John is a computer science student that prepared himself well for work-life by ensuring he took his CCNA and an MCSA before even completing school. He even started preparing for a security exam and dreams of being a great IT professional after school. There was one question he could not get out of his mind lately. After going on an internship for a local IT company, he realized his existing knowledge – that he thought was above average – seemed to have become obsolete. Everyone at the company he interned at was talking about how the new technologies are going to redefine everything. They kept talking about Software-Defined Access, Software-Defined WAN, Hyperconverged, Software-Defined Networking, Etc.
It is as if everything now has the expression Software-Defined about it and all of them talk about simplicity, ease of management, etc. What is happening in the IT world? Why is everything becoming Software-Defined? Do we need to upgrade our infrastructure to a software-defined environment? Is it worth the hype? Is it as simple as the vendors make it sound? Well to get more on this, stay with me in this article where I discuss all the software-defined madness, and how they relate to you.
If you work in Information Communication Technology, I bet you are always getting bombarded by this new wave of software-defined everything. There is one thing you have to note, it is coming to stay, and if you do not jump on the train on time, you risk being left behind. Let take a quick look at what each one of them is.
Server virtualization is a software-defined approach. Software-Defined is not a new thing. We are just applying it to much more things nowadays. IBM and VMware pioneered it a long time ago with Software-Defined servers when they made server virtualization technology mainstream. You pick a server that contains storage, memory, compute resources, and I/O modules, you install a piece of software on it and bam! It becomes 10, or 50, or 100 servers into one. This is where it is smart: a software layer provides hardware abstraction that makes the installed operating system believe it is installed on its hardware when in reality the hardware is a shared pool of resources for multiple virtual machines (or virtual servers). This is a key technology that is behind the cloud.
So many applications are now running from the cloud. It then became important to build systems for the cloud. With traditional virtualization, the servers connect to a storage system and store the VMs in that storage. The thing with the cloud is it requires near-instant scalability and frictionless elasticity. Imagine the speed at which Amazon had to grow when Netflix decided to run a full videotheque that would instantly be available to millions of customers around the world on their servers? And that is just an example amongst thousands. It is simply not easy enough to add more storage Bays to the storage system. What about more memory and more computing resources for that same storage system? Scale-out storage systems might be a solution but then you need to grow the storage systems separately and then grow the server infrastructure separately.
Here come hyper-converged vendors to save the day. A storage system is just a glorified server with added capabilities. Besides, most servers used for virtualization already had storage controllers in-built and were used only to provide internal storage for the virtualization software. Nutanix, Simplivity, VMware, Etc. saw an opportunity. What if we could fill the virtualization servers (hosts) with disks and use software to provide a scaled-out software-based storage system that would not only be more resilient but faster than the existing storage solutions since the disks are immediately accessed (or local) rather than going through a storage network? It was brilliant. Not only your storage system would grow as fast as your computing resources (RAM and CPU) would, you could now leverage data locality and reduce the entire server virtualization stack (Server, Storage, Backup Software, Replication Software, etc.) into just the most fundamental building block: Servers. It was Golden. Cloud providers loved it. They got ease of growth, integrated and inherent automation, consolidated management, simplified integration to their other systems using APIs, and more.
Well, servers are virtualized, the storage is virtualized, the glue that puts all the servers together in the data center is the data center network. And the growth issues that are happening because of the cloud are reflecting in the data center as well. All of a sudden, users are creating distributed systems that talk to each other much more than they used to, putting a good amount of stress on East-West traffic network infrastructure (traffic from servers to other servers typically in the same datacenter). Applications are no longer built with one or two servers; a single application could be made of hundreds of servers (virtual machines). This also means data centers are now made of hundreds of thousands of servers to be able to meet the demand. You read it right. Running hundred thousand servers in a data center is not such a big deal anymore. Just check the power play that is ongoing between Microsoft and Google for who has a million or more.
Hold on a second and consider this. A million servers require at least 2 million network connections if we were to only connect each server to 2 network ports. A typical datacenter switch provides on average 48 ports, which represents more than 40,000 switches for our 1 million servers. Go on think about the management overhead. We needed a way to manage this networking mess efficiently, intelligently, and with a great lot of automation. The traditional way of doing things is no longer sufficient. There comes software-defined networking. Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) and VMware NSX are a few that build a network that is woven like cloth. All the 40k+ switches appear like a single fabric where your applications plug into.
We are no longer interested in managing or switching server ports but rather we want to steer application traffic and provide micro-segmentation. Optimized East-West traffic is extremely important, and we leverage the software layer to implement service stitching/chaining. SDN is the network built right for the data center with automation, ease of management, API integration, and uptime considerations woven into the fabric.
