The gloves are off, and close buddies Cisco and VMware are getting increasingly sensitive about the rivalry between the Application-Centric Infrastructure (ACI) and NSX. Sometimes it's obvious, as in Cisco repeatedly calling out NSX by name during Cisco Live. Other times, it's more subtle.

Specifically, on the VMworld show floor last week, VMware apparently made Cisco remove an ACI sign. Cisco Senior Director of Technical Marketing Frank D'Agostino posted the results to Twitter earlier in the week.

Not that Cisco couldn't concoct a workaround. Looking at the full picture (clickable at right), you can see Cisco staffers wrote "APIC" and a big arrow on the table beneath the ACI monitor.

The unofficial VMware retort was that NSX promotion hasn't been allowed at Cisco Live, either — so there. (VMware declined any official comment when I asked. Cisco didn't immediately back to me, but given D'Agostino's rank, I think we can count his tweet as official comment.)

Both moves are unfortunate but understandable — and, for those of us not involved, a little bit amusing.

HP’s blog, in particular, couches the Cisco/VMware tussle in the terms of a vicious divorce: irreconcilable differences, forcing the kid to choose sides, and so on. I find myself wishing I'd thought of it — although, you should note: the blog entry is meant to promote HP's partnership with VMware, so it's more than a little one-sided.