The Fat Pipe - Most Popular Packet Pushers Pods

HN769: CI/CD Pipelines and Network Automation Feb 21, 2025

Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) is a framework that developers use to help them manage and integrate frequent code changes. As network automation evolves, should network engineers adopt CI/CD? Guest Tony Bourke joins us to talk about CI/CD pipelines: what they are, how they’re used, and how they can support network automation efforts. We... Read more »

TNO017: Lead People, Manage Machines and Processes Feb 21, 2025

Lead people. Manage machines and processes. That’s the the advice from Bill Hunter, today’s guest on Total Network Operations. Bill shares lessons of resilience and adaptability he learned early in his career, including the power of good habits. Bill and Scott discuss how to identify processes that can be automated and when and where to... Read more »

N4N014: Spanning Tree Part 2 – Root Bridge, Edge Port, Forwarding and Blocking Feb 20, 2025

Welcome to part 2 of our spanning tree series. We start with a quick review and then discuss root bridges, root ports, designated ports, and forwarding and blocked ports. We explain the impact of topology changes on spanning tree and network performance, and discuss how topology changes and convergence events are communicated. Last but not... Read more »

D2DO265: How Do We Measure Developer Experience? Feb 19, 2025

Developer experience is a hard metric to measure qualitatively. On today’s show, we talk with Kristen Foster-Marks about Developer Experience, or DevEx. We start with the controversial concept of “ghost engineering,” which claims many software engineers do not contribute meaningfully to their work. We delve into the validity of this claim, and discuss the scientific... Read more »

PP050: Understanding–and Protecting Yourself From–the Malware Economy Feb 18, 2025

There’s a robust malware economy with an active market for exploits, brokered access to compromised systems, ransomware, bots-as-a-service, and more. And this malware economy is targeted at you. On today’s Packet Protector we talk with Jake Williams, a security researcher, consultant, and instructor, about the malware economy, how it operates, and the most effective strategies... Read more »

NB514: Cisco, Juniper Announce New Switches; SolarWinds Goes Private in $4.4 Billion Buyout Feb 18, 2025

Take a Network Break! We start with some Red Alert vulnerabilities to get your blood pumping, and then dive into networking news. Cisco announces new data center switches with AMD Pensando DPUs that let you deploy security and other services directly on to the switch. Cisco ThousandEyes is previewing Traffic Insights, which correlates flow records... Read more »

HN768: Ctrl+Alt+Delivered App Routing Reinvented with Palo Alto Networks SD-WAN (Sponsored) Feb 14, 2025

Connecting your branch to your wide area network used to be simple enough. Call your carrier, get a circuit ordered, wait a long time, then turn it up. A little routing, and there you were. Cloud blew that model apart. Now when we connect branches to our corporate networks, we have to consider not only... Read more »

TNO016: One Integrated Experience for NetOps, SecOps, and Business Teams (Sponsored) Feb 14, 2025

Collaboration among tech and business teams is crucial to advancing your business. Extreme Networks is introducing Extreme Platform ONE to support this collaboration. In this sponsored episode, we talk about how this product is designed to streamline workflows and enhance user experience through automation and AI integration. Extreme Networks Platform ONE is a centralized platform... Read more »

N4N013: Spanning Tree Part 1 – An Introduction and Broadcast Storms Feb 13, 2025

Spanning tree is a topic so mysterious and complicated that common advice is just to disable it. In today’s episode, we start a mini-series on spanning tree, hoping to better explain what it is and what it does. We begin with basic spanning tree terminology and its role in preventing loops in an Ethernet network.... Read more »

NAN085: Embrace Change to Thrive in the Tech Industry Feb 12, 2025

Embracing change is sometimes easier said than done. Today we talk with Monika Machado, who has held significant roles at companies like Microsoft and Oracle. She shares her story of learning and personal growth. Monika highlights the value of mentor-mentee relationships, continuous learning, understanding the difference between leadership and management, and the value of owning... Read more »

PP049: CSMM – A Practical Model for Improving Your Cloud Security Feb 11, 2025

The Cloud Security Maturity Model (CSMM) is a practical blueprint for improving the security of your public cloud deployments. Developed in partnership with the Cloud Security Alliance, IANS, and Securosis, the model covers 12 categories, such as network security and application security, across 3 domains. It describes 5 levels of security maturity, and includes process... Read more »

NB513: UK Demands Apple Backdoor; AI Spending: Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop Feb 10, 2025

Take a Network Break! We start with some red alerts for Cisco ISE, Zyxel, Microsoft, and a Web manager suite called WeGIA. US senators and security experts sound the alarm about DOGE employees introducing security and stability risks in sensitive US government systems, security researchers demonstrate the effectiveness of supply chain attacks that start with... Read more »

HN767: Effective Networking on the Cheap Feb 07, 2025

Unless you’re building out AI infrastructure at a hyperscaler, you probably don’t have unlimited dollars. On today’s Heavy Networking we talk with guest Frank Seesink about how to build and operate networks effectively when money’s tight. We look at free and open source tools, talk about the trade-offs that come with free software, and how... Read more »

TNO015: Revolutionizing Telecom with NetOps Automation and Collaboration Feb 07, 2025

Today’s episode with guest Joan Garcia provides valuable insights into the complexities of modern network operations at a telco, the importance of collaboration across technical domains, and the strategic decisions that drive innovation in the telecom industry. Joan’s experiences and perspectives offer ideas for navigating the challenges of integrating different layers of network architecture while... Read more »

N4N012: Russ White On Why We Need Network Models Feb 06, 2025

Why do we need network models such as OSI? Network architect and author Russ White joins Holly and Ethan to talk about how network models can help engineers ask intelligent questions and understand networking problems. And OSI isn’t your only option–Russ digs into the RINA model and how it compares to OSI (which we covered... Read more »

D2DO264: Serverless Goes Mainstream Feb 05, 2025

Serverless is mature enough now to be a mainstream choice for application development. But that doesn’t mean interesting things aren’t happening. Benjamen Pyle joins Kyler and Ned on Day Two DevOps to talk about the potential for small vendors and startups to develop high-quality services purpose-built to solve specific problems. They also discuss the benefits... Read more »

PP048: News Roundup – 5G Vulnerabilities Abound, CSRB Disbanded, Magic Packets Target Juniper Routers, and More Feb 04, 2025

JJ and Drew catch you up on cybersecurity news including new research that uncovers a host of 5G/LTE vulnerabilities, the chain of breaches in a BeyondTrust attack that led to infiltration of the US Treasury Dept., and a lawsuit against LinkedIn alleging that data from paying customers was used to train AI models. Researchers unpack... Read more »

NB512: US Objects to HPE-Juniper Wedding; Cheeky DeepSeek Freaks VCs Feb 03, 2025

Take a Network Break! The US Justice Department blocks the HPE-Juniper merger with a surprise lawsuit, DeepSeek shakes up the AI world, and Broadcom rolls out quantum-safe Fibre Channel controllers. Sweden seizes a vessel suspected of tampering with a subsea cable, a code update could make Linux significantly more power-efficient, and the WLAN market gets... Read more »

HN 766: Ensuring QoE for Agentic AI With Broadcom VeloRAIN (Sponsored) Jan 31, 2025

On today’s show, we’re discussing the complexities of network design for AI computing at the edge. We’re not talking about AIOps, although that might come up in this conversation. Instead, we’re focusing on how to effectively cope with the network traffic patterns happening on your network as a result of AI computing workloads. Our subject... Read more »

TNO014: Beneath the Cable Color – A Look at The Siemon Company’s High Speed Cable Assemblies (Sponsored) Jan 31, 2025

Today we get an education on what a high speed cable assembly really is from guest Ryan Harris from today’s sponsor, The Siemon Company. Ryan shares the evolution of high-speed pluggable cable assemblies from 64kbps ISDN B channels to 800 gigabit connections, and describes how they work. We discuss the Siemon Company’s history and its... Read more »

N4N011: What’s the Difference Between LAG, MLAG, MC-LAG, and Stacking? Jan 30, 2025

In today’s episode, we address listener Kieren’s question about the differences between LAG, MLAG, MC-LAG, and stacking. We tackle the nuances of Link Aggregation (LAG) and the Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP), and explain their roles in redundancy and bandwidth efficiency. We also discuss the complexities and differences among vendors and overall benefits of Multi-Chassis... Read more »

NAN084: From GitNops Zero to Hero Jan 29, 2025

Are you ready to go from zero to hero in GitNops? On today’s podcast, we talk with Tom McGonagle, who shares and explains git, CI/CD and DevOps and how that all fits into network engineering. The conversation also covers the evolution of containerization and Kubernetes, highlighting their roles in modern network automation. Tom also encourages... Read more »

PP047: Why Packet Analysis (and Wireshark) Should Be In Your Security Toolkit Jan 28, 2025

Don’t underestimate the value of packet analysis in your security strategy. And if you’re analyzing packets, the open-source Wireshark software is a go-to tool. On today’s episode, we talk with Chris Greer, a Wireshark trainer and consultant specializing in packet analysis. Chris explains the critical role of packet analysis in cybersecurity, particularly in threat hunting... Read more »

NB511: Cisco Sells Security Blanket for AI Nightmares; Stratoshark Captures System Calls Jan 28, 2025

Take a Network Break! We start with critical vulnerabilities affecting the Android OS, Cisco Meeting Management, and SonicWall, and then discuss a report that tens of thousands of Fortinet security appliances still haven’t been patched despite active exploits. Palo Alto Networks releases an open API to make it easier for developers to access Quantum Random... Read more »

HN765: Telecom In the Bahamas: Lessons In Resiliency Jan 24, 2025

Many of us have had network design discussions relating to natural disasters. What if a fire comes through? Or a flood? For most of us, those discussions don’t feel overly worthy of our attention. Yes, we should think about it. Yes, we should plan for it. If we’re really serious, we’ll even dust off the... Read more »

TNO013: How Do We Apply DevOps to Traditional Networking? Jan 24, 2025

Can we map DevOps principles and practices to network operations? Should we? On today’s show, we talk with Williams Collins and Eyvonne Sharp to understand DevOps both culturally and practically. We also discuss the challenges of applying DevOps to network operations. We look at lightweight options such as starting small, having a centralized source of... Read more »

N4N010: Why Was the Colon Chosen as a Delimiter in IPv6? Jan 23, 2025

It’s history day on N Is For Networking! We learn about the development of IPv6 directly from Bob Hinden, one of the pioneers who made it happen. Bob discusses his journey from early work on ARPANET to his significant contributions to IPv6. We also cover the transition from IPv4, the challenges faced during IPv6’s creation,... Read more »

NAN083: Cox Gets Network Automation Right, and Proves It at DEF CON (Sponsored) Jan 22, 2025

Today’s Network Automation Nerds episode discusses Cox Communications’ journey to getting network automation right. We also talk about how they used network automation to support operating the network at the DEF CON hacker convention. Our guests are David Ezell, Joshua Watkins and Eric Hansen from Cox Communications. We dive into initial steps and challenges in... Read more »

D2DO263: An Anthropologist’s Advice for Improving IT Cultures Jan 22, 2025

It’s tempting to run IT organizations the same way we run infrastructure: as resource units to be applied to various jobs. But people aren’t infrastructure. They have opinions. They form teams. They operate on different incentives, which sometimes clash within an organization (i.e. sales vs. product managers, or infosec vs. everybody). Today’s guest, Lianne Potter,... Read more »

PP046: IPv6 Security, Migration, and Adoption Jan 21, 2025

You asked for more IPv6 and we listened. In today’s episode, we talk with Ed Horley, co-host of the IPv6 Buzz podcast about IPv6 security, migration, and adoption. We talk about how your general security strategy doesn’t change with v4 or v6, but the trouble starts with a lack of v6 knowledge. We talk about... Read more »

NB510: CISA Says US Tech Inherently Insecure; AI Now Included in Google Workspace Jan 20, 2025

Take a Network Break! Guest co-host John Burke joins Drew Conry-Murray for this week’s analysis of tech news. They discuss a string of serious vulnerabilities in Wavlink Wi-Fi routers, Fortinet taking a one-two security punch, and CISA director Jen Easterly calling out US hardware and software companies for being “inherently insecure.” Microsoft and Google put... Read more »

HN764: Should You Pursue a Technical Leadership Role? Jan 17, 2025

Do you think you have what it takes to be a manager? Should you go for it? Laura Santamaria, host of the Technically Leadership podcast, joins Ethan Banks to discuss those questions. They talk about the motivations for moving into a management role, the challenges of managing people, and the need to understand the business... Read more »

N4N009: High-Speed Ethernet Lanes Explained Jan 16, 2025

On today’s episode, we’re explaining high-speed Ethernet lanes at the request of listener Matthew. We cover lanes, channels, and their physical representation in networking – think actual cables. We explain both 40Gb and 100Gb technologies and compare them to Link Aggregation Control Protocol (LACP). We also have a discussion on standards and practical implications for... Read more »

NAN082: Mastering Python One Bite at a Time Jan 15, 2025

How do you master Python? One bite at a time. On today’s show we talk with Bob Belderbos, co-founder of PyBites, a community and learning platform for Python. Bob shares his philosophy for learning Python in small bites with practical exercises, hands-on learning, and daily coding for improvement. We discuss the importance of small wins,... Read more »

PP045: Reducing the Risk of Compromised Digital Certificates with CAA and Certificate Transparency Jan 14, 2025

Transport Layer Security (TLS) relies on certificates to authenticate Web sites and enable encryption. On today’s Packet Protector we look at mechanisms that domain owners can take to ensure the validity of their digital certificates. More specifically, we cover Certification Authority Authorization (CAA) and Certificate Transparency (CT). Our guest is Ed Harmoush. Ed is a... Read more »

NB509: FCC to Raise Funds for Rip-and-Replace of Chinese Telco Gear; Billionaire Space Race Takes Off Jan 13, 2025

Take a Network Break! We start with serious CVEs for Perl and Ivanti. On the news front, the FCC wants to license spectrum to raise money to help US telcos rip out Chinese network equipment–even though there’s no evidence Chinese equipment led to telco intrusions by Chinese attackers. Verizon boasts of 5.5Gbps download speeds on... Read more »

HN763: You Too Can Say ‘Yes’ to Packet Analysis Jan 10, 2025

Packet capture and packet analysis is incredibly useful for problem-solving and troubleshooting. Analyzing packets is also a difficult skill to master. With the incredible array of network troubleshooting tools at our disposal, including emerging networking models for artificial intelligence, do we still need to fuss around with Wireshark in 2025? Our guest Chris Greer says... Read more »

TNO012: From Hardware to Cloud: Evolving Roles for Network Operators Jan 10, 2025

Cloud networking is still networking, but there are differences. In this special collaboration episode between the Total Network Operations and Cloud Gambit podcasts, Scott Robohn, Eyvonne Sharp, and William Collins dive into the contrasts between traditional and cloud networking, and how network engineers raised on hardware and the CLI can flourish in cloudy environments. In... Read more »

N4N008: What Is a Default Gateway? Jan 09, 2025

Today’s topic is the default gateway, essential for routing traffic between networks. We explain its purpose, configuration, and the consequences of incorrect settings. Using home networks as an example, Ethan and Holly illustrate how default gateways enable devices to communicate with external networks. The discussion also covers routing tables, subnet masks, and the differences between... Read more »

D2DO262: The Science and Magic of Network Mapping and Measurement Jan 08, 2025

Measuring network speed seems straightforward: send some traffic between two endpoints and see how long it took. But what path did the traffic take? Were wired or wireless networks involved? What intermediary devices stood between your two endpoints? Was there interference? Congestion? Are device limitations affecting your results? The fact is, there’s more to measurement... Read more »

HN762: A Network Automation Roadmap Dec 20, 2024

Once you get past a handful of Python scripts, network automation can be…daunting. If you want to make network automation process-driven, repeatable, reliable, and something that doesn’t just rely on your scripts and the knowledge inside your head, there’s an entire landscape that opens up before you. Have you thought about network discovery? How about... Read more »

NAN081: We’re Going To Talk Python To You Dec 19, 2024

On today’s episode, we’re going to talk Python. Host Eric Chou is joined by Michael Kennedy, the founder of Talk Python Training and host of the Talk Python To Me podcast. The discussion covers the evolution of Michael’s podcast and training business, the impact of platforms like TikTok on learning, and the importance of community... Read more »

D2DO261: Year in Review: Peak Serverless, K8s Complexity, DevOps Sprawl (and What’s Next) Dec 18, 2024

Join us today for a look back at this year’s developments in cloud security and DevOps. We ask if serverless computing has peaked, why Kubernetes continues to be so hard, whether cloud repatriation is a real trend, and whether the DevOps role has become too darn big. We also explore the future of cloud computing,... Read more »

PP044: Optimizing Security and Performance with ADEM and App Acceleration (Sponsored) Dec 17, 2024

Autonomous Digital Experience Management, or ADEM, measures network and application performance from the user perspective and gives network and IT teams visibility into the entire data path—including the home user network, first mile and last mile, and the WAN. On today’s Packet Protector, we learn how ADEM can complement your network and security efforts with... Read more »

NB508: Google Serves Up Custom AI and Quantum Chips; Nokia Puts Muscle Behind SONiC Dec 16, 2024

Take a Network Break! This is our final show for 2024. We start with critical vulnerabilities in Ivanti and OpenWrt, and then discuss what effect a proposed bill from US Senator Ron Wyden would have on telecom security (short answer: more paperwork but unlikely to improve protection). Extreme Networks announces a new AI platform that... Read more »

N4N007: Performance vs. Cost Dec 13, 2024

When building your network and buying equipment, is performance or cost more important? On today’s episode, we discuss the balance between performance and cost in selecting networking equipment. We also cover other considerations, including why you should understand client and network needs, the fluid nature of pricing, and the necessity of creative problem-solving. Bonus material: ... Read more »

TNO011: Behind the NetOps Curtain at Cisco Live! Dec 13, 2024

Ever wonder how large conferences such as Cisco Live! manage their on-site network operations? Today’s podcast guest, Jason Davis joins host Scott Robohn to discuss history of network operations at Cisco Live!, and the intricacies, challenges, and strategies involved in setting up and managing network operations for such a large event. Episode Guest: Jason Davis, ... Read more »

HN761: Who Are You Building Automation For? An AutoCon2 Roundtable Dec 13, 2024

Today’s Heavy Networking comes to you from the AutoCon2 tech event being held in Westminster, Colorado. This episode was recorded in conference room on site at AutoCon2 in November, 2024. The format? Roundtable. Four network automators have raised their hand and brought topics they want to discuss. Those topics include: Crafting tools to “listen” to... Read more »

TL009: Shifting to a Growth Mindset for Organizational Success Dec 12, 2024

A growth mindset not only advances you, but can help to advance those around you. Today we delve into the concept of a growth mindset with guest Sasha Czarkowski. We contrast the growth mindset with a fixed mindset, highlighting the latter’s detrimental effects on creativity and learning. The discussion also highlights the importance of psychological... Read more »

N4N006: Packet Analysis Basics Dec 12, 2024

Packet analysis can be your friend for troubleshooting network problems. In this episode, hosts Ethan Banks and Holly Metlitzky explore packet analysis, They discuss tools such as Wireshark and Tcpdump, explain their functionalities, and talk about the importance of filtering data for effective analysis. Listeners are encouraged to engage with Wireshark and other tools themselves.... Read more »

D2DO260: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs: Humor and Threat Detection Dec 11, 2024

Humor is the best medicine, so they say. In critical IT security jobs, a little humor could help you prevent burnout and maintain your mental equilibrium. Lydia Graslie, a Cloud Threat Detection Engineer at Edward Jones, shares her insights on the complexities of cloud security and the challenges posed by modern cloud platforms, as well... Read more »

PP043: The Perils and Perks of the CISO Track Dec 10, 2024

A Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) helps to architect and drive an organization’s security strategy. The role requires technical chops and business acumen. You also need strong communication skills to help executives understand risk and response, choose the right metrics to measure infosec effectiveness, and provide guidance to the technical teams actually running security operations.... Read more »

NB507: Arista Announces Stackable Switches; FBI Recommends Encrypted Messaging Dec 09, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we warn of significant vulnerabilities in WhatsUp Gold and Cisco NX-OS. We also discuss US federal reaction to the penetration of US telco networks by Chinese state actors. These reactions include network and visibility hardening guidelines from CISA, the FBI (reluctantly) recommending the use of encrypted messaging apps, and... Read more »

TNO010: Navigating Network Automation Complexities: Insights from AutoCon 2 (Sponsored) Dec 06, 2024

On today’s show, we recap some highlights of AutoCon2 with guest Jeremy Rossbach from sponsor Broadcom. Jeremy gives some background on his career, and then elaborates on conversations he had at AutoCon2. He also shares observations on the present and future of network automation, which include AI and robust observability solutions that integrate with the... Read more »

HN760: Mitigate IoT/OT Vulnerabilities with Guided Virtual Patching (Sponsored) Dec 06, 2024

Today on Heavy Networking, sponsored by Palo Alto Networks, we explore how virtual patching can be used to protect IoT and OT devices. Virtual patching leverages intrusion detection and intrusion prevention, combined with threat research, to block exploits targeting IoT and OT devices. Why would you use virtual patching? When it comes to IoT and... Read more »

N4N005: The Sort-of-Useful OSI Model Dec 05, 2024

Network engineers should be familiar with the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model, a framework for understanding network communications. On today’s show, Ethan and Holly delve into each of the model’s seven layers to discuss their functions, associated protocols, and practical implications for modern networking. They also talk about how the OSI model is, in fact,... Read more »

NAN080: Elevating Your Network Automation Skills and the DevNet Expert Track Dec 04, 2024

Ongoing education and training is a constant in a networking career, especially if you want to advance. And certifications are a common path forward. On today’s episode, guest Andreas Baekdahl shares his journey from traditional networking to automation architect and certification instructor. Along the way, he’s had his share of challenges and failures, and he... Read more »

D2DO259: See Deep Inside Public Cloud for Greater Visibility and Troubleshooting with ThousandEyes Cloud Insights (Sponsored) Dec 04, 2024

Public cloud networks can be a bit of a black box when it comes to monitoring and troubleshooting. Today on Day Two DevOps we talk with sponsor Cisco ThousandEyes about its Cloud Insights tool, which aims to open that box so you can see exactly what’s going on in your cloud networks, identify problems, help... Read more »

PP042: CISO Liability Insurance, A Seriously Dangerous Menu Hack, and more Security News Dec 03, 2024

Our monthly news roundup discusses liability insurance for CISOs (if you are one, you should get it), serious intrusions of US telecom companies by Chinese state actors (according to the FBI), and a novel attack that leapt across multiple Wi-Fi networks. We also discuss significant vulnerabilities affecting Palo Alto Networks’ Expedition migration product, how fake... Read more »

NB506: Billions Flow for US Chips; FCC Lets T-Mobile, SpaceX Make Phone Calls from Orbit Dec 03, 2024

Take a Network Break! We’ve got a full menu for our post-Thanksgiving episode. We start with a host of critical CVEs affecting Veritas and a couple more for QNAP. Cisco announces EOL for two version of its ACI software, Verizon runs field trials for 1.6Tbps throughput in a single wavelength (with Ciena optical transceivers), and... Read more »

D2DO258: How System Initiative Rethinks Infrastructure as Code Nov 27, 2024

System Initiative is a new product that aims to improve on Infrastructure as Code (IaC). On today’s episode we talk with System Initiative creator Adam Jacob to find out why he wanted to improve on IaC, how System Initiative works, how it compares to other platforms in the market, how it handles key features such... Read more »

PP041: Cyber Insurance from a Policyholder Perspective Nov 26, 2024

Cyber insurance provides compensation if a company suffers financial loss due to a security incident such as a ransonware payment, costs of data recovery, legal expenses or fines, or damage to a company’s reputation. Today on the Packet Protector podcast, we discuss the ins and outs of cyber insurance with a policy holder. Joe Stern... Read more »

NB505: NetBox Makes Lateral Moves with New Products; Submarine Cable Cuts Raise Suspicions Nov 26, 2024

Take a Network Break! We start with a brief follow-up on our CVE coverage, and then dive into a serious one-two set of vulnerabilities being exploited in Palo Alto Networks software, VMware taking a second crack at patching a vCenter vulnerability, and notable CVEs in D-Link and HPC gear. An AI company loses a quarter... Read more »

HN 759: Deploying the BGP Monitoring Protocol (BMP) at ISP Scale Nov 22, 2024

The BGP Monitoring Protocol, or BMP, is an IETF standard. With BMP you can send BGP prefixes and updates from a router to a collector before any policy filters are applied. Once collected, you can analyze this routing data without any impact on the router itself. On today’s Heavy Networking, we talk with Bart Dorlandt,... Read more »

TNO009: From Network Monitoring to Observability: Make the Leap for Better NetOps Nov 22, 2024

Traditional network monitoring was built around SNMP and logs. And while there’s still a role for these sources, network observability aims to incorporate more data to help you build a holistic picture of the network and its behavior and performance. These sources can include flows, streaming telemetry, APIs, NETCONF, the CLI, deep packet inspection, synthetic... Read more »

TL008: How to Hire Top Performers Nov 21, 2024

Hiring is never an easy process. On today’s show, guest Brian Hogan and host Laura Santamaria explore the intricacies of hiring top performers in the tech industry. Brian talks about how to set up a fair and structured interview process, including the use of rubrics to evaluate candidates consistently. He discusses the challenges of assessing... Read more »

N4N004: Essential Topics in Networking: Ethernet, NAT, and More Nov 21, 2024

What are the most essential topics to understand for a new networkers? Ethan Banks and Holly Metlitzky address a listener’s question about foundational topics, covering what a network is, the differences between packet-switched and circuit-switched networks, and the nature of the internet as a “network of networks.” They discuss the importance of Internet Protocol (IP),... Read more »

NAN079: From Network Monitoring to Observability: Make the Leap for Better NetOps Nov 20, 2024

Traditional network monitoring was built around SNMP and logs. And while there’s still a role for these sources, network observability aims to incorporate more data to help you build a holistic picture of the network and its behavior and performance. These sources can include flows, streaming telemetry, APIs, NETCONF, the CLI, deep packet inspection, synthetic... Read more »

PP040: Personal Privacy Tools Nov 19, 2024

Surveillance is a fact of life with modern technology, be it corporate data harvesting or government snooping. If you’re thinking about personal privacy, today’s episode covers common tools for communication and Web browsing. We dig into the end-to-end encryption capabilities of the messaging tools Signal and WhatsApp, look at the capabilities and limits of the... Read more »

NB504: Cisco Updates Licensing, Branding with Wi-Fi 7; Google Cloud To Require MFA Nov 18, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we get an update on SonicWall’s new firewall warranty. We also cover Cisco’s Wi-Fi 7 launch; in addition to new APs, Cisco also updates its branding and rolls out “simplified” licensing that bundles features you might not want. Aviatrix adds a PaaS option for its cloud networking software, but... Read more »

HN758: How Selector Built an AI Language Model for Networking (Sponsored) Nov 15, 2024

On today’s episode, artificial intelligence with sponsor Selector.AI. If you’re curious and maybe still skeptical about the value AI brings to network operations, listen to this episode. Selector is on the forefront of AIOps for networking, building models that are customized and specifically targeted at networks. What Selector is doing is NOT simply the low-hanging... Read more »

TNO008: Demystifying AI: Essential Concepts for Network Operators Nov 15, 2024

AI can support network operations, but it can also be complex, mysterious, and steeped in vendor hype. On today’s episode, guest Phil Gervasi clarifies some of the terminology and concepts of AI, including distinctions among concepts like generative AI, general AI, and large language models (LLMs). Phil shares tips for getting beyond the hype to... Read more »

N4N003: What’s a VLAN? Nov 14, 2024

Today we explore Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs). This topic was prompted by a question from college student Douglas. We’ll explain the fundamental concepts of VLANs, such as their role in segmenting and managing network traffic, and the technical details for implementation. We’ll also address key topics including VLAN tags, access and trunk ports, and... Read more »

D2DO257: Love is in the Firmware Nov 13, 2024

With the current cultural emphasis on AI and how that is changing our world, we often forget the human element of individuals and teams when building an effective software development team. On today’s Day Two DevOps, we explore the psychology behind software teams, psychological safety for those teams and how the advent of AI plays... Read more »

PP039: Securing Active Directory from a Pen Tester’s Perspective Nov 12, 2024

Microsoft’s Active Directory and Entra ID are valuable targets for attackers because they store critical identity information. On today’s Packet Protector, we talk with penetration tester and security consultant Eric Kuehn about how he approaches compromising AD/Entra ID, common problems he sees during client engagements, quick wins for administrators and security pros to fortify their... Read more »

NB503: Apple Buys Stake in Satellite Telecom Company; Arista Enjoys AI Revenue Bump Nov 12, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we cover a serious Cisco vulnerability, SonicWall offering a firewall warranty, and a security advisory from ID provider Okta. Apple buys a stake in a satellite telecommunications company, Lumen and Google team up on a joint networking/AI deal, and we check on financial results from Arista Networks, Extreme Networks,... Read more »

HN757: Building a DIY SD-WAN to Serve (Very) Remote Customers Nov 08, 2024

On today’s episode, we chat with wireless ISP engineer Elijah Zeida. Elijah had an interesting connectivity challenge to solve for a remote mountain town that relies on a wireless connection for Internet access, and not much budget to solve it with. But he got it done by building his own SD-WAN using Mikrotik boxes and... Read more »

TL007: Hot Takes on Technical Leadership Nov 07, 2024

Everyone has their own hot take or bit of wisdom to share regarding technical leadership. Today, host Laura Santamaria weaves these insights on communication, collaboration, decision making and more from her guests on the first six episodes of Technically Leadership. Listen, reflect and then apply to your own leadership role. Episode Links: Laura Santamaria Packet... Read more »

N4N002: Bandwidth and Latency Explained Nov 07, 2024

In this episode of N Is For Networking, co-hosts Ethan Banks and Holly Metlitzky take a question from college student Douglas that turns into a ride on the networking highway as they navigate the lanes of bandwidth and latency. Ethan and Holly define the concepts of bandwidth and latency and discuss current data transfer protocols... Read more »

NAN078: The Evolution of Ostinato: From Open Source to a Sustainable Business Nov 06, 2024

Ostinato is a network traffic generator aimed at network engineers who need test traffic, whether in a lab or production, to do things such as test circuit bandwidth, determine if SD-WAN or load balancing rules are working as intended, investigate packet drops, and more. Originally released as an open-source project, Ostinato is now offered as... Read more »

D2DO256: Alkira’s Universal Transit: Simplifying Hybrid & Multi-Cloud Networks (Sponsored) Nov 06, 2024

We are firmly entrenched in a hybrid cloud world, from on-prem data centers to multiple cloud platforms to branch and remote offices, not to mention wandering end users connecting via VPN. While the network is the common substrate among all these locations, every cloud provider has its own network implementation. Managing, monitoring and securing all... Read more »

PP038: A Peek Inside the Security Mind Nov 05, 2024

Security professionals often have an impulse to want to move on to the next new thing. While that can be helpful in a field that thrives on change, it can also make it hard to focus on routine tasks and mundane (yet essential) security controls and practices. Whether this impulse is due to varying degrees... Read more »

NB502: AWS Revenue Growth Lags Cloud Competitors; Microsoft Entra ID Forces MFA Nov 04, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we discuss Google adding traffic shaping to its cross-cloud interconnect, Aviatrix bringing hybrid cloud transit to its cloud networking service, and Microsoft forcing MFA for Entra ID customers. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella forgoes $5 million in incentive pay for Microsoft security lapses, Extreme Networks adds new features to its... Read more »

HN756: Alkira Enhances Its Multi-Cloud Networking With ZTNA and Security (Sponsored) Nov 01, 2024

Alkira provides a Multi-Cloud Networking Service (MCNS) that lets you connect public cloud and on-prem locations using a cloud-delivered, as-a-service approach. But Alkira offers more than just multi-cloud connectivity. On today’s sponsored episode of Heavy Networking, we dig into Alkira’s full set of offerings, which include networking, visibility, governance, and security controls such as firewalls... Read more »

TNO007: Good Foundations Are Key To Leveraging AI for Network Operations Nov 01, 2024

In this episode of Total Network Operations the conversation focuses on the impact and implementation of AI on network operations. Host Scott Robohn is joined by guest Michael Wynston to discuss the foundational requirements for AI implementation, such as well-documented processes, version control, and lab testing. Michael also talks about the need for lifelong learning... Read more »

