building a cloud services company: an engineer's view

Cloud Builders

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Russ WhitePrincipal Engineer

SPEA

KER

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WHY AM I TRYING TO DRINK FROM

THIS FIREHOSE???

What is a programmable

network?

Can you explain this SDN thing

again?

Why does it matter what color

the box is?

This is the market you

really need to be in…

But it all sounds so

cloudy to me…

How much is the data

breach going to cost???

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• Get out front on cost• Get out front on security• The 24x7 news cycle is stressful• Customers need to believe you can deliver

more security than they can

• Get out front on mindshare• It’s not (just) a service, it’s an experience

• But… how?

Get Out Front

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Scalable Responsive to customer needsFlexible Fit to changes in the business quickly Secure No breaches, no leaks, no errorsElegant Consciously control complexity

Set Big Goals

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Make it Programmable

• To drive scale, flex, and security• To gain mindshare

Separate Hardware from SoftwareGet Serious about Innovation

Find a Path

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• Think in terms of programmable rather than software defined• Some problems can or should be centralized• Others can not or should not

• But how can you tell the difference?• By rethinking our network models

Make It Programmable

Programmable Distributed

Centralized Distributed

SDN Traditional

PLUS

VERSUS

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• Should the control plane be centralized or decentralized?• Mainframes: Centralized• Local Area Networks: Decentralized• Software Defined Networks: Centralized

• Who’s the best vendor to do X?• What’s the next new technology?• How do I make this work?• What problem am I trying to solve?

Get off the Roller Coaster

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• Models shape the way we see our networks and systems• The models we use today are “old and well

worn”• But are they right?• Advances in technology• Advances in ways of thinking about the problem

space

• Look for simpler ways to see the problem

Rethink the Models

Optical/CopperEthernet

IPv6/MPLS

Overlay Overlay Overlay

Application Application Application

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• Control plane can be split into four things• Discover the topology• Find loop free paths to each destination• Break up failure domains by hiding information• Engineer traffic (select loop free path)

• Transport can be split based on intent• Rather than “protocol within the stack”

• Rethinking the models will help you get off the roller coaster

Rethink the Models (Examples)

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• Hardware is not a commodity• But it “ain’t the brains,” either

• Control the software, control the future• Manage hardware and software lifecycles separately• Don’t let your hardware control your architecture

• Paths forward• Whitebox/brightbox/greybox• Open standards• Open software

Separate Hardware and SoftwareSOFTWARE

HARDWARE

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• Drive down the stack where possible• Recognize your technical limitations• Recognize when others can “build it

better”

• But… don’t let a vendor drive your architecture• You are the vendor

• How can I drive down the stack?

Separate Hardware and Software

I buy my hardware from a vendor

I buy my software from a vendor

I buy my architecture from a vendor

Open Source+White Box

Bright Box

Vendor Source+White Box

Vendor Driven

Open Standards

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• Build a serious culture of innovation• Technology office

• Guides innovation, rather than sourcing it• Does real research and thinking about the future

• Hire engineering sense• Rather than specific skills

• Teach and enable engineering sense• Where do I find these people?• How do I build these skills?• What sort of research, where, and how?

Get Serious about Innovation

People are notwidgets

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• What community?• Standards organizations• Operator’s groups• Open source projects• Research institutions• Educating the next generation…

• Why?• Generates ideas• Control your software future• Builds people with engineering sense• Builds mindshare!

Get Involved in the Community

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This firehose drives our

business to be better!

Of course we can find a way

to do that…

We use SDNs as one

element of our strategy…

White box is great, but we balance

our technologies…

This is the market we’re

going after next…

We are the cloud service…

Let me explain how

we can protect your

data…

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Scott HazdraSr. Security Consultant

John McMillanDir. – Offer Management

Darrin SwanDir., Worldwide Sales & Bus. Development

Iain UrquhartVP, Technical & Partner Sales

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#cpexpo | channelpartnersconference.com

Scott HazdraSr. Security Consultant

John McMillanDir. – Offer Management

Darrin SwanDir., Worldwide Sales & Bus. Development

Iain UrquhartVP, Technical & Partner Sales

Name NameTitle

Russ WhitePrincipal EngineerInsert

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THANK YOU!