SDN-Based Open Networking Building Momentum Among IT Decision Makers

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1 SDN-Based Open Networking Building Momentum Among IT Decision Makers Two of the most important new enterprise technologies are open networking and softwaredefined networking (SDN). For the past few years, both have gained acceptance and established footholds in data centers due to their promise of improved IT agility, flexibility and manageability. Open network allows organizations to mix and match different brands, networking topologies and protocols in the same data center infrastructure; SDN enables the uncoupling of networking hardware and software, which facilitates management and improves cost-efficient scalability. More recently, however, a few innovative suppliers have combined the two technologies to give IT decision makers even greater flexibility in future-proofing their data center infrastructure. Although SDN-based open networking is still a relatively new architectural philosophy, it holds great promise and, in fact, has been gaining momentum with forwardthinking IT organizations. New research based on survey responses from 159 IT professionals points to a growing trend in SDN-based open networking awareness, understanding and adoption. More importantly, the research indicates that the market may be approaching an inflection point for accelerated adoption rates in enterprise data centers. According to the research: There already is significant support for disaggregated computing the ability to mix and match infrastructure brands and formats among respondents, and that support appears likely to grow in the immediate future. There is similar support for both SDN in general and SDN-based open networking based on the disaggregated infrastructure model.

2 SDN-based open networking is being driven primarily by organizations desire to improve IT agility; reducing management complexity and improving data center flexibility in supporting new applications also are important considerations. The relatively early stage of SDN-based open networking is prompting respondents concerns about their lack of hands-on experience with the technology. By comparison, financial considerations do not appear to be a major concern for the audience. Disaggregated computing model adoption trends Nearly a quarter of respondents say they already have widely used disaggregated computing model in their data center; nearly half of the respondents indicate that they either have selectively deployed it or are evaluating the technology. Only a third of the respondents say they have no plans at this time to adopt a disaggregated computing model. Does your organization use a disaggregated computing model in your data center? Yes, widely used 23% Yes, selected apps or departments 22% Under evaluation 33% Not at this time 22% Respondents most highly value the flexibility and cost efficiency provided under the disaggregating computing model. Other benefits noted by respondents include the ability to select best-of-breed infrastructure technologies and solutions, as well as having faster access to innovative new technologies and solutions at the early stages of their availability. 2

3 What significant benefits have you realized from using a disaggregated computing model? Increased flexibility 65% Cost savings 44% Faster access to innovative technologies 25% Ability to select best-of-breed offerings 24% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Respondents also noted adoption rates for virtualization within their data center, both in terms of utilization of different virtualization technologies and the extent of virtualization throughout the organization. Server virtualization is used by 71% of the respondents, while storage virtualization has been adopted by 41% of respondents organizations. Application virtualization is used by 33% of respondents, followed by virtualized desktop infrastructure at 30%, and network virtualization at 24%. More than four in 10 respondents 42% say virtualization is widely used throughout their data centers, and another 39% say it is used for select applications or in specific departments. How widely used is virtualization in your data center? 8% 11% Widely used Select apps or departments 42% 39% Initial evaluation Not yet evaluating 3

4 Software-defined networking Most respondents say their organizations already are supporting some type of SDN technology; 57% of respondents indicate that they are currently using at least one type of SDN technology, and numerous respondents are using multiple SDN solutions. Hypervisorbased SDN such as NVO VMware or OpenStack is the most prevalent SDN technology currently used by respondents organizations. Is your organization using any of these SDN technologies in the data center? Hypervisor-based 46% Programmatic management 13% Open SDN controller-based 11% None of the above 43% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% Nearly a quarter of respondents say their organizations are currently using SDN technologies in their data centers, another nearly 30% of the respondents indicate that they intend to adopt SDN within the next 24 months. Less than 30% of respondents say they don t expect to adopt SDN in the foreseeable future. In what time frame do you expect to adopt SDN into your data center? 13% 15% Currently using Next 12 months 29% 19% months 24% months Not in foreseeable future 4

5 SDN-based open networking adoption trends Combining the benefits of both open networking and SDN technologies has already taken place to a significant degree and appears poised for a strong uptick, according to the respondents. To date, 15% of respondents have adopted SDN-based open networking, but another 34% say they are in the evaluation process. Importantly, only 15% of respondents say that SDN-based open networking isn t on their radar at this time. Have you considered adopting SDN-based open networking into your data center? 13% 15% Already using 34% 23% 15% Plan to adopt in near future Evaluating, but unclear on adoption time frame Not in our plans at this time Still unsure about our plans Key factors driving respondents adoption plans for SDN-based open networking start with their desire to use the technology in order to improve IT agility, followed by a need to reduce IT management complexity and increase flexibility for new application needs. What are the key drivers for adoption of SDN-based open networking solutions? Improve IT agility 57% Reduce IT management complexity Improve flexibility in meeting new app needs 43% 42% Introduce new technologies faster Reduce Capex/Opex 31% 34% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 5

6 The evaluation process and eventual adoption of SDN-based open networking are shaped by several key consideration criteria, starting with the ability to integrate traditional and open networking configurations into the same data center infrastructure. Respondents also say they are looking for fast and easy deployment options, as well as the ability to select best-of-breed technology components such as networking hardware, operating systems and applications. Which features are very important in your evaluation and adoption of SDN-based open networking? Ability to integrate traditional and open networking in same infrastructure 56% Easiest/fastest to deploy Ability to select best-ofbreed components 44% 42% Comprehensive service/support 34% Lowest purchase price 29% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Like any emerging technology, SDN-based open networking s adoption rate is inhibited by a number of technical and business concerns. Specifically, respondents say their biggest concern is their lack of prior experience with the technology, followed by security risks and integration challenges. It s worth noting that only about a third of respondents believe the technology is still unproven, indicating that many of them still are getting their hands around the technology in order to ease its adoption and integration. 6

7 Significant concern in use/evaluation of SDN-based open networking Lack of prior experience with the technology Security risks Integration challenges Migration challenges 51% 47% 47% 44% Technology is still unproven Financial considerations Business continuity risks Network management complexity 33% 33% 32% 30% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Given respondents concerns in evaluating and using the technology, it s worth pointing out the most important factors they say they are considering when evaluating and selecting suppliers of SDN-based open networking solutions. At the top of the list of supplier requirements are very strong technical skills, followed closely by proven deployment capabilities and service/support expertise. 7

8 How important are the following criteria when evaluating and selecting suppliers of SDN-based open networking solutions? (% responding very important or important ) High-performance networking products Proven techical expertise in enterprise Quick and reliable rollouts 92% 91% 89% Service/support policies 87% Commitment to vendor-neutral infrastructure Financial strength 79% 78% Broad partner ecosystem Brand reputation 72% 76% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Conclusion As data center infrastructure becomes increasingly heterogeneous, IT professionals are looking for innovative ways to reduce complexity, future-proof their solutions and accelerate IT agility. Based on the increasingly popular disaggregated computing model, SDNbased open networking is proving to be a reliable and creative way to help organizations accomplish those goals, often with attendant financial benefits such as reduced operating and capital expenses. Data from this survey points to a strong and growing adoption of SDN-based open networking, with a preference for solutions providers that can demonstrate strong technical skills, expert deployment and the ability to support increasingly diverse and sophisticated technologies now and in the future. 8