N4N001: Frames and Packets: What’s the Difference? Oct 31, 2024

Frames and packets: how are they different and why is it important to know those differences? On this first episode of N Is For Networking, join co-hosts Holly Metlitzky and Ethan Banks to learn the fundamentals about frames and packets, plus some bonus material on layers and addresses. N Is For Networking is the newest... Read more »

D2DO255: Is AI the Magic Solution for Refactoring Legacy Code? Oct 30, 2024

AI is being integrated and adopted across much of the IT world, but can it work magic in transforming old legacy code into shiny modern code? When it comes to this magic trick, it’s important to look behind the curtain. On today’s Day Two DevOps podcast we discuss the reality of AI in refactoring code... Read more »

PP037: From Supply Chain Security to Post-Quantum Cryptography – Live from XFD! Oct 29, 2024

This episode was recorded live at Security Field Day (XFD) 12 in October, 2024. As delegates at the event, JJ and Drew heard presentations from DigiCert, Dell Technologies, SonicWall, and Citrix. These presentations covered topics including digital certificate management, post-quantum cryptography, supply chain security, recovering from ransomware, Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), and Secure Service... Read more »

NB501: Fortinet, Cisco Defects Being Exploited; FCC Wants Input on ISP Data Caps Oct 28, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we discuss a new ZTNA offering from NaaS startup Alkira, a serious vulnerability in Fortinet’s management software under active exploit, and a less-serious vulnerability in Cisco security software that’s also being exploited. Gluware adds new AI copilots to its network automation software, a judge orders Broadcom to continue to... Read more »

HN755: Optimizing Ethernet to Meet AI Infrastructure Demands Oct 25, 2024

Ethernet competes with InfiniBand as a network fabric for AI workloads such as model training. One issue is that AI jobs don’t tolerate latency, drops, and retransmits. In other words, AI workloads do best with a lossless network. And while Ethernet has kept up with increasing demands to support greater bandwidth and throughput, it was... Read more »

TL006: From Blame to Empowerment: Changing Team Culture in Tech Oct 24, 2024

Leadership has a huge impact on an organization’s culture, including tech teams. On the positive side, leaders can foster healthy, productive environments. On the negative side, they can build hostile, blame-centric viper pits. Today’s episode of Technically Leadership examines how to strive for the positive by shielding teams from internal politics, developing empathetic leadership, distinguishing... Read more »

NAN077: Network Observability: Tools, Automation, and Insights Oct 23, 2024

Network optimization starts with observing, but how are networks observed and what tools are used? Joining the podcast today are the authors behind the book “Modern Network Observability.” Eric Chou welcomes David Flores, Christian Adell, and Josh VanDeraa to help uncover practical strategies and real-world case studies for network observability. Episode Guests: David Flores, Christian... Read more »

D2DO254: Intelligent Data Infrastructure: How NetApp Builds for Performance, Security, and Visibility across Clouds (Sponsored) Oct 23, 2024

Enterprise data is everywhere: on prem, at the edge, and across the public cloud. Storing and managing that data involves more than just SSDs and spinning disks; it’s about building and operating a data infrastructure. On today’s Day Two DevOps podcast, host Ned Bellavance explores the idea of data infrastructure with Jeff Baxter, VP of... Read more »

PP036: News Roundup – NIST Nixes Password Resets, Cargo Crane Espionage Risks, Municipal Govs Targeted, and More Oct 22, 2024

Today’s Packet Protector rounds up recent security news, including revised password guidelines from NIST, a White House push to help fill infosec jobs, and potential espionage risks from Chinese-made cranes being used at US ports. We also cover a hospital data breach that leaked nude patient photos, discuss why municipal governments are rich targets for... Read more »

NB500: SolarWinds and MacOS Vulernabilities Get Attention; Amazon Invests in Nuclear to Meet Power, Carbon Goals Oct 21, 2024

This week’s Network Break discusses a CISA warning that a serious SolarWinds vulnerability is being exploited, Microsoft turns the tables by discovering a MacOS vulnerability, and Amazon invests in small modular nuclear reactors to meet growing power demands and reduce carbon output. T-Mobile releases a new device using the 5G Reduced Capacity spec, Palo Alto... Read more »

HN754: Secure AI by Design with Palo Alto Networks (Sponsored) Oct 18, 2024

AI is finding its way into more and more consumer and business applications. In particular, the widespread use of Generative AI raises a serious question: how secure is it? In this sponsored Heavy Networking episode we discuss security risks of AI tools and ways to mitigate those risks. Our guest is guest Rich Campagna, Senior... Read more »

TNO006: Network Operations is Where It’s At Oct 18, 2024

Join Mike Bushong, an industry expert, and host Scott Robohn as they talk about why Network Operations is the next big thing and why you should start with the end in mind for NetOps. Their proposal is that NetOps shouldn’t just get a seat at the table; they should get 51% of the vote. They... Read more »

D2DO253: Breaking Into Tech: Job Hunting Realities for Recent Graduates Oct 16, 2024

Job hunting is never easy and on today’s Day Two Cloud, Katrina Janeczko shares her journey from college to her current role at Comcast. Katrina discusses the challenges of job hunting, the relevance of her education, and the impact of AI tools on her learning process. She also talks about the importance of networking, mentorship,... Read more »

NAN076: Innovating Healthcare IT: Automating NetOps at RUSH University Medical Center (Sponsored) Oct 16, 2024

Uzair Khan from RUSH University Medical Center is today’s guest on the Network Automation Nerds podcast. Uzair discusses the complexities of healthcare technology and the critical role of automation in enhancing operational efficiency and patient safety. He provides examples of how Itential’s automation and orchestration products have given his teams the tools they need to... Read more »

PP035: What IT Should Know About Securing Industrial Systems Oct 15, 2024

Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Operational Technology (OT) used to stand apart from traditional IT. But those worlds are converging, and IT pros, including infosec teams and network engineers, need to become familiar with the operational challenges and quirks of ICS/OT systems. On today’s Packet Protector, guest Mike Holcomb demystifies ICS and OT for IT... Read more »

NB499: Juniper Extending AI Umbrella to Security; Should We Regulate AI or AI Outcomes? Oct 15, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we cover a new Juniper announcement and discuss how the company is bringing its security portfolio under its AI umbrella, Aryaka adding CASB to its SASE menu, and whether the FTC’s prescriptive security requirements for Marriott will actually lead to better security. Cisco invests in a GPU-as-a-Service startup, stealthy... Read more »

HN753: Getting to Know Cisco’s Network Service Orchestrator (NSO) Oct 14, 2024

On today’s episode, guest James Henderson joins the Packet Pushers to discuss Cisco’s Network Service Orchestrator (NSO). NSO’s role in network automation, its declarative management approach, and the challenges it presents are some of the things James shares with the hosts. They also cover operational requirements, deployment challenges, and performance considerations, in addition to discussing... Read more »

TNO005: Making Networking Cool Again with Meter (Sponsored) Oct 11, 2024

Meter CEO Anil Varanasi joins Scott Robohn on this sponsored episode of Total Network Operations to talk about Meter’s vision for networking and network operations. In this podcast, recorded the day before Meter’s first public MeterUp event, Anil and Scott discuss Meter’s approach to building new networking equipment, vertical integration of their hardware and software,... Read more »

TL005: Navigating the Practical and Emotional Challenges of Tech Layoffs Oct 10, 2024

Layoffs are a sensitive topic in the tech industry. Host Laura Santamaria discusses the emotional and practical impacts on employees and leaders. She also covers the signs of potential layoffs, and strategies for job searching post-layoff while maintaining perspective. She concludes with a tips for leaders to more effectively lead their teams through a layoff.... Read more »

NAN075: Mastering Networking in the Age of AI: Advice for Aspiring Engineers Oct 09, 2024

Ivan Pepelnjak joins host Eric Chou to reflect on his extensive career, his decision to reduce his content creation, and offer advice for young engineers. They discuss the evolution of networking technologies, emphasizing the importance of mastering Linux and obtaining relevant certifications. Ivan highlights the significance of creating professional visibility and owning one’s content. The... Read more »

PP034: Driving Security and Network Assurance with Juniper Networks (Sponsored) Oct 08, 2024

Today on the Packet Protector podcast we talk with sponsor Juniper Networks about how to simplify the complexity that affects network and cybersecurity teams alike. From tool sprawl to floods of data, complexity bedevils operations and troubleshooting. We talk about what Juniper brings to the table for networking and security professionals to help them do... Read more »

N4N000: Announcing N is For Networking – A New Podcast for the New Network Engineer Oct 07, 2024

Welcome to N Is For Networking, the newest podcast on the Packet Pushers network, where we explain the jargon, acronyms, and concepts of the networking industry in plain language. Your hosts are Holly Metlitzky, an industrial engineer and now a network sales engineer; and Ethan Banks, a veteran network engineer. Together, they’ll educate and help... Read more »

NB498: BlueCat Flows Into Network Performance With LiveAction Buy; T-Mobile Ordered to Appoint a CISO Oct 07, 2024

Take a Network Break! DDI specialist BlueCat is getting into network performance monitoring with its LiveAction acquisition, T-Mobile is ordered to spend almost $16 million to improve its infosec practices and get a CISO, and Cisco announced the end of life for its LoRaWAN IoT product line. Verizon recovers from a US-wide outage, security researchers... Read more »

HN752: How Digital Twins Enable Smarter Network Ops, Troubleshooting (Sponsored) Oct 04, 2024

Our topic today is digital twins. Sponsor Forward Networks offers software that creates a “mathematically accurate” copy of your network, be it on prem or in the cloud. We talk about what “mathematically accurate” actually means, and how a digital twin can support network operations including change control, network automation, visibility, and troubleshooting. We also... Read more »

TNO004: DevOps, NetOps, and Batman – Part 2 Oct 04, 2024

Guest Tom McGonagle, the creator of GitNops, is back with host Scott Robohn for part two of their GitNops discussion. They continue their conversation about the principles and applications of GitNops in network operations, including automated testing, the collaborative role of GitHub, and the challenges of ensuring accurate configurations before deployment. Finally, they explore the... Read more »

D2DO252: (Re)Building Cloudflare’s Millions-of-Logs-Per-Second Logging Pipeline Oct 02, 2024

Cloudflare’s transition from SysLog-NG to OpenTelemetry is the topic of discussion on this episode of Day Two DevOps. Guests Colin Douch and Jayson Cena from Cloudflare explain the reasons behind the migration, including the need for better scalability, memory safety, and maintainability. They delve into challenges such as ensuring uninterrupted customer traffic and optimizing performance.... Read more »

PP033: AI and Machine Learning 101 for Cybersecurity Oct 01, 2024

The terms “AI” and “machine learning (ML)” get thrown around pretty regularly in IT and cybersecurity. On today’s Packet Protector we get an introduction to AI and ML to help you ask the right questions when vendors tout their latest AI-infused products. Our guest is Jeff Crume, a distinguished engineer and cybersecurity architect at IBM.... Read more »

NB497: Blocking AI Scraper Bots; HPE, Arista Reach for Bigger Slices of the Enterprise Oct 01, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we discuss significant vulnerabilities in HPE APs and Cisco Catalyst 9K switches, the benefits of bug bounties, how HPE is adding third-party device monitoring to Aruba Central, and whether Arista can succeed at positioning CloudVision as a management platform for enterprise data center, campus, and WAN environments. Alkira’s cloud... Read more »

HN751: Top Tips for Building A CCIE-EI Lab Sep 27, 2024

The Packet Pushers and guest Mason Reimert discuss strategies he’s using to prepare for the Cisco CCIE Enterprise Infrastructure lab exam. Mason shares practical tips for hands-on labbing for both established and emerging technologies like SD-WAN and SD-Access, resource management, virtualization tools, and automation. He also highlights the importance of understanding APIs, data formats, and... Read more »

TL004: Fostering Psychological Safety for Tech Teams Sep 26, 2024

The concept of psychological safety originated from research on surgical teams. Psychological safety is essential as it allows team members to voice concerns without fear of retaliation. As a leadership tool, it can help people perform at their highest levels. In this episode of Technically Leadership, guest Wesley Faulkner talks with host Laura Santamaria about... Read more »

NAN074: Integrate and Collaborate with Codespaces and Containerlab Sep 25, 2024

GitHub Codespaces aims to simplify spinning up a developer environment in the cloud. Containerlab, which provides virtual lab environments for network engineers, is now integrated with Codespaces to make it easy to set up and share network labs. On today’s Network Automation Nerds show, we delve into this innovative use of GitHub Codespaces and containerlab... Read more »

PP032: Unpacking RPKI for BGP Security Sep 24, 2024

Today on Packet Protector we get into BGP security. BGP is an essential protocol for directing traffic across the Internet, but it wasn’t designed with bad actors in mind, not to mention plain old configuration mistakes. Without additional controls in place, BGP is susceptible to issues such as route leaks and route hijacks that can... Read more »

NB496: Nokia’s Enterprise Data Center Intentions; Are AI ChatBots Worth the Nuclear Waste? Sep 23, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we discuss Microsoft’s proposed deal to buy power from the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, new APs and switches from Juniper Networks, and T-Mobile landing a customer driven by the network slicing capabilities of 5G. China disbands a botnet, Nokia takes on data center switch giants with a new... Read more »

TNO003: DevOps, NetOps, and Batman – Part 1 Sep 20, 2024

Do you know what DevOps is? Really? And how well does it fit traditional NetOps? Host Scott Robohn and guest Tom McGonagle explore ways to apply DevOps to Network Engineering and Operations. They review the seven DevOps practices and Tom’s proposed adaptations of DevOps under the banner of GitNops. This is the first part of... Read more »

D2DO251: AI For the Rest of Us – New Conference Alert! Sep 18, 2024

AI is everywhere. So are questions about AI’s value, how it really works, and how it will affect technology. Hannah Foxwell aims to demystify AI via a new conference, AI for the Rest of Us, taking place October 24-25, 2024 in London. Hannah hopes to create a collaborative learning environment. In today’s Day Two DevOps... Read more »

PP031: Cloud Firewall Architecture Essentials Sep 17, 2024

Today on Packet Protector we look at cloud firewall architectures. If you’ve deployed firewalls in the campus or a data center, it’s useful to know that there are differences in the public cloud. We’ll dive into what you need to know, including deployment options, the role of high availability in public cloud, selecting the right... Read more »

NB495: Fortinet Customer Data Stolen; Boeing to Test Quantum Entanglement Networking Sep 16, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we discuss the theft of 440Gbytes of customer data from a Fortinet cloud repository, how to think about resiliency after an AT&T network update kills access to Azure apps, and new troubleshooting features in Juniper Apstra. HPE goes to the bond market to raise as much as $6.5 billion... Read more »

HN749: Expand Your Network Labs With Containerlab and Clabernetes Sep 13, 2024

On today’s episode, we cover open source Clabernetes, a tool that allows you to run Containerlab on Kubernetes. Containerlab provides a CLI for orchestrating and managing container-based networking labs. It starts the containers, builds a virtual wiring between them to create lab topologies of your choice and manages the lab’s lifecycle. We discuss the answer... Read more »

TL003: Leveling Up Your Team’s Skills Sep 13, 2024

IT work requires ongoing training and skills development. Laura Santamaria and guest Scott Robohn discuss strategies for leveling up your team to ensure they have the skills they need. Laura and Scott talk about the need for continuous learning and explore options for encouraging skill development, even in budget-constrained environments. Good leaders should guide by... Read more »

NAN073: Some Final Words of Wisdom from Greg Ferro Sep 11, 2024

This episode was recorded with Greg Ferro, co-founder of Packet Pushers, just days before his retirement in July 2024. Greg and Eric reflect on Greg’s influential career in network engineering and the evolution of the industry. Greg discusses the challenges of maintaining open-source projects amid increasing commercialization and corporate exploitation. He emphasizes the importance of... Read more »

PP030: Volt Typhoon On the Attack, Starlink Joins the Navy, and More Security News Sep 10, 2024

Today’s Packet Protector is an all-news episode. We cover the Volt Typhoon hacker group exploiting a zero-day in Versa Networks gear and a multitude of vulnerabilities in Zyxel network products. We also debate whether Microsoft’s endpoint security summit will be more than a public relations exercise, a serious backdoor in RFID cards used in offices... Read more »

NB494: AT&T Sues Broadcom over VMware Support; Verizon Spends $20 Billion for Frontier Sep 09, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we cover an AT&T lawsuit against Broadcom over changes to a support contract for VMware software, why Verizon is spending $20 billion to buy Frontier, and new critical security patches from Cisco. ASML, which makes the machines that make high-end computer chips, gets antsy over US restrictions to China.... Read more »

HN748: How AI and HPC Are Changing Data Center Networks Sep 06, 2024

On today’s episode of Heavy Networking, Rob Sherwood joins us to discuss the impact that High Performance Computing (HPC)and artificial intelligence computing are having on data center network design. It’s not just a story about leaf/spine architecture. That’s the boring part. There’s also power and cooling issues, massive bandwidth requirements, and changes in how we... Read more »

TNO002: How Simplification Helps MSPs Scale Sep 06, 2024

Simplification is the theme of today’s episode. Host Scott Robohn and guest Jack Maxfield explore the operational impacts of simplification for a Managed Service Provider (MSP). They discuss the challenges of managing multi-vendor environments and how to use templating and tools to simplify the management process. Proactive client communication and the integration of network and... Read more »

D2DO250: The Realities of Responsible Disclosure in the Cloud Sep 04, 2024

Cloud security and responsible disclosure are the focus of today’s conversation with guest Kat Traxler. Kat shares her insights on identifying vulnerabilities in cloud services, particularly Google Cloud, and the importance of curiosity in her research. The episode explores the role of bug bounty programs and the shift towards issuing CVEs for cloud vulnerabilities. Lastly,... Read more »

NB493: Cisco Acquires AI Startup to Police AI; Nvidia, Dell Ride GPU Profit Wave Sep 03, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we cover a couple of listener FUs, and then dive into the news. Attackers exploit a zero-day in Versa to harvest credentials, AT&T agrees to a fine of nearly $1 million for a network outage that affected 911 calls, and Intel and Broadcom tout integrated optics for more broadband... Read more »

PP029: Translating Security Objectives into Business Outcomes Sep 03, 2024

On today’s Packet Protector we talk about how to talk about security objectives in ways that resonate with business and non-technical leaders in your organization. Tying security objectives to business outcomes can help you maintain (or increase) budgets, build trust and credibility with executives, and better align your risk management efforts with the organization’s broader... Read more »

HN747: Automate The Easy Things Aug 30, 2024

Our Heavy Networking guest today is Hans Driessens, and we sat down at AutoCon1 to talk through some of his network automation projects. Hans shares his journey from a service engineer to a consultant specializing in network automation. We discuss the evolution of programming languages, the importance of foundational programming skills, and the practicalities of... Read more »

TL002: The Philosophical Roots of Leadership Aug 29, 2024

On this episode of Technically Leadership, we talk about the philosophical underpinnings of leadership. We discuss what it means to hold and drive a vision for a technical organization, how to build a strong team culture, handling layoffs and letting people go, and exploring what philosophy can teach us about leadership. Guest Matt Butcher, CEO... Read more »

NAN072: Exploring Internet2’s Network Automation for University and Research Networks Aug 28, 2024

On today’s episode we delve into Internet2’s mission to advance research and education through high-speed connectivity. University and research networks may have more complicated designs, requirements, and restrictions than you’d expect. We talk about these challenges, along with innovative network automation solutions. The discussion emphasizes the collaborative, member-driven approach of Internet2 and its commitment to... Read more »

PP028: Can SecOps and NetOps Work Together? Aug 27, 2024

IT tends to divide itself by job function and technological specialization, especially as technology gets more complex. However, each IT domain is part of a larger system, and these systems require coordination and cooperation to operate effectively. On today’s Packet Protector we look at how and why Security Operations (SecOps) and Network Operations (NetOps) should... Read more »

HN746: Going Deep on OSPF Route Filtering Aug 26, 2024

On today’s episode we delve into OSPF filtering. That is, how to filter routes from a device’s routing table in an OSPF environment. This is a tricky business, because OSPF requires an identical database on every device in an OSPF area. That means you can’t stop announcing a route from one OSPF router because you... Read more »

NB492: AMD Spends Big For Engineering Talent; FCC Cracks Down on AI-Faked Robocalls Aug 26, 2024

Take a Network Break! A US appeals court will let a privacy lawsuit against Google go forward, striking telecom workers are a reminder to test your resiliency planning, and AMD spends nearly $5 billion to acquire systems engineering talent from ZT Systems. Juniper Networks offers deep discounts and other enticements to get network engineers to... Read more »

TNO001: Your Team Matters as Much as Your Tech and Tools Aug 23, 2024

Your team is just as important as your tech and tools in any environment, including NetOps. Garrett Nowak, Senior Director of Network Architecture at 11:11 Systems shares his journey from tier one help desk to a leadership role. He discusses the importance of teamwork, community, and effective leadership in network operations and how he works... Read more »

D2DO249: The Anatomy of TLS 1.3 and Why You Should Risk It Aug 21, 2024

Transport Layer Security (TLS) is today’s topic with guest Ed Harmoush. TLS plays a critical role in Internet security, and we dive into the differences between versions 1.2 and 1.3 In addition, Ed shares his journey into TLS, explains its components, and addresses common misconceptions about certificates and their validation processes. The episode also highlights... Read more »

NAN071: Understanding the Infrastructure Requirements for AI Workloads (Sponsored) Aug 21, 2024

On today’s Network Automation Nerds, we get into the infrastructure required to support AI workloads. We discuss key considerations including bandwidth, the substantial power and cooling requirements of AI infrastructure, and GPUs. We also talk about InfiniBand and Ethernet as network fabrics for AI workloads, cabling considerations, and more. This is a sponsored episode. Our... Read more »

PP027: How Wi-Fi Positioning Systems Enable Mass Surveillance Aug 20, 2024

Smartphones use Wi-Fi based Positioning Systems (WPSes) to collect data about nearby Wi-Fi access points and other wireless devices to help determine the phones’ geographic location. Researchers at the University of Maryland show how WPSes from Apple and Google can be used for mass surveillance of access points and, potentially, owners and users of those... Read more »

NB491: Cisco Revenues Drop 10% in Q4; Texas Instruments Get $1.6 Billion for Chip Factories Aug 19, 2024

Take a Network Break! Hackers may have stolen millions of US Social Security numbers, HPE acquires a multi-cloud management company, and Cisco announces plans to lay off 7% of its employees. Pure Storage joins industry efforts to make Ethernet suitable for AI workloads by signing on to the Ultra Ethernet Consortium, Texas Instruments will add... Read more »

HN745: Using Abstractions in Automation Aug 16, 2024

Today’s episode of Heavy Networking comes to you from AutoCon1 in Amsterdam, recorded live on premises. In today’s network automation discussion, we cover abstraction layers with guest Jaakko Rautanen. Practically speaking, what are abstractions, and how do they help make your network automation project successful? We’ll also discuss some of our guest’s automation projects, how... Read more »

NAN070: FakeNOS – An Open Source NOS for Network Testing Aug 14, 2024

Today we spotlight an open-source project called FakeNOS. Whether you’re a network engineer looking to experiment in a controlled environment, or a DevOps engineer wanting to run a network testbed for your processes, you can use FakeNOS for your projects. My guests are FakeNOS creator Denis Mulyalin and the maintainer of this project, Enric Pitarch.... Read more »

PP026: Security Considerations for Working from Anywhere Aug 13, 2024

Remote work is now a norm. And whether it’s a day or two at home every week, or relocating overseas so you can log in to the office from an Italian piazza or a beach in Thailand, there are lots of opportunities to do our jobs outside traditional workplaces. On today’s Packet Protector, we look... Read more »

NB490: Google’s Post-Monopoly Options; Microsoft Flips Delta’s Legal Threats the Bird Aug 12, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we cover a judge’s ruling that Google is monopolist and potential outcomes, the HPE/Juniper acquisition clearing regulatory hurdles, and Microsoft flipping the bird at Delta’s legal threats. HPE Aruba Networking adds NDR for IoT devices, Fortinet fortifies its DLP capabilities via acquisition, Azure lets you stack logs in different... Read more »

HN744: How BackBox Helps You Mitigate CVEs for Network Devices (Sponsored) Aug 09, 2024

Today we explore a network automation use case for configuration compliance in the face of never-ending common vulnerabilities and exposures, or CVEs. If you can automate that compliance, you have a shot at keeping pace with the bots and attackers attempting to exploit those CVEs and breaching your network. Our guest is Rekha Shenoy, CEO... Read more »

TNO000: Announcing Total Network Operations – a New Podcast for Network Operators Aug 09, 2024

Welcome to Total Network Operations, the podcast dedicated to the hardworking network operators who keep the bitpipes running smoothly. We focus on sharing best practices, the operations tool stack, and engage with vendors and solution providers to get insights into new technologies and tools so you can make informed decisions for your ops environment. Podcast... Read more »

D2DO248: Using Creativity and Empathy to Ease the Pain of Compliance Audits Aug 07, 2024

On today’s Day Two DevOps we talk with Jen Stone, a technical security assessor and aerial arts competition organizer. Jen shares her journey from IT service desk to becoming a security assessor. She emphasizes the importance of creativity and empathy in regulatory compliance while advocating for a collaborative approach to assessments and auditing Episode Guest:... Read more »

PP025: Wi-Fi Security Part 2 – Listener Q&A Aug 06, 2024

On today’s Packet Protector we answer listener questions about Wi-Fi security with guest Stephen Orr. Stephen is Chair of the Security Technical Task Group for the Wi-Fi Alliance and a Distinguished Solutions Engineer at Cisco. Questions include what recommendations Stephen would make for using multiple SSIDs vs. role-based device segmentation, what he sees as the... Read more »

NB489: Shareholders Sue CrowdStrike; Intel to Fire 15,000 Employees Aug 05, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we discuss a proposed class action lawsuit against CrowdStrike, while Delta investigates options to seek damages from CrowdStrike and Microsoft. Microsoft Azure goes down after a DDoS defense error, campus switch sales are forecast to drop significantly in 2024, and DigiCert warns customers that an error it made will... Read more »

HN743: Leveraging AI for Network Automation at Scale (Sponsored) Aug 02, 2024

AI is making its way into network automation. Maybe the thought of a hallucinating ChatGPT getting its six-fingered hands on your network makes you want to run the other way. But the story of AI for IT operations is more nuanced than the hot takes we get about the confidently dumb results that Large Language... Read more »

NAN069: Lessons On the Journey From NOC to Aerospace Networking Jul 31, 2024

Today, Lexie Cooper shares her journey from a NOC environment to networking engineering in the aerospace industry. Along the way, the discussion makes stops at the importance of medium skills, and the role of humor and relatability in attracting and educating younger professionals in networking. Finally, Lexie relates her challenges when working on the New... Read more »

PP024: Considering Resiliency in a Time of Global Outages Jul 30, 2024

In the wake of one of the largest global IT outages, resiliency is the theme of today’s show. We dig into the CrowdStrike debacle as well as an Azure outage that kinda flew under the radar. We also look at the Resiliency Planning Framework Playbook from CISA and other frameworks for building resilient infrastructure. We... Read more »

NB488: CrowdStrike Bug Tester Was Buggy; Can Starlink Match US ISP Performance? Jul 29, 2024

Take a Network Break! We start with listener follow-up on CrowdStrike and Microsoft, and then examine a CrowdStrike incident review in which the security company says a bug in its content validator meant that a problematic update was mistakenly validated. An insurance company estimates the CrowdStrike Windows crash will cost the Fortune 500 about $5... Read more »

HN742: Designing a Real-World Hybrid Cloud Network Jul 26, 2024

On today’s show we talk about designing a network to support hybrid cloud deployments. That is, building and operating a network to interconnect the Big Three US public clouds (GCP, AWS, and Azure) as well as on-prem infrastructure to support a variety of applications and workloads. The network design had to meet several requirements, including... Read more »

TL001: The Line Between Management and IC Leadership Jul 25, 2024

This first episode of Technically Leadership explores distinctions and commonalities between the management track and the staff engineer track with guests Nick Silkey and Martin Smith. Our guests share their stories from both perspectives and offer advice for those considering similar paths in technical leadership. Episode Guests: Nick Silkey and Martin Smith Nick Silkey, Senior... Read more »

D2DO247: Chocolate or Carrots? How Humor Can Foster Good DevOps Relationships Jul 24, 2024

Guests Ashish and Shilpi from the Cloud Security Podcast converse with Ned and Kyler on how humor and relatability can foster an engaging and collaborative environment in DevOps. The conversation also covers the importance of foundational knowledge in technology, the impact of AI on careers, and the value of just being human and learning from... Read more »

PP023: Wi-Fi Security Part 1 – Unpacking Vulnerabilities and Exploits Jul 23, 2024

From an SSID confusion exploit to a RADIUS attack to a critical vulnerability in a Windows Wi-Fi driver, the past several months have seen multiple attacks and exploits targeting the wireless realm. On today’s Packet Protector podcast we talk with Wi-Fi security expert Stephen Orr to get his take on the severity of these issues,... Read more »

NB487: The BSODs Strike Back; SolarWinds Sorta Dodges SEC Bullets Jul 22, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we cover the CrowdStrike/Microsoft patch debacle, why SolarWinds isn’t entirely out of trouble following a judge’s dismissal of most–but not all–of an SEC lawsuit, and why an AT&T breach revelation highlights third-party risk. Juniper announces an AI infrastructure testing lab and enhancements to its capabilities to operate AI infrastructure,... Read more »

TL000: Announcing Technically Leadership, a New Podcast for the Next Phase of Your Career Jul 17, 2024

Technically Leadership is a brand new podcast on the Packet Pushers network. Host Laura Santamaria explores leadership in the tech industry, with conversations and insights to help you development your management skills. Whether you’re considering your first management role or you’re an experienced manager working your way to the C-suite, this podcast is for you.... Read more »

HN741: History of Networking: How Bridging Saved Ethernet Jul 12, 2024

Ready to take a trip back to the 1980’s and learn some networking history? We talk with Alan Kirby, who was there forty years ago when the first Ethernet bridge was created at Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). He explains the story of why and how it came to be. We discuss how Ethernet compared to... Read more »

NAN068: Is Cloud Networking the Future for Network Engineers? Jul 10, 2024

On today’s episode, host Eric Chou and guest Kyler Middleton discuss the transition from on-prem network engineering to cloud networking; the importance of adapting to new platforms such as AWS, Azure, and Terraform; and the future of cloud versus on-premises solutions. We also discuss Kyler’s background, navigating the journey from a farm upbringing to a... Read more »

PP022: Inside an Equipment Test Lab Jul 09, 2024

Third-party test labs can help buyers make decisions about which products to purchase. While a testing lab can’t mimic the conditions of your specific production environment, it can assess a product’s fundamental capabilities and measure throughput, performance, and–in the case of security devices–effectiveness against a test suite of malware or attack techniques. On today’s episode... Read more »

NB486: Chrome Ditches Entrust Certs; Do AI Stocks Mirror the DotCom Bubble? Jul 08, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we cover why the Google Chrome browser won’t trust a set of Entrust digital certificates come November and what you should do about it, an emergency security patch from Juniper, and the reasons why France’s Competition Authority is scrutinizing Nvidia. A roaming provider in the EU says a massive... Read more »

D2C246: Can Service Level Objectives (SLOs) Help Keep Users Happy? Jul 03, 2024

Service Level Objectives (SLOs) are a set of reliability measurements for customer or user expectations of services; in other words, are people having a good experience with your application or service? Today’s Day Two Cloud explores SLOs, the relevant metrics, and how to measure them. We also talk about how SLOs are a cross-discipline objective... Read more »

PP021: Critical Vulnerabilities, AI-Assisted Scams, Compromised VPNs, and More Security News Jul 02, 2024

It’s an all-news episode for this week’s Packet Protector podcast. We cover critical vulnerabilities in the MOVEit file transfer software and in thousands of ASUS routers, and a remote code execution vulnerability in a Windows wireless driver that you really should patch. We discuss a Wall Street Journal article about how AI tools are helping... Read more »

