Juniper presents a data center ready for cloud, AI and automation

Today, enterprise networks are mainly turning to the purchase of complete offers in which we find software components focused in particular on management, automation and artificial intelligence (AI), but also on routing. , switching and security, at the expense of a more piecemeal approach. According to Manoj Leelanivas, executive vice president and chief product officer of Juniper Networks, this trend is driven by a redesign of the network architecture in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, but also by the need to simplify the network and the access to cloud resources. “The idea that customers need to have a solution to manage everything from the cloud is very new to many companies, and indeed the face of business has changed,” said Leelanivas. “There are many more micro-sites, remote users and branch offices to manage. You can say that the context is really one of a network of diverse environments, and that can make things more complex, especially for large companies,” he added.

For Juniper, as well as other major networking players like Cisco, VMware, HPE/Aruba and others, these trends present both a challenge and an opportunity. For now at least, Juniper is capitalizing on this opportunity with its cloud-ready data center offering that includes its software, hardware, and management products, and whose revenue has grown 28% year over year. on the other. Revenue from its AI-driven enterprise solutions also grew 28% year-over-year, as the company reported in its recent Q2 earnings release.^e trimester. Additionally, total revenue generated from its software and related services was $173 million, up 59% year-on-year, the company also reported. “We now have a framework that allows customers to very quickly set up thousands of multi-vendor networked devices – a previously time-consuming and very difficult operation – and use our Apstra software to manage and secure this environment” , said Mr. Leelanivas.

Management of different materials

Acquired by Juniper in December 2020, Apstra maintains a real-time repository of configuration, telemetry, and validation information to continuously ensure the network is doing what the customer wants it to do. The software also includes automation features to deliver consistent network and security policies for workloads across physical and virtual infrastructure. Its automated scans perform regular network checks to protect configurations. Apstra software is hardware agnostic, so it can be integrated with products from Cisco, Arista, Dell, Microsoft, and Nvidia/Cumulus. Apstra version 4.0, released recently by Juniper, offers network automation capabilities and new customizable network templates, making it easier for customers to add devices and workloads based on their needs, according to Juniper. “Going forward, Juniper plans to increase support for IAops, automation, and other functions to increase efficiency and find and fix problems faster,” said Manoj Leelanivas.

Juniper also wants to go further in AI support. The provider has already integrated AI technologies into the heart of its main software solutions. This is particularly the case for its AI-based Mist core and its intelligent Marvis engine, or its wired and wireless Insurance platforms. Last year, the company added WAN Assurance, a cloud-based service that collects telemetry data from Juniper SRX, Contrail and other WAN devices and transmits it to Marvis. The intelligent engine understands what is normal network activity, finds anomalies, and makes suggestions to resolve issues and ensure WAN network service levels. According to Juniper, often Marvis can act without human intervention. “We can now collect data from anywhere in the network and provide our AI with insights that allow it to anticipate problems and fix them with minimal human interaction. AI and Insurance,” Mr. Leelanivas said.

Securing and optimizing access to the cloud

Customers can also use Session Smart software that Juniper acquired with the acquisition of 128 Technology. Session Smart promises to reduce operating costs for SD-WAN and WAN networks by making intelligent routing decisions based on sessions and application needs over individual traditional tunnels. Combined with Marvis, Session Smart can identify traffic patterns in different locations, from different devices, for different application usages and automatically address issues or make recommendations to a network manager. According to Juniper, this application has enormous potential to meet the support needs of the hybrid workforce. “The goal is to connect as many things as possible to the cloud, as quickly and as securely as possible,” Leelanivas said. “The ultimate goal is to improve operational efficiency,” he added.