Layer I – Physical –. Electrical and physical connection description. Cables and connections.
Layer II – Data Link - describes links and mechanisms to move data throughout the network.
Layer III – The layer where network routing occurs. Describes the process used to route data across the network using the structure of logical addressing. i.e. IP Address
Layer IV – Transport Layer used for reliable transmission of data to include assembly and disassembly of data before and after transmission.
Layer V – Session – maintains and manages communication between computers.
Layer VI - Presentation – Is concerned with representation of data and code format.
Layer VII – Application – provides services to software through user requests. A good example would be a browser.
On this slide, you would highlight the disc and products that the presentation will address.
For example, if you are giving a Scopia presentation, you would highlight Collaboration Platforms and then specifically LB/HD Video Collaboration, BYOD-enabled Collaboration and Mobility, etc. You may also highlight Clients and Devices.
View next slide for example
OSPF is a link state protocol designed for fast convergence. OSPF is also an Interior Gateway Protocol based on open standards that allow for network changes to be propagated quickly. One of the key differentiators is OSPF is designed in a hierarchical model separating IP Network Ranges into a particular autonomous system. This separation allows for summarization across network boundaries as described in this illustration. In a nutshell OSPF uses hello messages to establish neighbor relationships with other routers to build what is called a link state database. This topic could go on for hours so for the sake of this overview I will stop here.
RIP is not the most popular protocol because it is very chatty. When a router comes up it broadcasts a Request Message out all interfaces. All routers then respond with a Response Message allowing the receiving router to match the entry as new or measure the update against another. If there are matching entries the update with the lower hop count wins!
Unlike IGP Routing Protocols, BGP is a Path Vector Protocol used to pass routing information between Autonomous Systems mostly on the Internet. BGP uses TCP to transport routing via port 179 and unlike other routing protocols it takes advantage of the built in error checking capabilities of TCP. BGP routers, also known as speakers establish a peer relationship and exchange messages to determine parameters.
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802.1x detail:
Past: Authentication protocol (802.1x) utilized one supplicant on one device assigned to one port and quality parameter
Now: Multiple devices, multiple QoS assignments, and multiple VLAN’s
GUI detail:
Extremely strong GUI story. Enterprise Device Manager (EDM) is on the switch and is a powerful web-based GUI for each switch.
Configuration and Orchestration Manager (COM) – Network wide management software including web-based GUI, topology maps, centralized sign in, network admin policies, back up and restore mechanisms, etc.
Why are we different?
- Our competition looks at the network as an entity in and of itself…the applications of a business seem to simply be a component of the network.
- [click] We take the opposite view…we take the network user’s view. Applications are user’s lifeblood to business and productivity. The network’s role is to be 100% subservient to the applications of the Enterprise. Every attribute of a network should have a direct relationship to the applications it serves.
[Challenges morph to two things: Uptime and Real-Time]
Avaya’s vision for the Enterprise – “Plug & Play Communications” – calls for a new level of synergy between People, the collaborative real-time Applications that they use, and the underlying, enabling Network. The goal is to deliver a consistent Enterprise-class experience, one that supports context-aware collaboration that is always-on, simplified and virtualised.
A key building block for this vision is the foundational network. As real-time communications continue the evolution to IP the data network becomes totally integrated into the delivery of Communications-enabled Business Services, in addition to transporting non-real-time critical business applications. To be completely successful, the network must operate with three imperative characteristics. Let’s look how Avaya uniquely addresses these…
Look at this diagram to the right. If you were building a road, would you build one on a stand-by basis just for emergencies? Well, we don’t think that is a great way to build a network either. Things happen to networks--silicon fails, links get cut, units fail, etc. So, an intelligent, rock solid resiliency model is crucial to real-time continuity. If you are running an active-standby model, you will dropped sessions as the network re-computes to the stand-by path. With an active/active model, since you are already passing traffic on all links, you are already in recovery mode; the network just continues doing what it is already doing. You may be on an HD video session, and a link or unit goes down and will not notice a thing.
Further, an active/active switch clustering (as it is sometimes called) is an efficient use of resources [click]
Another benefit of the model is that third party devices that connect to the networking switches also run active/active. Using a very common protocol found in devices like servers, they can dual home to our switches and automatically load balance between them. This is how high availability is done. [click]
Now, you can imagine how much easier it is to maintain a networking model that runs high availability all the time. There is no extra code and commands to review and no extra links to chase down to find where the loops or failure occurred. Intelligence brings simplicity.