NB485: A Final FU for Greg Jul 01, 2024

Greg Ferro bids farewell to Network Break, and Drew Conry-Murray and Johna Till Johnson bid farewell to Greg. Of course, the podcast must go on, so we also cover some tech news. First, Nokia acquires optics maker Infinera, Broadcom brings new features to VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF), and campus switch sales drop. A Microsoft subsidiary... Read more »

HN740: IETF’s Network Management Operations (NMOP) Working Group Jun 28, 2024

When you think of IETF, you probably just think of defining protocols, but its new NMOP working group is all about helping network operators identify issues and deploy solutions, including those that pop up around automation. Mahesh Jethanandani is an Area Director (AD) for Management in IETF, which oversees the NMOP WG, and joins the... Read more »

NAN067: AI and Total Network Operations with Scott Robohn Jun 26, 2024

This is the final episode of a series of interviews with Scott Robohn (for now). We discuss AI in networking operations and how it’s still too early to tell exactly how much, if any, value will be created. We also dig into Scott’s Total Network Operations framework, what it consists of and how he wants... Read more »

PP020: Dropping the SBOM: The Software Bill of Materials and Risk Management Jun 25, 2024

If you care about nutrition, you check the ingredients of your food. If you care about your IT infrastructure, you check the Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) of the tech. At least that’s the future that Thomas Pace hopes for. Right now, SBOMs aren’t super common and software transparency is very low. Thomas walks us... Read more »

NB484: HPE, Nvidia Cozy Up on AI Infrastructure; Norway Uncovers Rare Earth Elements Motherlode Jun 24, 2024

Take a Network Break! We start with a longish round of FUs, and then dive into news. HPE announces HPE Private Cloud, which includes software, switches, and GPUs from Nvidia for building out infrastructure to support AI workloads. HPE also announced KVM virtualization for HPE Private Cloud. We debate whether Britian’s anti-trust inquiry to the... Read more »

HN739: High Stakes Network Observability for High Frequency Trading Jun 21, 2024

High Frequency Trading in finance demands the utmost quality and speed from a network, making flawless observability a must. Our guest today is Radu Ionco from Jump Trading, and he tells us about how they built their own custom network observability platform, even creating a monitoring system for the monitoring system. We talk through streaming... Read more »

NAN066: Operationalize Your Automations With torero (Sponsored) Jun 19, 2024

When you’re trying to share your cool new network automation with your co-workers, the last thing you want to do is deal with other systems’ different libraries and dependencies gumming it up. That’s where our episode sponsor torero comes into play. As an “automation gateway,” torero dynamically creates an execution environment based on what has... Read more »

D2C245: Don’t Fear Database DevOps Jun 19, 2024

Most platform engineers are scared of databases, and most database administrators prefer it that way. But our guest today says it’s time to move forward together toward a future of database linters, observability, and abstraction. Adam Furmanek makes the case that just like how developers had to learn some networking, and networking tools were created... Read more »

PP019: The God Accounts: Cloud IAM Jun 18, 2024

Today we discuss how to secure your all-powerful root accounts on the three major public cloud providers: AWS, Azure, and GCP. Our guests today, Ned Bellavance and Kyler Middleton from the Day Two Cloud podcast (soon to be Day Two DevOps podcast), describe the struggle of securely managing several root accounts at once. They take... Read more »

NB483: Cisco Hopes To Be Ikea For AI Infrastructure; Is Anyone Besides Nvidia Making Money From AI? Jun 17, 2024

Take a Network Break! We start with an announcement from Greg about his impending retirement. After we dust ourselves off from that, we pivot to this week’s tech news. Fortinet acquires a company to bolster its offering in securing cloud deployments and workloads, Cisco announces an Ikea-like kit to build AI infrastructure on prem, and... Read more »

HN738: Reducing Complexity With Fortinet’s Unified SASE (Sponsored) Jun 14, 2024

Fortinet’s Unified SASE provides consistent security controls and policies both for traditional campuses and the hybrid workforce.. Nirav Shah joins us to explain how Fortinet is positioned to do this: a foundational software developed for 20 years, a network of over 140 POPs, a security lab with over 1,000 researchers, continuous ZTNA verification proxies, and... Read more »

NAN065: The Excitement and Trepidation of Automation with Scott Robohn Jun 12, 2024

In part two of Scott Robohn’s interview, Scott tells us about his experience starting his own business and co-founding the Network Automation Forum and the AutoCon conference series. He describes the strong desire among many engineers to drive network automation forward, and how AutoCon creates a community to help make that happen. He and Eric... Read more »

PP018: RSA Recap, Including a View from the Event SOC Jun 11, 2024

Drew and JJ have recovered from the overstimulation of the RSA expo floor and are ready to discuss their takeaways from the conference. They discuss the surprising emphasis on microsegmentation and storage backups, and the not-so-surprising focus on IoT security and AI-assisted products. They also pull back the curtain on what the conference’s own SOC... Read more »

NB482: HPE Launches Enterprise Private 5G; Arista Creates Agent for NVIDIA SmartNICs Jun 10, 2024

Take a Network Break! Johna fills in for Drew for a second week. We start with a follow-up on last week’s take on HPE and 5G. With this week’s HPE announcement that it’s launching Aruba Networking Enterprise Private 5G, we see that its offloading of OSS/BSS was to streamline, not a step away from its... Read more »

HN737: Greg Ferro: The Exit Interview Jun 07, 2024

Greg Ferro, co-founder of Packet Pushers, is signing off. After years of frustrating health issues, he’s decided to fully step back from podcasting and industry analysis to take care of himself. After 14 years, today is his last appearance on Heavy Networking. In this parting episode, Greg shares his final dose of incisive insights and... Read more »

Day Two Cloud Crossover: When the Cloud was Born Jun 05, 2024

Welcome to a crossover episode with the Day Two Cloud podcast! Eric Chou was there for the birth of the public cloud. Before DevOps or SREs were a thing, before Azure was Azure, Eric was a network engineer for Amazon, helping them build out their retail technology platform. Of course, that platform evolved into the... Read more »

D2C244: When the Cloud was Born Jun 05, 2024

Eric Chou was there for the birth of the public cloud. Before DevOps or SREs were a thing, before Azure was Azure, Eric was a network engineer for Amazon, helping them build out their retail technology platform. Of course, that platform evolved into the world’s leading public cloud–AWS. Eric joins the show today to tell... Read more »

PP017: What’s the Matter? Understanding the Matter Protocol Jun 04, 2024

Matter is an IoT protocol that has security and interoperability baked into it. Steve Hanna, the chair of the Product Security Working Group in the Connectivity Standards Alliance, joins the show today to walk us through this IP-based protocol for smart home devices. He compares Matter to an armored car, delivering a valuable payload securely... Read more »

NB481: HPE Unloads BSS/OSS Tools; Multi-National Force Busts Botnets Jun 03, 2024

Take a Network Break! Johna fills in for Drew this week. We start with HPE adapting to the 5G market and unloading BSS/OSS tools to HCLTech. Dell financial results suggest AI problems. ISP Windstream replaces 600,000 routers destroyed by malware. France, Germany and the Netherlands lead the largest-ever police action against botnets with the help... Read more »

HN736: Understanding VMware by Broadcom (Sponsored) May 31, 2024

Today on Heavy Networking, sponsored by Broadcom, we talk about VMware’s transition under Broadcom’s ownership. The acquisition has led to big changes that rolled out very quickly, including how VMware sells products and services – subscription only licensing, bundles of products, a hard stop on sales of existing licenses, overhaul of license issuance, and more.... Read more »

NAN064: Get to Know NAF Co-Founder: Scott Robohn May 30, 2024

Scott Robohn is responsible for so much of the current buzz and awareness of network automation. Today, we sit down with the co-founder of Network Automation Forum to learn about his own journey. We chat about his education and the question of if college degrees are necessary. We also talk about his experience at big... Read more »

PP016: Tabletop Security Exercises: D&D for Grown-ups May 28, 2024

Tabletop security exercises can help organizations game out their response to a security incident. From the technical and business considerations to legal and PR implications, a tabletop exercise, like Dungeons and Dragons, lets you play-test attack and defense scenarios. Johna Till Johnson, CEO of Nemertes consulting firm and co-host of the Heavy Strategy podcast, joins... Read more »

Heavy Strategy: Failure and Resilience May 28, 2024

Welcome to a crossover episode with the Heavy Strategy podcast! Firing the wrong person, mistakenly rebooting core switches in a massive network, not passing the CCIE exam– today we talk all about failure. For this conversation, we’re joined by fellow Packet Pushers Kyler Middleton and Ned Bellavance, hosts of the Day Two Cloud podcast. We... Read more »

NB480: New Dell Switch Targets Ethernet AI Fabrics; Nvidia Net Income Leaps 628% May 27, 2024

Take a Network Break! Lots of hardware news in today’s episode. We start with a new data center Ethernet switch from Dell designed to accelerate workloads on AI Ethernet fabrics. Public cloud networking startup Alkira raises $100 million in funding. Broadcom announces a 400G NIC that targets AI workloads, and Allegro Packets announces a 400G... Read more »

HN735: Managing OT Networks May 24, 2024

The variety and number of OT devices continue to grow at such a pace that network engineers really need to think through how to manage them as part of their broader network. Dan Massameno joins the show to talk about how he’s collaborating with his facilities department and using SD-Access to manage the OT virtual... Read more »

D2C243: Your Kubernetes Clusters are Showing May 22, 2024

There are about 1.4 million Kubernetes clusters just sitting out there on the public internet as we speak. That is 1.4 million lateral-movement rich, highly privileged environments. The bearer of this anxiety-provoking news is today’s guest, Lee Briggs. Lee explains why major cloud providers make this the default option– ease of use. The good news... Read more »

PP015: Zero Trust Architecture: Because You Can’t Trust Anybody Any More May 21, 2024

Zero trust is a buzzword, but what does it actually mean and how will it impact network engineers? Jennifer is here to get us up to speed. First, she gives a general description: It’s a security architectural strategy that’s progressing toward increased observability and trust inferences. Then she breaks it down for the three main... Read more »

NB479: Solar Storm Survival; Cisco’s Sinking Revenue Doesn’t Dampen Wall Street May 20, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we discuss what IBM and Palo Alto Networks get out of a deal for Palo Alto Networks to buy the SaaS version of the QRadar SIEM from IBM, why LogRhythm is merging with Exabeam, and how Google is positioning its latest AI chip to take on the Nvidia juggernaut.... Read more »

HN734: Russ White Hour Part 2: Snowflakes and Network Automation May 17, 2024

Welcome to the second part of our interview with friend of the podcast, Russ White. We start our conversation with a listener question about VXLAN/EVPN which acts as a springboard for what Russ really thinks about network engineering these days. He defends network snowflakes, championing their power in business use cases. He questions the merit... Read more »

NAN063: The Team Behind Nautobot (Part 2) – The Benefits of Technical Writing May 15, 2024

Curious about what it takes to write a technical book as a network engineer? You’re in luck. The team behind Nautobot is also the team behind the book “Network Automation with Nautobot: Adopt a network source of truth and a data-driven approach to networking.” Jason, Ken, and John tell us about their writing process, timeline,... Read more »

PP014: Good Threat Hunting May 14, 2024

Have you ever noticed “threat hunting” in vendor products and wondered exactly what it means? James Williams is here to explain: Threat hunting is the R&D of detection engineering. A threat hunter imagines what an attacker might try and, critically, how that behavior would show up in the logs of a particular environment. Then the... Read more »

NB478: More AI Assistants Emerge; Dell Tracks Hybrid Workers’ Office Attendance May 13, 2024

Take a Network Break! We begin the episode with some follow-up on edge AI chips, whether Packet Pushers should start a dedicated AI channel, and a clarification on AWS and VMware. On the news front, we discuss the soft launches of AI assistant from Extreme Networks and Gluware, and a new virtual appliance for Cisco’s... Read more »

HN733: Russ White Hour: IS-IS vs OSPF and a Deep Dive into Ethernet Adapters May 10, 2024

We turn the nerd meter up to eleven on today’s episode with longtime friend of the show, Russ White. First we dive into how an Ethernet adapter knows when a link is lost, where Russ teaches us all about loss of carrier and OAM. He also gives us a tutorial on how the rest of... Read more »

D2C242: Data Engineering and its Streams, Rivers, and Lakes May 08, 2024

Keith Gregory teaches us about data engineering in a way DevOps folks (and hydrologists) can understand. He explains that the role of a data engineer is to create pipelines to transport data from metaphorical rivers and make it usable for data analysts. Keith walks us through the testing process; the difference between streaming pipelines and... Read more »

PP013: Untangling Managed Security Services May 07, 2024

What’s the difference between cybersecurity “as a service” vs. “managed” vs. “hosted”? And what’s the difference between an MSP and an MSSP? In this episode, JJ helps untangle the terms and concepts in cybersecurity offerings. She explains what questions you should ask vendors to make sure you’re picking the right one for your needs; negotiating... Read more »

NB477: Arista Assembles Switch-Based Microperimeters; FCC Wants More Money for Telcos Dumping Huawei Gear May 06, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we cover a new microsegmentation offering from Arista, new GenAI assistants from Fortinet, and a GenAI firewall from Versa Networks to monitor and report on how organizations are using generative AI tools and applications. AWS will stop selling VMware Cloud on AWS (but you can still get it through... Read more »

HN732: Juniper’s PTX Platforms: 800GE and Double-Density 400GE for DC and WAN (Sponsored) May 03, 2024

The future has arrived: 800 gig Ethernet is here. Amit Bhardwaj and Dmitry Shokarev from today’s sponsor, Juniper Networks, join the show to tell us all about Juniper’s 800 gig Ethernet and what we need to know as engineers: use cases, transition plans, fiber and power needs (a lot less than you’d think). We also... Read more »

NAN062: The Team Behind Nautobot (Part 1) May 01, 2024

Today we chat with the maintainers of Nautobot, the open source network source of truth and network automation platform. Jason Edelman, Ken Celenza, John Anderson explain how their day jobs at professional services company, Network to Code, informs their work on Nautobot. They walk us through Nautobot’s core, out-of-the-box capabilities as well as the extensibility... Read more »

PP012: Planning for a Post Quantum Cryptography World Apr 30, 2024

The classical encryption algorithms that currently undergird our IT infrastructure will be broken once there’s a powerful and stable enough quantum computer to do the job. Quantum-resistant algorithms are being developed by NIST, but implementation and deployment of these algorithms still have to be addressed. So what does all this mean for busy IT and... Read more »

NB476: IBM Buys HashiCorp; Running Data Centers With Vegetable Oil? Apr 29, 2024

Take a Network Break! We welcome guest commentator Kyler Middleton of Day Two Cloud to discuss the IBM/HashiCorp deal, then pivot to new Wi-Fi 7 APs from HPE Aruba Networking, and discuss why a data center builder in Ireland is constructing a power generation plant alongside the generator–and powering it partly with vegetable oil. Noncompete... Read more »

HN731: GraphQL: Open Source Query Language for APIs Apr 26, 2024

What if instead of sending multiple queries out to APIs and getting disparate data back, you could just send a single query and receive a single answer. That’s exactly what GraphQL does for you. Rick Donato joins the show today to teach us about GraphQL and how it can help us on the path to... Read more »

NAN061: Transforming Network Telemetry Into Operational Insights With Kentik (Sponsored) Apr 24, 2024

The expectations for application delivery are higher than ever before, the networks that support those applications are increasingly distributed, and visibility is essential for network operations and troubleshooting. On today’s sponsored episode, Kentik’s Phil Gervasi joins us to discuss how Kentik collects essential performance data to help you monitor and manage all the networks your... Read more »

D2C241: Choose Your Own Adventure: Manager, Director, or IC Apr 24, 2024

What makes for a good manager, director, and independent contributor (IC), and how do you figure out which is the best fit for you? Hazel Weakly has had a whirlwind tour of all three and is ready to share her insight into each. We talk about the skill set needed for each, and figuring out... Read more »

PP011: IoT Protocols: Detection and Protection Apr 23, 2024

IoT devices are often like the tiny aliens in the locker in Men in Black: They’ve created a whole little world on your network without almost any humans knowing they exist. Today Troy Martin joins the show to teach us the basics of how to find and secure IoT devices on your network, specifically focusing... Read more »

NB475: Cisco Hypes Hypershield; Broadcom Tries To Clarify VMware Strategy Apr 22, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we cover Hypershield, a new Cisco security product that uses technology from its Isovalent acquisition. We parse a blog from Broadcom CEO Hock Tan on the company’s VMware strategy, and discuss China’s latest counter-punch in its tech infrastructure fight with the United States. A KPMG survey reveals that executives... Read more »

HN730: Retail, Healthcare, Manufacturing and More Transform Their Branches with Next-Gen SD-WAN and SASE (Sponsored) Apr 19, 2024

If you haven’t made the leap from traditional wide area networking to SD-WAN, or perhaps you’re thinking about adding security services to your SD-WAN infrastructure, this episode is for you. Rajesh Kari from Palo Alto Networks joins the show to share customer stories from the front lines of multi-branch businesses’ networks. Industry verticals including retail,... Read more »

D2C240: The Duality of Enterprise AI Apr 17, 2024

AI has been around forever; AI is emergent. AI is just data analytics; AI hallucinates. AI doesn’t have many business use cases; AI is already being used by your employees. Today, Greg and Johna from the Heavy Strategy podcast join Day Two Cloud to give their takes on enterprise AI. Johna brings with her the... Read more »

NAN060: Python for Network Engineering with Kirk Byers (Part 2) Apr 17, 2024

This is Part 2 of Kirk Byers’ interview. We discuss the Git course he’s developing and the need to build bridges between networking and testing so we can move automation forward. This of course leads us to geek out about AutoCon and the talks we’re most excited about. Plus, Kirk shares his wisdom about creating... Read more »

PP010: CISA’s Cyber Incident Reporting Law: What You Need to Know Apr 16, 2024

The US government is seeking comment on a new law mandating detailed cyber incident reporting. In this episode, we cover what you need to know about the “Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act.” We break down the details, including what kind of companies the law applies to, what it defines as an “incident,” and... Read more »

NB474: Intel Strikes Back In GPU Wars; The Fork Is Strong With Valkey Apr 15, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we start with some FU on Intel drivers, and how FISA affects people outside (and inside) the US. In the news we cover Intel’s rollout of new XPU silicon and associated software as it tries to make up ground against Nvidia’s AI dominance, Zscaler’s acquisition of a microsegmentation startup... Read more »

HN729: Open Source to Closed Apr 12, 2024

With “The Cathedral and the Bazaar” as his guide, Srivats launched Ostinato, his open source project, in 2010. He needed an affordable network traffic generator at his day job, he was passionate enough to build one during his nights and weekends, and end users loved it– it has been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times.... Read more »

D2C239: “(Almost) Every Infrastructure Decision I Endorse or Regret” Apr 10, 2024

You can’t just drop a knife on fish and expect there to be sushi. Jack Lindamood joins us today to share his metaphors and thoughts on picking the right IT tools and processes as outlined in his popular article, “(Almost) Every Infrastructure Decision I Endorse or Regret after 4 Years Running Infrastructure at a Startup.”... Read more »

PP009: Don’t Forget the Firmware Apr 09, 2024

If your approach to firmware is that you don’t bother it as long as it doesn’t bother you, you might want to listen to this episode. Concerns about supply chain vulnerabilities are on the rise and for good reason: Attackers are targeting firmware because compromising this software can allow attackers to persist on systems after... Read more »

NB473: Duty To Report (Your Breaches); Intel Foundry Biz Loses $7 Billion Apr 08, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we start with some FU on Juniper’s Mist AI, the ConnectWise vulnerability, and the 25th anniversary of the Cisco Cat6. The US Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has proposed new rules that require organizations to report security incidents within 72 hours and ransomware payments within 24 hours. Intel... Read more »

HN728: How Drivenets Leverages Ethernet Fabrics For AI Networking (Sponsored) Apr 05, 2024

To run AI workloads, a network needs thousands of GPUs and those GPUs must operate in sync. If there is congestion or dropped frames, very expensive efforts could be delayed or disrupted. While there are advantages to using Ethernet for AI networking (including engineers well-trained in the protocol and a robust ecosystem), it wasn’t designed... Read more »

NAN059: Python for Network Engineering with Kirk Byers (Part 1) Apr 04, 2024

The intersection of Python and network engineering is Kirk Byers’ sweet spot. Today, the creator of the Netmiko library and core maintainer of NAPALM joins the show to tell us about his network automation journey. We also discuss Kirk’s experience on the business side of things, both the ups and downs. This is Part 1... Read more »

PP008: Dishin’ Up Cloud SLAW (Security Lab A Week) Apr 02, 2024

Learning cloud security can be daunting for experienced network engineers, much less complete newbies. That’s why Rich Mogull started “Cloud Security Lab A Week,” aka Cloud SLAW. Every Thursday, he emails subscribers a new hands-on lab, building a full enterprise deployment week-by-week, step-by-step. Rich explains all the details to JJ and Drew including the cost... Read more »

NB472: HPE Adds GenAI to Aruba Central; Intel Eager to Slurp Billions in Subsidies Apr 01, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we try to peel back the layers on HPE’s announcement about new GenAI capabilties in Aruba Networking Central, parse Broadcom’s touting of its AI credentials, and feel conflicted about Intel sucking up billions in taxpayer dollars. South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix dangles a $4 billion investment promise to the... Read more »

HN727: Kubernetes Networking Essentials Mar 29, 2024

Where there are containers, there is networking. Today we dig into the networking that underlies Kubernetes, the open source orchestration platform for container-based applications. Our guest Karim El Jamali takes us through the essential concepts: Nodes, pods, clusters, CNIs, virtual ethernet pairs, ingress controller, eBPF, and service meshes. As container-based applications grow in popularity, it’s... Read more »

D2C238: Tech Hiring is Borked Mar 27, 2024

Life isn’t easy for someone looking for a job in tech. There are lots of content mills pushing the idea that if you just pass this one six-month course, you’ll have a six-figure career in no time. There are lots of hiring companies who make job applicants jump through a ton of hoops, but often... Read more »

PP007: IPv6 Security Essentials Mar 26, 2024

You’re already running IPv6, even if you don’t know it yet. Your remote users are using it at their homes, your printers come with it built into the kernel, your generals are using it on their mobile phones (check out our news headlines section). So let’s stop trying to disable it whack-a-mole style, and start... Read more »

NB471: Nvidia Unveils 800G Ethernet, InfiniBand Switches For AI Fabrics; ‘Ghost Jobs’ Haunt Job Boards Mar 25, 2024

Take a Network Break! Nvidia announces new 800G switches, one for Ethernet and one for InfiniBand, for building AI fabrics. Nvidia also announces an “AI supercomputer,” a rack-scale pre-built bundle of Nvidia GPUs and CPUs connected via InfiniBand switches. The NaaS startup Meter announces new campus switches and what it calls a “digital twin” capability,... Read more »

HN726: From Automation to Orchestration for a FinTech Network (Sponsored) Mar 22, 2024

Fiserv is one of the largest payment processors in the world, In 2023 it handled more than 35 billion transactions worth $2.03 trillion US dollars. Its network is critical to the business. The organization knew it needed network automation, but early attempts got some things wrong. On today’s Heavy Networking we talk about how Fiserv... Read more »

D2C237: Managing Medical IoT Devices on AWS Mar 20, 2024

In this podcast episode, Randy Horton from Orthogonal and Ian Sutcliffe from AWS discuss the complexities of supporting regulated medical devices in the cloud. They explore the challenges of adhering to regulations, the importance of security, and the need for robust frameworks. The conversation highlights the non-prescriptive nature of regulations, encouraging best practices rather than... Read more »

NAN058: The Story of containerlab with Roman Dodin (Part 2) Mar 20, 2024

Welcome back for Part 2 of Eric’s interview with Roman Dodin, co-creator of containerlab. Roman describes containerlab as a “lab as code” tool that quickly and easily creates virtual networking topologies. With increased automation and containerization in network engineering, the tool’s popularity has exploded. We talk about how folks contribute to containerlab’s development and what... Read more »

PP006: Effective Security for Small IT Shops Mar 19, 2024

This episode is for IT professionals who work in small- to medium-sized businesses and are expected to handle cybersecurity on top of issues like “my camera isn’t working on Zoom.” Guest Joe Stern has been filling this role for an 80-person company for almost 30 years. We talk about how he prioritizes risks, security tools... Read more »

NB470: NetBox Labs Adds On-Prem Support; ASML Vs. The Netherlands Mar 18, 2024

This week on Network Break we discuss a new on-prem version of NetBox Labs’ source-of-truth software with enterprise support, why Selector AI is adding an LLM to its operations and observability product, and whether a new Web application firewall from Cloudflare can protect LLMs against malicious prompts. Viavi Solutions consolidates the network testing space with... Read more »

HN725: Standing up a DC Network Using Terraform Mar 15, 2024

Matt Horn built a data center network through automation, remotely. This is the future of network engineering. Matt shares how his team did it technically: Terraform, a little Ansible, leveraging pipelines, etc. But he also shares the processes and culture that made it happen: Management and peer buy-in, tight enforcement based on user access, and... Read more »

NAN057: Nile Incorporates Network Automation from the Ground Up (Sponsored) Mar 13, 2024

What if you could eliminate the burdens of networking without losing your control and visibility of the network? That’s the idea behind Nile. With Nile co-managing the network, you don’t have to spend all your time chasing down tickets, running patches, and dealing with CLI syntax. Instead you get to focus on higher level tasks... Read more »

PP005: Red, Blue, Purple: Choosing the Right Teams for Security Testing and Defense Mar 12, 2024

According to Bryson Bort, you can build higher metaphorical fences, electrify them, and have sharks with laser beams prowling the moat, but attackers are still going to get through the security perimeter. That’s why the priority of any IT team should be to identify anomalies and anticipate attack logic. To do this, organizations need to... Read more »

NB 469: Arista Debuts Network Observability Service; Startups Aim To Break Nvidia’s AI Chip Grip Mar 11, 2024

This week we discuss a new network observability offering from Arista that integrates network telemetry with application data, why startups such as Groq and Taalas think they can break Nvidia’s grip on the AI chip market, and how Microsoft is hedging its LLM bets. Amazon goes nuclear with the purchase of a reactor-powered data center... Read more »

HN724: How Packets Move Through a Network Device Mar 08, 2024

Today we metaphorically pop open the hood of switches and routers, taking a look at the mechanics of how they work. We cover the three states: configuration, operational, and forwarding. We talk RIB and FIB, along with CAM, TCAM, and MPLS. We also cover line rate, port-to-port latency, and buffers. Whether it’s been awhile since... Read more »

NAN056: The Story of containerlab with Roman Dodin (Part 1) Mar 06, 2024

Big risk, big reward: That’s the origin story of both containerlab and its maintainer, Roman Dodin. Roman tells Eric the story behind containerlab, a free software platform for building network labs and testing designs, as well as his own story of taking leaps into the unknown. This is the first episode of Network Automation Nerds... Read more »

D2C236: Introducing New Co-Host Kyler Middleton Mar 06, 2024

Today we welcome a new co-host, Kyler Middleton, to the Day Two Cloud podcast. Kyler grew up in rural Western Nebraska, fixing neighboring farmers’ computers in exchange for brownies and Rice Krispies. Now she’s the newest co-host for Day Two Cloud… perhaps a lateral move, given the lack of baked goods. Kyler will draw on... Read more »

PP004: Exploiting Vulnerabilities, Not Customers: How to Pick Good Pen Testers Mar 05, 2024

When you’re picking a penetration tester to poke at your security infrastructure, how do you know if you’re picking a good one? Is pen testing even the right service for your needs? Pen tester, SANS course creator, and OWASP board member Kevin Johnson joins the show to share tips for what to look for in... Read more »

NB 468: Broadcom Checks SASE Box; Spirent Announces AI Traffic Emulator For Ethernet Networks Mar 04, 2024

Take a Network Break! Johna Till Johnson joins as guest host while Greg Ferro enjoys some time off. We start with follow-up regarding damage to subsea cables in the Red Sea, and then dive into news. AT&T deals with the fallout of a major US outage, Vodafone also suffers outages in the UK, and Elisa... Read more »

HN723: ‘It’s like Legos’: Developing a Network Automation Framework Mar 01, 2024

Right now, we have the building blocks for network automation, but we don’t have end-to-end designs or complete systems. It’s like having a bunch of Legos but no instructions for how to build your spaceship. Ryan Shaw, David Sinn, and their colleagues in the Network Automation Forum are tackling this problem. Their goal is to... Read more »

D2C235: Building Modern Apps In GovCloud Feb 28, 2024

Chances are, you’ve probably only heard of GovCloud because at the bottom of new feature releases from the Big 3 there’s usually an asterisk that says “not yet available in GovCloud.” So what is GovCloud? And why does it not get the newest shiny thing as fast as the rest of us? Chris Wahl has... Read more »

PP003: An Insider’s Look At Security Certs Feb 27, 2024

What are the best cybersecurity certs to get? Do advancements in cloud and AI mean security professionals need to re-skill? How do certifying organizations decide what new courses to create? Chief Curriculum Director and Faculty Lead at the SANS Institute, Rob Lee, joins Jennifer “JJ” Minella and Drew Conry-Murray to give an insider’s view on... Read more »

NB467: More AI Assistants Emerge; Nvidia’s AI Goldmine Spurs New Competitors Feb 26, 2024

Take a Network Break! This week we cover financial results from Palo Alto Networks (good, but next quarter’s softer forecast resulted in a drubbing), Cisco (not good), and Nvidia (so good that Wall Street is nervous about how long the party’s gonna last). Prosimo and Nokia have announced generative AI assistants that claim to help... Read more »

HN722: Ivan Pepelnjak’s Netlab Eliminates the Tedious Bits of Labbing Feb 23, 2024

One dark day, Ivan Pepelnjak stopped labbing. He just couldn’t make himself yet again go through assigning addresses, building links, putting devices in place, setting up OSPF, BGP, VXLAN, EVPN, etc. before even being able to start whatever simulation or test he wanted to do. But from that darkness arose netlab. Ivan created netlab to... Read more »

D2C234: What to Do About VMware Feb 21, 2024

Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware has generated a lot of anxiety among VMware customers. In this episode, we closely analyze the situation. First, we look at Broadcom’s past acquisitions in the infrastructure sector. Then we examine the product alignment and possible new product offerings and whether the acquisition will hamper innovation and development. We also cover... Read more »

PP002: The Tricky Biz Of Secrets Management Feb 20, 2024

Today we look at secrets management and privileged access management from the perspective of a network engineer. How do you and your team securely store sensitive data including passwords, SSH keys, API keys, and private certificate keys, while still being able to work nimbly? What Privileged Access Management (PAM) practices can help put guardrails in... Read more »

HN721: Goodbye Network Cowboys, Hello Total Network Operations Feb 16, 2024

The days of network cowboy heroism are over… or at least they need to be. It’s time for network engineering to grow up and standardize how networks are built. Not only will this make life easier for all of us as we inherit networks when we move from company to company, but it’s the only... Read more »

D2C233: Pinning Down Private Clouds Feb 14, 2024

What are we talking about when we are all talking about private clouds? On-prem? Hybrid? Virtualization? Where does hardware fit into it all– and would younger engineers even know what to do with a physical piece of hardware? Driven by Broadcom’s acquisition of VMare and the anticipated rising costs of VMare licenses, enterprises are exploring... Read more »

Welcome to Network Automation Nerds Feb 14, 2024

Hi, I’m Eric Chou, and welcome to the Network Automation Nerds podcast, the newest addition to the Packet Pushers family. This is your audio destination for network engineers and infrastructure professionals who are on a mission to build stronger, more resilient systems through the art of network automation. Join us as we connect with a... Read more »

PP001: WPA3: Everything You Wanted To Know But Were Afraid To Ask Feb 13, 2024

It’s time to make the switch from WPA2 to WPA3. We cover how to do it and what migration challenges to be prepared for no matter what WLAN you are dealing with (open, passphrase, or 802.1x) . We also discuss what features make WPA3 an improvement over WPA2, particularly the replacement of PSK with SAE.... Read more »

NB466: Identifying The Most-Hated ISP; Should AI Write Your Security Policies? Feb 12, 2024

Take a Network Break! We start with an FU on return-to-office policies, and then dive into some announcements from Cisco Live in Amsterdam. Cisco is rolling out rack and blade servers with Nvidia Tensor chips, and Cisco is adding new features to its Digital Experience Monitoring capabilities. Verizon hopes to utilize its MPLS network as... Read more »

