Today at Cisco
Live, Cisco’s annual IT and communications conference, F5
Networks (NASDAQ:FFIV) announced an F5 device package for the Cisco®
Application Policy Infrastructure Controller™ (APIC) that
makes it possible for customers with F5 appliances to deploy
policy-driven application services across layer 2–7 fabrics. Joint Cisco
and F5 customers can significantly reduce operating costs without
compromising security, availability, or performance.
The solution extends the F5
Synthesis™ architecture and programmable Software
Defined Application Services™ within Cisco’s Application
Centric Infrastructure (ACI), helping customers efficiently deliver
applications that are fast, secure, and available. F5’s BIG-IP®
solutions are also uniquely positioned to bring L4–7 multi-tenant
capabilities to Cisco ACI environments, and support continued
community-driven innovation around joint solutions through F5
DevCentral™.
Details
By combining the advantages of the F5 Synthesis and Cisco ACI models,
organizations can deploy versatile, elastic network and application
services—ultimately leading to quicker and more successful application
rollouts. F5 and Cisco share a fabric-based approach that lets customers
use their choice of physical, virtual, and cloud solutions to provide an
environment that best suits their needs.
The F5 Device Package for Cisco APIC lets customers configure
application policies and requirements for F5 appliances across L2–7
fabrics. This ensures that applications receive the services and
resources they require throughout the network, while also enabling
organizations to automate systems for further efficiency and cost
savings.
Programmability to Intelligently Apply Comprehensive IT Services and
Automation
F5’s highly programmable and extensible solutions are equipped with
powerful technologies like iApps®,
iRules®,
iCall™,
and iControl®
that enable customers to program and automate how application traffic is
handled, according to specific business priorities. As an example, F5’s
event-driven iRules let customers quickly respond to changing conditions
affecting their applications and websites on the fly without having to
take systems offline or recode applications.
Integration to Orchestrate Network and Application Policies
throughout L2–7
The F5 Device Package for Cisco APIC promotes customer flexibility in
managing and orchestrating L4–7 application delivery services via Cisco
APIC and through BIG-IP directly, with APIC addressing L2–3 needs.
Beginning with F5’s BIG-IP®
Local Traffic Manager™ integration with Cisco ACI,
customers will be able to seamlessly add and orchestrate compelling
capabilities beyond load balancing, such as optimization, access,
firewall, and other security services.
True Multi-tenancy to Efficiently Deploy Software Defined Networks
With F5’s industry-leading ScaleN™
architecture, customers can deploy multi-tenant solutions in their data
centers leveraging route domains, F5
virtual appliances, and Virtual Clustered Multiprocessing™
capabilities. With the ability to configure L4–7 policies for each
tenant application, customers have granular control over how precious
resources are deployed and prioritized to support SDN. This frees IT
teams from tying specific devices or resources to individual
applications, while preserving the ability to isolate services if needed
for compliance or other business requirements.
Supporting Quotes
“As a joint customer, we see the commitment F5 and Cisco share in
delivering applications while ensuring IT flexibility. With their
growing technology partnership, we anticipate the ability to seamlessly
add F5 tools and capabilities to configure policies that simplify and
automate the ways network and application services are efficiently
applied throughout our infrastructure.”
Kimberley Ledwell, Chief Enterprise Architect, Symantec
“In the Cisco ACI framework, F5 customers can preserve the advantages
and capabilities of the F5 Synthesis model for L4–7 services while
enhancing application deployments, delivery, and automation through
Cisco ACI and APIC. At the heart of the integration is the ACI open
policy model that offers investment protection with emphasis on
programmability, automation, scale, and security. In addition, the
combination of ACI-embedded multi-tenancy with the BIG-IP platform’s
equivalent functions makes the integration of Cisco and F5 technologies
more attractive for service providers, enterprises, and large financial
institutions on their journey to the cloud.”
Soni Jiandani, SVP, Marketing, Cisco
“Like Cisco, F5 is focused on the intelligent delivery of applications
and services in all types of environments. This announcement—and our
partnership at large—centers on making it easy for customers to combine
F5’s L4–7 application fabric with L2–3 network fabric. Cisco’s APIC
provides organizations with a powerful tool to enhance ACI deployments,
and we look forward to introducing complementary technologies that
extend the value of these systems even further.”
Manny Rivelo, EVP of Strategic Solutions, F5
F5 at this week’s Cisco Live event in San Francisco
F5 is at Cisco Live 2014 in booth #1313 of the Moscone Center,
highlighting the companies’ partnership efforts and showcasing
capabilities in ACI environments with the F5 Device Package for Cisco
APIC. F5’s presence at the show will also focus on additional topics,
including:
Additional Resources related to F5 and Cisco ACI/APIC
Availability
The F5 Device Package for Cisco APIC will be available as a free
download via downloads.f5.com
in summer 2014. Please contact a local
F5 sales office for additional information and product availability
in specific countries.
About F5
F5 (NASDAQ:
FFIV) provides solutions for an application world. F5 helps
organizations seamlessly scale cloud, data center, and software defined
networking (SDN) deployments to successfully deliver applications to
anyone, anywhere, at any time. F5 solutions broaden the reach of IT
through an open, extensible framework and a rich partner ecosystem of
leading technology and data center orchestration vendors. This approach
lets customers pursue the infrastructure model that best fits their
needs over time. The world’s largest businesses, service providers,
government entities, and consumer brands rely on F5 to stay ahead of
cloud, security, and mobility trends. For more information, go to f5.com.
You can also follow @f5networks
on Twitter or visit us on Facebook
for more information about F5, its partners, and technologies.
F5, F5 Synthesis, Software Defined Application Services, BIG-IP, Local
Traffic Manager, iApps, iRules, iCall, iControl, ScaleN, and DevCentral
are trademarks or service marks of F5 Networks, Inc., in the U.S. and
other countries. All other product and company names herein may be
trademarks of their respective owners.
Availability disclaimer: Many of the products and features described
herein remain in varying stages of development and will be offered on a
when-and-if-available basis. These products and features are subject to
change at the sole discretion of Cisco and neither Cisco nor its
suppliers will have any liability for delay in the delivery or failure
to deliver any of the products or features set forth in this release.
This press release may contain forward looking statements relating to
future events or future financial performance that involve risks and
uncertainties. Such statements can be identified by terminology such as
"may," "will," "should," "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes,"
"estimates," "predicts," "potential," or "continue," or the negative of
such terms or comparable terms. These statements are only predictions
and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in
these statements based upon a number of factors including those
identified in the company's filings with the SEC.
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