Cisco has finalized its acquisition of Isovalent, renowned for its expertise in open-source cloud-native networking and security. This move underscores Cisco’s dedication to shaping the future of secure, multi-cloud networking. Isovalent’s pioneering technologies are poised to play a pivotal role in Cisco’s Security Cloud vision—a sophisticated, AI-driven, cloud-based security platform tailored to suit organizations of all scales. This integrated platform aims to provide advanced threat protection in the dynamic landscape of multi-cloud environments.
What is Multi-cloud Networking?
Multi-cloud networking facilitates the creation, implementation, and management of a network across numerous public cloud platforms. MCN products ensure uniformity in network policy, security, governance, and visibility across multiple cloud environments through centralized management.
Unlike the hybrid cloud, which integrates private and public cloud services usually from one provider, multi-cloud incorporates services from diverse providers, allowing organizations to tailor a bespoke solution to their unique requirements.
Multi-Cloud Networking: A Closer Look
Multi-cloud networking (MCN) technology empowers organizations to construct secure, software-defined networks connecting cloud applications across various private clouds, data centers, Software as a Service (SaaS) providers, and public clouds. These solutions seamlessly integrate with major public cloud providers such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Alibaba Cloud, and Oracle Cloud.
MCN offerings streamline networking across disparate clouds through low-code optimizations, reducing complexity, operational overhead, and associated costs stemming from disjointed cloud APIs and cloud-specific network structures. Moreover, MCN solutions enhance network performance within and across clouds.
Vendor lock-in, a concern with single-cloud provider models, is mitigated by MCN in three key ways:
Flexibility in Vendor Selection: MCN enables the utilization of multiple vendors for different workloads, facilitating cost-effective migration to alternative providers in response to price increases or service disruptions.
Enhanced Data Control: By distributing data across various locations and restricting vendor access, MCN bolsters data security, minimizing vulnerabilities inherent in storing sensitive information on public clouds.
Infrastructure Customization: Leveraging multiple vendors allows organizations to tailor infrastructure solutions to specific business requirements, avoiding shoehorn disparate needs into a single vendor’s offerings.
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Isovalent’s Contributions to Cloud-Native Networking
Isovalent’s team has played a pivotal role in advancing open-source technology, particularly eBPF, and spearheaded the development of cloud-native solutions such as Cilium and Tetragon. These innovations equip IT and platform engineering professionals with powerful networking capabilities and improved visibility into cloud-native interactions. As a result, organizations can seamlessly define and enforce policies across software-defined networks, enhancing operational efficiency and security in cloud environments.
Multi-Cloud Networking Use Cases
Exploring three prevalent use cases that shape networking requirements within multi-cloud environments:
- Siloed Applications: Many organizations face the challenge of managing applications dispersed across various Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) providers, resulting in operational siloes. Multi-Cloud Networking (MCN) offers the flexibility to select the most cost-effective option for each application from multiple vendors. However, this approach increases IT complexity, requiring expertise in managing disparate console logins and configurations.
- Disaster Recovery (DR): Disaster recovery represents a critical MCN use case, allowing IT teams to swiftly transfer applications from a primary cloud to a secondary cloud in the event of primary cloud failure. While this redundancy enhances uptime, it often entails higher maintenance costs.
- Workload Mobility: MCN facilitates automated disaster recovery by seamlessly shifting workloads to a secondary cloud provider, activating only during outages. Workload mobility denotes migrating computing tasks (workloads) between different cloud environments. MCN empowers IT personnel to effortlessly migrate workloads between cloud providers using an orchestration console equipped with pre-configured cloud networking policies.
FAQs
1. What is Multi-cloud Networking (MCN) and how does it differ from hybrid cloud?
Multi-cloud networking facilitates the creation, implementation, and management of networks across multiple public cloud platforms, ensuring uniformity in network policy, security, governance, and visibility. Unlike hybrid cloud, which integrates private and public cloud services from one provider, multi-cloud incorporates services from diverse providers, allowing organizations to tailor bespoke solutions to their unique requirements.
2. How does Isovalent’s acquisition by Cisco impact the future of cloud-native networking and security?
Cisco’s acquisition of Isovalent signifies a strategic move towards shaping the future of secure, multi-cloud networking. Isovalent’s expertise in open-source cloud-native networking and security, particularly in advancing technologies like eBPF and developing solutions such as Cilium and Tetragon, enhances Cisco’s Security Cloud vision—an AI-driven, cloud-based security platform designed to provide advanced threat protection in multi-cloud environments.
3. What are the key benefits of Multi-Cloud Networking (MCN) technology?
MCN technology empowers organizations to construct secure, software-defined networks connecting cloud applications across various private clouds, data centers, Software as a Service (SaaS) providers, and public clouds. It streamlines networking across disparate clouds through low-code optimizations, enhancing network performance and reducing complexity, operational overhead, and associated costs.
4. How does Multi-Cloud Networking (MCN) mitigate vendor lock-in concerns?
MCN mitigates vendor lock-in concerns by providing flexibility in vendor selection, allowing organizations to utilize multiple vendors for different workloads and facilitating cost-effective migration to alternative providers. Additionally, it enhances data control by distributing data across various locations and restricts vendor access, thus minimizing vulnerabilities inherent in storing sensitive information on public clouds.
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