HN720: What Yale Learned about RADIUS Load Balancing Feb 09, 2024

Yale’s efforts to load-balance RADIUS servers is a case study in system design for resiliency. First, there was a lone, redundant PSN. Next, F5s load balancers entered the picture. Then the network team realized a feature in IOS-XE was the answer… and brought Cisco along the learning journey with them. Hear it all from the... Read more »

D2C232: Chaos Engineering: Breaking Things on Purpose Feb 07, 2024

Chaos engineering is all about resilience and reliability… it just takes the harder path to get there. By injecting random and unpredictable behavior to the point of failure, chaos engineers observe systems’ weak points, apply preventative maintenance, and develop a failover plan. Matt Schillerstrom from Harness introduces Ned and Ethan to this wild corner of... Read more »

NB465: Dell Terminates VMware Resale Deal; Return-To-Office Orders Backfire Says Study Feb 05, 2024

This week on Network Break we discuss Dell terminating its resale agreement of VMware as Broadcom looks to streamline OEM agreements, a new Wi-Fi AP and cloud-managed switches from Extreme, and the fits and starts in US chip manufacturing. A new study finds Return-To-Office (RTO) mandates don’t improve productivity or company performance, but do drive... Read more »

HN719: Meet SuzieQ, The Network Observability Application Feb 02, 2024

Guest Dinesh Dutt introduces his newest creation, SuzieQ. It’s a network observability platform application that has both a free, open source version and an enterprise version. Lightweight, fast, and platform-agnostic, SuzieQ’s use cases include network documentation, troubleshooting, fabric-wide visibility, network refresh and redesign, low/no code validation, audits and compliance, and proactive health checks. Hosts Ethan... Read more »

Join Us For Packet Protector, A New Cybersecurity Podcast Feb 02, 2024

Hi, I’m Jennifer Minella and I’m excited to finally share with you all that I’ll be co-hosting a new podcast on the Packet Pushers network. It’s called Pocket Protector, a podcast exploring the intersection of networking and security. Each week, we’re drilling into topics, from wired and wireless network security to access control and zero... Read more »

D2C231: Cloud Repatriation: Can Workloads Ever Come Home Again? Jan 31, 2024

Cloud repatriation: Is it a good idea? Guest Marino Wijay, an OSI and networking open source advocate, joins hosts Ethan Banks and Ned Bellavance to discuss the recent interest in cloud repatriation. They cover the intricacies of moving workloads from the cloud back to on-premises or edge environments, and question if it is possible to... Read more »

NB464: Juniper Begins AI Push Into The Data Center; VMware Customers Confront Higher Prices Jan 29, 2024

This week we discuss new products from Juniper including synthetic testing software for its Mist wireless networks and its first step toward integrating its Apstra data center software with AI. VMware clarifies its product strategy as customers face rising prices, and undersea cables in the Red Sea face potential threats. Nokia and Chinese mobile device... Read more »

HN718: Prisma SASE Gets Clever With TCP For Better App And User Experiences (Sponsored) Jan 26, 2024

Remote and hybrid work means network engineers have to grapple with lossy residential networks such as home wireless that your work-from-home folks are using to access company resources. Their Wi-Fi sucks, and so their use of corporate resources sucks. Sure, you’ve got them plumbed into a SASE fabric, but that doesn’t fix their user experience... Read more »

D2C230: Adding Python To Your Operations Toolkit Jan 24, 2024

Today we’re talking about Python. If you’re new to Python and want to add it to your toolkit, this is the show for you. This episode offers a broad perspective on all the approaches and plug-ins that Python includes. Our guest Michael Kennedy is a Python enthusiast and Python instructor. We discuss: Why you should... Read more »

NB463: Cisco Buys eBPF Startup For Cloud-Native Networking; Gartner Forecasts $5 Trillion In IT Spending Jan 22, 2024

This week’s Network Break examines why Cisco bought eBPF startup Isovalent (hint: it’s about cloud-native networking), why Broadcom is cranking up pressure on VMware resellers and customers (hint: it’s about money), and why Google Cloud is sort of dropping fees for customers who want to exit the cloud (hint: it’s about getting out ahead of... Read more »

HN717: Network Source(s) Of Truth – A Roundtable Discussion Jan 19, 2024

On today’s episode, we discuss networking sources of truth. That’s right, sources of truth, because you’re likely to have more than one depending on your environment and your point of view. On LinkedIn, Ethan Banks quoted someone at the AutoCon0 conference who essentially said that the network itself shouldn’t be used as a source of... Read more »

D2C229: Standing Out From The Crowd With Tim Banks Jan 17, 2024

We talk with Tim Banks about a wide range of topics including career development, how to stand out as an interview candidate, building a resume, finding your blind spots, diversity in tech (or lack thereof), and more. Let’s get into all the things with Tim! Episode Guest: Tim Banks | Lead Developer Advocate at Dell... Read more »

NB462: HPE Spends $14 Billion For Juniper Networks; Starlink Tests SMS Via Satellite Jan 15, 2024

Take a Network Break! On today’s show we spend most of the episode talking about HPE’s $14 billion bid for Juniper Networks. We discuss reasons for the deal, product overlap, potential upsides, challenges to integrating these two companies and their product lines, and more. We also talk about a successful test by Starlink to send... Read more »

HN716: Design-Driven Network Automation And Assurance Jan 12, 2024

At AutoCon0 in November 2023, guest Jeremy Schulman delivered a talk from the main stage about delivering network assurance. If the term “network assurance” doesn’t mean anything to you, think about how you prove after an install or a change that the network is doing what it’s supposed to be doing. If you’re doing it... Read more »

D2C228: Building Local Tech Communities Jan 10, 2024

While it’s easy to find technical content and make professional connections online, in-person interactions are still valuable for learning, forging business and personal connections, and career development. On today’s Day Two Cloud we discuss how and why to build local tech communities. Guest Laura Santamaria is a developer, developer advocate, and longtime community builder. We... Read more »

NB461: 2024 Trends – AI Beyond LLMs, Cisco Vs. Everybody, Next-Gen IT Workers, And More Jan 09, 2024

Take a Network Break! We start the new year by examining major themes and trends that we think will affect IT and networking in 2024. Topics include: AI beyond LLMs Whether open source can remain a viable model in a predatory tech environment Cisco vs. everybody Why IT can’t ignore geopolitics for strategic planning What... Read more »

HN715: Prescribing The Right Dose Of Automation For A Hospital Network Jan 05, 2024

At NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, patients are the priority. That focus on patient care extends to the hospital’s campus network, data center, wireless network, and SD-WAN. These networks are instrumental for delivering medical applications and connecting medical devices. On today’s Heavy Networking, we talk with network architects and engineers at NewYork-Presbyterian about their use of automation to... Read more »

D2C227: Platforms Reduce Cognitive Overhead Dec 27, 2023

Today’s show explores platform engineering. Guest Chad McElligott has thought a lot about the practice of platform engineering, and a blog post and talk he gave about the subject inspired us to reach out and have a conversation. Chad describes platform engineering as “the application of a Product Mindset to supporting your engineering organization’s software... Read more »

D2C226: Creating An Effective Cloud Migration Strategy Dec 20, 2023

On today’s Day Two Cloud podcast we talk about a cloud project where things didn’t go as planned. There were people problems, technical problems, and regulatory problems. Our guest Jonah Andersson shares lessons learned and how they can inform your own cloud strategies. We also talk about how to identify your project goals to determine... Read more »

NB460: VMware Ditches Perpetual Licenses; GenAI Is Coming To Network Ops Dec 18, 2023

Broadcom’s VMware has announced an end to perpetual licensing, network automation provider Anuta Networks is adding generative AI capabilities to its Atom platform, and high-end firewall revenues dip but campus switch sales soared in Q3 2023. The Open Networking Foundation, which oversaw open projects around software-defined networking, is closing its doors and folding its projects... Read more »

HN714: Building The Branch Of The Future With SASE Powered By AI (Sponsored) Dec 15, 2023

SD-WAN is evolving to encompass more features and capabilities around security, application performance, network visibility, and more. On today’s Heavy Networking, sponsored by Palo Alto Networks, we look at how SD-WAN has transformed from a simple network connectivity solution to a comprehensive networking and security system. We discuss the limitations of legacy branch routers and... Read more »

D2C225: Security KubeConversations Part 2 – Cloud-Native Security Challenges Dec 15, 2023

This is part two of a special edition of Day Two Cloud we’re calling Security KubeConversations. I spent two days in the Windy City, attending KubeCon Cloud Native Con Chicago 2023. I had the opportunity to speak to a wide array of vendors and open source maintainers about what’s happening on the security front in... Read more »

D2C224: Security KubeConversations Part 1 – Protecting Your Kubernetes Infrastructure Dec 13, 2023

Our KubeConversations series continues with a two-part episode on securing Kubernetes and cloud-native infrastructure. I attended KubeCon 2023 in Chicago and had the opportunity to speak with vendors and open-source maintainers about the work they’re doing to help protect your Kubernetes environments. In this episode we’ll talk about a Kubernetes Bill of Materials, protecting K8s... Read more »

NB459: IBM Aims To Own The Quantum Realm; Amazon Hitches A Ride With SpaceX Dec 11, 2023

IBM has announced a new quantum processor and modular quantum computer in an effort to own the next generation of computing, Cisco unveils an AI assistant to help you untangle firewall rules, and Marvell debuts new DPUs for switches, firewalls, and other networking devices. The MEF looks for ways to stay relevant in the broadband... Read more »

HN713: Network Automation: Where Are We, And Where Can We Go? Dec 08, 2023

Welcome to Heavy Networking! On today’s show we’ve got a roundtable conversation on the state of automation in the networking industry. This show was inspired by the recent AutoCon conference, which is a new conference focused specifically on network automation. Ethan Banks and I both attended, as did two our guests, and we’re going share... Read more »

D2C223: Accelerating VM Performance With Azure Boost Dec 06, 2023

Welcome to Day Two Cloud! In this episode with Microsoft, it’s November 2023, and I’m in Seattle for the Microsoft Ignite conference. If you think you heard this intro before and you’re wondering if you’re hearing the same episode again, you’re not. This is the second episode from Microsoft Ignite 2023. Today, I’m talking with... Read more »

HN712: FortiGuard Security Services: Invisible Operations, Tangible Results (Sponsored) Dec 05, 2023

Today we’re talking security, but security you don’t always see. Fortinet, today’s sponsor, has millions of devices in the field. These are real-world devices seeing real-world traffic, all day, everyday. While those devices have a primary protection role, they can also serve as sensors that collect threat signals and feed threat intelligence services that can,... Read more »

NB458: Broadcom Debuts On-Chip Neural Net, Lays Off VMware Staff; Okta Breach Gets Worse Dec 04, 2023

Broadcom’s latest Trident ASIC will include a neural net inference engine on the chip that can analyze traffic and take action in the packet pipeline, but it’s up to customers to build rules and signatures based on their own training data. Broadcom has also announced it will lay off approximately 1,300 VMware employees. Identity provider... Read more »

HN711: Get Cloud-Like Operation Of Your Data Center With Juniper Apstra And Terraform (Sponsored) Dec 01, 2023

Public clouds abstract away much of the nitty-gritty work that goes into provisioning infrastructure, including networking. Application teams can quickly connect resources and deploy applications without having to know much about the plumbing that links everything together. When they compare the public cloud experience to standing up applications in an on-prem data center, the on-prem... Read more »

D2C222: What’s New In Azure Networking (Sponsored) Nov 29, 2023

From using hollow core fiber to building networks designed to support AI workloads and modern applications, there’s a lot happening in Azure networking. In this sponsored Day Two Cloud episode, recorded live at Microsoft Ignite this November, we have a wide-ranging discussion about new and forthcoming features and capabilities. My guest is Narayan Annamalai, who... Read more »

NB457: Broadcom, VMware Tie The Knot; Nvidia SuperNICs Target AI Ethernet Acceleration Nov 27, 2023

Now that Broadcom’s $69 billion VMware acquisition is complete, will Broadcom invest more in VMware to compete in multi-cloud or settle for profitable revenue collection from existing customers? Nvidia debuts a SuperNIC designed to accelerate Ethernet to support AI workloads and announces partnerships with server makers to bundle its NIC in an AI Ethernet stack.... Read more »

D2C221: KubeConversations Part 2 – Building Cloud Platforms Nov 22, 2023

Welcome to part 2 of my KubeConversations. I spent two days in the Windy City attending KubeCon Cloud Native Con Chicago. I had the opportunity to speak to a wide array of vendors and open source maintainers about what’s going on in the cloud native ecosystem. From those conversations, I picked up on some major... Read more »

NB456: China Flexes Tech Muscles With 1.2Tb Backbone; Will CISOs Mitigate Risk Or Liability? Nov 20, 2023

China demonstrates the strength of its home-grown technology industry by announcing a 1.2Tbit Internet backbone that stretches 3,000 kilometers, Fortinet warns of a 9.8 severity bug in its SIEM product, and Nvidia and Dell roll out ready-made models and infrastructure for enterprises to build their own generative AI apps. HPE Aruba Networking releases a new... Read more »

HN710: The Future Of Networking With Brad Casemore – Part 2 Nov 17, 2023

We continue our Future of Networking series with part two of our conversation with Brad Casemore. Now retired, Brad has participated in the industry as both a technologist and IDC analyst. In this episode we look at the rise of zero trust and what it means for campus networking. We discuss how geopolitics influences IT... Read more »

D2C220: KubeConversations Part 1 – Platform Engineering Nov 15, 2023

Welcome to a special edition of Day Two Cloud. Host Ned Bellavance traveled to KubeCon Chicago 2023 and spoke to vendors and open source maintainers about what’s going on in the cloud-native ecosystem. This episode features conversations on platform engineering. Part 2 will focus on security. Episode Guests: Cole Morrison, Developer Advocate at HashiCorp LinkedIn... Read more »

NB455: Extreme Announces ZTNA Offering; Palo Alto Networks Spends Big On A Browser Startup Nov 13, 2023

Extreme Networks is jumping into Zero Trust Network Access, Palo Alto Networks is reportedly spending more than half a billion dollars to acquire a corporate browser startup, and Forrester predicts as much as 20% of VMware’s customers may jump ship after the Broadcom acquisition completes. Arista touts a strong third quarter, while F5 forecasts a... Read more »

HN709: Protecting Data, Apps With Cloud DLP And CASB (Sponsored) Nov 10, 2023

Cloud environments often have poor visibility and monitoring, and sensitive corporate data can be placed in many different locations – object stores, databases, and so on. Maintaining access control is hard, and managing compliance and governance on that access and data is a real problem. And each cloud has its own proprietary security tools that... Read more »

D2C219: Building A Multi-Cloud Network With A Cloud-Native Approach (Sponsored) Nov 08, 2023

What if you could have a multi-cloud network that was cloud-native, but you didn’t have to know the nitty-gritty details for each of the clouds? That is, you work with a cloud network interface, and that platform handles the networking–in a cloud-native way–for you. You wouldn’t need to know the nuances of AWS, Azure, and... Read more »

NB454: Is Bad InfoSec Now Securities Fraud? Nov 06, 2023

We discuss potential repercussions for security executives after the SEC charges Solar Winds’ CISCO with fraud, examine a new SD-LAN offering from Versa Networks that aims to integrate security controls into a campus fabric, and discuss a new open-source tool from Cloudflare for scrubbing sensitive authentication tokens from HAR files. Extreme Networks posts strong revenues... Read more »

HN708: The Future Of Networking With Brad Casemore – Part 1 Nov 03, 2023

The Future of Networking series continues with Brad Casemore, who survived multiple decades in the technology sector, including sixteen years as an analyst for IDC. He’s been a longtime observer of networking markets, technologies, and trends. Recently retired from the analyst business, we’ve invited Brad onto the show as a kind of exit interview to... Read more »

D2C218: What’s Inside The AI Magic Box? Nov 01, 2023

AI and machine learning are being more widely used in IT and elsewhere. Today's episode opens the AI magic box to better understand what's inside, including software and hardware. We discuss essentials such as training models and parameters, software components, GPUs, networking, and storage. We also discuss using cloud-based AI platforms vs. building your own in-house, and what to consider when assembling your own AI infrastructure.

NB453: Cisco Invests In Quantum Networking; SmartNIC Sales Surge; Intel Unplugs Another Business Oct 30, 2023

Today's episode includes Cisco patching a critical vulnerability affecting IOS-XE gear, startup Prosimo releasing a cost calculator to help network engineers track their public cloud networking costs, and Juniper integrating its SD-WAN to the AWS cloud WAN. We also cover Cisco's investment in a quantum networking startup, growing DPU sales, and Intel divesting from pluggable optical modules.

HN707: Getting Real With Selector’s AIOps (Sponsored) Oct 27, 2023

AI and machine learning are finally being applied to networking in meaningful ways. On today's sponsored show we talk with Selector about its AIOps platform, which ingests networking logs, flows, configurations, SNMP, and other telemetry to detect patterns, spot problems, and provide contextual insights to help network engineers do their jobs better. We speak with Selector about what it is, how it works, and concrete use cases.

D2C217: Building Successful Security Operations – Blue Teaming And Beyond Oct 25, 2023

On today's Day Two Cloud we talk about how to build a successful security practice within your organization. Our guest is Swathi Joshi, VP, SaaS Cloud Security at Oracle. She breaks down security teams into three core groups: proactive security, defensive security, and assurance (risk reduction, enabling secure access, meeting compliance requirements). She also shares her insights around SoCs, security automation, threat and vulnerability management, and successful blue team practices.

NB452: Cisco Makes You Feel Vulnerable; Broadcom 25.6Tbps Routing ASIC Targets Custom Silicon; China Mandates IPv6 Oct 23, 2023

This week's IT news podcast covers a serious Cisco exploit against IOS XE, new firewalls from Juniper, Broadcom's hopes to capture the routing market with merchant silicon, more movement on restoring net neutrality in the US, and more.

Heavy Networking 706: The GitNops Approach To Collaborative Network Automation Oct 20, 2023

Today’s Heavy Networking is about collaborative automation via GitNops, which applies DevOps principles to networking. That means things like version control, working with sources of truth, operating infrastructure as code, and collaborating on network on changes and updates. GitNops benefits include automation, repeatability, and scalability. We'll dive into GitNops with guest Tom McGonagle.

D2C216: Implementing Private AI Architecture With VMware (Sponsored) Oct 18, 2023

The goal of private AI is to bring AI models and compute to where your data is stored to ensure privacy and control. On today's Day Two Cloud, sponsored by VMware, we dig more deeply into private AI, major use cases, and the kinds of data that get fed into a private AI system. We also discuss the infrastructure required to build out a private AI platform, how to connect to your data stores, and VMware's role in virtualizing GPUs to maximize efficiency.

Network Break 451: Making A Ruckus About Wi-Fi 7; Arista Announces 25G Layer 1 Switches; AWS To Require MFA Oct 16, 2023

This week's Network Break covers a new set of Layer 1 switches from Arista for high-frequency trading, Ruckus announcing a (pre-ratified) Wi-Fi 7 AP, and AWS planning to require multi-factor authentication starting in mid-2024. MGM Resorts says it will take a $100 million hit due to a security breach, the UK finally fines Equifax for a 2017 breach, and Broadcom may have cleared a China hurdle to its VMware acquisition.

Heavy Networking 705: Evolving From Python To Platforms For Network Automation (Sponsored) Oct 13, 2023

Today on Heavy Networking we talk about how to get from a handful of Python scripts to a network automation platform that enables a self-service environment and incorporates the checks and governance required to make sure the automation doesn't blow up the network. Our sponsor today is Itential. Itential offers just such a network automation platform. We talk about how Itential makes it happen, including simple and more complex examples.

Day Two Cloud 215: Highlights From The Edge Oct 11, 2023

Today's Day Two Cloud covers highlights from a recent Edge Field Day event. Ned Bellavance was a delegate at the event and will share perceptions and insights based on presentations from the event. Topics include a working definition of edge, the constraints of hosting infrastructure in edge locations (power, space, network connectivity and others), and operational models for running software and services in these environments.

Network Break 450: Cisco, Nutanix Announce HCI Gear; HPE Aruba Releases Wi-Fi 6e Sensor; Amazon Ships Test Satellites Into Orbit Oct 10, 2023

This week's Network Break covers new HCI gear from the Cisco/Nutanix partnership, a sensor to detect Wi-Fi 6e performance, Intel financial engineering, Amazon shipping test satellites for a space broadband service, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 704: Roundtable Redux: Blaming The Network; Containerlab Love; 400G Envy Oct 06, 2023

Today's Heavy Networking is another roundtable episode. We've assembled a group of network engineers to talk about what's on their minds. Topics today include why other IT departments adn end users are quick to blame the network first, and what can be done about it; using Nokia's open-source Containerlab for testing and development work; and why you shouldn't feel left behind when you hear talk about 400G and 800G networks.

Day Two Cloud 214: Preparing People, Teams, And Infrastructure For Automation Oct 04, 2023

Welcome to Day Two Cloud. If you want your journey to infrastructure automation to be successful, you have to prepare for that journey. On today's show we talk about how to lay the groundwork for infrastructure automation or Infrastructure as Code (IaC). And this isn't just about tools and training (though we do also discuss these). There are organizational, team, and personal elements required to help people to incorporate automation into their daily work.

Network Break 449: Amazon Invests $4 Billion In AI Startup; Will Small Modular Reactors Power Public Clouds? Oct 02, 2023

Today's Network Break, with guest host Johna Till Johnson, discusses why Amazon is pouring $4 billion into a generative AI startup, Marvell's response to accusations of an NSA-friendly backdoor in older Cavium products, why Microsoft is investigating small modular nuclear reactors, Meta using public posts to train AI, and more tech news

Heavy Networking 703: Integrating ZTNA And SASE With Palo Alto Networks (Sponsored) Sep 29, 2023

Today’s Heavy Networking, sponsored by Palo Alto Networks, discusses Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) across the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE). You could think of ZTNA, as VPN evolved and SASE as SD-WAN evolved. Not only do you get an overlay connectivity fabric, but you also get cloud-hosted security services. We talk about how it all works together, the role of client software, Palo Alto Networks' architecture, integrating an IDP, and more.

Day Two Cloud 213: Get Application Visibility And Governance For Your K8s Clusters With Lens AppIQ (Sponsored) Sep 28, 2023

Welcome to Day Two Cloud! Today we talk with sponsor Mirantis about Lens AppIQ. If you've started using Kuberentes and you've got multiple clusters supporting many applications, Lens AppIQ help you get visibility into what's going on. Lens AppIQ is a SaaS service that provides app-centric visibility, policy management, and governance. It's targeted at developers and DevOps teams.

Day Two Cloud 212: Cloud Essentials – Object, File, And Block Storage Sep 27, 2023

Day Two Cloud continues the Cloud Essentials series with cloud storage. We focus specifically on AWS's offering, which include object, file, and block storage options. We also discuss special file systems, file caching, instance stores, and more. We cover use cases for the major storage options and their costs. We also touch briefly on storage services including data migration, hybrid cloud storage, and disaster recovery and backup.

Network Break 448: Cisco Splashes Out $28 Billion For Splunk; OpenTofu Is Vegetarian Alternative To Terraform Sep 25, 2023

On today’s Network Break, Greg Ferro is joined by guest co-host Brad Casemore. You can follow Brad on his blog Crepuscular Circus. Greg and Brad discuss new capabilities in Juniper’s Apstra data center automation software, Versa partnering with Intel to put security software on a NIC, and Cisco buying Splunk for $28 billion. The Linux... Read more »

Heavy Networking 702: Supporting Network Automation With The Pandas Python Library Sep 22, 2023

Today's Heavy Networking covers Pandas. Not the cuddly bears that eat bamboo, but the Python library that makes it easy for you to work with a set of data. Import Pandas at the top of your Python script, follow one of many Pandas tutorials online, and in short order you’ll be able to perform data operations in a spreadsheet-like way. We talk network automation use cases for Pandas with Rick Donato.

Day Two Cloud 211: Cloud Security Acronym Soup With Jo Peterson Sep 20, 2023

Today on Day Two Cloud we go deep on new areas of cloud security that you may not be familiar with. There are forces out there that are driving the rise of new security tools and processes, and we bring back guest Jo Peterson to help us make sense of it all.

Network Break 447: Cisco Chases AI Ethernet Fabrics With New Silicon One ASICs; Nokia Announces Routers With Custom Silicon Sep 18, 2023

Today on Network Break we get a plethora of networking news, including Cisco rolling out new custom Ethernet switch ASICs to compete for AI fabrics. Nokia announces new routers also boasting custom silicon, Intel makes noise about the Thunderbolt 5 connector, Marvell touts ASICs for automotive Ethernet, the AfriNIC registry goes into receivership, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 701: Monitoring SD-WAN At Scale With Broadcom (Sponsored) Sep 15, 2023

Our topic today on Heavy Networking is SD-WAN monitoring at massive scale. Scale can grow quickly with SD-WAN when you account for the underlay, overlays, gateways, endpoints, and more. We talk with sponsor Broadcom about their monitoring platform and dig into a case study with a Broadcom customer providing global IT infrastructure for thousands of their own customers.

Day Two Cloud 210: Can Network Automation Catch Up To The Cloud? Sep 13, 2023

On today's Day Two Cloud we discuss the state of network automation and whether and how it can catch up to automation in the public cloud. We look at network automation challenges, define boundaries with other elements of the infrastructure stack, the impact of cloud networking, whether AI and ML can help, and more. Our guests are Chris Grundemann and Scott Robohn, co-founders of the Network Automation Forum (NAF).

Heavy Networking 700: Rethinking Networking and Security For The Campus And Branch With Fortinet (Sponsored) Sep 12, 2023

On today's sponsored Heavy Networking we talk with Fortinet about how it converges network and security across the breadth of its portfolio. Fortinet is best known for its firewalls, but the company also offers campus and branch switches, has a wireless portfolio, offers SD-WAN and SASE, provides AI-supported operations, and more. We also talk about Fortinet's approach to the branch office that rethinks networking, security, and performance.

Network Break 446: Microsoft’s Series Of Unfortunate Events; Huawei’s 7nm Chip Gives US The Middle Finger Sep 11, 2023

This week on Network Break we dig into Microsoft's post-mortem of an attack that led to the theft of emails from multiple US government agencies, discuss Huawei rolling out a new 7nm chip despite US trade restrictions meant to thwart advanced chipmaking, examine a Cisco and Nutanix team-up, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 699: Connecting Multicloud Kubernetes Clusters With Virtual Application Networks Sep 08, 2023

Virtual Application Networks, or VANs, are today’s Heavy Networking topic. Our guest is Ted Ross, motive force behind the Skupper.io project. Skupper builds VANs in Kubernetes clusters that are conceptually like a VLAN or VPN, except that all the magic happens at layer 7. Skupper is based on the Advanced Message Queueing Protocol (AMQP), making it effectively a message bus used to interconnect application messages inside of mTLS tunnels running on top of whatever L3 network is available. If you're confused, don't be. We talk it all out, and explain why it's relevant to today's networking pros.

Day Two Cloud 209: Cloud Essentials – Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs) Sep 06, 2023

Today's Day Two Cloud kicks off an occasional series on cloud essentials. For the first episode we discuss the Virtual Private Cloud (VPC). A VPC is an fundamental construct of a public cloud. It's essentially your slice of the shared cloud infrastructure, and you can launch and run other elements within a VPC to support your workload. Ned Bellavance walks through key VPC components including regions and AZs, networking and IP addressing, paid add-ons, data egress and associated charges, monitoring and troubleshooting, and basic security controls.

Network Break 445: Juniper Pairs With ChatGPT, Microsoft To Unpair Teams In The EU Sep 05, 2023

Today on Network Break we discuss Juniper integrating ChatGPT with its AI digital assistant, Microsoft's plan to unbundle Teams in the EU to fend off regulators, financial results from soon-to-be-paired Broadcom and VMware, a 5G follow-up, and more.

Heavy Networking 697: Getting Operational Visibility Into The Networks That Matter (Sponsored) Sep 01, 2023

In today's sponsored Heavy Networking we explore new features in Cisco Thousand Eyes, an operational tool based on visibility and observability of public and private network. Thousand Eyes has continued to grow into complex operational areas such AWS Network Path, Webex performance, and integrations with Meraki to help you identify and fix network and application performance problems.

Day Two Cloud 208: HashiCorp Licensing Changes And The Day Two Cloud-Chaos Lever Crossover Aug 30, 2023

Today on Day Two Cloud we dive into the implications of licensing changes that HashiCorp has made to its popular Terraform software. In short, the company has switched from an open source to a business source license. HashiCorp says it felt compelled to make the change to ensure that some other business entity doesn't take the open-source software and turn it into a competing product (looking at you, AWS). Will the licensing change have a significant impact? For 99% of users probably not, but there are caveats and concerns to discuss. Today's show is a crossover with Chaos Lever, a weekly podcast co-hosted by Ned Bellavance and Chris Hayner that covers IT news.

Network Break 444: NVIDIA Mines GPU Gold; VMware Wants To Sell You Private AI; SUSE Prepares To Go Private Aug 28, 2023

Take a Network Break! On today's episode we discuss two announcements from VMware Explore 2023: a private AI offering, and a revamped NSX for public and private cloud networking. We also discuss recent rule changes at the SEC that require public companies to disclose material security incidents in a timely manner, NVIDIA's huge revenue results, SUSE going private, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 696: EVPN Fundamentals (And Some VXLAN) With Tony Bourke Aug 25, 2023

EVPN/VXLAN is our topic on today's Heavy Networking. What is it? What’s it for? Should you deploy it? Since you’ve probably already got a network, how do you add EVPN to it? Do you need special hardware? How does EVPN impact your security design? And what are the fundamentals? Our guest with the answers is IT instructor Tony Bourke.

Network Break 443: Nuclear DCs, Mobile Cars, Fibrechannel, Open Source And Cheese Aug 21, 2023

We’ve got more durm and strang in open source license debate, cars that don't work wihtout a network, something mumble something Fibrechannel, a security acquisition by Check Point, cheesy microchips and more.

Heavy Networking 695: Automating Network And Firewall Operations With BackBox (Sponsored) Aug 18, 2023

On today's Heavy Networking we explore network and firewall automation with sponsor BackBox. BackBox has developed a platform that aims to deliver practical automation out of the box. We get under the hood to understand how it works, what it delivers, and how it addresses the challenges of network and security operations.

Day Two Cloud 207: Making Sense Of SSE, SASE, And SD-WAN Aug 16, 2023

On today's Day Two Cloud we examine the similarities and differences among SSE and SASE, which provide cloud-delivered security; and SD-WAN, which can provide connections to these services. We also discuss the drivers for cloud-delivered security, the role of networking, where and how zero trust can come into play, some of the big players in these spaces, and more.

Network Break 442: HashiCorp Swaps Open Source For BSL; Open Enterprise Linux Goes After RHEL Aug 14, 2023

Today on Network Break we discuss big moves in open source, including HashiCorp switching from an open source license to "business source" and Red Hat competitors banding together to offer an alternative to Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). We also discuss Google's odd attempt to get employees back to the office by charging them to stay at an on-campus hotel.

Heavy Networking 694: A Network Engineering Roundtable Aug 11, 2023

This week on Heavy Networking we've assembled a roundtable of network engineers to talk about...stuff. Each guest has brought a topic to discuss with the table, so we've got lots of subjects and lots of experiences and opinions. In particular we explore SPB, career advice, getting network automation off the ground, and the joys and perils of self-hosting.

Day Two Cloud 206: Making The Most Of Red Teaming With Gemma Moore Aug 09, 2023

Red teams attack a customer's security systems. The idea of a red team, whether consultants or in-house, is to approach the target like an attacker would. A red team includes technical and human-based exploit and attempts to test defenses, probe for weaknesses, and identify vulnerable systems and processes. On today's episode we look at how to get the most out of a red team engagement--it's much more than just an attack and a report.

Network Break 441: AWS Makes You Pay For IPv4; Superconductor Claims Meet Resistance; An Ultra Ethernet Q&A Aug 07, 2023

Take a Network Break! This week we discuss new charges for IPv4 addresses being levied by AWS, Cisco's acquisition of a BGP monitoring service, and financial results for a host of tech companies. We also speak with J Metz, the Steering Committee Chair of the Ultra Ethernet Consortium to learn more about the organization's goals; and examine the efforts to investigate claims of a breakthrough in superconducting research.

