Avaya SDN Fx™ Architecture

Avaya’s open software-defined networking (SDN) architecture helps companies create the agile networks required by today’s dynamic applications. The Avaya SDN Fx architecture delivers “connect anything, anywhere” simplicity, shaving weeks in provisioning time by allowing devices and users at the network edge to be added easily to the network

What’s unique about Avaya is that we offer a single architecture with one management and control plane that extends end to end across the entire network. Our technology seamlessly extends from the Data Center into the campus core/ wiring closet and across the WAN to interconnect branches and/ Data Centers – eliminating today’s silo’ed network environment – and creating a single continguous service layer from application to user or IoT device.

This enables:

1) Greater productivity: One architecture, one protocol and one management and control layer end to end enables streamlined operations and simplified interconnection of users/ devices with their applications.

2) Enhanced Quality of Experience: A single contiguous service layer from application to end point improves quality of experience since you can now clearly measure quality and performance end to end – instead of just within a segment.

3) Secure attachment of IoT devices: In addition to automating the secure attachment of virtual machines in the Data Center, enterprises can also auto attach users and IoT devices (leveraging our vSwitch enabled Open Network Adaptor) – creating on-demand elastic services from device to data center.

4) Better Security: With enterprise-wide virtualization, you can extend micro-segmentation from the VM in the Data Center to the user / end point (the entry point to the network) ensuring that sensitive information is kept completely isolated from other traffic and users end-to end.

Avaya’s SDN Fx Architecture is made up of:

• Fabric Connect: Network-wide, end-to-end virtualization technology based on an enhanced implementation of the IEEE 802.1aq Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) standard. This technology allows for the replacement of multiple conventional protocols such as Spanning Tree, RIP and/or OSPF, BGP, MPLS, PIM etc with a single next generation technology and makes networks far more agile, far more resilient and much, much easier to manage.

• Fabric Orchestrator: Avaya’s Fabric Orchestrator delivers automation and orchestration to both the traditional as well as the SDN-enabled network environment – allowing for the network to transition over time. In addition to full FCAPS functionality, it offers an integrated ODL controller as well as ML2 drivers to integrate into OpenStack orchestration systems. This one tool can be used to manage the end to end network, saving the customer significant time and resources in training and operations.

• Open Network Adaptor: The Avaya Open Network Adaptor is a unique card-deck size adaptor – enabled with an Open vSwitch – that plugs into devices such as x-ray machines, video surveillance cameras, slot machines and more – to convert these devices into intelligent network nodes.  When enabled with the Avaya ONA, these end points can now be monitored and managed; their networking capability centrally administered and controlled.