Network Virtualization is Like a Driverless Car
How is Network Virtualization like a driverless car?
How is Network Virtualization like a driverless car?
That analogy emerged from a recent discussion on Network Virtualization among BlueCat CTO, Andrew Wertkin, Cerner Principal Architect, Jon Macy, and Stephen Stack, Lead Enterprise Architect at Dell. Buckle up, we’ll get to that in a moment.
Let’s start with a definition. Simply put, Network Virtualization is the ability to simulate a hardware platform in software. Servers, devices, and storage functions are separated from hardware and simulated as “virtual instances”. This makes it easy to manage and scale a network – deploying resources and services as needed, all from a single view of the network.
Network Virtualization is a software-defined network that enables hardware changes on the fly, assigning resources where and when they are needed.
Traditional network connectivity, with its dedicated resources, creates bottlenecks. Network Virtualization lets you provision and configure services to optimize available resources. Allotment is based on changing business needs, not physical connectivity.
Key takeawaysKey takeaways are generated with AI assistance. Because automated summaries can occasionally contain errors or miss important context, always refer to the full blog post for complete information.The article explains Network Virtualization as simulating hardware platforms in software to decouple servers, devices, and storage from physical hardware, enabling centralized provisioning, scalability, and policy-driven operations. Through a driverless-car analogy from Dell, it highlights how separating intelligence from hardware delivers portability, scalability, and cost efficiency, while noting virtualization does not eliminate network complexity. Real-world outcomes described include Dell reducing update times from days to seconds, improved automation and orchestration, and organizational shifts toward interoperability and new skill sets to support agile cloud and DNS use cases.
What is Network Virtualization and how does it change traditional network management?
Network Virtualization simulates hardware platforms in software, separating servers, devices, and storage functions from physical hardware so they exist as virtual instances. This allows administrators to provision and configure services centrally from a single view of the network rather than relying on dedicated physical resources, removing bottlenecks created by fixed connectivity. The change shifts management from manual, box-by-box operations to policy-driven automation and orchestration, enabling rapid deployment, resource allotment based on business needs, and greater agility in responding to changing workloads.
Why is Network Virtualization compared to a driverless car, and what benefits does that analogy highlight?
The driverless-car analogy, proposed by Dell’s Stephen Stack, illustrates decoupling the software ‘driver’ (intelligence) from the vehicle ‘tin’ (hardware). Like a driverless car where navigation relies on software rather than a human driver, Network Virtualization separates control and intelligence from physical infrastructure while still requiring engineering and instructions. The analogy highlights three key benefits: portability (moving assets easily), scalability (instantly meeting resource demands), and cost efficiency (avoiding one-box-per-function purchases), while emphasizing that virtualization does not remove inherent network complexity.
What operational impacts and organizational changes do companies experience when adopting Network Virtualization?
Organizations adopting Network Virtualization gain faster, automated operations — Dell reports a shift from days to seconds for certain updates — driven by centrally managed and orchestrated resources. Operational impacts include rapid resource deployment, policy-driven workflows, and improved ability to meet accelerating business demands and evolving architectures. The article also notes required organizational changes: new skill sets, a move away from hop-by-hop network management, and a focus on interoperability and participation in virtualized, software-oriented ecosystems to fully leverage agility in cloud, DNS, and serverless use cases.
Network Virtualization is Like a Driverless Car
Dell’s Stephen Stack proposed the comparison to a driverless car. In a driverless car, the driver (the software) is decoupled from the vehicle (the hardware). Navigating still requires engineering, instructions and intelligence. “Separate the intelligence from the tin,” Stephen said, but warns that Network Virtualization by no means removes network complexities.
Decoupling infrastructure brings three key benefits:
- Portability – the ability to move assets around
- Scalability – agility to instantly meet resource demands
- Cost Efficiency – no longer do you buy one box for one function
“Dell has benefited enormously from Network Virtualization” ~ Stephen Stack, Dell Lead Enterprise Architect
Virtualization allows Dell to support their go-to-market strategy, a contract model that promises immediate delivery of service to its consumers. To keep that promise, virtualization provides the much-improved means to address workload policy requirements and adjust as necessary. Dell keeps up with the velocity of change through virtualization – a dramatic enhancement from manual updates. What once took days, now takes seconds.
Where does Dell feel the biggest impact of Network Virtualization?
In the automation that allows for centrally managed and centrally orchestrated resources. Virtualization addresses the business drivers demanded of every progressive organization:
- Keeping pace with the acceleration of change
- Rapid deployment of resources
- Policy-driven operations
- Explosion of new architecture
Agility and Network Virtualization
As Cloud computing use cases evolve, DNS adopts agile operations, and serverless computing gains popularity, Cerner’s Jon Macy highlighted the need for organizational changes and new skills sets. “It’s no longer box by box, or hop by hop network management.”
“Agility requires interoperability,” says BlueCat’s Andrew Wertkin. “When you design your architecture with Network Virtualization in mind, participate in a virtualized ecosystem oriented to software, you gain competitive advantage. Business demands that we move faster. Wielding infrastructure to meet those demands is smart computing.”
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