Heavy Networking 693: Securing Workforce Transformation With Cloud SWG (Sponsored) Aug 04, 2023

On today's sponsored Heavy Networking we dig into cloud-delivered Secure Web Gateways (SWGs), which help guard end users against Web-based threats and enforce corporate Web access policies. As employees split time between home, office, and who knows where else, and as more applications move online, cloud-based SWGs help connect and protect workers. Our sponsor is Palo Alto Networks.

Day Two Cloud 205: States Of Quantum Computing With Abby Mitchell Aug 02, 2023

Today's Day Two Cloud peers inside the box of quantum computing. We explore how it works, what qbits are and why they matter, the current state of quantum computing hardware, what problems could be solved with quantum computing, and how you can get involved with it via the Qiskit open-source project. Our guest is Abby Mitchell, Quantum Developer Advocate at IBM.

Network Break 440: Broadcom Releases SONiC-Friendly Trident; Senator Requests Investigations Into Microsoft’s Shoddy Security Jul 31, 2023

On this week's Network Break we discuss a new Broadcom ASIC, a request from US Senator Ron Wyden to three US agencies to investigate Microsoft for sloppy security practices, an Intel pledge to add AI to all its platforms, Juniper financial results, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 692: Implementing Practical Network Automation – With Tony Bourke Jul 28, 2023

If you’ve been staring down the barrel of network automation and wonder what the proper approach might be, today’s episode is for you. The Packet Pushers chat with Tony Bourke about what network automation tools and techniques have become the default standard, how to prepare your network and team for automation, and how to get started.

Day Two Cloud 204: Deploying Cloud-Delivered Security With Cisco Secure Access (Sponsored) Jul 26, 2023

On today's Day Two Cloud we get inside Cisco Secure Access, a new set of cloud-delivered security services from Cisco. We discuss the security capabilities on offer, the service's architecture and components, how Cisco addresses concerns around user experience and performance, and more. This is a sponsored episode.

Network Break 439: Ethernet Gets Ultra Injection For AI; Huawei Climbs The Patent Charts Jul 24, 2023

This week on Network Break we discuss the launch of the Ultra Ethernet Consortium and its intention to revamp Ethernet to support AI and HPC workloads. We also cover NOS startup Arrcus pulling in a $65 million series D round, Fortinet launching big-iron firewalls, Huawei flexing its patent muscles in 5G and wireless, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 691: Why OOB Infrastructure Is Critical For IT Ops & Automation With ZPE Systems (Sponsored) Jul 21, 2023

On today’s Heavy Networking podcast, we look at how sponsor ZPE Systems is rethinking Out-Of-Band management for automated, NetOps-driven infrastructure. This includes tasks like device staging, deployments, upgrades, and more. And you don’t just have to take ZPE’s word for it; we also talk to a customer who’s using the products to run a retail business with a lean networking team that supports more than fifty sites.

Day Two Cloud 203: Becoming An SRE – It’s More Than Just Software Skills Jul 19, 2023

If you want to be a Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) you need strong software skills. You also have to be versed in observability, incident response, capacity planning, change management, performance, even security. But wait, there's more! Our guest on today's Day Two Cloud argues you need strong communication skills, emotional intelligence, personal resilience, and the ability to work with a team. Our guest is Amin Astaneh.

Network Break 438: Intel Abandons NUC; EU Blesses Broadcom/VMware Union; Microsoft Joins SSE Race Jul 17, 2023

Take a Network Break! This week we discuss Intel walking away from the NUC PC, Microsoft rebranding Azure AD and launching an SSE offering, and Microsoft Exchange Online getting hacked. We also cover the EU's conditional approval of Broadcom's VMware acquisition, why Wireshark needs your help, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 690: LACP Is Not Link Aggregation – With Tony Bourke Jul 14, 2023

On today’s Heavy Networking we talk LACP and link aggregation. While bonding two or more links together to act as a single virtual link has been done for decades, LACP and link aggregation aren't the same thing, and the distinction matters. Our guest to get into the differences is network instructor Tony Bourke.

Day Two Cloud 202: How Azure Embraces Terraform For Infrastructure As Code Jul 12, 2023

On today's Day Two Cloud, we talk with Microsoft about how it's embracing Terraform to make it Azure-friendly, including the Terraform Export Tool, the AzAPI Provider, and a Terraform on Azure community. This is not a sponsored episode.

Network Break 437: Ethernet Turns 50; TSMC Imports Workers For Arizona Fab; BT, HPE Partner On Managed LAN Jul 10, 2023

On today's Network Break, Greg Ferro wishes Ethernet an unhappy birthday, HPE and BT want to manage your LAN, TSMC brings in Taiwanese workers to build new fabs in Arizona, Nokia touts new Fixed Wireless Access milestones, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 689: Prepping For Certification Exams With Mary Fasang Jul 07, 2023

Certifications are a part of life in IT. On today's Heavy Networking we explore preparation strategies with guest Mary Fasang. Her certs run the gamut from CompTIA to MCSE to the CCNP, as well as the PMP and ITIL certs. How should you prepare for a cert in 2023 when there’s so much content, so many training options, as well as home labbing available? How do you handle failure? Which certs have been the hardest? What study materials have proved helpful? Mary shares her strategies.

Day Two Cloud 201: Building A Product That Uses LLMs Jul 05, 2023

Today we talk about Large Language Models (LLMs) and writing products and applications that use LLMs. Our guest is Phillip Carter, Principal PM at Honeycomb.io. Honeycomb makes an observability tool for site reliability engineers, and Carter worked on a project called Query Assistant that helps Honeycomb users get answers to questions about how to use the product and get insights from it. We discuss taking natural language input and turning it into outputs to help SREs do their jobs.

Network Break CCCCXXXVII: Summer Holiday Special! Jul 03, 2023

This bonus episode of Network Break discusses a new free tier of Prosimo's multi-cloud networking offering, the latest ThousandEyes acquisition, new SEC problems for SolarWinds, and a million-dollar refrigerator.

Heavy Networking 688: Packet-Level Fundamentals With Chris Greer Jun 30, 2023

Packet-level fundamentals are essential for network engineers to be able to diagnose and solve network and application problems. On today's Heavy Networking, we dive into the transport layer and packets with packet analysis expert and instructor Chris Greer.

Day Two Cloud 200: Coaching For Accidental (And On-Purpose) Managers Jun 28, 2023

Going from a tech role to manager is more than just a new gig---it's a full-blown career change. On today's Day Two Cloud we talk with management coach Steve Dwire about a manager's primary responsibilities, what new managers usually get wrong, management education vs. experience, and how to get better at the job. This episode goes places we didn't expect, so come along for the ride.

HN687 Juniper CORA Coherent Optics Enabling IPoDWDM Jun 27, 2023

Its about reducing the cost and complexity of DWDM coherent optical networks. Connecting the DWDM network directly to your router removes the DWDM edge equipment which simplifies operation, reduce cost,space & power while improving provisioning time. How is Juniper entering this market and what do you need to know ?

NB436: Cisco AI Silicon, DEM. HPE Greenlake AI LLM. FCC Talks Bandwidth Caps. Jun 26, 2023

Cisco announces AI Networking versions of SIlicon One ASICs and buys another DEM business. HPE Greenlake adds AI LLM. FTC talks bandwidth caps. Google accusing Microsoft of monopolistic behaviour. We laughed.

NB435: Your FUs, VMware takeover, DPU News and Cooling is Toxic Jun 19, 2023

FU, vendors co-operating ? Google ditches something, Quantum computing, the state of AMD DPUs. Finally liquid cooling is toxic due to PFAS are 'forever chemicals'.

Heavy Networking 686: Juniper Cloud-Native Contrail Networking CN2 (Sponsored) Jun 16, 2023

Today we’re going deep on software-defined networking for containers and OpenStack with sponsor Juniper Networks. Juniper has revamped its approach to secure networking for telcos and telco cloud-delivered services with Juniper’s Cloud-Native Contrail Networking or CN2 software. CN2 lets you automate the creation of network connections for containers and for virtual machines while also providing routing, security, segmentation and isolation of workloads. Our guest and guide into the guts of Cloud-Native Contrail Networking, hereafter referred to as CN2, is Nick Davey. Nick is Director of Product Management for SDN and Telco Cloud technologies.

Day Two Cloud 199: Platform Engineering With Suzanne Daniels Jun 14, 2023

Welcome to this episode of Day Two Cloud! Today, we'll be diving into the world of platform engineering and internal developer portals. Our special guest, Suzanne Daniels, Developer Relations Lead at Port, will be sharing her insights on how platform engineering can take your DevOps journey to the next level. With platform engineering, you can treat technology as a product and developers as customers, resulting in a more efficient and effective workflow.

Heavy Networking 685: Opengear With Zero Trust Approach in the Out of Band (sponsored) Jun 14, 2023

Remote operation of infrastructure has renewed importance in the era of remote working. Opengear offers secure, zero trust and segmented methods to reach serial & LAN ports plus GUI interfaces. You can add observability agents like Thousand Eyes into containers so that your worst day becomes just another day.

Network Break 434: Cisco Licensing To Get Simpler, Bluecat Buys Again, Hashicorp Money Problems, and Itential Pops A Release Jun 12, 2023

Take a Network Break: Drew is on holiday (again) and Ethan shows up. Who knew he was still around ? We start with FU, Cisco Live was underwhelming announcing a new focus simplicity and that customers hate their licensing, Bluecat spends again, Hashicorp gets a financial slapping, Itential ships a new version and Quantum Space Networking.

Heavy Networking 684: What To Do With Your E-Waste? Jun 09, 2023

By some estimates, 50 to 70 million tons of e-waste is generated every year, and that number is growing. When sent to landfills to be buried or burned, e-waste can leach toxic chemicals into soil and air. On today’s Heavy Networking, we’ll look at options for responsible disposal of IT gear, including repurposing it on site, reselling or donating it, and working with e-cycling companies.

Day Two Cloud 198: Modern Cloud Design Themes From CFD 17 Jun 07, 2023

Today's Day Two Cloud explores some design themes that emerged from the Cloud Field Day event. These themes include platform engineering, data protection and recovery, and how to deal with the fact that old technology never dies. Guest Michael Levan joins Ned Bellavance and Ethan Banks to discuss these themes and their implications for cloud application builders and operators.

Heavy Networking 683: Palo Alto Networks Integrates AIOps Into ADEM For Faster Remediation (Sponsored) Jun 06, 2023

On today’s Heavy Networking we have a conversation about monitoring, visibility, and observability with sponsor Palo Alto Networks. More specifically we’ll dig into Palo Alto Networks’ Autonomous Digital Experience Management, or ADEM product, and how Palo Alto Networks is integrating ADEM with AIOps.

Network Break 433: NVIDIA Melds Switches, DPUs For AI Networking Fabric; FTC Says Amazon Ring Employee Spied On Female Customers Jun 05, 2023

This week's Network Break discusses a new Google offering to interconnect public clouds, NVIDIA's platform for AI networking fabrics using Ethernet switches and DPUs, and Cisco's latest security acquisition. We also cover Riverbed getting a new private equity owner, Amazon paying a pittance to the FTC to settle allegations of customer privacy violations, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 682: Automating Upgrades And Ensuring Compliance With BackBox (Sponsored) Jun 02, 2023

If you’ve shied away from network automation because you’re a network engineer not a coder, fear not. There are network automation approaches that can help you get needful work done and don’t require a computer science degree. On today's Heavy Networking we talk with sponsor BackBox about its practical approach to network automation and dive into use cases including network OS backups and compliance.

Day Two Cloud 197: Understanding Decentralized Identity With Dr. Joanne Friedman May 31, 2023

On today's Day Two Cloud we dive into Decentralized Identity, or DID. This W3C standard is a unique identifier, authenticated by cryptographic proofs, that individuals and organizations can generate themselves using systems they trust. A DID can be a person, an object, an organization, a data model, or other subject. We explore DIDs, how they work, and what they can be used for with Dr. Joanne Friedman.

Network Break 432: DriveNets Aims To Make Ethernet AI-Friendly; China Goes Eye-For-An-Eye With US Over Tech Bans May 30, 2023

This week we discuss a new offering from DriveNets that aims to make Ethernet more suitable as a network fabric for AI workloads, why the EU slapped Meta with a $1.3 billion fine, and a new offering from Extreme Networks that lets you manage Extreme gear in the cloud or from on-prem, China banning Micron, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 681: Under The Hood Of Formula 1 Networking May 26, 2023

Modern F1 racing is bathed in data. Real-time vehicle telemetry. In-car video feeds. More video from camera crews and drones. Live streaming. All of this and more needs a network. On today's Heavy Networking we speak with Formula 1's David Ramsden, Senior Network Engineer; and Lee Wright, Head of IT Operations, to get the inside track on building the networks that support F1 races.

Day Two Cloud 196: Peering Behind The Curtain Of Podsqueeze’s AI Podcasting Service May 24, 2023

Today's show gets behind the curtain of a cloud service called Podsqueeze. Podsqueeze is an application that ingests audio and video files and then produces text-based output including a show description, an episode transcript, suggested headlines, segment timestamps, suggested social media posts, and more. The Packet Pushers are experimenting with Podsqueeze as part of our own production. Being curious nerds, we thought this was a good opportunity to see how the service really works. Our guest is Tiago Ferreira, one of the entrepreneurs and developers of Podsqueeze.

Network Break 431: Juniper NAC Emerges From The Mist; New Google TLDs Are A Bad Idea May 22, 2023

This week's Network Break looks at a new Network Access Control (NAC) offering from Juniper, plus a ChatGPT integration with Juniper's Marvis. Google debuts new Top-Level Domains that have security experts worried, Cisco reports a robust Q3, Broadcom tries to assuage EU regulators about its VMware acquisition, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 680: Speed Up Mean Time To WAN Innocence With Broadcom NetOps (Sponsored) May 19, 2023

It's common for SD-WAN vendors to offer monitoring as part of the solution, but leaves the question … how do I monitor the rest of the network? Today’s sponsor Broadcom offers digital experience monitoring that is independent of the underlying WAN infrastructure. We explore how it works with guest is Jeremy Rossbach, Chief Technical Evangelist, NetOps by Broadcom.

Day Two Cloud 195: Planning For Post-Quantum Cryptography May 17, 2023

Today's Day Two Cloud explores post-quantum cryptography and how to make your cryptographic secrets safe from quantum computers. We're looking at a time horizon of at least five or ten years, so this isn't an immediate threat, but it doesn't hurt to start thinking about it now. We dive into how quantum computing and quantum encryption work, their impact on cryptographic secrets, what it means for technologies such as IPSec VPNs, and more. Melchior Aelmans is our guest.

Network Break 430: Cisco Viptela Customers Have A Certifiably Bad Day; IT Crimes And Punishments May 15, 2023

Take a Network Break! This week we cover some follow-up on Lumen. Then we dive into a massive Cisco blunder that let a digital certificate expire on some models of the Viptela SD-WAN appliance, causing device failures. Extreme Networks release a new Wi-Fi 6e AP and core and aggregation switches, a Ubiquiti employee who stole... Read more »

Heavy Networking 679: Mountaintop Networking And Long-Haul Wireless May 12, 2023

Today's Heavy Networking explores the challenges Wireless ISPs (WISPs) face when bringing services to locations without a lot of fiber in the ground. Those challenges include lining up radio antennas, maintaining mountaintop gear, wild horses, network and routing designs, and more. Our guest is Bradley Thompson, Senior Network Engineer at SkyFiber Internet.

Day Two Cloud 194: Unpacking Flexera’s State Of The Cloud Report With Keith Townsend May 10, 2023

When you're deep in the trenches of operating your cloud, sometimes it's helpful to step back and get a broader view of what's happening in the industry. On today's Day Two Cloud we explore the results of an annual State of the Cloud survey to get a snapshot of trends impacting the cloud industry, including multicloud adoption, services used, cloud usage and spending, and the challenges of finding and training talent. Our guest to help us unpack the report is Keith Townsend.

Network Break 429: Palo Alto Previews Azure Firewall; White House Chases AI Horse After It Escapes Barn May 08, 2023

Take a Network Break! This week we discuss a new Azure-native cloud firewall from Palo Alto Networks, why pharma giant Merck might be owed a big settlement from its cyber-insurers, and why HPE wants to simplify its branding. Lumen offers 400G IP transit ports, the US White House announces actions to promote safe, responsible AI; Versa Networks rolls out zero trust for remote and campus users, and Rogers teams up with SpaceX to allow SMS messaging via satellite.

Heavy Networking 678: How Cisco Accelerates The IP/Optical Automation Journey (Sponsored) May 05, 2023

On today's Heavy Networking we dive into the frameworks commonly used by service providers to tackle network slicing and traffic engineering challenges. We'll also talk their pros and cons, and the approach that Cisco is seeing its customers adopt as providers create virtual networking products for their customers. Cisco is our sponsor for today's show.

Day Two Cloud 193: Should You Get A Cloud Networking Cert? May 04, 2023

On today's Day Two Cloud we explore cloud networking certifications. Who do these certs make sense for? Which clouds should you focus on? What do certifications typically cover? Where do third-party devices such as firewalls and load balancers fit into the certification picture? If you're an old-school CLI jockey coming into cloud networking, how should you approach concepts such as Infrastructure as Code (IaC)?

Heavy Networking 677: US Networking User Association – Meetups For Network Engineers May 02, 2023

You ever want a group of fellow networking nerds to hang with once in a while? The US Networking User Association might be exactly what you’re looking for. With local networking user groups popping up in various places all over the US and soon other countries, the USNUA is fostering community and knowledge sharing for networkers everywhere. On today's Heavy Networking we speak with Jason Gintert and Chris Kane, two of the folks behind the USNUA organization, to discuss what the USNUA is, and how you can work with them to get a NUG started in your area.

Network Break 428: Arista Announces Cloud-Based NAC; Is Google Cloud Finally Making Money? May 01, 2023

Take a Network Break! This week we discuss a new NAC solution from Arista Networks, a new version of Central from HPE Aruba, and the latest version of NetBrain. We also cover a new XDR offering from Cisco, Google Cloud's quarterly financial results, Microsoft entanglements with EU and UK regulators, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 676: Implementing ZTNA And SASE With Fortinet (Sponsored) Apr 28, 2023

Fortinet is a security vendor most of you have heard of. But if all you think of when you hear the name “Fortinet” is firewalls, well yeah, but you should think more broadly. On today's sponsored Heavy Networking we're going after the work-from-anywhere challenge with Fortinet’s Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) tech, all of which is baked into FortiOS. If you’re running a FortiGate, you’ve got these capabilities already.

Day Two Cloud 192: OpenTelemetry – Getting From Visibility To Observability With Ben Hall Apr 26, 2023

OpenTelemetry is an open-source project that brings together tools, SDKs, and APIs for collecting telemetry--that is, logs, metrics, and traces---in a standardized way. The goal of the project is to help developers and operators instrument highly distributed applications and services to understand dependencies, monitor performance, and quickly troubleshoot problems. On today's Day Two Cloud podcast we explore OpenTelemetry and how it works. We also discuss the difference between visibility and observability, and why this matters. Our guest is Ben Hall.

Network Break 427: Prosimo Launches Cloud-Native Networking Suite; Broadcom Stitches New Jericho ASIC For AI-Friendly Network Fabrics Apr 24, 2023

Take a Network Break! This week we cover new cloud networking capabilities from Prosimo, discuss Broadcom's latest version of the Jericho ASIC which is being positioned for network fabrics for AI workloads, and explore the latest version of the open-source Dent network OS. We also cover financial results from F5, Starlink price cuts, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 675: Enabling Self-Service Automation & NetDevOps With Itential (Sponsored) Apr 21, 2023

Today’s Heavy Networking podcast explores the concept of NetDevOps with sponsor Itential. The idea behind NetDevOps is to advance your network to the point where it’s self-service; that is, the network you operate can be consumed the way public cloud services are consumed. Our guest is Itential co-founder & CTO Chris Wade.

Day Two Cloud 191: Modernizing Cloud Security And Optimizing Costs With Jo Peterson Apr 19, 2023

Today's Day Two Cloud delves into cloud security and cloud cost optimization for SaaS and public clouds. Our guest is Jo Peterson. On the security front, we compare and contrast traditional on-prem and cloud security challenges, explore the shared responsibility model of cloud security, and more. For cost optimization we discuss the growing concern about cloud costs, why optimization tools still need humans, tips for tracking multicloud spending, and more.

Network Break 426: NetBox Labs Raises $20 Million; Intel Foundry, Arm Team Up To Make SoCs Apr 17, 2023

This week's Network Break discusses NetBox Labs's $20 million funding round and why it spun itself out of NS1's IBM acquisition, Intel Foundry and Arm teaming up on SoC manufacturing, why Amazon sees headwinds for public cloud spending (and why the opportunity is still huge), how the juice-jacking threat got hyped, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 674: IPv6 Essentials For Network Engineers – Think Abundance, Not Scarcity Apr 14, 2023

On today’s Heavy Networking we get into IPv6 essentials for network engineers, including how to incorporate IPv6 support in upcoming projects, how IPv6 affects NAT and subnetting, what the heck Happy Eyeballs and nibble boundaries are, and why you should approach IPv6 with a mindset of abundance not scarcity.

Day Two Cloud 190: Serious Public Clouds Invest In Infrastructure With Charles Fitzgerald Apr 12, 2023

On today's Day Two Cloud we dive into how the public clouds spend their money and what IT and engineering folks can learn from those spending patterns. We also look at the notion of cloud repatriation and how prevalent (or not) it is. Our guest is Charles Fitzgerald, a CapEx obsessive who writes the Platformonomics blog.

Network Break 425: Microsoft Adds Security Copilot To AI Squadron; Samsung Stung By ChatGPT Leaks Apr 10, 2023

This week's Network Break examines Security Copilot, the latest AI-infused assistant in Microsoft's growing arsenal; discusses optical advancements from Arelion and Infinera that sent 400Gb wavelengths over 1,800 kilometers; examine a news report that claims Tesla workers shared "highly invasive" images recorded by vehicle cameras; plus even more tech news.

Heavy Networking 673: Multicast DNS Gone Wild On Your WLAN Apr 07, 2023

You know all those Apple and other IoT devices connected to your wireless network? Lots of them run apps that discover services on your network via multicast DNS (mDNS). All of that mDNS traffic can have a significant impact on your WLAN’s performance. On today's Heavy Networking we talk with guest Bryan Ward who has actually measured the impact of mDNS on a production wireless network to see what would happen if he let mDNS traffic run wild.

Day Two Cloud 189: The Cloud Network Engineer Career Path With Kam Agahian Apr 05, 2023

Today on Day Two Cloud we explore what it takes to transition from traditional networking to a career as a cloud network engineer. Guest Kam Agahian shares insights from his own career journey about what's the same and what's different between on-prem and cloud networking, what skills might you want to pick up to make the transition, recommended certifications, and more.

Network Break 424: Amazon Invites Devs To Its Sidewalk Wireless Network; OneWeb Readies Global Satellite Internet Service Apr 03, 2023

On today's Network Break podcast we cover Amazon opening its Sidewalk low-power IoT wireless network to developers, Cisco putting the expiration date on Prime Infrastructure, HAProxy adding QUIC support in its enterprise load balancer, Huawei touting revenue stability, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 672: Overcoming Your Imposter Syndrome Mar 31, 2023

Lots of folks suffer from impostor syndrome. Tech is complex--how could you know what you’re doing? And yet, many of us are responsible for incredibly complex IT systems. Fake it ‘til you make it, right? To handle the cognitive dissonance of impostor syndrome, we overcompensate. In doing so, we pay a personal price. Today's Heavy Networking guest is Matt Vitale. He's here to share what he's learned about coping with and overcoming imposter syndrome.

Day Two Cloud 188: Out-Of-Band Management And Infrastructure Automation With ZPE Systems (Sponsored) Mar 29, 2023

On today's Day Two Cloud podcast we talk through out-of-band management network design with sponsor ZPE Systems. If your idea of OOB management is a jump box and some terminal servers, there’s a lot more to the story when you bring automation tooling into the picture. We'll learn how ZPE gear works and talk with customer Vapor IO about using ZPE gear in its edge compute sites.

Network Break 423: Arista Woos Large Enterprises With New SD-WAN Router; Google Breaks Glass Enterprise Mar 27, 2023

This week's Network Break covers Arista's new WAN routers that get the company into the SD-WAN market, debates whether Aryaka targeting SMEs is a sign of problems or opportunity, and discusses an update on the size of the SASE market. We also look at an HPE acquisition, the use of exploding USBs to target journalists, space networking, and more.

Heavy Networking 671: Is ChatGPT Coming For Your Job? Mar 24, 2023

On today's Heavy Networking we sub in a podcast from our Heavy Strategy channel. Greg Ferro from the Packet Pushers and Johna Till Johnson, CEO of Nemertes Research, discuss the impacts of ChatGPT and AI on the technology workspace, including whether human workers can partner with these tools to increase productivity and improve technology experiences. They don't have answers, but they do have unanswered questions.

Day Two Cloud 187: The Back End Of Bear Blog With Herman Martinus Mar 22, 2023

Today on Day Two Cloud we talk with developer Herman Martinus about his open-source blogging platform Bear. We talk about how a developer views infrastructure and operations, and how he went about building his platform.

Network Break 422: Microsoft Tasks Copilot To Do Your Drudge Work; Cisco Debuts A New Learning Platform Mar 20, 2023

On this week's Network Break podcast we examine Palo Alto Networks adding AI Ops to its SASE offering, and Microsoft Copilot bringing AI into its suite of Office tools. The Ethernet Adapter market grew 22% in 2022, but not because more NICs were sold; we discuss the real reasons and cover more tech news.

Heavy Networking 670: The Challenges And Satisfactions Of Building And Running A Mastodon Instance Mar 17, 2023

On today’s Heavy Networking I talk with two people who have built and are running Hachyderm, a Mastodon instance which orients itself towards technical-minded folks. What started as a cool project in the basement suddenly grew to tens of thousands of users. I talk with Hachyderm's founders on how they scaled, problems they encountered, how they solved problems, and how they grappled with technical and human challenges.

Day Two Cloud 186: A Day In The Life Of A Sales Engineer With Pete Robertson Mar 15, 2023

Today's Day Two Cloud episode gets into sales engineering. IT pros may look down on sales for not being a strictly technical discipline, but it turns out there's more overlap between an engineer and a sales engineer than you might think. Both have to solve problems, understand requirements, and design and deliver outcomes. Our guest is Pete Robertson, a sales engineer for a value-added reseller.

Network Break 421: Huawei Is Both In And Out Of German Networks; Hot-Desking Rubs Hybrid Workers Wrong Mar 13, 2023

Take a Network Break! On today's episode we discuss a record quarter for switch sales, examine Germany's mixed signals about allowing Huawei gear in its networks, and debate whether employees' frustration over Google's desk-sharing plan is just entitled whining or a legitimate complaint. Plus more IT news.

Heavy Networking 669: Graphiant’s Network Edge Service Rethinks SD-WAN (Sponsored) Mar 10, 2023

On today's Heavy Networking, sponsor Graphaint is here to discuss how it's rethinking SD-WAN using a Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) model to help customers consume WAN connectivity instead of setting up and operating a WAN for themselves. Graphiant combines SD-WAN mainstays such as multiple connection options and traffic policies based on applications and performance, without the operational overhead of SD-WAN tunnels. We dive into the how and why in this episode.

Day Two Cloud 185: Grappling With Cloud Strategies With Tim Banks Mar 08, 2023

Today on Day Two Cloud we engage in strategic thinking about cloud, workload repatriation, costs and spending, DevOps and Kubernetes, and more with guest Tim Banks. Tim is a Lead Developer Advocate at Dell Technologies and has done stints at AWS, Equinix, and the Duckbill Group. Besides being a techie, Tim Banks is also a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu champion and world-ranked competitor in his class.

Network Break 420: Cisco, HPE Buy Security Startups; Can We Finally Hold Vendors Responsible For Software Defects? Mar 06, 2023

Take a Network Break! We begin with some FU on what constitutes on-prem and off-prem, and then dive into news. Cisco and T-Mobile are partnering on 5G gateways, Cisco Webex is getting installed as a feature(?) in Mercedes E-Class cars, and Cisco is buying multi-cloud security startup Valtix. Valtix offers firewalling, IPS, a cloud Web... Read more »

Heavy Networking 668: Inside A Virtualization Consultant’s Home Lab Mar 03, 2023

On Heavy Networking today we look at a home lab running VMware products including NSX, as well as infrastructure-as-code products Terraform, Packer, and Ansible. These use cases create a different hardware demand than virtualized network operating system images. Guest Maarten Van Driessen explains it all, including how he saves money on lab gear.

Day Two Cloud 184: Think Multiplatform, Not Multicloud Mar 01, 2023

Today on Day Two Cloud we put on our thinking caps about platforms, cloud, and multicloud. The last ten years or so has been a push for "cloud-first," but any wholesale approach to "X-first" (cloud, edge, digital, etc.) is problematic. We discuss why. We also explore strategies for CTOs, IT managers, and engineers on how to grapple with cloud strategy, implementation, and operation.

Network Break 419: HPE Buys Athonet For Private 5G; Exit Public Cloud, Save Millions? Feb 27, 2023

Is the private 5G market big enough to justify HPE's acquisition of Athonet? Is saving money worth retreating from public cloud? Why are organizations still getting bit by basic cloud misconfigurations? Will an appetite for AI deliver results for Nvidia? We explore these and other questions in the latest Network Break podcast.

Heavy Networking 667: Broadcom’s NetOps Delivers End-User Visibility Into SD-WAN (Sponsored) Feb 24, 2023

In today’s Heavy Networking show with sponsor Broadcom we go deep into network management and Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM). At its heart, DEM is about understanding the user experience of the network. Network monitoring and management products that incorporate user experience, such as Broadcom's DX NetOps, can provide visibility into network and application performance to help inform troubleshooting efforts and speed resolution.

Day Two Cloud 183: How Did We Get To WebAssembly And What Is It For? Feb 22, 2023

WebAssembly (Wasm) is an up-and-coming technology that's probably going to fall into the lap of operations folks. WebAssembly is basically a specification on how to compile things to a bytecode format and how to execute that bytecode. On today's Day Two Cloud we start to peel the onion on what WebAssembly, what it's used for, and why you might want to get your hands on it.

Network Break 418: Avaya Goes Chapter 11 Again; Cisco, Arista See Revenues Rise Feb 21, 2023

This week's Network Break looks at who takes a haircut in Avaya's Chapter 11 restructuring, GoDaddy's ongoing security issues, new photonics from Nokia, a huge quarter for Arista and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 666: Improving Quality Of Experience With LibreQoS Feb 17, 2023

Welcome to Heavy Networking! In this episode we discuss LibreQoS, a free and open source software project to help ISPs improve network latency and responsiveness and improve the Quality of Experience (QoE) for their customers. That project is LibreQoS, and it's being used by ISPs and others to ensure stable latency across networks.

Day Two Cloud 182: Assembling The Multicloud Networking Puzzle To Operate At Cloud Speed (Sponsored) Feb 16, 2023

Today's Day Two Cloud assembles a panel to discuss the challenges of multicloud networking. We're sponsored by Prosimo, and the recording took place live at AWS re:Invent 2022. We discuss how and why an org goes multicloud, cloud networking issues, integrating ZTNA, and more.

Network Break 417: Zoom Chief Raises Bar For CEO Pay Cuts; Fortinet Rolls Out New Firewall Chips Feb 13, 2023

Take a Network Break! On this week's episode we discuss new chip hardware from Fortinet, Extreme integrating its SD-WAN into its network fabric, the US and UK governments sanctioning members of the Trickbot malware gang, more tech layoffs, why tech CEOs should feel more financial pain, and more.

Heavy Networking 665: Augtera Network AI Automates NetOps And Works To Prevent Incidents (Sponsored) Feb 10, 2023

The Packet Pushers' Heavy Networking podcast dives into sponsor Augtera and how its AI platform, purpose-built for networking, improves network operations and enables automation. We'll examine how Augtera works, how it aims to move beyond the automation of configurations to automate operations and fault management, the kinds of data it collects and how, and how customers are using Augtera in production networks

Day Two Cloud 181: Implementing Patterns And Practices For Infrastructure as Code Feb 08, 2023

On today's Day Two Cloud podcast we talk about Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and software practices you might want to put in place for the parts of your team who know what they're doing with infrastructure but may not be familiar with developer practices that can help make code more reliable and operational processes more repeatable. Our guest is author Rosemary Wang.

