PCD / Converge blog

 

A look back at the May 24 TechnoLab Session

The session was designed to increase understanding of the benefits of switching to Software-Defined Networking and thus directly integrating services (e.g., routers, switches, load balancers, firewalls, etc.) into the hypervisor layer, nearly gaining total independence from physical hardware.
NSX allows you to:

• Virtualize network and security functions
• Define and automate processes at a very granular level
• Simplify recovery and ensure business continuity
• Adopt a proactive approach to both external and internal security through microsegmentation
• Ensure compliance by isolating systems that store, process or transmit sensitive data

As the NSX solution offers a broad range of benefits, we were careful to focus on the security and microsegmentation aspects and, given the enthusiasm generated when we sent out our invitations, we can state that these topics are of particular interest to IT professionals in Quebec.

With this in mind, the time has come to take stock of how well Quebec companies are preparing for new types of attacks on their infrastructures. Our experts list in detail the reasons why IT teams are considering setting up NSX:

 

What the experts are saying

For François Rainville, solutions architect and cloud solutions specialist at PCD, it is clear that: More than 90 percent of Quebec companies already have a hypervisor layer in their infrastructures This allows companies to make use of their existing equipment to deploy NSX and install a next-generation SDN and firewall solutions NSX is a mainstay in the implementation of an enterprise cloud (SDDC – Software-Defined Data Centre) solution and its ability to integrate with the public cloud

 

According to Ghislain Guay, a senior NSX systems engineer at VMware, the main reasons for this trend are as follows: Lack of an overall view of their data centre security Interest in switching from a peripheral protection approach to a security platform that is integrated into their sensitive internal systems Ability to automate processes specific to network management and company security Need for a more precise level of filtering in controlling access to corporate information.

 

Finally, according to Jean-François Santos, PCD’s NSX technical expert, various factors must be considered to make this project a success: Having a good understanding of operational changes in infrastructure teams Categorizing applications that will be microsegmented, and analyzing their flow of network communication using tools such as vRealize Network Insight Microsegment applications step by step during the implementation process. The NSX Application Rule Manager tool makes deployment much easier.

 

Since the start of 2018, we have noticed that more and more companies are modernizing their infrastructure. Companies are actively evaluating different alternatives with respect to potential architectural and future technology standards, particularly in the areas of telecommunications, financial services and the public sector.

To date, our experts have already worked on more than a dozen NSX projects, in particular, projects related to the deployment of microsegmentation.

During this session, most of questions from the participants focused around:

• The effects and benefits of NSX on their current ecosystems
• The impact of NSX on their operations and the convergence of roles within their teams
• The gains in and/or repercussions on the performance of their networks and systems
• Project justification and return on investment

A number of topics were explained and illustrated by our experts during this presentation using practical examples. If you would be interested in attending a future session, the next presentation is scheduled for Thursday, September 27.

To pre-register, contact us at continuum@pcdsolutions.com