A10 Networks partners with Cisco over Dynamic Application Networking Services

A10 Networks has announced the integration of its Thunder Application Delivery Controllers (ADCs) with Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI) fabric. This joint solution will enable enterprises to amplify their data center output by automatically provisioning application delivery and security services with a significant increase in both allocation speed and business agility - all at a reduced cost.

"Our vision to deliver on-demand, policy-based mechanisms for dynamic L4-L7 services in a cloud environment closely aligns with the streamlined application delivery cycles of the Cisco ACI common policy framework," said Raj Jalan, CTO of A10 Networks. "By combining A10 Thunder ADC and Cisco ACI solutions, we are able to provide enterprises with rich application delivery and security capabilities in a shared infrastructure."

The open framework of Cisco ACI enables ecosystem partners such as A10 to seamlessly interoperate with Cisco ACI fabric. Together, the Cisco ACI and A10 Thunder ADC solutions provide an automated approach to networking services based on application-specific policies that allow data center applications to dynamically scale on demand. Furthermore, the ACI and Thunder ADC synthesis empowers Cisco and A10 to independently innovate and address pervasive requirements of network programmability. As a result, more advanced ADC and security functionality such as service chaining, WAF, SSLi and GSLB will be integrated with Cisco ACI.

"Rapidly evolving application paradigms and associated infrastructures require the seamless integration of application network services into today's data center fabrics," said Soni Jiandani, SVP, Marketing, Cisco. "The integration of Cisco ACI with the combined performance of A10 Networks' Thunder ADCs and ACOS operating system programmatic interfaces makes this scale and agility a reality."

Cisco ACI technology will provide the ability to insert Layer 4 through Layer 7 services into the Cisco Application Policy Infrastructure Controller (APIC) via simplified definitions. The A10 APIC device package automates ACI service chaining and the insertion of physical, virtual, and hybrid A10 Thunder appliances. The device package was rigorously tested by A10 Networks in Cisco ACI environments to offer rich L4-L7 network application services and templates as well as HTTP optimization services for Cisco's ACI fabric. The A10 device package used open APIs and scripts that allow Cisco APIC to configure consistent automation and orchestration of Application Delivery Controller (ADC) services within the fabric required to deploy applications in a fast, highly secure and reliable manner.