Windows Server 2016 networking embraces SDN

In this podcast, Zeus Kerravala, principal at ZK Research, talks about #Microsoft 's #WindowsServer2016 networking update and explores the features that support evolving networking requirements. It's an interesting time for Windows Server 2016 networking components. Substantial networking capabilities haven't been part of Windows Server before, but as the network becomes more important, it makes sense that Microsoft would want to arm its primary server product with features supporting evolving networking requirements. The driving force? #SDN, Kerravala says. To that end, virtual network elements like the Hyper-V virtual switch and gateways are now among Windows Server 2016 networking components. In addition, elements such as System Center 2016 can be orchestrated with leading tools, like Puppet and Chef. What this all means is that with the new features, Microsoft enables users to dynamically manage workloads through Windows Server 2016 networking. This includes the ability to centrally define and control traffic flow among different network types and abstract applications through an overlay network. Among the most important capabilities in Windows Server 2016 is the network controller. This lets companies manage, configure and troubleshoot both the virtual and physical networks through a common pane of glass. Administrators can then use Windows PowerShell -- a REST API -- to oversee the controller and manage Hyper-V, physical network switches, virtual private network gateways and firewalls or load balancers. Hyper-V network virtualization, meantime, allows companies to abstract the apps and workloads with virtual networks, creating multi-tenant zones within a shared fabric. With this approach, a pure, logical network is available to a particular department, but in actuality, it is a shared component within the underlying physical network.

http://searchsdn.techtarget.com/podcast/Windows-Server-2016-networking-embraces-SDN