Network Break 416: Ericsson Flogs 5G Network Slicing For Laptops; Microsoft Loads Work Drudgery Onto ChatGPT Feb 06, 2023

On this week's Network Break we examine Ericsson's push for 5G network slicing on laptops, Microsoft injecting ChatGPT into Teams to do the grunt work, financial results from Juniper and Amazon, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 664: Semantic Networking – Science Project Or Networking’s Future? Feb 03, 2023

Today's Heavy Networking is a forward-looking episode about semantic networking. Semantic networking aims to make decisions on how to route packets based on more than just the destination address and give network operators more routing choices based on considerations such as bandwidth, cost, performance, application type, and so on. But how do you add semantic information to IP headers? How do you program routers and networking hardware to consume semantics? Do we really need this? Guests Adrian Farrel and Hannes Gredler join Greg Ferro and Ethan Banks to discuss and debate.

Day Two Cloud 180: Understanding AWS EC2 At The Edge Feb 01, 2023

On today's Day Two Cloud podcast, we speak with Jan Hofmeyr, a VP within Amazon Web Services (AWS). This show was recorded at AWS re:Invent 2022 in Las Vegas, and we discuss EC2 at the edge, AWS Outposts and how local zones work, connecting Outposts to the AWS cloud, and more.

Network Break 415: WAN Update Severs Microsoft Cloud Services; Intel To Wind Down Network ASIC Biz Jan 30, 2023

Take a Network Break! This week we discuss new capabilities in Juniper's Astra data center automation software; a major Microsoft outage that affected Outlook, Teams, and more; reports that Intel will discontinue selling the Tofino programmable ASIC; a heap of financial results; and more.

Heavy Networking 663: OpenAI For Networking Jan 27, 2023

Would you give an artificial intelligence responsibility to write your router configurations? You wouldn’t. Not yet. But we’re not as far from that as you might think. On today's Heavy Networking we dig into OpenAI and ChatGPT and what it might mean for networking.

Day Two Cloud 179: Will CXL Make Composable Infrastructure Real? Jan 25, 2023

On today's Day Two Cloud podcast we talk about Compute Express Link (CXL), a technology for composable infrastructure. The idea is to take all the peripherals in a system---network cards, memory, graphical processing units, and so on---and put them on a bus outside the chassis to share them among multiple hosts. Is this the dream of composable infrastructure coming true?

Network Break 414: 230 Juniper Vulnerabilities, Should Cisco Patch An EOL Router, T-Mobile Takes Weeks To Spot Breach Jan 23, 2023

On today's Network Break podcast we cover a raft of Juniper vulnerabilities, whether Cisco should patch serious vulnerabilities in end-of-life products, a big T-Mobile breach, Avaya dealing with significant debt, sweeping rounds of layoffs, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 662: Home Lab In The Cloud Or Your Basement? Jan 20, 2023

On today's Heavy Networking, guest Tom Costello walks us through his personal lab in the cloud. We discuss pros and cons of the cloud vs. a basement, using EVE-NG vs. CML, how automation can help you manage cloud costs, resources for those who might want a cloud lab, and more.

Day Two Cloud 178: Implementing Zero Standing Privilege (Sponsored) Jan 18, 2023

On today's sponsored Day Two Cloud podcast we talk about zero standing privilege with strongDM. Zero standing privilege goes beyond just-in-time credentials to a model where no credentials pre-exist, but are created in real-time and paired with appropriate permissions built from policy, also created in real-time. Can such a thing be accomplished technically---and without irritating all your end users? StrongDM's Sebastian Mankowski is here to make the case.

Network Break 413: 800G Switches, Intel’s Big Hopes For 4th-Gen CPUs, And Reading Cyber Insurance Fine Print Jan 16, 2023

Take a Network Break! This week's episode covers a bunch of tech news including Arista rolling out a heap of new switches, Intel pinning its comeback hopes on newly released Xeon CPUs, a serious exploit of a Fortinet SSL VPN vulnerability, Dell pulling away from China-made chips, and more.

Heavy Networking 661: Home Labbing With EVE-NG And Juniper Jan 13, 2023

Today on Heavy Networking, home labs. Specifically, we’re going to discuss building and using a lab with virtualized Juniper gear in EVE-NG. Our guest is Christian Scholz, who has written and presented quite a bit on this topic.

Day Two Cloud 177: IT Security Is Broken; Here’s Ideas On How To Fix It Jan 11, 2023

IT security is broken. Vendors ship insecure products, customers have to bolt on and then operate more and more security products, compliance and regulatory requirements don't necessarily make things safer, and getting business done always takes priority over securing systems and data. On today's Day Two Cloud podcast, guest Mick Douglas shares ideas on how to make security less excruciating and more effective.

Network Break 412: IT Spending, ChatGPT, Cloud Repatriation And Other 2023 IT Speculations Jan 09, 2023

Take a Network Break! For our first show of 2023 we skip the news to spend some time speculating on technologies and trends that may influence IT and networking in the coming year, including the influence of AI, machine learning, and ChatGPT in tech; data center network automation; cloud repatriation; and more.

Heavy Networking 660: Writing The Manual – An Insider’s View Of Product Documentation Dec 16, 2022

On today’s Heavy Networking we get inside the process of technical writing and product documentation from a person deep in the trenches of creating docs. We also talk about why writing as a skill might be worth cultivating even if you aren’t responsible for creating the manual.

Day Two Cloud 176: Comparing Cloud Provider Network Performance (Sponsored) Dec 14, 2022

Today on Day Two Cloud we examine global network performance of some of the biggest public cloud providers. Sponsor ThousandEyes shares key findings and surprising data points from its 2022 Cloud Performance Report on AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

Network Break 411: Cisco Revamps Certification Schedules; FTC Says Game Over For Microsoft’s Activision Bid Dec 12, 2022

Take a Network Break! On today's episode we cover a new certification roadmap from Cisco, speculate on the future of corporate office space, and delve into an FTC lawsuit that aims to stop Microsoft's $69 billion purchase of game developer Activision. We also cover Broadcom financial results and space networking stories from Apple and SpaceX.

Heavy Networking 659: Securing Cloud Metro With Zero Trust (Sponsored) Dec 09, 2022

On today's Heavy Networking podcast, sponsored by Juniper Networks, we discuss how metro networks are evolving to Cloud Metro, how to apply cloud principles and automation to these locations, and how the attack surface changes when you transition to Cloud Metro. We also talk about how Juniper supports active assurance and zero trust security in these environments.

Day Two Cloud 175: Deploying Kubernetes And Managing Clusters Dec 07, 2022

On today's Day Two Cloud we continue our Kubernetes conversation with guest Michael Levan. Today's show focuses on Kubernetes deployments and managing clusters once they're up and running. We discuss whether Kubernetes is really more complex than traditional application infrastructure; examine management options such as GitOps, manifests, and Kubectl; share useful tools, and talk about why Kubernetes is all about APIs.

Network Break 410: AWS Previews Secure Remote Access; Broadcom Promises Not To Raise VMware Prices Dec 05, 2022

On today's Network Break we discuss new AWS previews for secure remote access and for connecting applications and services across VPCs. We also discuss a serious outage at Hive Social, Open RAN 5G coming to fighter jets, a promise from Broadcom not to raise prices if the VMware acquisition goes through, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 658: Using Batfish To Model And Test Your Network Dec 02, 2022

Today on Heavy Networking, modeling your network with Batfish. Batfish is an open-source project that builds a model of your production network based on a snapshot of your network and device configurations. Engineers can then test and validate changes against this model before making those changes to the production network. Guest Rick Donato walks us through how Batfish works, use cases, and more.

Day Two Cloud 174: Building Kubernetes Clusters Nov 30, 2022

On today's Day Two Cloud podcast we walk through how to build a Kubernetes cluster to support a container-based application. We cover issues such as what constitutes a minimum viable cluster, rolling your own vs. Kubernetes-as-a-service, managing multiple clusters, pros and cons of bare metal vs. running clusters in VMs, design recommendations and gotchas using a cloud service, and more.

Network Break 409: Regulators Tap Brakes On Broadcom, VMware; Google Settles Location Tracking Charges For $392M Nov 28, 2022

This week's Network Break podcast discusses UK and EU regulators wanting a closer look at Broadcom's VMware acquisition, Google settling with 40 US states over location tracking charges, and the FCC publishing responses from the 15 biggest US mobile providers regarding customer geolocation data tracking, plus even more IT news.

Day Two Cloud Invite: Recording At TopGolf Las Vegas Nov. 30, 2022 Nov 27, 2022

If you're headed to AWS re:Invent in Las Vegas, you can catch Ned & me recording a show live. On Wednesday, November 30, 2022, we’ll be at TopGolf with sponsor Prosimo from 4 to 7 pm. Join us to have some fun! Links and drinks, meet fellow engineers building clouds for their companies, and then watch us record the show. Space is limited, so register at prosimo.io. We’ll see you at TopGolf Las Vegas on Wednesday the 30th!

Heavy Networking 657: New VMware Client Connects Users To SASE, SD-WAN (Sponsored) Nov 25, 2022

Today on Heavy Networking, a discussion with sponsor VMware about SD-WAN and SASE. We’re diving into announcements from VMware Explore Barcelona 2022 covering a new SD-WAN client and more. With this client, you’ll be able to connect your users to the SASE cloud with software--no hardware edge box required. We dive into how it works, the network architecture, use cases, and more.

Day Two Cloud 173: Istio Ambient Mesh Minimizes Sidecar Proxies Nov 23, 2022

Today on Day Two Cloud we examine Istio Ambient Mesh, a new option for building service meshes in a microservices environment. Istio Ambient Mesh essentially brings the concept of a load balancer to a cluster of containers. Rather than run a sidecar proxy for each pod or container, you can run Ambient Mesh per node. Our guest and guide to this open source project is Christian Posta, Global Field CTO at Solo.io.

Network Break 408: Arista Launches Network Automation Pipeline; Palo Alto Targets Software Supply Chain Security Nov 21, 2022

Take a Network Break! This week we cover a new continuous integration pipeline from Arista Networks to support network automation, Cisco's intention to open a new silicon design center in Spain, and Apple spending $450 million to support emergency text messaging using satellites. We also discuss Palo Alto Networks spending $195 million for Cider Security, financial results, and more.

Heavy Networking 656: Embedding Zero Trust Into Applications Nov 18, 2022

On today's Heavy Networking we look at the idea of embedding zero trust into applications. The way we do cyber security these days has failed in significant ways. What if we could extend the AAA or RBAC model to all applications? Better yet, what if we take the RBAC model, make authentication more robust than username & password, assess endpoint security posture constantly, and evaluate each request individually up at layer 7 for all applications? Guest Galeal Zino has opinions on what embedded zero trust looks like. We discuss.

Day Two Cloud 172: Lock Down Access With Zero Standing Privilege (Sponsored) Nov 16, 2022

On today’s Day Two Cloud we talk through the idea of “zero standing privilege”. Zero standing privilege is an evolution of credentials management that goes beyond always-on usernames and passwords and more advanced forms of privileged access management to help lock down access to sensitive systems. Our sponsor is strongDM and our guest is Britt Crawford, Director of Product.

Network Break 407: VMware Buys Startup For SD-WAN Client; Zoom Meetings At The Movies? Nov 14, 2022

This week's Network Break covers several announces from VMware Explore including a new SD-WAN client. ASIC-maker Marvell goes after industrial networks with new silicon, Cisco announces the curtain falling on several ISR router models, and SolarWinds settles with the SEC. Zoom and the AMC movie theater chain partner on an offering to hold big meetings at the movies, and Starlink announces it will slow customer speeds if they cross a 1TB cap.

Heavy Networking 655: On-Prem VPC Networking With Netris (Sponsored) Nov 11, 2022

Heavy Networking welcomes sponsor Netris to the show with a special episode for you network nerds who are really getting into automation, infrastructure as code, pipelines, and so on. Netris is all about bringing that public cloud VPC experience to the network you’ve already got. Imagine being able to consume your existing network with APIs and being able to stand up VLANs, VXLANs, elastic load balancers, firewalls, Internet gateways, and more the same way you do in the cloud, but on premises.

Day Two Cloud 171: The Challenges Of Scaling Microservices Testing Nov 09, 2022

On today's Day Two Cloud we talk about testing. While developers do the testing, operators may be responsible for setting up testing environments, which can be a lot of work. That work increases with microservices because of all the complexities and dependencies that come with connecting and orchestrating microservices-based applications. Today we talk about how to address testing challenges with Arjun Iyer, and explore a solution he's developed for simplifying end-to-end microservices testing in a Kubernetes environment. This is not a sponsored show, but we do talk about Signadot, a startup Arjun founded in the testing space.

Network Break 406: Gluware Adds API Modeling To Network Automation; Arista Revenues Rise Nov 07, 2022

This week's Network Break covers new features in Gluware and Aviatrix, new servers from HPE, and new partner specializations from Cisco. We also cover financial results from Fortinet and Arista and Russian threats against commercial satellites.

Heavy Networking 654: What’s Up With DPUs? Nov 04, 2022

Today on Heavy Networking we have a round-table discussion about Data Processing Units (DPUs). These devices let you bring networking, security, and storage capabilities closer to server workloads without burdening server CPUs. Guests Pete Lumbis and Aaron Glenn help us dissect DPUs, identify use cases, discuss adoption and operational challenges, and more.

Day Two Cloud 170: Sovereign DBaaS And Severalnines (Sponsored) Nov 02, 2022

Welcome to Day Two Cloud! On today’s episode---databases. More specifically, controlling your databases. We’re discussing the database control plane company Severalnines with CEO Vinay Joosery. Severalnines is sponsoring today’s discussion about sovereign Databases as a Service (DBaaS).

Network Break 405: Tech And Geopolitics Collide; Juniper Posts Record Q3 Results Oct 31, 2022

Take a Network Break! This week we discuss a trio of stories at the intersection of tech and global political power struggles. Plus, startup Versa Networks lands $120 million investment in a pre-IPO round, and tech companies including Juniper Networks, Intel, and Google/Alphabet release financial results.

Heavy Networking 653: Design, Deploy, And Operate With Nokia Data Center Fabric Solution (Sponsored) Oct 28, 2022

Today’s Heavy Networking, sponsored by Nokia, dives into Nokia's fabric-based approach to data center automation and operations. That approach includes its SR Linux network OS, its Fabric Services System intent-based platform, its NetOps Development Kit, or NDK, and how all this ties together to address your operational life cycle across Day zero, Day 1, Day Two, and beyond.

Day Two Cloud 169: Splitting Up Mono-Repositories In Infrastructure As Code Oct 26, 2022

Today on the Day Two Cloud podcast we're going to talk with someone who was part of a DevOps teams deploying Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and applications in the public cloud. This project ran into challenges around scaling, the environments they needed to support, how to store certain artifacts, working with pipeline, and breaking up a monolithic repo into smaller repos and the repercussions of that decision.

Network Break 404: Episode Not Found Oct 24, 2022

This week the Network Break covers new SASE capabilities from Fortinet, new 800G hardware from Cisco that uses its homegrown ASIC, and an app from RSA for smart phones that can disable authentication if the app detects malicious behavior. Plus we cover new initiatives from the Open Compute Project, disaggregated Wi-Fi, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 652: Why Networkers Should Want Routing Protocols Written In Rustlang Oct 21, 2022

On today’s Heavy Networking episode, I talk with Nick Carter about Flock Networks, his routing protocol stack startup, as well as Nick’s love of the Rust programming language. As a network engineer, maybe you don’t think you care about Rust. Nick’s here to explain why the discerning network engineer might prefer their routing daemons to have been written in Rust. We also talk about the pleasures and travails of startup life.

Day Two Cloud 168: Get Kubernetes Observability With AppDynamics Cloud (Sponsored) Oct 19, 2022

Today's Day Two Cloud podcast, sponsored by AppDynamics, explores how AppDynamics Cloud brings observability to your Kubernetes deployments by ingesting and visualizing all metrics, events, log and trace data from across your cloud and on-prem landscapes.

Network Break 403: Startup Hedgehog Fuses SONiC And Kubernetes; Google, Intel Launch Mount Evans SmartNIC Oct 17, 2022

Take a Network Break! This week we cover a lot of news including a new SONiC startup, Cisco and Microsoft teaming up on collaboration, new hardware from Google and Intel, a new SOC from Palo Alto Networks, space networking, and more.

Heavy Networking 651: How Juniper Networks’ SMO Enables Network Slicing (Sponsored) Oct 14, 2022

As carriers and service providers look to embrace disaggregated infrastructure and software, and drive new business through technologies such as network slicing, it’s critical to have management and orchestration capabilities to coordinate hardware and software resources in the RAN, the transport layer, and the network core. On today's sponsored Heavy Networking, sponsored by Juniper, we dive into Juniper's Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) platform, which is designed to provision, manage and monetize custom network services on demand.

Day Two Cloud 167: Interviewing At A Huge Tech Company Oct 12, 2022

On today's Day Two Cloud we talk about what it's like to interview for a job at a massive tech company. How do you get yourself in line? What can you expect from the interview? How do you prepare? How do you overcome your own imposter syndrome? Our guest is Nathaniel Avery, Outbound Product Manager at Google Cloud. He recently ran the gauntlet of the tech interview, and is here to share tips and insights on the process.

Network Break 402: Ex Uber Exec Guilty Of Breach Coverup; Startup Promotes Decentralized Cellular Networks Oct 11, 2022

This week's Network Break podcast discusses new security capabilities from Aryaka, a Cisco/Microsoft partnership, the guilty verdict for Uber's former CSO, a startup tackling decentralized cell networks, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 650: Whether And How To Adopt Whitebox Switches Oct 07, 2022

On today’s Heavy Networking podcast, Kevin Myers joins us for a whitebox conversation. Kevin helps Internet Service Providers build their networks, and has noticed increased adoption of whitebox switches. Why? Are the problems whitebox solves for these ISPs the same you might have at your company? Should you consider whitebox instead of Cisco, Juniper, or Arista? Maybe…and maybe not.

Day Two Cloud 166: VMware: How Multi-Cloud Services Address Cloud Complexity (Sponsored) Oct 05, 2022

Multi-cloud services are an emerging category of software designed to make your Dev and Ops teams' multi-cloud reality easier to cope with. Sponsor VMware stops by the Day Two Cloud podcast to talk about how the operational challenges of running workloads in a mix of public and private clouds and how its multi-cloud services initiative can help.

Network Break 401: Google Teases Multi-Gig Home Broadband; New USB Cables Use Slightly Less Plastic Oct 03, 2022

Today's Network Break covers three Google stories including Google Fiber's ambitions for multi-gig Internet and the killing of Stadia. We also discuss a rise in firewall sales, using plant-based materials in USB cables, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 649: Cisco NSO 6.0 Boosts Performance, Improves Usability (Sponsored) Sep 30, 2022

On today’s sponsored Heavy Networking we dive into new features of Cisco’s Network Services Orchestrator, or NSO. NSO is a network orchestration platform for large enterprises and service providers that offers multi-vendor automation, configuration management, service creation, ongoing monitoring and upgrades, and more.

Day Two Cloud 165: Does Your Infrastructure Need Istio? Sep 28, 2022

On today's Day Two Cloud we dive into Istio with Kevin Davin, a senior back end engineer who works deeply with Istio. We discuss Istio's promises, balancing its complexity with the capabilities it enables, understanding when and when not to use it, and more.

Network Break 400: Ex-Cisco CEO Launches Network Startup; The Persistence Of Floppy Disks Sep 26, 2022

This week's Network Break podcast covers a startup backed by ex-Cisco CEO John Chambers, US federal agencies wanting service providers to get serious about BGP security, SASE growing 30% in a quarter, a thriving floppy disk business, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 648: Using Zero Knowledge Middleboxes To Enforce Policy On Encrypted Traffic Sep 23, 2022

Encrypted traffic poses a problem for enterprise policy enforcement. On today's Heavy Networking, we explore the notion of zero knowledge middleboxes, which use a variety of techniques to allow firewalls or other middleboxes to enforce policy without the need for decryption. Our guest is Dr. Paul Grubbs, whose research into zero knowledge middleboxes prompted this episode.

Day Two Cloud 164: DevSecOps Is A Real Thing Sep 22, 2022

Today on the Day Two Cloud podcast, we talk DevSecOps and how it's more than just a marketing term. We also discuss Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and IT as Code and what that actually means for operations folks. It doesn't mean you have to write code all day, but we make an effort to put some specifics around what an Ops person should know when it comes to code.

Network Break 399: Apstra Goes Freeform For DC Automation; Arista Launches Encryption-Friendly Routers Sep 19, 2022

This week's Network Break podcast covers new capabilities for data center automation in Juniper Apstra, new encryption-friendly Arista routers, and why climate change risks should factor into your IT planning. The startup Veego is pitching an end user experience app to ISPs, the Google spin-out Aalyria looks to build networks using free-space optics, and Microsoft announces Azure Orbital Cloud Access that uses Starlink to connect remote sites to Azure.

Heavy Networking 647: Fortinet’s ZTNA Differentiation Starts With The OS (Sponsored) Sep 16, 2022

A full zero trust architecture goes up and down the stack, bringing in policy and enforcement strategies from the application layer, all the way down into the network. On today's Heavy Networking podcast we discuss zero trust network access, or ZTNA, with sponsor Fortinet. ZTNA is but one part of a robust zero trust architecture, but what a crucial component it is. Alex Samonte, Director of Technical Architecture, joins us to get into nerdy specifics about Fortinet’s ZTNA.

Day Two Cloud 163: Is The Tech Market Too Focused On Developers? Sep 14, 2022

Today on the Day Two Cloud podcast we have a frank discussion about tech marketing. Why? Because engineers are a target of marketing, so it's helpful to know how marketing works, what's trying to be communicated, and how it could be better. We also discuss whether the tech industry has over-committed on chasing developers while ignoring operations and sysadmins, why ops and sysadmins shouldn't be ignored, and more. Our guest is Gina Rosenthal, founder of Digital Sunshine Solutions.

Network Break 398: New Broadcom Trident Chip Supports Threat Analysis; Startup Challenges SD-WAN, MPLS Sep 12, 2022

Today's Network Break podcast examines a new Broadcom switch ASIC that can support threat analysis, a startup that's challenging the SD-WAN and MPLS markets, Apple's new partner for an emergency SMS service that uses satellites, a great quarter for data center switch revenue, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 646: Networking For Spacefaring Rockets Sep 09, 2022

Today on Heavy Networking, aerospace networking. We talk with Lexie Cooper, who works for Blue Origin as an Avionics Integration Engineer. That’s right. Lexie does networking for rockets. We talk about the challenges of building networks for spacefaring vehicles, differences between aerospace and the typical enterprise, continuous learning, the pros and cons of building a social media presence, and more.

Day Two Cloud 162: The Mental Health Of The 10x Samurai Ninja Engineer Sep 07, 2022

In this Day Two Cloud episode, Ned and Ethan discuss the tradeoffs of mental health and professional achievement. Maybe you spend a lot of extra hours at work for your employer. Perhaps you focus on certifications after work and on the weekends. Maybe you say “yes” to more than you should, because you’re scared you’ll lose it all if you don’t. The tradeoffs are in your personal relationships. Your mental health. You suffer from burnout, anxiety, and stress. Is it all worth it? Ned and Ethan don't have all the answers, but they share their experiences and perspectives.

Network Break 397: VMware Aria Sings Multicloud Management; NVIDIA Ordered To Stop Selling AI Chips To China Sep 06, 2022

This week's Network Break podcast tackles space weather, new products from VMware, a significant firewall vulnerability, an order barring NVIDIA from selling certain chips to China, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 645: Secure Wireless Planning And Design Sep 02, 2022

On today’s episode of Heavy Networking, we discuss secure wireless planning and design with Jennifer "JJ Minella. JJ is the author of the book "Wireless Security Architecture." We talk about the goals for planning a wireless design, why it's worth the upfront investment, keeping operators in mind as you design your deployment, the importance of communication, design iteration, and more.

Day Two Cloud 161: Tech Marketing Sucks; Let’s Make It Better Aug 31, 2022

Tech marketing is often terrible. The problem is that marketers tend to develop material aimed at "C-level" or executive audiences, which doesn't resonate with developers and engineers who influence buying decisions and actually use products. Today's Day Two Cloud podcast examines how to improve tech marketing, and why communication is a good skill for technologists themselves.

Network Break 396: T-Mobile, SpaceX Strike Internet Deal; Meta Settles Tracking Suit; Dell Notches Record Quarter Aug 29, 2022

This week's Network Break podcast explores SpaceX and T-Mobile partnering to provide satellite-based Internet service (though it's going to take awhile), a new co-packaged optics switch from Broadcom, a whistleblower taking Twitter to task for poor security and a relaxed approach to spam, Dell financial results, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 644: Building And Running Temporary Event Networks Aug 26, 2022

Today's Heavy Networking podcast explores what it's like to set up a temporary network to support thousands of users at a live event. We discuss planning and preparation, defining requirements, design options, performance and security issues, and what to keep in your bag for that last-minute emergency. Our guests are Jim Troutman, Jason Davis, and Alex Latzko.

Day Two Cloud 160: Going Deep Into Cilium Service Mesh With eBPF Aug 24, 2022

Today on the Day Two Cloud podcast we go deep on the Cilium service mesh, including a packet walk that takes us from packet ingestion all the way through a Kubernetes cluster. We also talk about how Cilium eBPF differs from other sidecar proxies and the potential performance and observability gains. Strap on your propeller beanie as we try to keep up with guest is Thomas Graf, a co-creator of Cilium and CTO of Isovalent.

Network Break 395: Broadcom Ships 51.2Tbps ASIC; Extreme’s New AP Goes Outdoors; Lloyd’s Rethinks Cyber Insurance Policies Aug 22, 2022

This week's Network Break podcast drills into features in Broadcom's newest Tomahawk ASIC, a new Wi-Fi 6E from Extreme for outdoor use, and a $262 million infusion for the startup DriveNets. We also cover serious Apple vulnerabilities, why Lloyd's is rethinking cyber insurance for state-sponsored attacks, Cisco financial results, and more.

Heavy Networking 643: Privacy Responsibilities Of Running A Network Aug 19, 2022

What does privacy have to do with running a network? Is protecting the privacy of users, customers, and the organization one of the responsibilities of the networking team? If so, what kind of information has to be kept private and how? Should privacy efforts focus on compliance, or on risk reduction? How are those different? On today’s Heavy Networking podcast we welcome Russ White to tackle these perplexing privacy questions.

Day Two Cloud 159: DevOps Is A Failure Aug 17, 2022

DevOps originated as a cultural movement to try and get developers and infrastructure operators to better work together to support applications in production. According to our guest Lee Briggs, that movement has failed. We discuss this premise on today's Day Two Cloud podcast.

Network Break 394: New IP Infusion NOS, Cisco Breached, WLAN Gear Backlogged To 2023 Aug 15, 2022

This week's Network Break podcast covers tech news including IP Infusion's 6.0 release of its OcNOS network OS, the intersection of politics and supply chains, Cisco's breach by the Lapsus group, Starlink getting rejected by the FCC for subsidies, and more.

Heavy Networking 642: 10Mbps Single Pair Ethernet Aug 12, 2022

Single pair Ethernet. That’s right. Ethernet over a single twisted pair, rather than the four you’re used to. Or two if you’ve got a little gray in your beard. Now, single pair Ethernet isn’t fast in the way we network engineers would normally think of fast. SPE runs at 10 megabits per second. But in the use cases SPE was designed for, 10Mbps is very fast indeed. To tell us all about single pair Ethernet is Peter Jones. Although Peter wears many hats in the networking industry, today he comes to the microphone as the chairperson of the Ethernet Alliance.

Day Two Cloud 158: On Leadership With Chris Wahl Aug 10, 2022

According to Chris Wahl, everyone in an organization can lead--not just those with "chief" or "manager" in their job title. Leadership isn't about telling everyone else what to do. Not at all. Have a listen as Chris explains what it is to lead, and how you can do so yourself while enabling others around you to do the same.

NB393: Arista buys Pluribus, More Supply Chain, Space Networking Slows & DECnet Death Aug 08, 2022

Summer can be slow but there is news!

Heavy Networking 641: Network Design For NVMe Over Fabric Aug 05, 2022

Today on Heavy Networking, we discuss NVMe over fabric, where your Ethernet and IP network is the fabric. Many NVMe over fabric discussions focus on what’s happening inside the storage packets themselves. This conversation focuses on the network. What does the topology need to be? What are the latency and loss characteristics of an NVMe transport fabric? What QoS tools should you be considering, how do they work, and when should you use them? Our guest for this vendor-neutral conversation is J Metz.

Day Two Cloud 157: Highlights Of Cloud Field Day 14 Aug 03, 2022

Today's Day Two Cloud podcast brings you highlights from Cloud Field Day 14, where Day Two Cloud's Ned Bellavance was a delegate. The Field Day event brings together cloud vendors and tech bloggers for in-depth presentations. Ned will share highlights and impressions from presentations from companies including Weka, Alkira, and Morpheus Data.

Network Break 392: Aruba Upgrades AIOps; Intel Suffers A Tough Quarter Aug 01, 2022

This week's Network Break podcast looks at new AIOps capabilities in Aruba Central, new cloud security tools from Fortinet, financial results from Juniper Networks and Intel, a connected scarf for soccer fans, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 640: Architecture Vs. Engineering Roles Jul 29, 2022

What’s been your experience with architecture vs. engineering roles? Are those distinct functions or combined in your organization? How do the roles interact? Does the architecture team hand down holy designs from their ivory tower the engineering team is expected to implement them? Is the architecture and engineering function more combined, where experienced engineers are expected to create an architecture and help put it in place? Ethan Banks and guest Pat Allen share their experiences with architecture and engineering roles from organizations they've worked in.

Day Two Cloud 156: Multi-Cloud Experience Monitoring With Broadcom Software (Sponsored) Jul 27, 2022

It's hard to guarantee quality of experience for users accessing cloud applications. The users are connected via networks we don’t own, and the apps are hosted on networks we don’t own. So what can a network operations team do about quality of experience in a world of cloud-hosted apps and cloud-connected users? Sponsor Broadcom Software is here to help us answer this question.

Network Break 391: IT Spending To Rise; Rating Your Emotional Response To Vendor Products Jul 25, 2022

Take a Network Break! This week we cover new DLP capabilities from Cato Networks, updates to the open-source Cilium project for your eBPF and service mesh needs, why Cisco is streamlining how partners can offer Webex as a managed service, and more IT news coverage.

Heavy Networking 639: Juniper Cloud Metro Boosts Metro Performance, Efficiency And Sustainability (Sponsored) Jul 22, 2022

In today’s sponsored Heavy Networking podcast we dive into Juniper Cloud Metro, which includes new appliances, software, and integrations with other Juniper services to address the entire business of ownership and operations. Our guests are Kanika Atri, Sr. Director, Product Management; and Tim Pennell, Sr. Director, Product Management.

Day Two Cloud 155: Terraform Stinks Jul 20, 2022

Today on Day Two Cloud, we talk about why Terraform stinks. OK, maybe it doesn't stink, but just because everyone seems to love a particular tool doesn't make it right for you. We talk with Dan Moore, a developer advocate at FusionAuth, who tried to use Terraform and just couldn't get behind it. This episode is based on a presentation Dan gave at Gluecon in May 2022.

Network Break 390: New Juniper Access Switch; Intel To Hike Prices Jul 18, 2022

This week's Network Break podcast discusses new switch hardware from Juniper, the underwhelming outage response by Canadian ISP Rogers, and why SASE growth is exploding. Intel is said to be raising prices across a variety of chips, a security researcher has demonstrated a replay attack that can open and start Honda vehicles, and more.

Heavy Networking 638: Don’t Block DNS Over TCP Jul 15, 2022

DNS is our subject on today's Heavy Networking. More specifically, DNS transport over TCP. We talk with John Kristoff, one of the forces behind RFC9210, which covers the operational requirements for DNS transport over TCP. This is not an esoteric document covering a tiny, nuanced DNS use case. Instead this doc will likely affect most of you listening, whether you’re a network operator or a name server operator. We talk with John about the implications of this RFC.

