Pluribus Networks

The traditional network topologies in place today at data centers simply can’t deliver the required level of elasticity and visibility that every modern organization need to leverage their data driven applications efficiently. Software Defined Networking (SDN) addresses the cost, complexity, operational manageability, and adaptability challenges of traditional data center infrastructures with a forward‐looking approach that brings the benefits of open‐computing, virtualization, and cost efficiency. “SDN helps in creation of an IT infrastructure that provides agility to support new business initiatives and ensures complete coverage and deep understanding of a network’s performance,” begins Kumar Srikantan, President and CEO, Pluribus Networks.

Palo Alto, CA based Pluribus Networks provides a platform that enables deep visibility into and control over the network, eliminating the barriers between physical underlay and virtual overlay. With a highly programmable platform enabling full devops networking, Pluribus is bringing server style open APIs and economics to networking. “Our open networking with fabric clustering solutions transforms a firm’s existing, inflexible network infrastructure into a strategic asset that meets today’s dynamic business challenges,” affirms Srikantan. “The easily deployable fabric architecture virtualizes the network to make it more resilient and intelligent while improving visibility and automating its operation.”

Pluribus Netvisor offers a software-defined switching platform that automatically creates and maintains a single and elastic networking fabric called the Virtualization Centric Fabric (VCF). VCF is the core of Netvisor and was designed from the ground up to perfectly complement a company’s virtualized computing strategy, and also reduce IT cost and complexity for the dynamic computing needs. VCF eliminates the rigid boundaries of traditional networking by creating a pool of virtualized connectivity resources that can be deployed in any combination and to any application installed across the entire data center.

The easily deployable fabric architecture virtualizes the network to make it more resilient and intelligent, while improving visibility

“Pluribus’ VCF provides the missing link for an elastic computing strategy, delivering the essential connectivity needed for software-defined data centers,” says Srikantan. “VCF is either available in turnkey switches or as software offering and exceeds the performance and capabilities of traditional switches.”

On the other hand, Pluribus Open Netvisor Linux operating system running on Dell’s line of open networking switches including the S4000 and S6000 is a software-defined enterprise-class networking architecture. The combined solution works with the already existing components and delivers a robust networking fabric—VCF that is designed to complement all the existing investments in virtualized computing and storage. Deployed at the top of the rack or in the spine of an organization’s data center, the combination of Pluribus Netvisor and Dell makes up an efficient SDN regardless of the number physical switches deployed.

One of Pluribus’ clients, TIBCO, a software company, had developed two enterprise messaging systems—EMS and FTL required the underlying infrastructure of server, storage, and networks to be properly installed, configured, and tuned. To deploy a robust, high performance, and standards-based messaging middleware system, TIBCO used SDN programmability of the Pluribus Networks Netvisor. Netvisor’s configurations included integrated high performance storage, de-duplication of replicated data to the disaster recovery site, and in-network optimization of network flows that helped Tibco leverage its enterprise messaging systems.

Forging forward, Pluribus Networks will focus on performance oriented work and virtualization of private and public cloud data centers. The company will continue to transform how IT administrators deploy applications so they can realize productivity gains and enable new business models. “Our performances in network virtualization will enable and ensure maximum return on infrastructure investments, detect security issues, keep businesses optimized, and support security, audit, and compliance,” concludes Srikantan.