Cisco Announces New Architecture to Extend the Data Center to Everywhere Data Lives

Application innovation is at the heart of the digital economy. A new era of apps is redefining what data centers are and need to be capable of supporting. Because today, the data center is no longer a fixed place. It exists wherever data is created, processed and used. That is why Cisco is announcing a new architecture that extends the data center to everywhere that data lives and everywhere applications are deployed.

To bring this “data center anywhere” vision to life, Cisco is introducing a range of innovations across networking, hyperconvergence, security and automation. They include:

• The expansion of ACI into the cloud with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure environments
• The extension of HyperFlex into branch offices and remote locations to power applications at the edge
• Enhancements to CloudCenter to help customers manage the lifecycle of applications across multiple cloud environments
• A radically simpler way for customers to buy and manage the technology across the entire data center architecture, via a single Enterprise Agreement.

New Data Center Innovation

Cisco is delivering on its new data center vision in three ways:

• ACI available in AWS and Azure: Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) is Cisco’s intent-based networking solution for the data center. It delivers operational simplicity, application agility and protection in the data center — all delivered in a uniquely open approach that integrates with all hypervisors and container frameworks on which applications are deployed. With ACI Anywhere, that journey extends ACI to any workload, any location, any cloud. Virtual ACI already supports bare metal clouds and remote edge locations. And now with the new Cloud ACI capabilities, Cisco extends automation, management, and security to AWS and Microsoft Azure by fully integrating with their Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) environments. Read the blog.  

• HyperFlex for Branch: Deploying hyperconverged infrastructure to multiple sites in order to provide distributed computing at a global scale can be a complex task. HyperFlex with Cisco Intersight now allows customers to seamlessly extend computing and storage from their core data centers to the edges of their operations. It does this with flexible scalability and the unmatched ease-of-use of cloud-powered systems management. HyperFlex now delivers data center-class application performance for digital innovation in branch offices and remote sites, enabling analytics and intelligent services at the enterprise edge. Read the blog.

• CloudCenter Suite: The operational complexity and burgeoning cost of managing applications across multiple public and private clouds is a growing challenge for IT teams. The new CloudCenter Suite now features full application lifecycle management, greater workflow automation, and significantly enhanced cost optimization and governance.  Finally, the new suite is also much easier to consume, with simplified deployment, tiered pricing and a new SaaS offering.  Read the blog.

New Data Center Enterprise Agreement 
Cisco is making it easier than ever for customers to buy its data center technology with the new Cisco Enterprise Agreement. Customers can now take advantage of a single standardized three- or five-year licensing agreement across seven suites, including ACI, HyperFlex, Intersight and Tetration. The Cisco EA provides customers with a choice in deployment models and license portability across physical, virtual or cloud deployments. It lets customers have access to what they need, when and where they need it, available from their preferred channel partner. Read the blog.  

Cross-domain Integrations 
Cisco is integrating ACI with the application layer and the campus. Now, ACI integrates with AppDynamics to correlate app performance with network health. It also integrates with Cisco DNA Center and the Identity Services Engine to deliver end-to-end identity-based policy and access control between users or devices on campus and applications or data anywhere. These integrations are the latest step on Cisco’s journey to create the industry’s first multi-domain architecture. The goal is to reinvent enterprise infrastructure as a unified system that unlocks innovation by simplifying the unprecedented complexity of modern IT. Read the blog.

 Availability, Services, and Support

• Virtual ACI and Cloud ACI will be available in Q2CY19
• HyperFlex 4.0 with Cisco Insight will be available in Q2CY19
• Cisco CloudCenter Suite subscription on-premises will be available in Q1CY19; SaaS version is planned for availability in Q1CY19 in North America, and Q2CY19 in Europe.
• New Cisco Enterprise Agreements will orderable mid-March.
• Cisco and its partners offer a full lifecycle of services to help customers streamline the journey to modernized data center architectures.
• Cisco DevNet developer resources for ACI are available now.