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F5® Scales and Optimizes Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Network Virtualization and Cloud Environments

Jun 03, 2013 7:00 AM

F5 highlights Microsoft-related technologies at TechEd 2013 conference

NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- F5 Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ:FFIV) today announced that it is showcasing network virtualization and cloud solutions at Microsoft’s North America TechEd event, taking place June 3–6 in New Orleans. F5’s show presence focuses on the benefits customers realize in combining F5® application delivery services with the flexibility of Microsoft Windows Server 2012 and System Center 2012 offerings. F5 technologies are featured in a number of conference activities, including speaking presentations from Microsoft and demonstrations of how enterprises and service providers can rapidly and efficiently scale network and cloud resources to support their IT initiatives without compromise. Visit F5 at booth #816.

“Based on customer needs, one of our goals is to position F5’s technology at the center of organizations’ intelligent networks,” said Manny Rivelo, EVP of Strategic Solutions at F5. “This means enabling customers to seamlessly provide application delivery services in both native and virtualized network environments, as well as in the cloud. Building on our available software-based solution for Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V and the momentum we’ve seen with the Microsoft alliance, we continue to enhance joint interoperability on this front, and we look forward to rolling out a new appliance-based network virtualization gateway in the coming year.”

F5 at Microsoft’s TechEd 2013 Conference

Activities and technology demonstrations at TechEd are designed to help customers and other organizations:

  • Deploy F5 and Microsoft Network Virtualization Solutions Together

TechEd attendees will learn more about how F5® solutions can augment Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V Network Virtualization environments, including currently available solutions and a glimpse at F5’s solution roadmap. In particular, F5’s forthcoming appliance-based gateway will be the first to support NVGRE environments, providing notable benefits for organizations deploying Microsoft and F5 technologies in concert, including cloud and service providers.

This new solution—along with F5’s broader solution set—aims to help customers assure reliable performance regardless of how individual organizations choose to architect their systems. In general, virtual machines and associated workloads cannot effectively be moved between virtualized networks and traditional data center environments without time-consuming manual configurations. Through integration with Microsoft’s System Center 2012 Virtual Machine Manager, the F5 solution will dynamically serve as a bridge between customers’ virtualized and non-virtualized environments. In offering advanced gateway functionality directly on an F5 appliance, customers will enjoy the same rich application delivery services across traditional, virtualized, and cloud networking environments.

  • Deploy F5 BIG-IP® Solutions with Windows Azure

To support the number of organizations embracing the Windows Azure cloud platform, Microsoft has chosen to work with F5 on integrating complementary technologies. F5 is introducing integration that enables its BIG-IP solutions to better direct, monitor, and secure application resources according to an IT team’s traffic management preferences. F5’s BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager™ provides advanced IPsec tunneling capabilities between corporate data centers and multiple Windows Azure data centers. This approach enhances access and security capabilities across separate resource environments, while enabling application services—such as optimization and health monitoring—to be seamlessly deployed as if all cloud and data center resources were connected by the same local networking fabric.

  • Learn More About F5 and Microsoft Offerings Through Technology Demos

F5 is showcasing its solutions for Windows Server Hyper-V Network Virtualization and Windows Azure environments on the exhibition floor at booth #816. In addition, F5 technology will be noted during conference presentation sessions, including:

Part 1, Time/Date: 3:15–4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4
Session: MDC-B350

Part 2, Time/Date: 5:00–6:15 p.m. on Tuesday, June 4
Session: MDC-B351
Note: Part 2 includes a demo of F5’s NVGRE solution

Supporting Quotes

“Microsoft’s Cloud OS gives customers the power to choose private cloud, public cloud, and hybrid solutions,” said Brad Anderson, Corporate Vice President, Windows Server and System Center, Microsoft. “Windows Server 2012, System Center 2012, and Windows Azure enable this flexibility with Windows Server Hyper-V Network Virtualization and SDN, and collaboration with companies such as F5 extends it. With F5’s product capabilities, customers can extend the reach of Windows Server Hyper-V Network Virtualization and Windows Azure solutions in the data center and the cloud. Looking forward, F5’s NVGRE network virtualization gateway will further increase performance to improve connectivity and communication across various network models—producing a streamlined experience for customers.”

“The conversation around network virtualization has shifted to tangible use cases,” said Zeus Kerravala, Principal Analyst at ZK Research. “Talking to customers about application performance in hybrid clouds is good, but showing the interplay between cloud and data center environments is much better. TechEd is a good opportunity for F5 and Microsoft to demonstrate how their alliance is bearing fruit to support application delivery services in virtualized networks.”

Availability

F5® BIG-IP® hardware will support NVGRE gateway functionality beginning the first quarter of calendar year 2014. Integration with Windows Azure is currently available on F5’s BIG-IP solutions. Please contact a local F5 sales office for details on product availability in specific countries. Software-based NVGRE gateway functionality is currently available for F5’s BIG-IP Local Traffic Manager Virtual Edition, enabled via download from F5’s DevCentral™ (login required).

Additional Resources

About F5 Networks

F5 Networks (NASDAQ: FFIV) makes the connected world run better. F5 helps organizations meet the demands and embrace the opportunities that come with the relentless growth of voice, data, and video traffic, mobile workers, and applications—in the data center, the network, and the cloud. The world’s largest businesses, service providers, government entities, and consumer brands rely on F5’s intelligent services framework to deliver and protect their applications and services while ensuring people stay connected. Learn more at www.f5.com.

You can also follow @f5networks on Twitter or visit us on Facebook for more information about F5, its partners, and technology. For a complete listing of F5 community sites, please visit www.f5.com/news-press-events/web-media/community.html.

F5, BIG-IP, Local Traffic Manager, 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.

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.

F5 Networks, Inc.
Alane Moran, 206-272-6850
a.moran@f5.com
or
Connect Public Relations
Holly Hagerman, 801-373-7888
hollyh@connectmarketing.com

Source: F5 Networks, Inc.