Further, we offer this high availability from the smallest network to the largest…natively…no extra charge. [click]
Now, time for a little commercial. Here are the networking switch models that run active-active. You will notice that there is even a stackable edge switch that can also function as a small core switch that runs active-active [click]
Background:
There are lots of protocols to make networks work well. One of the most important is a resiliency protocol – the protocol that compensates for failures of network elements. Over 25 years ago, a protocol was invented to allow redirection of traffic to compensate for failures without creating network loops. Although, it worked, the protocol required idle links for emergencies and was inefficient and complex.
In its new generation of core switches in the early 2000’s Avaya networking, then Nortel Networking, invented a resiliency architecture called Active/Active switch clustering. This concept of “active-active” was a fundamental breakthrough in network performance and efficiency. Then about three years ago, Avaya Networking applied the concept of “active-active” to an Ethernet fabric, which creates multiple virtual networks within a physical network by establishing a virtual overpass system.
An active-active model means that network elements are always available because they are always passing traffic through all links bypassing the need to recalculate recovery routes. You also save money and switch capacity by eliminating hardware that only is used in a crisis.
To mimic Active/Active switch clustering, you have to implement multiple complex layer 3 protocols. This greatly complicates implementation and troubleshooting. Further, with fabric connect you have a “set and forget” core for virtual networking.
Because the Avaya software makes multiple switches appear as one, non-networking devices can run in active-active mode (using a standardized device protocol (802.1ax)) automatically load balancing traffic between the two links in normal and recovery modes.
There is no size limitations. Unlike, a major competitor that copied this architecture for large implementations, this kind of performance and resiliency is available on switches of all sizes.
Additional notes:
Switch Clustering is an umbrella term that includes: SMLT, RSMLT, SMLT H, VRPM, etc.
SMLT is not a ratified standard. But there is no standard for an active-active technology. M-lag is a competing technology that is not a standard. It also does not do layer 3 very well. It is an attempt to mimic SMLT.
So, Let’s talk about how Avaya has built solutions that optimize applications during real-time operations.
Early in the presentation we spoke about an innovation called, Distributed Top of Rack. This is an invention that we adapted from our stackable edge solutions. This diagram is an illustration of data center servers and racks. Instead of aggregating all server traffic to an end of row switch and sending all traffic to the core. These switches home to each rack physically, but act as one virtual switch logically. Not only does it allow switches to dual home to servers for high availability, but it allows traffic to quickly travel in an east-west direction greatly reducing latency for real-time applications by not requiring a trip to the core switches. It is widely noted in the networking industry that more traffic is now traveling east-west than north-south. [click]
How many of you have heard of the term Ethernet Fabric? Ok, a few. Let me just give a quick explanation of why this new technology is such a hot topic now. Think of an Ethernet Fabric as freeway overpass system for networks. There is a special way that packets are encapsulated that allows them to travel through all the regular network devices with special attention and forwarding without inspection until the end destination. The first application for an Ethernet fabric has been to set pathways for moves of applications running live from one data center to another. However, Avaya Networking invented and received ratification of a unique protocol called, Shortest Path Bridging, that seamlessly enables the Ethernet Fabric to extend across the entire Enterprise network.
Avaya’s product is called, Fabric Connect. There are many advantages to Fabric Connect, but the one that most directly applies to real-time applications is that a company can now broadcast video easily. Today, most companies do not broadcast video (multicasting) due to the complexities required by running many legacy protocols (STP, OSPF, BGP, and PIM [including all the stuff that goes with it: Boot Strap Router, Rendezvous points etc.]) to pull it off. [click]
The term, real-time, can also mean the ability to roll-out applications quickly. Here is where Fabric Connect again can help greatly. Today, if you want to create a secure isolated path across the network, called a virtual network. You have to configure every switch, including the core, that that traffic would travel. With Fabric connect, you only need to configure edge switches with point and clicks. This reduces the amount of time to configure, but more importantly removes the requirement to configure the core switches which require a maintenance window and the risk of creating a network-wide error.