Day Two Cloud 154: Can eBPF Replace Sidecar Proxies? Jul 13, 2022

Today's Day Two Cloud turns the nerd knob to eleven as we delve into kernels, eBPF, sidecar proxies, and service meshes. If you're an old-school engineer used to working with load balancers and proxies, this show looks at new ways to do application delivery in the Kubernetes world.

Network Break 389: Alleged IT Fraudsters Indicted; HPE Floats GreenLake Private Cloud Jul 11, 2022

Take a Network Break! This week we cover two separate indictments against alleged schemers who sold counterfeit Cisco gear and pirated Avaya license keys. We also cover new products from Juniper Networks, VMware, and HPE. Meanwhile Starlink targets maritime vessels with a satellite broadband offering.

Special: Heavy Strategy Ep27 Broadcom And VMware – What’s Gonna Happen? Jul 08, 2022

Heavy Strategy is a new podcast from Packet Pushers. We look at the strategy and business of IT Infrastrucrure in two-sided debate format. We believe that the questions are more important than the answers since its all your responsibility anyway.

Heavy Networking 637: The Ongoing Evolution Of Arelion’s Global Network (Sponsored) Jul 01, 2022

On today's Heavy Networking podcast we talk with sponsor Arelion about how it continues to build and maintain global IP networks, and why you should be considering them for your backhaul needs.

Day Two Cloud 153: IaC With GPPL Or DSL? IDK Jun 29, 2022

On Day Two Cloud we’ve had a lot of conversations about using infrastructure as code. We’ve looked at solutions like Ansible, Terraform, the AWS CDK, and Pulumi. Which begs the question, which IaC solution should you learn? A Domain Specific Language (DSL)? A General Purpose Programming Language (GPPL)? Something else? We discuss.

Network Break 388: Cloudflare Diagnoses Widespread Outage; EU Pumps Brakes On Broadcom/VMware Jun 27, 2022

Today's Network Break podcast discusses new SASE features from Cloudflare, a Cloudflare outage and its post-mortem, why EU regulators want a closer look at Broadcom's proposed VMware acquisition, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 636: Mindfulness And IT Leadership Jun 24, 2022

Today on Heavy Networking we’re talking about mindfulness in the workplace. Mindfulness, which is about being aware of your senses and feelings in the moment, could be a useful tool to help you navigate the high-stress, high-stakes IT profession. Our guest is Jennifer “JJ” Minella. She’s an IT practitioner, network architect, author, and the founder and principal advisor of Viszen Security.

Day Two Cloud 152: How To Right-Size Access With strongDM (Sponsored) Jun 22, 2022

Welcome to Day Two Cloud. In this episode we take on the problem of over-provisioning access to resources. Sponsor strongDM joins the conversation to share how to properly manage roles and access in our IT systems, focusing heavily on the process of discovery. Who has access to what, and why do they have that access? Our guest from strongDM is Britt Crawford, Director of Product.

Network Break 387: Cisco Goes All-In On Cloud; Covid And Tech Conferences Jun 20, 2022

Today's Network Break podcast surfs a tidal wave of announcements from Cisco Live 2022, discusses Juniper Networks calling an end to several routers, and looks at the potential impact of Covid and in-person tech events.

Day Two Cloud 151: How To Tell If Infrastructure As Code Is Working For You Jun 15, 2022

Today's Day Two Cloud podcast gets into Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and how to evaluate it so that IaC practices fit your organization, your processes, the infrastructure you're trying to support, and so on. Our guest lays out some guideposts to help you understand if IaC is working for you.

Heavy Networking 635: Unified Network Fabrics With Juniper Apstra (Sponsored) Jun 14, 2022

In today’s sponsored Heavy Networking we talk to Juniper Apstra about how how Apstra delivers on unified data center operations, why fabrics are everywhere, how Apstra differs from other automation and intent solutions, and more. Our guest is Mansour Karam, VP of Product Management.

Network Break 386: Extreme Debuts SD-WAN, Digital Twins; Cisco Launches SASE Service Jun 13, 2022

This week's Network Break kicks off with listener FU and then dives into new SD-WAN and AIOps offerings from Extreme Networks. Cisco announces a SASE service and hints at a broader cloud security strategy. Arista adds to its Layer 1 switch portfolio while Ericsson and BT team up on private 5G in the United Kingdom.

Heavy Networking 634: Why (Not) MikroTik? Jun 10, 2022

Today's Heavy Networking gets into networking hardware from MikroTik, a vendor you may not have heard of. Our guest is Kevin Myers, a senior network architect and consultant who uses MikroTik with a variety of clients big and small. We'll find out what MikroTik is good for, and not good for, management and support, and more. This is a non-sponsored episode.

Day Two Cloud 150: Proactive Network Operations With Augtera (Sponsored) Jun 08, 2022

Sponsor and startup Augtera Networks joins Day Two Cloud to discuss Augtera's proactive network analysis and operations product, which is meant to make you aware of problems before they become…problems. Augtera brings together traditional network sources such as flows and SNMP, plus telemetry and metadata to provide actionable information across networks you own and networks you don't.

Network Break 385: VMware, Juniper Release New Security Tools; Judge Orders IBM To Pay BMC $1.6 Billion Jun 06, 2022

Today's Network Break podcast discusses a new threat analytics product from VMware, new security features from Juniper's cloud-delivered security service, a report from Morgan Stanley on why the big network vendors are chasing the enterprise campus, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 633: Building DPU Apps With NVIDIA DOCA (Sponsored) Jun 03, 2022

In today's Heavy Networking podcast, sponsored by NVIDIA, we explore DOCA on Bluefield DPUs. DOCA is a runtime operating system on the DPU including tools for provisioning, deploying, and orchestrating containerized services. It's also an SDK to supports a range of operating systems and distributions and includes drivers, libraries, and tools. Our guests are Justin Betz and Wes Kennedy, both Technical Marketing Engineers with NVIDIA.

Day Two Cloud 149: On-Prem Cloud Networking With Netris (Sponsored) Jun 01, 2022

Today's Day Two Cloud sponsor Netris promises to deliver a cloud-like experience for running your physical network. Netris software lets you build a private cloud on premises, and integrates with Terraform and Kubernetes. Our guest is Alex Saroyan, Netris CEO and founder.

Network Break 384: Broadcom To Buy VMware; DuckDuckGo Slammed For Microsoft Tracking Deal May 31, 2022

On today's Network Break we dig into Broadcom's proposed acquisition of VMware for about $61 billion. We also cover a serious VMware vulnerability that is being exploited in the wild, and criticism of DuckDuckGo for a deal with Microsoft that allows some data to be collected from the privacy browser. We also cover the latest financial results from Dell Technologies and Broadcom.

Heavy Networking 632: How Juniper’s RAN Intelligent Controller Enables 5G Automation (Sponsored) May 27, 2022

Today's Heavy Networking dives into the automation and orchestration of 5G networks with sponsor Juniper Networks. We discuss Juniper's RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC), Service Management and Orchestration (SMO), how Juniper works with the Open RAN ecosystem, and more. Our guest is Constantine Polychronopoulos, Vice President of 5G and Telco Cloud at Juniper Networks.

Day Two Cloud 148: Understanding Cloud Security Roles And Responsibilities May 26, 2022

If you're a security or network professional wondering if your skills aren't as applicable or useful when it comes to public cloud, don't worry: they are very, very useful. On today's Day Two Cloud podcast we talk with Brandon Carroll on how to properly map traditional infrastructure and network security to public cloud deployments.

Network Break 383: Cyber Insurers Realize Customers Have Terrible Security; F5’s Big Vulnerability May 23, 2022

This week's Network Break discusses a new threat containment feature from Rubrik to prevent companies from re-infecting themselves via compromised backups. F5 has released patches for a serious vulnerability in its Big-IP load balancer, cyber insurers raised premiums by as much 92% last year, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 631: Saying No May 20, 2022

On today's Heavy Networking we talk about why it's important to say "No" when someone tries to put more work on you than you can handle. Guest Tom Hollingsworth wrote a controversial blog post entitled “No Is A Complete Sentence” about how to say "No," to even when it's hard to do. We talk about the nuances of this stance, the risks you take when you do, time management, balancing workloads, and more.

Day Two Cloud 147: Google Cloud Is Not Just For Devs May 18, 2022

Today on Day Two Cloud we peel back the curtains on Google Cloud with a GCP insider to find out how Google Cloud differentiates itself, its embrace of a multi-cloud approach, and more. Our guest is Richard Seroter, Director of Outbound Product Management at Google Cloud. This is not a sponsored episode.

Network Break 382: Intel Charts DPU Roadmap; Juniper Brings Contrail SDN To Kubernetes May 16, 2022

This week's Network Break podcast discuss Intel's roadmap for its Infrastructure Processing Units (IPUs). We get more insight into Nokia's deal to provide hardware for Azure, and examine why Juniper has extended its Contrail SDN platform to Kubernetes (hint: because of the cloud). Plus Cisco releases new Wi-Fi capabilities.

Heavy Networking 630: Palo Alto Networks Introduces Okyo Garde And SD-WAN Bandwidth On Demand (Sponsored) May 13, 2022

Today's Heavy Networking podcast explores two new offerings from sponsor Palo Alto Networks. First is Okyo Garde, a home wireless mesh appliance to connect and secure remote workers while reducing the management burden from IT. We also discuss a new licensing program to make provisioning bandwidth for branch and remote offices for Prisma SD-WAN simpler and more flexible.

Day Two Cloud 146: Deploying And Managing Cloud Infrastructure With Pulumi May 11, 2022

Today's Day Two Cloud digs into an Infrastructure as Code (IaC) platform called Pulumi. Pulumi can be used to build, deploy, and manage cloud applications using familiar languages such as .Net and Java, as well as well-known tools and practices.

Network Break 381: TLS Vulnerability Affects Aruba, Avaya Switches; Cisco Teases Predictive Networks May 09, 2022

Take a Network Break! This week we cover a vulnerable implementation of a TLS module that affects switches from HPE Aruba and Extreme Networks' Avaya brand, Cisco teases a forthcoming technology called Predictive Networks that promises analytics and automated problem-solving, Fortinet announces new firewalls, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 629: The State Of Data Center Fabrics In 2022 May 06, 2022

Today's Heavy Networking dives into data center fabrics with guest Russ White. We discuss just what makes a data center fabric, why the industry relies too much on BGP, fabric alternatives and options, the future of data center fabrics, and more. Russ is a network architect, author, and instructor.

Day Two Cloud 145: Using Open Policy Agent For Cloud-Native Policy Enforcement May 04, 2022

Today's Day Two Cloud explores the Open Policy Agent (OPA), an open-source project that serves as a policy engine for cloud-native environments. According to the OPA Web site, you can use OPA to "enforce policies in microservices, Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines, API gateways, and more." Guest Anders Eknert walks through how it works, use cases, and more.

Network Break 380: BT, Toshiba Trial Quantum Key Distribution; Juniper Expands Free Cert Training May 02, 2022

This week's Network Break discusses quantum key distribution, a startup getting millions to develop an enterprise SONiC distribution, Juniper expanding free cert training, quarterly financial results, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 628: Pluribus Extends Its SDN Fabric To SmartNICs/DPUs Apr 29, 2022

On today's sponsored Heavy Networking podcast we talk to Pluribus Networks. Pluribus can extend networking and security services directly to smartNICs/DPUs via its Unified Cloud Fabric to improve performance, visibility, and security. We talk with Mike Capuano and Alessandro Barbieri from Pluribus on how it all works.

Day Two Cloud 144: The State Of IPv6 In Public Cloud Apr 27, 2022

Today's Day Two Cloud explores the vastness of IPv6 and public cloud. IPv6 provides so much address space that you can use an address once for one connection and never use it again, and it isn't wasteful. The abundance of IPv6 may influence how you approach cloud applications and networks.

Network Break 379: Nokia Goes SONiC For Microsoft Data Centers: Comcast Tests Hollowcore Fiber Apr 26, 2022

This week's Network Break podcast discusses Nokia deal to sell switch hardware to Microsoft running the SONiC network OS. We also cover Dell's 4.0 release of its Enterprise SONiC distribution, a test of hollowcore fiber optics by Comcast, the British government making rules about watching TV in self-driving cars, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 627: Network Automation As A Business Culture Apr 22, 2022

The business benefits of network automation are sometimes lost in discussion about technology and tools. Guest Tim Fiola joins this episode of Heavy Networking to discuss how to engage the business at a cultural level so that network automation is properly embraced and supported by management.

Day Two Cloud 143: Application Security Isn’t Just For Developers Apr 20, 2022

Today's Day Two Cloud gets into application security and working with developers to make sure code is sanitized and tested. Writing secure code at the outset can dramatically reduce risk and help simplify operations and security. Our guest is Tanya Janca, founder of We Hack Purple. We Hack Purple offers free training courses for people who want to get into security.

Network Break 378: Barracuda Gets A New Owner; Intel Buys Ananki For Private 5G Apr 18, 2022

Take a Network Break! This week we cover several acquisitions including Barracuda Networks being bought by KKR, SailPoint being picked up by Thoma Bravo, Perforce buying Puppet, and Intel snapping up Ananki to get into the private 5G market. Plus more tech news.

Heavy Networking 626: Choosing The Right Silicon For The Job (Sponsored) Apr 15, 2022

Today's Heavy Networking, sponsored by Juniper, dives into the custom vs. merchant silicon debate. Juniper makes the case for its Trio 6 ASIC in MX routers. We get into the specifics of Trio 6 capabilities, examine the needs of the multi-service edge, and discuss the technology and business cases for custom hardware.

Day Two Cloud 142: OpenZiti Serves Up Zero Trust For Applications (Sponsored) Apr 13, 2022

Today's Day Two Cloud episode bites into OpenZiti, an open-source project that brings zero trust principles to networks and applications. OpenZiti builds an overlay network to enforce zero trust. It has several moving parts including edge routers, a controller, and SDKs. OpenZiti was created by NetFoundry, our sponsor for this episode. Guest Clint Dovholuk takes us through the nitty-gritty of how it works.

Network Break 377: AMD Buys Pensando; IBM Mainframe Marches On With z16 Apr 11, 2022

This week's Network Break discusses AMD's $1.9 billion bid for Pensando, why Juniper is partnering with Synopsys on silicon photonics, a new application access control feature from Cato Networks, and a new mainframe from IBM and a new lawsuit against it. Plus more tech news!

Heavy Networking 625: Home IoT Networking At Scale Apr 09, 2022

Today's Heavy Networking dives into home IoT at scale. We’re going to get into the weeds with two network engineers who’ve gone way beyond lighting and a few smart plugs in their home automation setup. We'll talk devices, protocols, security, and more.

Day Two Cloud 141: Developing Multicloud Fluency Apr 06, 2022

Today's Day Two Cloud is a discussion about how to build your multicloud fluency. That is, having knowledge of, and competence in, more than one cloud. The short answer? Learn to code. That's the position of our guest Forrest Brazeal, and he brings his justifications.

Network Break 376: Aruba Automates Overlays; Arista CUEs Up Branch Networking Gear Apr 04, 2022

Today's Network Break examines new network fabric automation capabilities from Aruba, new network and security gear from Arista that opens up brand new markets for the company, a cloud-native firewall for AWS from Palo Alto Networks, an update on an attack against a satellite network, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 624: Solving Network Problems With Opmantek’s NMIS (Sponsored) Apr 01, 2022

On today's sponsored Heavy Networking we speak with Opmantek, a FirstWave company. Opmantek's NMIS is a suite of network monitoring applications for managing fault, performance, configuration, compliance and automation. It supports multi-vendor, multi-tenant and multi-server solutions. We discuss the latest features and real-world use cases.

Day Two Cloud 140: Troubleshooting Cloud Outages With End-To-End Visibility (Sponsored) Mar 30, 2022

On today’s sponsored Day Two Cloud episode with Cisco ThousandEyes, we discuss how to monitor what’s broken in public cloud services. With the right information, you can offer a nuanced, knowledgeable answer when executives want to know when the company’s crucial customer-facing app hosted on a bunch of cloud services is coming back online.

Network Break 375: Aruba Networks Dives Into GreenLake; Okta Pins Incident On Outsourcer Mar 28, 2022

Today's Network Break discusses Aruba Networks moving closer to HPE GreenLake with a new reseller-focused way to sell network gear, how data center design hampered fire fighting at an OVHcloud facility, Okta's response to a January security incident, Intel's request for US government dollars, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 623: Growing From Junior To Senior Engineer Mar 25, 2022

Today's Heavy Networking is a roundtable conversation about career growth. Maybe your title is junior engineer, but you want to be a senior engineer. Be careful what you wish for! Maybe your title is junior but you feel you’re doing the job of a senior. Are you really? How would you justify this to your manager? We address these and other questions and issues including certs vs. experience, paying dues, the importance of communication skills, and more.

Day Two Cloud 139: Azure Bicep Is (Not) ARM Mar 23, 2022

Today's Day Two Cloud podcast gets into Azure Bicep, a language that IT teams can use to deploy Azure resources in a consistent manner. While Bicep is Azure-specific, it can be useful as part of an Infrastructure-as-Code initiative. Guests Ben Weissman and Rob Sewell explore how Bicep works, discuss use cases, compare it to Terraform, and more.

Network Break 374: Pluribus Extends DC Fabric To NVIDIA DPUs; Intel Buries Three FPGAs Mar 21, 2022

In this week's Network Break we discuss Pluribus porting its network OS to NVIDIA DPUs, why Intel is pulling the plug on three FPGA cards in its portfolio, the debut of a network operations startup that draws from multiple data sources to help NetOps teams troubleshoot problems faster, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 622: Intel’s Smart Edge Brings The Cloud To The Edge (Sponsored) Mar 18, 2022

In today’s sponsored Heavy Networking show with Intel, we dive into recent Intel silicon announcements that are impacting how networking services will be delivered in the years to come. The edge of the network is set to change thanks to modern CPUs that accelerate network functions including packet processing and security. Joining us is Intel's Jeni Panhorst, Vice President & General Manager, Network & Edge Platforms Division to talk about recent Intel announcements at Mobile World Congress and what it means for networking at the edge.

Day Two Cloud 138: Rethinking Logs And Analysis With vRealize Log Insight Cloud (Sponsored) Mar 16, 2022

VMware is our sponsor today for a Day Two Cloud episode about logging. Specifically, we're talking about vRealize Log Insight Cloud. It’s not just about collecting logs and events, and it's not just for VMware products. What do you get out of the data being logged? That’s what’s interesting. This is much more than a pile of syslogs with a search engine dropped on top.

Network Break 373: Google Buys Mandiant To Bolster Security Ops; Network OS DENT 2.0 Released Mar 14, 2022

Today's Network Break examines why Google spent billions of dollars to acquire Mandiant for security ops, the latest release of the DENT network OS, NVIDIA's software revenue strategy, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 621: Get Scalable Network Automation With Itential (Sponsored) Mar 11, 2022

On today's Heavy Networking, sponsor Itential joins us to discuss how you can deliver a scalable and sustainable network automation system for your enterprise. Our guest is Peter Sprygada, VP of Product Management at Itential.

Day Two Cloud 137: Automating Windows Container Builds Mar 09, 2022

Today's Day Two Cloud gets into the weeds of a real-world project build around Windows containers. Windows containers? Yes, the goal was to run a particular job and deploy it on Kubernetes using Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS). Our guest is Sai Gunaranjan, Principal Architect for a large healthcare company.

Network Break 372: VMware Enhances Container Security; Google Summons Workers Back To The Office Mar 07, 2022

This week on Network Break we discuss VMware enhancing its Carbon Black software with container runtime security, Google telling employees to return to the office starting April 4, and Broadcom taking in $7.7 billion in revenue in Q1 2022. We also discuss security attacks affected hit Toyota and Viasat and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 620: High Frequency Trading And Big Data Network Design Mar 04, 2022

Network design for high frequency trading and big data networks is the topic of today’s Heavy Networking. If you’re interested in what it’s like to carefully manage data center latency and maintain your sanity in a zero downtime environment, this is your show. Our guests are are Jeremy Filliben and Marc Washco of Jump Trading.

Day Two Cloud 136: The Role And Responsibilities Of A Kubernetes Operator (Sponsored) Mar 02, 2022

Today on the Day Two Cloud podcast we examine the role and responsibilities of Kubernetes operators; that is, the humans in charge of running Kubernetes. Kubernetes operators have to support application and security teams, handle capacity planning, keep an eye on versioning, and more. This episode is sponsored by F5's NGINX team. Our guests are Jenn Gile, Sr Manager of Product Marketing; and Brian Ehlert, Sr Product Manager.

Network Break 371: Arista Turns Campus Switch Into NDR Sensor; Mikrotik Puts A Router On A PCIe Card Feb 28, 2022

Take a Network Break! This week we examine how Arista is turning a campus switch into a sensor for network detection and response, a new PCIe card from Mikrotik running router software, a Dell/Marvell partnership on hardware for Open RAN gear, Cisco and Dell financial results, potential equipment danger from solar flares, and more.

Heavy Networking 619: Pluribus Empowers NetOps With Kubernetes Network Visibility (Sponsored) Feb 25, 2022

Today's sponsored Heavy Networking dives into the latest features from Pluribus Networks, including Pluribus KubeTracker, which correlates containers with applications, maps hosts to the network fabric, and more. We also cover FlowTracker and a virtualized packet broker service. Our guest is Alessandro Barbieri, VP Product Management at Pluribus.

Day Two Cloud 135: Infrastructure As Code Should Foster Infrastructure As Collaboration Feb 23, 2022

On today's Day Two Cloud we examine why Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is about more than the just the tools that enable it. Guest Rob Hirschfeld puts forth the notion that while the tools are there for a reason, those tools have to serve a purpose: supporting collaboration, re-use, and efficient operations.

Network Break 370: Juniper Acquires NAC Startup; Intel Buys Semiconductor Foundry Feb 22, 2022

This week's Network Break dives into a trio of acquisitions by Juniper, Intel, and Akamai; new security features from Gigamon and Aviatrix; big financial gains for Arista; and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 618: Building Virtual Networks With Console Connect (Sponsored) Feb 18, 2022

On today’s Heavy Networking episode we talk with sponsor Console Connect, which provides software-defined interconnections for enterprises and service providers. Guests Paul Gampe and Jay Turner dig into the Console Connect catalog, including Internet On-Demand, CloudRouter, and some of the interesting partner integrations that provide unique connectivity options.

Day Two Cloud 134: Simplifying Infrastructure Access With StrongDM (Sponsored) Feb 16, 2022

Today's Day Two Cloud is a sponsored episode with StrongDM, which helps engineers and IT professionals get access to databases, servers, Kubernetes clusters, switches, Web apps, and more from a desktop or laptop. We dive into StrongDM's proxy model, integrations with directories and ID stores, audit features, and more.

Network Break 369: Cisco SD-WAN Ramps Up Webex, Microsoft 365 Access; Pluribus Adds Virtual Packet Broker Feb 14, 2022

Take a Network Break! This week we cover Cisco’s SD-WAN getting users to cloud services such as Webex and Microsoft 365 faster; as well as new capabilities in Pluribus’s Netvisor network OS including container visibility, a virtual packet broker, and flow tracking. Contamination at chip fabs affects flash memory production, plans are afoot for a... Read more »

Heavy Networking 617: Go Vs. Python For Network Engineers Feb 11, 2022

Today's Heavy Networking makes the case for why network engineers should consider using the Go language instead for their automation needs. Guest Darren Parkinson makes a strong argument for adding Go to your tool kit.

Day Two Cloud 133: Tips For Tech Interview Success Feb 09, 2022

Today on the Day Two Cloud podcast we offer tips and advice for those on the job market, from finding new opportunities, building a professional network, prepping for interviews, handling curve-ball interview questions, managing nerves, and more.

Network Break 368: Juniper, Cato Advance Cloud-Based Security Offerings; Citrix Gets Acquired Feb 07, 2022

Take a Network Break! This week’s tech news includes new cloud-delivered security services from Juniper Networks and Cato Networks, new firewall hardware from Fortinet, prognostications on the campus switch market, Cisco teasing a private 5G service, and more.

Heavy Networking 616: Do We Need An SMTP Alternative? TMTP And MNM Are Here To Find Out Feb 04, 2022

The SMTP protocol isn't broken, but email kinda is. Spam, phishing, and other unwanted messages are easy to deliver and harder to stop. On today's Heavy Networking we discuss TMTP and mnm, a proposed new protocol and client that aim to preserve the benefits of email while eliminating vulnerabilities and offering a better experience. Our guest is Liam Breck, creator of TMTP and mnm.

Day Two Cloud 132: What Web3 Means For Infrastructure Engineers Feb 02, 2022

Web3 is the term for an emerging technology movement that aims to create a more decentralized Internet and put more ownership in the hands of individual users and consumers. At present Web3 is associated with cryptocurrencies and NFTs, but it's worth understanding the technological underpinnings of Web3, particularly blockchain and its broader applications. Our guide to Web3 infrastructure is Josh Neuroth.

Network Break 367: New Custom ASICs For Juniper Routers; Regulators, NVIDIA Arm Wrestle Jan 31, 2022

This week's Network Break looks at new router silicon from Juniper, why NVIDIA's acquisition bid for Arm is running into headwinds, a new LiveAction service that inspects encrypted traffic for threats, financial results from Juniper and Extreme, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 615: Optimize User Experience With Palo Alto Networks’ ADEM (Sponsored) Jan 29, 2022

How do you know your remote workers are having good performance--a good experience--using the applications they need to get their work done? Today we drill into Autonomous Digital Experience Management (ADEM) with sponsor Palo Alto Networks, including how ADEM works, the benefits of real-time and synthetic monitoring, how ADEM integrates with SASE, and more.

Day Two Cloud 131: Monitoring The Cloud From The Cloud Jan 26, 2022

Today's Day Two Cloud podcast delves into issues about monitoring all the things, including the notion of monitoring the cloud...from the cloud. Ned Bellavance and Ethan Banks discuss the pros and cons of DIY vs. using a service, differences between monitoring infrastructure stacks and applications, what to monitor and why, how to deal with all that data, the necessity of alerting, constructing meaningful dashboards, and more.

Network Break 366: Microsoft Spends $68.7 Billion On Games; Wi-Fi 7 On The Horizon Jan 24, 2022

Take a Network Break! This week we examine the drivers behind Microsoft's proposed $68.7 billion acquisition of gaming company Activision Blizzard, Juniper integrates its SD-WAN portfolio with Mist Cloud, and Wi-Fi 7 emerges on the horizon. Cisco announces a new Catalyst switch for industrial use cases, Telia Carrier rebrands, and JP Morgan Chase discloses tidbits about its IT strategy.

Heavy Networking 614: eBPF, Cloud-Native Networking, And Other Modern Networking Trends Jan 21, 2022

Today's Heavy Networking gets deep in the guts of what’s going on with all the modern trends in networking: cloud-native, containers, eBPF, Kubernetes, DPUs, and so on. Guests Brent Salisbury and Dave Tucker give their insider’s view of developments in cutting-edge networking tech. You’ll walk away with a better idea of what to pay attention to in the months and years to come.

Day Two Cloud 130: Getting Started With OpenShift For Kubernetes Orchestration Jan 19, 2022

On today's Day Two Cloud we have a career conversation with Angela Andrews, a Solution Architect at Red Hat. Angela provides an introduction to OpenShift, a cloud-based offering for running and orchestrating Kubernetes containers in public clouds and on premises from Red Hat. We also discuss how to integrate communication skills with technical knowledge, the role of a Solution Architect, how to stay on top of new and changing technologies, and more.

Network Break 365: Salesforce Forces Multi-Factor Authentication; FAA Implements 5G Buffer Zones Jan 17, 2022

This week on Network Break we discuss why Salesforce is requiring multi-factor authentication from customers starting in February 2022, examine an SFP module that comes with a tiny computer running Linux, highlight the vast gap between cloud hype and cloud spending compared to traditional IT gear, and cover more IT news.

Heavy Networking 613: Deploying An Active-Active Data Center Network For Private Cloud (Sponsored) Jan 14, 2022

This Heavy Networking episode focuses on building a data center fabric. Pluribus Networks is our sponsor. Pluribus brought along a customer to talk about their active/active DC deployment. We’ll get into stretching layer 2 safely, Pluribus's L3 capabilities, operational concerns of active/active when the DCs are many hundreds of miles apart, and the pressure of delivering customer-facing services that drove the selection of the Pluribus architecture.

Day Two Cloud 129: Practical Advice On Optimizing Cloud Costs Jan 12, 2022

Optimizing cloud costs means more than looking at your bill and hunting down unused instances. It's about understanding the full lifecycle of cloud workloads, dealing with management that wants predictable spending even as your actual usage varies, and setting up repeatable processes. Guests Fred Chagnon and Jeremy Roberts, both at Info-Tech Research Group, offer practical advice for optimizing your cloud spending.

Heavy Networking 612: Cloud-Native Kubernetes Networking For CSPs (Sponsored) Jan 11, 2022

Heavy Networking explores big ideas around service provider and cloud provider network services in 2022, both how they collide and are complementary. Our sponsor is Juniper Networks. We also get an update on Juniper’s Contrail product, a software-defined networking platform that now includes native integration with Kubernetes.

Network Break 364: Oracle Acquires Federos For Network Assurance; Google Snags Security Startup Siemplify Jan 10, 2022

Take a Network Break! This week we examine Oracle's purchase of network assurance vendor Federos, discuss why Cisco has added a service mesh manager to its Intersight Kubernetes service, explore why some users are frustrated with a crypto-miner in NortonLifelock's anti-virus software, and cover more tech news.

Heavy Networking 611: Data Center Networking And Observability In 2022 (Sponsored) Dec 17, 2021

As we approach the end of 2021, it's informative to look back at how much change has gone on in the industry. One of the biggest transitions we've seen in enterprise networking has taken place in the data center. Software-defined approaches that emerged over the past decade have matured and are being deployed in production. On today's Heavy Networking, we talk with Juniper Networks in a sponsored episode about its Apstra Intent-Based Networking (IBN) platform and how Apstra is transforming the enterprise data center.

Day Two Cloud 128: DevOps’ing All The Things Dec 15, 2021

Today is a deeply technical episode on DevOps, Azure, Docker, Terraform, and more. Our guest is Kyler Middleton, Principal DevOps Network Architect. Kyler is also a Pluralsight author and blogger.

Network Break 363: Broadcom Buys AppNeta For Experience Monitoring; Cloudflare Offers New Firewall Service Dec 13, 2021

This week's Network Break asks whether Broadcom's acquisition of AppNeta, which offers SaaS-based digital experience monitoring, is a good fit. We look at new features in the SONiC network OS, dive into a new firewall service available from Cloudflare, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 610: Network Automation With Nautobot Dec 10, 2021

On today's Heavy Networking we discuss a Nautobot, an open-source software tool that can serve as a source of truth for network automation. We explore how Nautobot works, what it's used for, how it ties in with Python and Ansible, major features, and more.

Day Two Cloud 127: Avoiding Infrastructure As Code (IaC) Pitfalls Dec 08, 2021

There are a lot of good things you can do with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for automation, repeatability, and ease of operations and development. But there are also code and infrastructure pitfalls where you can tumble into a hole, break your leg, and get eaten by spiders. OK, maybe not that bad, but on today's episode we talk about potential IaC pitfalls and how to avoid them with guest Tim Davis.

Network Break 362: AWS Announces Private 5G Service; FTC Says No To Nvidia’s Arm Grab Dec 06, 2021

Today's Network Break covers two AWS announcements including a private 5G offering and new networking service, discusses why the FTC is against Nvidia acquiring Arm Holdings, examines a new security feature in Aviatrix, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 609: Innovation Or Stagnation – A Year-End Networking Review Dec 03, 2021

Today's Heavy Networking considers the current state of networking technologies and the networking market. We debate whether we've seen any significant innovations over the past year, if the industry has stagnated, or if we're simply trying to stay on top of disruptions caused by cloud, Covid, and the erosion of traditional network boundaries. We also discuss how network engineers and the industry are dealing with complexity, if organizations can "cloud" their way out of legacy problems, and more.

Day Two Cloud 126: Azure Arc And Building A Hybrid Cloud Dec 01, 2021

On today's Day Two Cloud, we dig into Azure Arc and the construction of hybrid clouds with guest Ben Weissman, a consultant, author, and Pluralsight creator.

