Network virtualization platform

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A network virtualization platform decouples the hardware plane from the software plane such that the host hardware plane can be administratively programmed to assign its resources to the software plane. This allows for the virtualization of CPU, memory, disk and most importantly network IO. Upon such virtualization of hardware resources, the platform can accommodate multiple virtual network applications such as firewalls, routers, Web filters, and intrusion prevention systems, all functioning much like standalone hardware appliances, but contained within a single hardware appliance. The key benefit to such technology is doing all of this while maintaining the network performance typically seen with that of standalone network appliances as well as enabling the ability to administratively or dynamically program resources at will.

Server virtualization history

Server

• DPDK
  technologies
• VMware / Nicira NVP – Separates virtual networks from the underlying hardware and was pioneered by Nick McKeown, Scott Shenker, and Martin Casado in 2007.
• Embrane Heleos – Virtual appliances that leverage a distributed architecture and was pioneered by Dante Malagrinò and Marco Di Benedetto in 2009.
• Cisco Nexus Virtual Services Appliance – A dedicated hardware platform for the deployment of services critical to virtualization infrastructure
• Juniper Networks JunosV App Engine - Unifies application management, optimizes the network for application provisioning and performance
• Barracuda Networks eoN – Powers software defined virtual appliances without performance drag.