Virtual Routers Explained
Joe Switch writes in to ask what the deal is with Virtual Routers and other such untangable networks. Matt has the answer. The way I understand it your more high end (read: expensive) Cisco and Juniper routers have virtual routers built in — much like you might have a virtual interface like eth0:1 in Linux — to manage VLANS, IP subnets and such.
Matt goes on to explain that in the vSphere product by VMware you can use the APIs to write, basically, a software based switch to compliment your existing deployments. Check out the Cisco Nexus 1000V. It’s a software implementation of a Cisco Nexus switch. I’d love to get my hands on it but at nearly $1000/year I’ll find something open source. Speaking of which, we’ve been meaning to play with a Cisco virtual network application but are in need of an ISO. If you’re privy to an open source alternative or can help out drop us a line.
Hi,
Have you looked at DynaGen? Awesome software.
Cheers
Wimpie
There are a number of techniques to “virtualize” networks.
LANs — VLANs
Router — VRFs, Virtual Router Forwarding
Switch — vSwitch or Nexus 1000v
VPNs – Not just for tunneling!
What these tools give is a the ability to logically separate traffic. What we do today is build out separate physical infrastructure, and that can be costly and increase management overhead. Leveraging these concepts we can do this logically, in software. This leads to increase hardware utilization, improved management; think network lockdown.
The most interesting is Cisco’s Nexus 1000v. I think this should have a post dedicated for itself.
I second Wimpie on Dynagen. Great software. There is also a gui version called GNS3. However for linux I could only get dynagen working and not GNS3.
Check out the open source cisco killer as they call it. Its called vyatta and I just bought a cheap power edge off ebay for $100 to run this baby. Should be able to do anything a cisco box can and seems to have identical cli
Hi,
Vyatta is an open source router and it mostly has cisco like commands for configuration and routing…………..
A great alternative for expensive routers like cisco or Juniper etc….
Puneet
Why is six sigma evil?
You can download a free 60-day trial of the Nexus 1000v, provided you have a valid CCO ID, from Cisco.
http://www.cisco.com/go/nexus1000
Disclaimer: I am Cisco Systems employee.
BTW – Hak5 rocks!
Take a look at GNS3, it takes the complex dynagen simulator and pretties it up in a nice gui for you.