Juniper Networks this week advanced its partner relationships with VMware and Lenovo.

Juniper says its QFX5100 data center switch line is now certified with VMware’s NSX network virtualization platform. Of course, the QFX5100 switches also include support for Juniper’s own Contrail virtualization platform.

Leading up to the VMware certification, some of Juniper’s customers had already incorporated the joint solution into their networks.

For example, OGD ict-diensten, a Dutch IT service provider installed Juniper’s switches with VMware’s NSX to develop a multi-tenant Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) platform. The platform enables customers to set up customized networks.

“We chose Juniper’s QFX Series specifically for its proven interoperability with NSX and its ability to integrate physical devices into a virtual stack,” said Joep Piscaer, CTO at OGD ict-diensten, in a Juniper blog posting.

A Juniper spokesperson said, "Juniper has worked with VMware for about five years and continues to offer a comprehensive set of joint solutions."

Some of those joint solutions include:

  • QFX10000 Series switches, MX routers and vMX, VTEP integration with NSX that not only bridge, but also support routing.
  • Juniper data center fabric solutions offer multicast performance and scale for large NSX deployments in hybrid unicast-multicast mode.
  • The Junos Space Network Director (ND) integrates with APIs from vSphere’s vCenter Server and NSX to provide VXLAN virtual network overlay, hypervisor, and virtual machine visibility and automation.
  • The Junos Space Security Director unifies the end-to-end security operations and integrates with vSphere to provide the lifecycle management for vSRX VMs.
Juniper & Lenovo

Also this week, Juniper expanded its relationship with Lenovo. In March, the two companies formed a partnership, giving Lenovo the ability to resell Juniper’s networking, data center switching, and routing and security portfolio, wrapped in SDN capabilities with Contrail. Lenovo contributes its x86 servers and storage to the partnership.

The new agreement gives Lenovo the ability to facilitate distribution of Juniper’s products on a standalone basis or together with Lenovo’s products in China.

When Juniper and Lenovo announced their initial arrangement in March, Juniper’s chief marketing officer Mike Marcellin, said, “This gives us a local lead partner [in China].”

In a blog posting this week, Mitch Lewis, Juniper’s VP of partners and alliances for Asia Pacific, wrote, “Lenovo’s reach in China is expected to bring Juniper Networks’ technology via our partners into thousands of mid and large enterprises, as well as China service providers and Web 2.0 companies.”