Data Center Network Connectivity with IBM Servers

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Advanced Praise

"A must-read, practical guide for IT professionals, network architects, and engineers who wish to design and implement a high-performance data center infrastructure. This book provides a step-by -step approach, with validated solution scenarios for integrating IBM open system servers and Juniper Networks data center network, including technical concepts and sample configurations."
- Scott Stevens, VP Technology, Worldwide Systems Engineering, Juniper Networks

"This book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in designing network infrastructure for next-generation data centers....It provides clear, easy to understand descriptions of the unique requirements for data communication in an IBM open systems environment. Highly recommended!"
- Dr. Casimer DeCusatis, IBM Distinguished Engineer

About the Book

This handbook serves as an-easy-to-use reference tool for implementing a two-tier data center network by deploying IBM open systems as the server platform with Juniper Networks routing and switching solutions.

It provides enterprise architects, sales engineers, IT developers, system administrators, and other technical professionals a thorough understanding of design considerations, recommended designs, technical details, and sample configurations, exemplifying simplified data center network design. This approach is based on testing performed using Juniper Networks devices and IBM servers in Juniper Networks solution labs.

Key topics covered include:

• Best practices for integrating Juniper Networks EX Series and MX Series switches and routers with IBM open systems.
• Configuration details for various spanning tree protocols such as Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP), Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP), and Virtual Spanning Tree Protocol (VSTP); deployment scenarios such as RSTP/MSTP and Virtual Spanning Tree Protocol/Per-VLAN Spanning Tree (VSTP/PVST) with Juniper EX and MX Series (switches and routers) connecting to IBM Blade Center.
• Details for Layer 2 and Layer 3 multicast scenarios with Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) and Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) snooping. Scenarios include video streaming client running on IBM servers with PIM implemented on network access and core/aggregation tiers along with IGMP snooping at the access layer.
• Low-latency network design and techniques such as Class of Service (CoS) for improving data center network performance.
• Methods for increasing data center resiliency and high-availability. Configuration details for protocols such as Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP), Redundant Trunk Group (RTG), Link Aggregation (LAG), Routing Engine Redundancy, Virtual Chassis, Nonstop Bridging (NSB), Nonstop Routing (NSR), Graceful Restart (GR) and In-Service-Software-Upgrade (ISSU).