Aruba's biggest event in March 2022 atmosphere'22was held in Las Vegas. And Previous PostAs introduced in , the Watch Party, which was once again an opportunity to introduce the product to domestic customers, was successfully held on April 21st.
The official theme of this year's ATM'22 is “Network Modernization”no see.
Network modernization, this topic of network modernization, seems quite safe and even boring at the same time.
Compared to many companies that come up with very trendy names and modifiers.
However, while the IT industry has developed significantly and our IT infrastructure has undergone many changes, our network environment has not changed significantly, and many places are still using the same architecture from 10 to 20 years ago.
Why is that?
Networks are a fundamental part of IT infrastructure. Compared to systems and applications, they are inherently more conservative. Therefore, while many IT infrastructures have evolved and evolved, with trends like software-defined, automation, and programming emerging, the network has been largely unaware of these developments, but has struggled to adapt and change.
Since COVID-19, our environment has changed much more rapidly and drastically than before.
Existing legacy methods are no longer able to keep pace with these changes. Therefore, it's time to shift our thinking and embrace a more modernized network infrastructure.
A modernized network infrastructure requires three things:.
- Automation: Rather than replacing people, we need a role that complements the tasks that people have had difficulty doing and that take a lot of time.
- security: Rather than simply detecting and blocking external threats, we must identify all devices connected to our network and manage them with policies appropriate to their roles, following zero-trust principles.
- Agility: We need an agile and flexible infrastructure that can adapt and respond to the ever-changing environment.
In line with the theme of network modernization, the keynote presented four major themes.
“Connecting The Way to Network Modernization” In a keynote session titled ‘Hybrid Work Environment,’ Aruba showcased how it prepares for innovation and responds to the future, covering four topics: ‘Enhancing Security,’ ‘Accelerating Business Innovation,’ and ‘Flexible Operations.’.
Hybrid work environment
With the acquisition of Silver Peak, Aruba has expanded its existing SD-WAN solution portfolio and enhanced its functionality. Now, Aruba's existing SD-WAN solution and Silver Peak's SD-WAN solution are integrated into one solution. Unified under the name SD-WAN Fabricdo.
The VPN solution that is installed as a software on client devices such as mobile devices and laptops through the existing VIA solution is now EdgeConnect MobileIt will be renamed as .
And this solution changes the role of the existing AP to a remote AP, and automatically connects the VPN to the headquarters by simply connecting to the Internet as a single VPN connection device. EdgeConnect MicrobranchIt will be renamed as .
Aruba's SD-WAN solution, the SD-Branch solution that integrates wired and wireless to WAN by utilizing Aruba's gateway (controller) as VPN and SD-WAN equipment at each branch office. EdgeConnect SD-BranchIt will be changed to .
Finally, Silver Peak's SD-WAN solution, EdgeConnect, is now available EdgeConnect Enterprise The product will be changed to help you manage and optimize WAN lines more intensively in large-scale environments.
Rather than simply unifying the names, we will now centrally manage all of this through a cloud platform called Aruba Central, implementing a unified SD-WAN Fabric that allows customers to flexibly select and deliver solutions tailored to their needs and requirements.
Enhanced security
Aruba already has ClearPassWe have a powerful network access control solution called . It implements role-based policies, rather than IP-based ones, to accommodate diverse network environments and requirements, and performs authentication and authorization tailored to each user.
Going further, ClearPass eliminates the need for a separate solution:, Cloud AuthYou can easily use this feature in Aruba Central under the name . This feature, provided by Aruba Central, authenticates users connecting to the network by referencing a cloud-based identity store such as Azure AD or Google Workspace.
And we implement access control to ensure that access is limited to only the necessary places by assigning appropriate roles.
Here Aruba goes one step further.
The pride of Aruba Dynamic Segmentation SolutionExpands.
This is the core of this keynote. NetConductorno see.
NetConductor
NetConductor, a feature built into Aruba Central, configures overlays in large-scale network environments and centrally manages the configuration and security policies of those overlays.
Network administrators can create roles and create corresponding policies in Aruba Central.
- When a client terminal is connected to the network, profiling of the terminal is performed through Client Insight.,
- Perform network authentication via Cloud Auth
- Roles and policies for roles are downloaded through the Global Policy Manager in NetConductor.
All these tasks are provided in the form of a step-by-step wizard GUI, so anyone can use them easily without any complexity.
Additionally, you can efficiently configure and operate multiple sites through the built-in NetConductor functionality in Aruba Central without having to configure each site individually.
Accelerate business innovation
Achieving business innovation in today's world is a challenge for every company.
We're left wondering how we can achieve better innovation, increase profits, and reduce costs.
Aruba has been thinking about location data to enable such innovations.
Measuring position ultimately means measuring my position relative to an absolute reference point.
Examples of this would be measuring latitude based on the North Star in the Age of Exploration, or measuring longitude based on Greenwich Mean Time.
Until now, indoor location measurement has relied solely on triangulation via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. While GPS signals are recommended, the lack of GPS signals indoors has led to alternatives like Bluetooth.
Until now, when measuring indoor locations, the locations of Bluetooth beacons and access points (APs) were manually assigned to a flat surface by the administrator. This often resulted in significant discrepancies between the actual location and the AP's location displayed on the screen.
To address these issues, Aruba has integrated a GPS receiver into its APs. And both its Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E models FTM (Fine Time Measurement) Apply the technology.
FTM technology is similar to 802.11mc technology and can be thought of as a wireless tape measure.
This means that an absolute reference point can be established via a GPS receiver, and FTM technology can precisely determine the relative positions of the remaining APs. Without the administrator having to manually designate each AP individually on a floor plan, the locations of all APs will be automatically displayed on the floor plan.
These data are Aruba Open LocateIt will be open for anyone to use under the name .
Therefore, many developers, service providers, and applications will be able to utilize this location data to provide various services.
Flexible operation
Finally, flexible operations are about as-a-Service.
In my previous post, I already introduced the benefits of as-a-Service.
In times like these, when the world is changing so quickly and dramatically, infrastructure also needs to be agile.
Nowadays, it is becoming difficult to build something once and use it for 5 or 10 years or more.
That's why, rather than simply purchasing infrastructure and holding it as an asset, a subscription-based service model is emerging, allowing users to use the infrastructure they need, for as long as they need it. This allows them to respond quickly to rapidly changing market conditions and surrounding circumstances, allowing them to use the infrastructure whenever and however they need it.
And you don't just buy the infrastructure; you also buy the services, so you can receive comprehensive support from the manufacturer for configuration, installation, maintenance, and expansion.
Aruba is servicing this model as the GreenLake model, and at ATM'22, it is offering another innovative model as the Service Pack Offering.
This service pack, which integrates hardware, software, and services, is a very simple subscription method where you can add only the service packs you need to your cart for the required period and quantity.
This allows me to receive the products I want as-a-Service in a streamlined manner without any complicated procedures.
At ATM'22, Aruba demonstrated how we can modernize our networks through new innovations and technological advancements.
We're now moving into the cloud era, and a hybrid work environment is taking hold, with some employees working from home and others in the office.
Amidst these changes, innovations in systems, applications, and databases are no longer the only challenge. Now, innovation and change in networks are also necessary, enabling greater security, flexibility, and more convenient and streamlined workflow automation.
If you would like to take a closer look at the topic of Network Modernization in Aruba, ATM'22 siteWe recommend that you watch the keynote videos and each technical session.