So, quick example… Say that your company has asked that an executive video network be rolled out immediately. The company needs the traffic to be isolated from other network traffic. From a network perspective, no problem. You simply point and click to configure the edge networking devices that will be used and you are done.
So, speaking of the edge, let’s now turn to the real-time advantages at the edge of the network.
Let’s now focus on uptime at the Network Edge
As mentioned, Avaya Networking was the inventor of stackable switching. The invention allowed customers the ability to start small and grow large all while maintaining the performance of a chassis-based system. There are some advantages that come with being the leader
First, [click] The software in each switch creates a virtual fabric that extends across the switches making the stack behave and be known to other devices as one unit with one IP address. This is how 3rd party devices can load balance against two links automatically. [click]
Further, it enables features like auto-unit replacement where a switch can be removed from a stack while running, and then allow another unit to be placed into the stack without service disruption or maintenance windows
Next, two OS loads can be present on the stack. Then a stack can be set to reboot with the next load at, say, midnight. The stack can be rolled back with ease.
Mission critical devices can be dual homed to different switches in a stack and perform as one link. If a link or unit fails, the device keeps the session up and operates without issue.
When combined with active/active switch clustering resiliency you have the best in class solution for availability for real-time applications.
So, we have talked about how Avaya Networking has focused and delivered on bringing the best in class technologies to support real-time applications
Background
Stacking virtualizes multiple fixed format Ethernet switches into chassis like formation with the ability to operate the switch as a single unit (up to 8 switches managed as a single device – one IP address, one software). This is a technology that Avaya invented. We were the first vendor to introduce a resilient stacking solution back in 1998 with the Baystack 450 and we’ve been perfecting the technology every since. We are the only vendor to stack above a Terabit of capacity.
Benefits of stacking:
Improve resiliency – eliminating single points of failure and enabling subsecond recovery in the event of a link or unit failure. When combined with Switch Clustering you have a best in class solution for end to end reliability / availability.
Linear scaling to allow for seamless scaling of ports and bandwidth enabling customers to pay as they grow. (differentiator of Avaya). We offer up to 18x more virtual backplane capacity than our competition.
Simplified management – allowing devices to be managed by a single IP address and through our auto unit replacement feature where when a new unit is cabled into the stack the appropriate software image and configuration automatically loaded (certified: less than 2 minutes)– without the need for a support engineer to manage the process (Auto unit replacement feature is differentiated)
FAST traffic forwarding– with Avaya solution traffic can be forwarded up or down stack (not round robin like other vendors (Cisco) where all traffic is forwarded in one direction). Also we maintain QoS across the stack. Other vendors do not.
Dual homing
If no active/active invoked, the best that can be done is 2 links to one switch, thereby leaving no redundancy for switches.
Dual homing from edge switch might be warranted for: access points, high end communications, power users
To enable superior real-time application performance, you must minimize bottlenecks. With stackable switches, all switch manufacture’s hardware runs wire-speed across the switching fabric. However, there is a backplane that connects the switches together. That backplane must be able to handle rapid and high bursts of video traffic. Through a 3rd party validated study, Avaya Networking has up to 5x the backplane capacity of competitors. [click]
Further, Avaya has designed its wireless access points for high capacity real-time traffic. Rather than set an arbitrary limit for the number of sessions that an access point will admit, Avaya invented dynamic call admission, that admits sessions based upon current traffic congestion. This means if traffic is running hot, the AP will minimize session admissions, thus maintaining quality of experience for those currently using the network. If the traffic is running cool, the AP will maximize session admissions.
Separately, Avaya’s AP’s are built for high capacity. In a 3rd party study, Avaya AP’s had 31% greater video capacity and 23% greater voice over WLAN capacity. [click]
Avaya has been a pioneer in Quality of Service. Instead of creating granular QoS assignments and then aggregating them into a few QoS buckets in the switch, Avaya honors the granular QoS settings across the network. Avaya also uses FAST stacking which, instead of round robin-ing packets between switches in the stack, automatically calculates a the fastest direction up or down the stack. [click]
So, at the beginning of the presentation we spoke about future R&D plans to create even more synergy between application and network. Avaya has begun imbedding quality agents into phones that enable detailed proactive monitoring of session paths across the network. Our direction is to now embed quality agents natively into every device across the network including networking devices. The networking devices will be the means for monitoring software based sessions like video calls. (click)
Now, I would like you to walk away with three things from our discussion today…
Background
Enhanced Service Level Monitoring
Today SLA Monitor agent in IP Phones (info on delay, jitter, dropped packets etc). The SLA Monitor agents in IP phones provides feedback to a server. Server builds history and trends
SLAMon provides a PATH level view to monitoring
For example, the path between two IP Phones - SLAMON has the end points talk to each other; pulls a network wide application centric view
In contrast, VPFM provides a per node view; while it can provide performance data on a node (such as an IP Phone), it cannot detect problems in the path
In CY1Q 2013 – SLAMon Agent will be supported in ERS Switches.
