Share network resources and reduce costs while providing secure network services to diverse user communities

• Presents the business drivers for network virtualization and the major challenges facing network designers today

• Shows how to use virtualization designs with existing applications, such as VoIP and network services, such as quality of service and multicast

• Provides design alternatives for different real-world deployment scenarios, with configuration examples and case studies 

Today's enterprises have several groups of users with specific needs. The differences between these groups translate into specific network requirements. Within some organizations, these requirements are so dissimilar that the different groups need to be treated as totally separate customers by the enterprise's IT department. As the number of groups increases, keeping them separate and secure is a challenge to IT departments, particularly with the advent of wireless networks, the requirement for enterprise-wide user mobility, and the need for cross group collaboration with resource sharing on a per project basis. Network Virtualization provides design guidance for virtualized enterprise networks and arms network architects with the background necessary to make sound technological choices in the face of different business requirements. As a means of introduction, Network Virtualization lays out the fundamentals of enterprise network design. The book builds upon these fundamental principles to introduce the different virtualization methods as the logical evolution of the enterprise network architecture. Detailed descriptions of the technology, design principles, network configurations, and real-world case studies are provided throughout the book, helping readers develop a pragmatic understanding of virtualized enterprise network architectures. Specific examples are included that tailor deployment advice to the small, medium, and large enterprise environment.