Software-Defined WAN or SD-WAN is the answer to a lot of sleepless nights spent by network engineers trying to perform traffic engineering, load-balancing, and quality of service across heterogeneous networks. The WAN (Wide Area Network) is the way a company with multiple sites or agencies provides access to the corporate data center.
Let’s assume you walk into a bank to perform a withdrawal the teller would take your form, input it into the system and perform a debit. Then some cash would be handed over to you. That is what happens on the surface, but in the back, your transaction had to be entered directly into the system so that other transactions coming would not go beyond your limit and put the bank at risk. So, the agency or branch office would have a WAN connection that gives them access to the corporate data center where your bank account and its information are stored.
The thing is WAN services are very expensive. A typical WAN connection costs a few hundred US dollars per month and every company needs to have more than one per location to ensure service continuity when one connection fails. This creates idle WAN connections that are being paid for which is not so great, and network systems provisioned that are under-utilized or sub-optimally utilized. On the other hand, Internet broadband has become very cheap and affordable over the years; they have become faster as well. The question then is: What if instead of getting a WAN connection, I could get an internet broadband connection and build my “WAN” over that connection? SD-WAN was born.
You know the drill. They are going to abstract the physical using software and provide ease of use, single-pane management, and a lot of fun features. You are right! SD-WAN builds a secured and encrypted WAN infrastructure using any type of transport (WAN, 4G or 5G, Cable and Wireless Broadband, etc.) Additionally, SD-WAN provides the ability to select what traffic has priority over what other traffic, load balancing over multiple links, automated failover and failback scenarios, internet breakout at the branch office, simplified management, and much more. All of that with a few clicks.
We looked at what is in the data center, we built servers, we handled the storage, we optimized the WAN. All that is left is the users that plug into this whole thing. It is time to re-invent the access network. The access network is the cubicle network outlet that your desktop PC plugs into or the wireless name that you see and associate your laptop or phone to whenever you get to the office. Do you often call IT because you do not have the right permission, or you are not able to reach a certain part of the network? Well, SD-Access does to the user-access network what SDN did to the server environment in the datacenter. It turns the entire access network into a single fabric that is policy-driven.
So, a user’s security entitlement is set once and maintained throughout the entire fabric. No more VLAN complexity, IP addressing complexity, etc. Imagine the beauty; you get the same type of access even when you move from one office to the other. Even when it is in another country. You never have to go to IT when you travel from one office location to another. Just go and work. And of course, automation. More, the network access could now be integrated with your HR software using APIs. Once you provision the employee role and department, once the AD credentials are created, it could automatically provide the right access to that user based on the department, role, etc. One additional thing is IOT (internet of things) which is becoming a big deal lately. SD-Access is built to handle the complexity and security requirements that come with it.
Whether you want to optimize your data center with Server Virtualization or grow efficiently with HCI, whether you want to simplify your data center operation with SDN or optimize your WAN cost and traffic with SD-WAN or you just want to have a simplified and secured access network, the plethora of software-defined solutions are there to make your life easy. As you can see the point is to always simplify by putting everything together as one cloth or one fabric or a single management domain. This eliminates management silos across major components. Are we evolving towards a world where the entire environment becomes a single fabric? Software-Defined IT?
The cost is usually high at the onset as is every new technology, and you may have to refresh some of your hardware. The installation and initial configuration process may be a little more complex in some cases, but the benefits are measurable and the long-term cost savings can easily be calculated. Software-defined is not for the faint of hearts it is for organizations that are investing in the future, that want to build a robust, simple, and highly secured infrastructure and create growth through technology adoption. Data is the new Gold; technology drives data and software-defined solutions are built with that in mind. Suddenly your IT staff can re-focus their attention, energy, and time into helping with innovation for the organization rather than daily firefighting. The hype is worth it and the train is en route, make sure you catch it at the right time.
Apotica deploys a large portfolio of Next-Generation technologies and is uniquely positioned to advise on the next steps to help with your software-defined strategy. You can request a free consultation here. To enquire about any equipment or software, call us on +233.54.431.5710 or write to sales@apotica.net.
Apotica, headquartered in Accra, Ghana and brings together the best information and communications technologies to help clients grow, compete and serve their customers better. Apotica is an ISO 27001 and 9001 Certified Organization.
Matilda, a Chartered Accountant, joined Apotica in May 2023. With over 12 years of experience in banking, insurance, pensions, accounting and finance, she is responsible for the company’s financial control, strategic planning, management reporting, and overall financial performance.
She holds a BSc degree in Business Administration (Accounting) from the University of Ghana Business School and an MSc in Accounting and Finance from the same institution. Matilda is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Ghana.
Matilda has attended the Executive Education course in Strategic Management at the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands and participated in other leadership seminars around the world.
