Virtual MAC
Total number of virtual routers : 1
Interface Vlan-interface2
VRID : 1 Adver Timer : 1
Admin Status : Up State : Master
Config Pri : 110 Running Pri : 110
Preempt Mode : Yes Delay Time : 5
Auth Type : None
141
Virtual IP : 202.38.160.111
Virtual MAC : 0000-5e00-0101
Master IP : 202.38.160.1

and on the other switch:


[SwitchB-Vlan-interface2] display vrrp verbose
IPv4 Standby Information:
Run Mode : Standard
Run Method : Virtual MAC
Total number of virtual routers : 1
Interface Vlan-interface2
VRID : 1 Adver Timer : 1
Admin Status : Up State : Backup
Config Pri : 100 Running Pri : 100
Preempt Mode : Yes Delay Time : 5
Auth Type : None
Virtual IP : 202.38.160.111
Master IP : 202.38.160.1

#HPN #A10500 information now available on the hp.com website

http://h17007.www1.hp.com/us/en/whatsnew/10500/10500.aspx

#HPN E-Series Mac-Auth with Radius backend

aaa authentication port-access eap-radius
aaa authentication web-based peap-mschapv2
aaa accounting update periodic 1
aaa accounting network start-stop radius
aaa accounting exec start-stop radius
aaa accounting system start-stop radius
radius-server host 10.10.50.12 key 'xxx'
aaa port-access authenticator active
aaa port-access mac-based 15
aaa port-access mac-based 15 addr-limit 2
aaa port-access mac-based 15 auth-vid 50
aaa port-access mac-based 15 unauth-vid 1
aaa port-access web-based 13
aaa port-access web-based 13 client-limit 2
aaa port-access web-based 13 ssl-login
aaa port-access web-based 13 redirect-url "http://www.procurve.com"
aaa port-access web-based 13 auth-vid 50
aaa port-access web-based 13 unauth-vid 1

#Dell to Buy #Force10 .... #HPN still stronger solution

Dell is trying to mimic HP in building a strong data center solution.

HP has put together the strongest porfolio...it was already king of servers, it added on 3par, and 3com/h3c.

But...Dell...is not king of servers...bought a nice player Force10...and two other storage companies: compellant and equallogic.

Honestly... I think Dell's practice of buying 2 & 3rd tier players is not a winning play.

http://techcrunch.com/2011/07/20/dell-to-buy-data-center-solutions-provider-force10-networks/

#Intel Buying Ethernet Chip Maker #Fulcrum Microsystems

This is interesting... and I suspect will be very good for industry as hopefully Intel will drive down prices of high end networking asics

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Infrastructure/Intel-Buying-Ethernet-Chip-Maker-Fulcrum-Systems-661149/

#CSCO #Kool-AID.... going out of style

Ran across this blog entry...thought it was funny

http://www.networkworld.com/community/blog/mastering-art-cisco-kool-aid-keg-stand

I think I recognize some of these guys from Cisco TAC.

Free #HPN Training for customers & parnters on #networking

http://www2.ibtalk.net/index.php?cmp=mtx_pre_registration&PHPSESSID=283034f1fecca9ee5d7be161db0633d4

#Wisconsin school district goes with #HPN and Shoretel

And saves considerably over #CSCO

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2011/041111-shoretel-voip-kaukauna.html?page=2

#CSCO to elimnate 10,000 jobs

John Chambers is partying like its two thousand and one.... that was the last really really big layoff.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/12/cisco-jobs-idUSL3E7IC05120110712

For being touted..or is it self-touted as a great leader... why does this keep happening?  I'll tell you.
The problem is all John.  It's John's ego that has the best of him, the best of those 10,000 employees, and the best of two many stock investors that wrongly listened to John.  No wonder Cisco is now a corporate villian.

For over the last decade, CSCO has enjoyed 70+% margins.  But..if you were a stock investor, you lost money.
John runs the company not for the stock holders..but for his own ego.

Time to go John.

#CSCO loses 5.8% marketshare, #HPN gains 2.5%!

So reports CRN magazine

http://www.crn.com/news/networking/231001334/hp-touts-share-gains-in-networking-war-with-cisco.htm?itc=refresh

Who is #2 in Worldwide Router market share?

It would surprise you...as I'm thinking the name you had in mind starts with a J...

Nope... its HP!

HP has it both in units and in revenue!

In revenue, HP is 5.5% and Juniper is 5.3%.

In units, HP is 10.3% and Juniper is 1.9%.

OneAccess and Adtran both sell more in units than Juniper does.