SLAMon roadmap:
VSP9K – CY1Q13 POI
VSP7K – CY2H13 POI
ERS8800 – CY1Q13 POI
ERS4K – CY4Q13 POR
ERS3K – CY4Q13 POR
VPFM – CY2Q13
Use Case – Ease of Support with SLAMon (Future)
Leverage SLAMon to simulate traffic flow and validate end to end network path prior to an event.
e.g. Network comprising IP Phones, video devices and Avaya ERS switches. Traffic flow between end user UC and video devices is simulated and detects a problem with the link between two switches (that would have gone undetected). The problem is addressed proactively and the event goes off flawlessly.
Details on SLAMon:
SLA Mon Server is a network monitoring tool that constantly monitors customer network to detect network problems before applications are affected and business critical applications are degraded.
Network conditions that impinge on application performance are present in about 50% of networks. The SLA Mon Server simulates traffic for VoIP calls, Video Sessions and Data traffic in the network and collects performance data for these applications to detect degradation before it affects the performance of Avaya voice applications, video conferencing and other network services.
It is available today as a service offer – reserved only for our top customers. Plan is to productize the capability for partners to be able to offer a proactive monitoring service for their customers.
SLA Mon Server monitors specified paths, Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) markings and a number of quantitative responses, such as loss, jitter, delay, mis-ordered and duplicate packets, performs correlation of those results for readings such as protection, and out of contract (OOC) conditions, and produces an estimated mean opinion score (e-MOS) from these readings.
SLA Mon Server collects these measurement data on the test calls to detect network problems before real sessions are affected, and raises SNMP traps to a server (future VPFM capability) for collection and upload of data for trend analysis etc.
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Instructor Notes
Discuss the limitations of networks without QoS
Presentation Dialogue:
Many organizations struggle to monitor real-time communications on a real-time basis. [click] When session quality is poor, it sets off a string of events that usually seems to end up in IT’s lap. [click] Third party solutions can be procured, but are hard to justify as an overlay. They typically use historical data and struggle to address all end-points. [click]
Avaya’s Service Level Agreement Monitor (SLAMon) is a proactive tool that can monitor customer networks to detect problems before applications are affected. [click] For instance, tiny synthetic packets are sent into the network. [click] Data traffic is analyzed and reported to understand how a session would react if it were going. The advantage the Avaya has is that these quality agents are built into our communication devices and Switches. Think of video calls were there is no physical device. The Switch can serve as the proxy for the video client and all collaboration sessions can be monitored.
Additional Solution Information
Expensive vs. lightweight (and cost-effective): Avaya’s approach relies on embedded software agents in its IP Phones and Switches, avoiding the need to dedicated hardware probes or overlay monitoring equipment typically required by competitor’s solution. Agents are embedded today in Avaya 96xx Phones, Avaya ERS 3500, 4x00 and 5x00 Edge Switches, as well as Avaya ERS 8800, VSP 7000 and 9000 Switches…with plans for Avaya G430/450 and potentially other devices in the future.
Proactive vs Reactive Monitoring: Most vendors’ solutions are reactive - you know about a bad voice/video experience after it happens. Avaya’s solution generates synthetic traffic between specific end-points that can get proactive results about how your network will treat various traffic types under congestion.
End-to-end QoS: Avaya’s solution monitors whether all intermediate nodes in the network (across administrative domains, LAN, Service Provider WAN links, etc.) honor the QoS settings or not. It can monitor QoS on a hop-by-hop basis. Competitive solutions lack this ability to build a true end-to-end view of QoS treatment across multiple hops.
Instructor Notes
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One of the most prominent analysts in the market, and formerly from Yankee Group, Zeus Kerravala…