Peniel Korley is Head of Marketing for Apotica, designing and implementing comprehensive marketing strategies to create awareness of the company’s business activities.
Peniel joined Apotica in April 2019 and has helped build our market presence through an adept combination of traditional marketing and digital marketing techniques, executing and monitoring corporate promotion campaigns, and conducting market research to help us stay abreast of trends.
He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Ghana and a Master of Business Administration degree in Marketing from the University of Ghana Business School. He’s a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK.
As Head of Projects, Sylvester Kyeremeh is responsible for coordinating people and processes to ensure that our client projects are delivered on time and produce the desired results. He leads this function within the confines of our quality management and information security management systems.
Sylvester joined Apotica in 2017 as a Systems Engineer, before moving on to join our project management practice a year later. His calm and collected approach to interpersonal engagements, impressive sense of planning, and excellent communication skills continue to receive the plaudits of our customers.
Sylvester received his B.S. degree in Computer Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology. He’s a Certified Information Systems Auditor, a Cisco-certified professional, an ISO 27001 Lead Implementer, and a member of the Project Management Institute with PMP and Scrum Master qualifications.
At 25, Millicent is currently the youngest head of department at Apotica, taking up this role in August 2020. She’s responsible for managing all aspects of risk to the organization, employees, clients, assets, reputation, and interests of stakeholders. Millicent also works with the leadership of the organization to embed and maintain a risk-aware culture in the organization.
Before joining Apotica, she worked as a broadcast journalist at Radio Universe – a popular media house in Accra. Millicent holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and has attended the Executive Education course in Personal Leadership at the Maastricht School of Management, Netherlands.
She’s a Certified Governance, Risk, and Compliance Professional (GRCP) and a qualified ISO 9001 Lead Implementer.
Elom Kutsienyo is the Chief Technology Officer at Apotica. A technology enthusiast and Apple nerd, he is responsible for the development and maintenance of our excellent technical services capabilities and enabling our engineering teams to become adept at industry best practices relating to enterprise solutions design, deployments, and support.
Since taking up the CTO role in August 2019, he has strategically grown our product offerings through strong channel partnerships with leading ICT vendors. Elom’s extensive experience in product sales, project management, service delivery, and field engineering also helps as he oversees company webinars, product demos, proof-of-value activities, and technical proposals for clients.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Telecom Engineering from Ghana Technology University College and has attained several professional qualifications including the coveted Cisco CCIE certification as well as certifications from Microsoft, VMware, NetApp, HPE, and Nutanix.
Clifford leads the Customer Experience practice at Apotica which encompasses our consulting, technology, support, and learning services.
Prior to his position at Apotica, Clifford was the senior manager of IT Infrastructure at Stanbic, a leading commercial bank in Ghana. He has also previously held roles in field engineering, service delivery, and customer support at organizations including Huawei, IBM, Tech Mahindra, and Zenith Bank.
Clifford is PMP-certified and holds a Bachelor’s in Information Technology, as well as several industry certifications from Microsoft, VMware, and Amazon.
Dzigbodi Amekoudi oversees company business in Benin and the countries in French West Africa. As Country Manager, his primary responsibility is business development, which involves helping to define and introduce the right go-to-market strategies and making sure our business operates profitably in the territory. He’s also responsible for establishing operating budgets and managing company employees in his region.
During his tenure, Dzigbodi has led Apotica’s expansion into other countries including Burkina Faso, Guinea Conakry, Mali, and Niger. Additionally, he works with our technical services leads to ensure successful post-sales delivery of customer projects.
Dzigbodi started his career in engineering and project management, before joining Apotica as a key accounts manager in January 2020.
He earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Telecommunications from Ghana Technology University College and a Master of Science degree in International Management from Franklin University Switzerland. He’s a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK.
Emmanuel Nketia is responsible for managing all sales functions at Apotica and oversees other departments, including marketing, operations, and client renewals. An excellent salesman and negotiator, he brings with him 20 years of experience in logistics, accounting, business development, and customer relationship management.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology. He’s also a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK, and an MBA Marketing candidate at the University of Ghana Business School.
Emmanuel has attended the Executive Education course in Strategic Management from the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands and participated in other leadership seminars in the USA.
At Apotica, we are on a mission to help clients grow and serve their customers better. As CEO, Felix Nkansah works closely with our Sales, Services, and Operations leadership to identify customer and industry transitions and determine our strategies to address them.
Felix joined Apotica in January 2017 and brings more than 18 years of experience across executive leadership, systems engineering, customer support, and sales functions with some regional conglomerates and information technology companies.
He has a background in computer science and holds expert-level professional certifications in networking, security, and systems design.