Avaya Launches Its Virtualisation Architecture

Communications systems specialist Avaya Data Solutions announced the launch of the Virtual Enterprise Network Architecture (VENA), a data networking architecture designed to provide an end-to-end connection from the desktop to the data centre.

The new architecture features a Virtual Services Fabric that spans the network and enables one-touch provisioning for a range of capabilities provided by Virtual Services Networks. VENA’s Fabric is built on enhanced IEEE Shortest Path Bridging and is implemented on new data centre modular and fixed platforms in addition to being a simple upgrade option for existing products.

Always-on Private Cloud

The company said this architecture increases flexibility and scalability by delivering an infrastructure that creates a private cloud to deliver always-on content and access to applications in a dramatically simplified model.

“Yankee Group research shows that human error accounts for 37 percent of all network downtime – the single biggest factor in network disruption. VENA reduces costs and improves time to service by providing a more efficient way to manage the connectivity between users and their content,” said Zeus Kerravala, senior vice president and distinguished research fellow at research firm Yankee Group.

“VENA provides an end-to-end connection from the desktop all the way through to the data centre – a critical requirement to the success of virtual computing. The new architecture also reduces risks for CIOs by providing new, streamlined tools for network management, IT agility and simplifies the process of provisioning and policy configurations,” he said.

Avaya also announced a series of relationships in support of Avaya VENA, including VMware, a provider of virtualisation and cloud infrastructure; QLogic, specialising in converged networking; Coraid, a provider of converged Ethernet SAN storage solutions; and Silver Peak Systems, a specialist in data centre WAN optimisation.

The company noted other organisations have joined as members of its DevConnect programme, an initiative to develop, market and sell innovative third-party products that interoperate with Avaya technology. Avaya VENA is based on open industry standards.

“Enterprises today are asking for more than just choice when looking at networking solutions. They clearly need solutions that will empower IT to quickly respond to changing business requirements, improve time to service, while simplifying their network and reducing costs,” said Mark Fabbi, vice president and distinguished analyst at IT analytics firm Gartner.

“Enabling the agile enterprise requires a new way of approaching network architecture. It requires a new level of synergy between collaborative real-time applications, the virtualised data centre environment and the underlying, enabling network,” he added.

The new architecture is supported by the Avaya Virtual Services Platform 9000 (Avaya VSP 9000) and is also supported by Avaya Ethernet Routing Switch 8600 and 8800 products. The VSP 9000 provides fully-redundant hardware with no single point of failure, including a hardened data centre operating system with re-route capabilities. It offers Layer 2 and 3 network virtualisation along with 10GbE (Gigabit Ethernet), and provides an evolution to 40/100GbE with a life-cycle architecture that has been designed to scale up to 27  Terabits per second.

“No one else can offer this level of simplicity around virtualisation and collaboration,” said Kevin Kennedy, president and CEO of Avaya. “Together with our technology partners, we are delivering a truly revolutionary and unique solution that maximises the business model for virtualisation and data centre networking. The new Avaya VENA architecture, coupled with our cutting-edge innovation in business collaboration, is re-defining the way enterprises communicate.”