Network Break 361: US Government Targets Spyware Maker; Ericsson Spends $6.2 Billion For Vonage Nov 29, 2021

In this week's Network Break we discuss how an Israeli spyware maker ran afoul of the US government, why Ericsson is dropping $6.2 billion in cash for Vonage, new IPv6 subnets available in AWS, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 608: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About NAC (And Then Some) Nov 26, 2021

Today's Heavy Networking goes deep on Network Access Control (NAC) for wired and wireless networks. Our guest is Arne Bier, a Senior Consulting Engineer and CCIE. We hit a bunch of topics including MAC authentication bypass, client certificates, EAP methods, and more. We also discuss reasons why NAC is worth deploying despite the effort.

Day Two Cloud 125: Scanning Infrastructure-as-Code For Security Issues Nov 24, 2021

It's always better to catch misconfigurations and security issues earlier in your pipeline rather than later. That's especially true for cloud services where a simple configuration error can expose sensitive assets to the entire Internet. On today's Day Two Cloud podcast we discuss how to incorporate security checks into your Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) workflows. Our guest is Christophe Tafani-Dereeper, a cloud security engineer.

Network Break 360: Facebook Chooses Cisco ASIC For OCP; Apple To Allow Limited Self-Service Repair Nov 22, 2021

This week's Network Break podcast examines why Facebook has chosen Cisco and Broadcom ASICS for new Open Compute Project switch designs, Apple will allow self-service repair of two iPhone models, Fortinet partners with Azure on SD-WAN and firewalls, Cisco and NVIDIA announce quarterly earnings, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 607: ZTNA Everywhere With VMware SASE (Sponsored) Nov 19, 2021

In today's sponsored Heavy Networking show with VMware, we take a fresh look at VMware's SASE and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) solution. VMware has a breadth of products that allow for a differentiated overall solution. Joining us today is Craig Connors, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Service Provider and Edge at VMware.

Day Two Cloud 124: New Cloud Security Thinking Nov 18, 2021

Today on Day Two Cloud, we talk about new ways of thinking about security for cloud. As organizations adopt cloud services, they're applying on-prem security designs. Our guest Adeel Ahmad is here to argue that this doesn't work, and that you need a different approach.

Network Break 359: Arista Increases Its 400G Switch Portfolio; Nvidia Accelerates InfiniBand Nov 15, 2021

This week's Network Break examines new 400G switches from Arista, discusses the Wi-Fi Alliance's certification program for the HaLow long-range low-power standard, targets key Nvidia announcements, catches up on the latest in space networking, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 606: Dealing With DNS And Domain Name Abuse Nov 12, 2021

The DNS Abuse Institute is a community effort to develop solutions to DNS-related problems including malware, botnets, phishing, pharming, and spam. On today's show we speak with its Director, Graeme Bunton, about the institute and its work, and the challenges of dealing with malicious actors that exploit DNS and domain names.

Day Two Cloud 123: Managing Multi-Cloud Applications And Infrastructure With vRealize Operations Cloud (Sponsored) Nov 10, 2021

Welcome to Day Two Cloud, where the topic is visibility. Hybrid cloud visibility with a side of Kubernetes, to be specific. VMware has come alongside as today’s sponsor for a discussion about vRealize Operations Cloud to give you that visibility into applications and infrastructure running in complex, multi-cloud environments.

Network Break 358: Unpacking Juniper’s Strategic Objectives; Intel Details New Infrastructure Chip Nov 08, 2021

This weeks' Network Break discusses Juniper's Analyst & Influencer day plus a new Wi-Fi 6E announcement. Intel is teaming up with Google to develop a chip for offloading network, security, and storage jobs from the CPU (but Intel won't call it a DPU). And the FCC revokes authorization for China Telecom to operate in the United States.

Heavy Networking 605: How cnvrg.io Metacloud Can Help Solve MLOps Challenges (Sponsored) Nov 05, 2021

Today on Heavy Networking, we consider a newly announced platform for artificial intelligence workloads, the cnvrg.io Meta Cloud. Our sponsor is Intel, and our guest is Yochay Ettun, Co-founder and CEO at cnvrg.io.

Day Two Cloud 122: Two Customer Journeys To VMware Cloud (Sponsored) Nov 03, 2021

Ethan Banks and Ned Bellavance hosted a panel discussion at VMworld 2021 with two VMware customers using VMware Cloud---the University of Miami and Sterling National Bank. This discussion looks at what works, where the customers ran into issues, and how their cloud journeys are progressing.

Network Break 357: Switchless Networking? Startup Rockport Says Yes; ISPs Monetize Customer Surveillance Nov 01, 2021

Take a Network Break! This week we discuss how startup Rockport Networks brings switchless networking to the data center. The FTC says ISPs are amassing and monetizing sensitive customer data. Cisco unveils new routing silicon, Juniper sees revenues rise and income fall, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 604: Taking A Systems Approach To Networking With Bruce Davie Oct 29, 2021

Today's Heavy Networking discusses the notion of looking at, and learning about, networking via a systems approach. Our guest is Dr. Bruce Davie who's had a long career in networking, has written numerous IETF RFCs, and is the author of a new set of free books on networking and computer systems.

Day Two Cloud 121: Building Cool Things With GraphQL And AWS AppSync Oct 27, 2021

Today's Day Two Cloud is a nerdy show on GraphQL and AWS AppSync and what you can do with these tools. Our guest is Amrut Patil, a senior software engineer using these tools.

Network Break 356: Aruba Beefs Up ToR Switch With DPUs; VMware Stands Free Oct 25, 2021

This week on the Network Break podcast we discuss a new ToR switch from Aruba that includes built-in silicon to offload security and network services. Dell Technologies says the VMware spin-off will be complete by November 1st, and SASE startup Cato Networks raises $250 in an F round of funding.

Heavy Networking 603: Network Apps For Smarter Network Ops With Nokia (Sponsored) Oct 23, 2021

What would you build if you could treat your network infrastructure programmatically? That’s what we’re going to consider in today’s sponsored Heavy Networking episode with Nokia. Nokia’s SR-Linux is infrastructure-as-code friendly, and their NetOps Development Kit allows you to think of the network as data models and build all kinds of useful tools. Our guest is Bruce Wallis, Senior Director of Product Management in Data Center Switching at Nokia.

Day Two Cloud 120: Web Assembly, K8s Rivals, And Other Cloud Computing Trends Oct 20, 2021

On today's Day Two Cloud we talk trends and predictions in cloud computing, including emerging technologies such as Web assembly, rivals to Kubernetes, and the role of GitOps in infrastructure as code. Our guest is Adrian Mouat, Chief Scientist at Container Solutions. His blog post "10 Predictions for the Future of Computing or; the Inane Ramblings of our Chief Scientist" inspired this episode.

Network Break 355: Azure Brags About DDoS Protection; Marvell Hitches Ride With Dent Network OS Oct 18, 2021

Today on the Network Break, we discuss Marvell's choice of the Dent network OS for its Prestera silicon, Microsoft shares details about how its Azure cloud service thwarted a 2.4Tbps DDoS attack, a researcher shares details on snooping data from a copper patch lead, and other tech tidbits.

Heavy Networking 602: All About SPF, DKIM, DMARC Email Security Oct 15, 2021

Today on Heavy Networking, all about improving email security with SPF (Sender Policy Framework), DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance), and DKIM (Domain Keys Identified Mail). Our guest is Alex Blackie. He wrote an article on Email Authenticity 101 that I thought explained these topics really well. If you're a domain manager, you should listen to this one, even if you don't route mail through your domain. You can keep the bad guys from spamming in your name!

Day Two Cloud 119: Unifying Multi-Cloud Security With Valtix (Sponsored) Oct 13, 2021

Ethan Banks & Ned Bellavance have a tech discussion with CEO Doug Murray and CTO Vishal Jain about multi-cloud security startup Valtix. Along the way, we find out that Valtix is a cloud-delivered security control-plane paired with a data-plane of enforcement points (sort of firewalls, but not exactly) delivered between any two points in the cloud you need them. Engineers should walk away from this chat with a solid idea of Valtix architecture and how it fits into their cloud design.

Network Break 354: VMworld’s Constipation, Facebook Footgun, Marvell 5nm DPUs Oct 12, 2021

This week on Network Break, VMware disgorges a slew of announcements at VMworld 2021, Facebook shoots itself in the foot with BGP and DNS bullets, Marvell announces new silicon for Data Processing Units (DPUs), and more tech news analysis.

Heavy Networking 601: Monitoring The Dispersed Network With Cisco ThousandEyes (Sponsored) Oct 08, 2021

Cisco ThousandEyes is a long-time Packet Pushers sponsor, and we're going to probe deeply to discuss the latest feature additions that will bring you the data you need. And, since it’s been just about a year since ThousandEyes was acquired by Cisco, we’ll also discuss how ThousandEyes is being integrated into the gargantuan Cisco product portfolio.

Day Two Cloud 118: Growing Your Open-Source Community Oct 06, 2021

How does a company building a product from an open-source project get off the ground? How does it communicate its value, attract contributors, and develop a user base? And how does it spread the word without turning off engineers with typical tech marketing? Guest Emily Omier is a positioning consultant who helps companies and projects get it right.

Network Break 353: New Juniper Chassis Tops 400G; Akamai Spends Big Money On Microsegmentation Oct 04, 2021

This week's Network Break talks about a new data center chassis from Juniper, why Akamai spent $600 million to buy security company Guardicore, what happened to Zoom's big acquisition of a contact center company, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 600: Inside A Non-Profit Internet Exchange Oct 02, 2021

Internet exchange points are networks you can use to connect to some other exchange participant. Sounds like maybe that’s a service provider thing, and it can be. But IXPs are useful for businesses, too. In this episode of Heavy Networking, we’re going to learn about IXPs, and non-profit IXPs in particular.

Day Two Cloud 117: How Akamai Helped Transform IBM Cloud Console’s Architecture (Sponsored) Sep 29, 2021

Today on the Day Two Cloud podcast we have a sponsored show with Akamai and a customer, IBM Cloud. When IBM rebuilt its Cloud Console from a monolithic application to microservices, the company turned to Akamai to help improve application performance while also supporting routing, failover, and availability across six global data centers. We get details from Pavel Despot, Sr. Product Marketing Manager at Akamai; and Tony Erwin, Senior Technical Staff Member/Architect at IBM.

Network Break 352: Nokia Announces 800G Routing Silicon; Pica8 Enticingly Prices Its Campus Controller, Switches Sep 27, 2021

This week's Network Break podcast discusses Nokia's new beefed-up routing silicon, how Pica8 is pursuing campus switching with a controller/switch pricing bundle, and the latest critical security patches from Cisco. We also look at the latest ransomware attacks against US agricultural companies, a MacOS bug, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 599: DriveNets Taps Disaggregation To Build Networks Like Cloud (Sponsored) Sep 24, 2021

On today's sponsored Heavy Networking we talk with DriveNets about why it’s time to take the disaggregated model--where you buy whitebox hardware and put a network operating system of your choice on it--seriously. Along the way, we’re going to hit DriveNets network architectures and operating models, and get you thinking about why disaggregated networking might make sense for you.

Day Two Cloud 116: Emotional Intelligence, Hard Conversations, And Other Essential Management Skills Sep 22, 2021

Guest Shelley Benhoff stops by the Day Two Cloud podcast to discuss essential skills for moving into tech management, and how to decide if management is the right career path for you. Shelley has twenty years' experience in IT as a developer and manager, runs a tech training company, and is a Pluralsight instructor.

Network Break 351: Juniper’s Wired Campus Fabric Challenges Cisco; More Azure Holes Revealed Sep 20, 2021

Today's Network Break podcast discusses Juniper's new wired campus effort and how it leverages Mist Cloud for to help automate its campus fabric, a new set of Azure vulnerabilities, robust SD-WAN growth with the biggest players reaping most of the rewards, free space optics for hard-to-wire regions, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 598: The Future Of Networking – Quantum Communications With Joshua Slater Sep 17, 2021

Today's Heavy Networking gets entangled in a discussion about quantum communications or quantum networking. We discuss qubits, the challenges of moving them across a network, use cases such as key distribution, and more. Our guest is Dr. Joshua Slater.

Day Two Cloud 115: Software-Defined Interconnects With Console Connect (Sponsored) Sep 15, 2021

Today's Day Two Cloud sponsored episode dives into software-defined interconnects. The big idea is that you go up to a Web browser, click a few times, and now you've got a circuit stood up between your data center and AWS, or between you and a business partner, and so on. We'll get into the details about how it's done with Console Connect, a PCCW Global company.

Network Break 350: Intel Pledges Billions For European Chip Factories; Facebook Reveals New Data Center Design Sep 13, 2021

This week's Network Break podcast wonders what Intel wants in return for a multi-year, multi-billion pledge to build European chip factories, marvels at Facebook's newly revealed data center designs, analyzes Comcast's Masergy acquisition, and more.

Heavy Networking 597: Why Enterprises Want Private 5G (Sponsored) Sep 10, 2021

Today's Heavy Networking podcast discusses the pros and cons of building a private 5G network in the enterprise. We examine use cases, contrast 5G with Wi-Fi, unpack the hardware and software required, and more. Intel is our sponsor for this episode.

Day Two Cloud 114: Successfully Transitioning From A Tech Role To Management Sep 08, 2021

Today's Day Two Cloud podcast topic is about moving from a tech role into management. Is it a good idea? Why might you want to make the change? How can you do it successfully? We speak with two guests who've made the leap.

Network Break 349: T-Mobile Fails To Protect Millions Of Customer Records; Ciena Buys Vyatta Router Sep 07, 2021

Today's Network Break podcast opines on why Ciena acquired the Vyatta router from AT&T (and why AT&T wanted to sell), how T-Mobile failed current and former customers via a breach that exposed sensitive details on millions of people, financial results from HPE and Dell Technologies, and more.

Heavy Networking 596: Weaponizing Firewalls And Middleboxes For DDoS Attacks Sep 03, 2021

Today's Heavy Networking podcast dives into academic research on DDoS attack techniques. Our guests have published a paper about how the TCP protocol and middleboxes such as firewalls can be weaponized by bad actors and used in reflective amplification attacks. We discuss technical details, how they performed this research, potential countermeasures, and more.

Day Two Cloud 113: Multi-Cloud Network Visibility And Automation With Aviatrix (Sponsored) Sep 01, 2021

Today's Day Two Cloud episode dives into multi-cloud networking with sponsor Aviatrix. Aviatrix offers a cloud network platform with a common data plane and operational model that works across public clouds and supports visibility and automation. We dig into the product with Aviatrix guests and a customer.

Network Break 348: Ransomware Bedevils Cyber Insurance; TSMC To Raise Chip Prices Aug 30, 2021

This week's Network Break examines how ransomware has insurers rethinking premiums and coverage limits, discusses the pros and cons of ISPs sharing flow records with security companies, digs into Arista's efforts to tackle the router market, pontificates on TSMC chip price hikes, and more tech news analysis.

Heavy Networking 595: Detect, Diagnose, And Act With Opmantek’s Automated Network Management Software (Sponsored) Aug 27, 2021

In today's sponsored Heavy Networking show, we talk to Opmantek about NMIS, an intelligent network management platform that spans monitoring, visibility, automation, and configuration management. Our guest is Opmantek CTO Keith Sinclair.

Day Two Cloud 112: Complex Multi-Cloud Networking Aug 26, 2021

Today's Day Two Cloud podcast discusses the challenges of stitching together a fabric across more than one public cloud. How do you architect a fabric given the constraints of each cloud? We also drill into the idea of API gateways. Our guest is Chris Oliver, a network architect at NI.

Network Break 347: Cisco Acquires Container App Monitor; Intel Unwraps Mount Evans IPU Aug 23, 2021

It's the Network Break! This week we analyze Cisco's $500 million acquisition of a container-based and serverless application monitor, Intel's announcement of Mount Evans, an Infrastructure Processing Unit (IPU) for network and storage offload, and more tech news. Guest analyst Johna Till Johnson, CEO and founder of Nemertes Research, joins Greg Ferro.

Heavy Networking 594: TLS 1.3 Down Deep With Ed Harmoush Aug 20, 2021

Like anything in the world of IT, TLS has gone through various versions. TLS 1.1 and 1.2 are still commonly used, but TLS 1.3 is really where it’s at. Our guest is Ed Harmoush. Ed’s a professional instructor who’s researched TLS 1.3 and more as he’s prepped for his latest course offering, Practical TLS, which you can find at http://pracnet.net/tls. Use coupon PacketPushers100 to get $100 off this deep dive course from Ed.

Day Two Cloud 111: Infrastructure As Software With Kris Nóva Aug 18, 2021

Kris Nóva, Senior Principal Software Engineer at Twilio, claims that managing infrastructure using tools like Terraform isn't that far away from just writing your own code to do the job yourself. Kris joins co-hosts Ned Bellavance and Ethan Banks to challenge the notion that ops folks can't become developers. Kris says they can.

Network Break 346: Extreme Gets SDWAN, Huawei Struggles and SpaceX Swarms Aug 16, 2021

The world of virtual donuts is supply constrained. Extreme Networks finally gets SDWAN buying Ipanema from Infovista at a bargain price. Research firms that does the numbers Dell'oro pitches that Education and Government markets will be spending big on WiFi6E - we aren't so sure that campus spending will be big just some spending but Dell'oro told us that government economic stimulus is the driver. Most will focus on distributed work. Huawei posted 29% revenue reduction as the trade sanctions impact their overall business. A reminder that political solutions are slow if you have to make plans. And in space networking, SpaceX acquires pico-satellite company Swarm for IOT networking.

Heavy Networking 593: Network Observability With VMware vRealize Network Insight (Sponsored) Aug 13, 2021

On today’s Heavy Networking, we drill into VMware’s vRealize Network Insight (vRNI) to learn how it provides end-to-end monitoring, how it uses flow records and other data sources, and its architecture. We’ll also discuss modeling/digital twin capabilities, and applying vRNI to security, troubleshooting, and other use cases. VMware is our sponsor.

Day Two Cloud 110: Automation’s Unintended Consequences – The Bunny.net Outage Saga Aug 11, 2021

Today's Day Two Cloud podcast walks through a massive outage that hit CDN provider Bunny.net. An automated update triggered cascading failures that essentially took the company offline for two frantic hours. The company shared a detailed postmortem of what happened, and we're joined by company founder Dejan Pelze to walk us through the issues and share lessons learned about infrastructure, automation, and dependencies.

Network Break 345: Marvell Acquires High-End Ethernet ASICs; Arista CEO Says Component Shortage ‘Worst I’ve Seen’ Aug 09, 2021

This week's Network Break podcat discusses Marvell's Innovium buy and its impact on the high-end Ethernet market, new Juniper security software for applications, Arista financial results and component concerns, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 592: The VAR Perspective On Networking And Customer Trends Aug 06, 2021

Today on Heavy Networking, we talk with Remington Loose, Solutions Architect at a mid-sized VAR, to get a sense of what technology is in demand; what problems customers are trying to solve; and how cloud, DIY, and other forces affect the competitive landscape. It's a #VARlife episode.

Day Two Cloud 109: PacketFabric Wants To Make Networking As Easy As Cloud (Sponsored) Aug 04, 2021

Today's sponsored Day Two Cloud episode talks WAN networking with PacketFabric. PacketFabric lets you provision point-to-point and hybrid cloud connectivity as a service. Built on a private fiber network, the company's goal is to let you set up networking as if it was software. Our guest is Anna Claiborne, Co-Founder, CTO and CPO.

Network Break 344: Zoom Expands Into Contact Center Biz; Will Devs Choose Cloudflare’s Green Compute? Aug 03, 2021

Zoom buys its way into the contact center biz with the $14.7 billion purchase of Five9, Extreme announces Wi-Fi 6E APs, Cloudflare debuts Green Compute for scheduled workloads, and IT vendors report strong quarterly financial results. We analyze these stories and more IT news on today's Network Break podcast.

Heavy Networking 591: Want Network Automation? Start With Compliance And Validation (Sponsored) Jul 30, 2021

On today's Heavy Networking podcast we discuss network compliance. The big idea is to rethink how you do compliance so that the process is automation friendly and accommodates all the network device types you have to manage. We're sponsored by Itential and our guest is Chris Wade, CTO.

Day Two Cloud 108: Putting The Dev In DevOps Jul 28, 2021

Today's Day Two Cloud podcast dives into Cloud Development Kits (CDKs). How do CDKs differ from tools such as Terraform? What are the selling points for CDKs for infrastructure and development professionals? Our guest is Michael Levan, Researcher and Consultant at GigaOM.

Network Break 343: Ericsson, Verizon Ink $8.3 Billion 5G Deal; Intel Reports Flat Revenues Jul 26, 2021

This week on the Network Break we examine an $8.3 billion 5G deal between Ericsson and Verizon, Microsoft's CloudKnox purchase to bolster cloud permissions management, research into microprocessors on flexible materials, Intel's underwhelming financial results, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 590: What It Takes To Build An ISP In 2021 Jul 23, 2021

There's a huge amount that goes into building an ISP, from getting access to poles to run fiber, operating a cable plant, setting up customer support and billing, getting network gear in place---not to mention developing a viable business model and funding the whole thing. On today's Heavy Networking podcast we talk with Jim Troutman of Tilson Technology Management about building a local ISP in New England.

Day Two Cloud 107: Making The Management Mistake Jul 21, 2021

Today on the Day Two Cloud podcast, Ethan and Ned discuss two new AWS courses from Ned, and then tell stories about the time they took management jobs they shouldn't have. They share lessons learned about transitioning from technical to managerial roles and why it was the wrong move for them.

Network Break 342: SolarWinds Back In Security Hot Seat; In Defense Of The Fax Machine Jul 19, 2021

Today's Network Break podcast delves into security issues at SolarWinds and SonicWall, discusses a new network offload capability between NVIDIA and Palo Alto Networks, comments on Japanese bureaucrats who refuse to give up their fax machines, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 589: Cloud Networking’s Good, Bad, And Ugly: What CSPs Don’t Tell You (Sponsored) Jul 16, 2021

Today's Heavy Networking examines how some of the unpleasant bits of cloud networking can be improved, particularly in the areas of troubleshooting, visibility, security, and automation. Our sponsor is Aviatrix, and they’ve sent us three architects to nerd out about cloud network design and how Aviatrix might fit into the picture. Our guests are Brad Hedlund and James Devine from Aviatrix, and customer Chris Oliver with NI.

Day Two Cloud 106: Towards A More Open Cloud Jul 14, 2021

On today's Day Two Cloud we discuss the notion of open cloud. The premise is about reducing or minimizing costs of migrating from a public cloud. In theory, open cloud lets organizations keep their options open to make changes and reduces lock-in. But is open cloud even feasible? Our guest is Chris Psaltis, co-founder and CEO of Mist.io, a startup building an open-source, multi-cloud management platform.

Heavy Networking 588: Exploring The Hidden Realms Of Subsea Cables With Telstra (Sponsored) Jul 13, 2021

Subsea communications cables are an essential part of the global Internet. On today's Heavy Networking, sponsored by Telstra, we dive into the realms of undersea cables to learn how they are laid, signalling methods, POPs and landing stations, how they can be damaged (and repaired), and more. Our Telstra guests are Andy Lumsden, Head of Network Engineering and Operations; and Jeff McHardy, General Manager, Network Development and Commercial Management.

Network Break 341: Ransomware Clobbers Kaseya Customers; HPE Buys Zerto For Cloud Data Protection Jul 12, 2021

This week Network Break examines the fallout of the Kaseya breach, HPE's acquisitions of Zerto and Ampool to extend the value of its Greenlake platform, and Fortinet's purchase of a secure software development tool. We also discuss FTC accusations against Broadcom and what a court ruling could mean for Netflix and other content providers in South Korea.

Heavy Networking 587: When Your Side Project Gets Billions Of Hits – The ICanHazIP Saga Jul 09, 2021

Today on Heavy Networking, the icanhazip story. On the surface, icanhazip.com is simple enough: You hit the URL, and get back your external, public IP address. There are no ads, no blinky lights, just an IP. This free, simple utility has become widely popular, with billions of requests per day. We talk with creator Major Hayden about why and how he built icanhazip, the time and money he's invested, and the insane amount of personal effort it's taken to keep it going.

Day Two Cloud 105: How The Fly.io Cloud Brings Apps Closer To Users Jul 07, 2021

Fly.io is a public cloud that can run your applications all over the world. The goal of Fly.io is to allow developers to self-service complicated infrastructure without an ops team, while making multi-region a default setting to get apps as close to the user as possible. Our guest is founder Kurt Mackey. This is not a sponsored show.

Network Break 340: Marvell Challenges NVIDIA With 5nm DPU; Startup WiteSand Tackles Multi-Vendor Campus Network Management Jul 06, 2021

This week's podcast asks how many Data Processing Units (DPUs) the market can support, discusses a startup that wants to manage your multi-vendor campus network from the cloud, explores new security capabilities in Forward Networks' network verification software, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 586: Virtualizing And Accelerating 5G RAN With 3rd Gen Intel® Xeon (Sponsored) Jul 02, 2021

Today's Heavy Networking, sponsored by Intel, dives into 5G, virtualization, and AI. Intel's 3rd Gen Xeon processors can support a variety of use cases, including running virtualized network functions in the data center, at the edge, and in the cloud. They also have built-in acceleration for AI and cryptography, giving organizations a flexible platform for a variety of workloads, including service providers building out 5G networks. Our guest is Cristina Rodriguez, Vice President Data Center Group General Manager Wireless Access Network Division at Intel.

Day Two Cloud 104: Cloud Is No Escape From Your Data Center Dumpster Fire Jun 30, 2021

IT and business leaders need to be more nuanced in their approach to the cloud. On today's Day Two Cloud podcast, guest Melissa Palmer discusses why cloud hype is a problem for organizations, the need to understand why you'd use cloud, what problems you're trying to solve, and why poor operational processes on prem won't magically vanish by moving to the cloud.

Network Break 339: HPE Raises The Stakes On Its GreenLake Strategy; Windows 11 Injects Itself With Teams Jun 28, 2021

Take a Network Break! We discuss how HPE raises the stakes on its GreenLake hybrid cloud strategy with new features, look at new products from Aruba Networks, review the latest changes in Windows 11, and more tech news. Guest commentator Tom Hollingsworth brings the virtual donuts this week.

Heavy Networking 585: From Help Desk To Network Automation Engineer In 5 Years Jun 25, 2021

Curt Norris started his career as an IT support specialist. Five years later he's an automation engineer. On today's Heavy Networking we discuss his career journey including milestones, ongoing learning, the pros and cons of mentorship, whether a degree makes a difference, and more.

Day Two Cloud 103: Scality ARTESCA Is More Than An Object Store (Sponsored) Jun 23, 2021

On today's Day Two Cloud podcast we talk storage with sponsor Scality about its ARTESCA platform, cloud-native object storage for modern workloads. It integrates with Kubernetes, serves as storage for your public cloud, and more. We dive into the product architecture, use cases, and hardware options via Scality's partnership with HPE.

Heavy Networking 584: Optimize Your Peering With Crosswork Cloud Traffic Analysis (Sponsored) Jun 22, 2021

Today's Heavy Networking explores Crosswork Cloud Traffic Analysis from episode sponsor Cisco. This tool is designed to make you deeply knowledgeable about your BGP peering relationships and traffic flows throughout your infrastructure. It will also recommend the routing tweaks in your IGPs, BGP, RSVP-TE, and segment routing to eliminate those pesky congestion points. We also discuss the pros and cons of putting network management capabilities in the cloud.

Network Break 338: Breach In Progress? Gigamon Operators Are Standing By; IEEE Finalizes New Ethernet Standard Jun 21, 2021

Gigamon adds a human touch to a new SaaS NDR offering, the IEEE finalizes 802.3cu for faster speeds over single-mode optical fiber, US service providers roll out managed SASE services, and more IT news in this week's Network Break podcast.

Heavy Networking 583: How Salesforce Evolved Its Branch Network With Prisma SD-WAN (Sponsored) Jun 18, 2021

On today's Heavy Networking, sponsored by Palo Alto Networks, we hear from Salesforce about the evolution of its branch network to SD-WAN. Salesforce was able to trade MPLS for Internet broadband, get more bandwidth for less money, employ application-based steering and policy enforcement, and more. Our guests are Georgi Stoev, Sr. Network Architect at Salesforce; and Kumar Ramachandran, Senior Vice President at Palo Alto Networks.

Day Two Cloud 102: Edge Cloud Isn’t Magic Jun 16, 2021

Today we're talking Edge Cloud. Guest Alex Marcham has written a book on the subject and we'll get his take on edge infrastructure, what edge cloud is all about, real-world use cases, and how it differs from typical colo facilities or centralized public cloud data centers. We also look at requirements for edge deployments including networking and 5G, and the workloads driving edge infrastructure.

Network Break 337: Hey, You Dropped Some Bitcoin; Fastly Recovers From Outage…Fastly Jun 14, 2021

On this week's Network Break deployment of virtual donuts and tech commentary, Fastly takes out much of the Web but recovers quickly, AWS suffers an outage at a German data center, US law enforcement reclaims a large chunk of Bitcoin ransom, Bosch unveils a new fab to make silicon wafers for automotive chips, and more.

Heavy Networking 582: The Future Of Networking With Nick McKeown Jun 11, 2021

Nick McKeown, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Stanford University, stops by the Heavy Networking podcast to speculate on the future of networking. Professor McKeown has been a force behind the Software Defined Networking (SDN) movement and has co-founded successful startups including Nicira and Barefoot Networks.

Day Two Cloud 101: Closing The Network/Cloud Gap Before You Fall In (Sponsored) Jun 09, 2021

On today's episode, sponsored by BlueCat Networks, we examine the technology and human challenges that arise when you integrate on-prem and the public cloud. You can't continue to do things in the cloud with traditional toolsets and processes. You need to update the tech and the people, including how they collaborate. We also discuss a new report that examines the need for, and challenges of, integrating networking and cloud teams. Our guest is Andrew Wertkin, Chief Strategy Officer at BlueCat.

Network Break 336: Cisco Announces Cloud ACI And More; Amazon Borrows Wi-Fi Without Asking Jun 07, 2021

Cisco debuts Cloud ACI to unify segmentation policies on prem and in the public cloud, Amazon will activate an opt-out mesh network using your Ring and Echo devices, Microsoft buys an IoT security company, and more tech news in this week's Network Break podcast.

Heavy Networking 581: How Gluware Lab Brings DevOps To NetOps (Sponsored) Jun 04, 2021

On today's Heavy Networking, we get practical with infrastructure-as-code, talking with sponsor Gluware about how their users have integrated network automation into their IT practices, bringing DevOps to NetOps. We also explore Gluware Lab, an IDE for network engineers can develop network features and workflows. Our guests are Olivier Huynh Van, Chief Science Officer and Co-Founder; and Michael Haugh, VP of Product Marketing.

Day Two Cloud 100: Get To Know Crossplane: An Infrastructure Control Plane For K8s Jun 02, 2021

Crossplane is an open-source project that plugs into Kubernetes to serve as a control plane that can run across multiple private and public clouds. It allows infrastructure teams to compose infrastructure with all the required policies, permissions, and guardrails, while also providing APIs for developer self-service. Today's Day Two Cloud podcast dives into Crossplane and how it works with maintainer Daniel Mangum.

Network Break 335: Cyber Insurance Premiums Climb; Aruba To Debut Wi-Fi 6E AP Jun 01, 2021

Today's Network Break discusses rising cyber insurance premiums and how wider insurance adoption might affect the security market. We also discuss a forthcoming Aruba AP that uses newly available spectrum, a new packet broker from Extreme with a programmable ASIC, Juniper's Apstra 4.0 release, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 580: Multivendor EVPN? Nope May 28, 2021

Today's Heavy Networking is a nerdy excursion into EVPN VXLAN, including how it works, why you might want it, and why multivendor interoperability is so difficult with this standard. Guest Tony Bourke and host Ethan Banks also explore hardware challenges, automation strategies, EVPN flooding mechanisms, BGP multi-homing, and more.

Day Two Cloud 099: Can Cloud Computing Get Simpler? May 26, 2021

We're a good ten years into public cloud as an industry, and cloud operations don't seem to be getting any simpler. Why is that? Is it a problem? If so, can clouds become simpler? Guest Brian Gracely stops by the Day Two Cloud podcast to wrestle with these questions.

Network Break 334: Palo Alto Unveils New Security Gear; Arista Saves Time With Lowest-Latency Switch May 24, 2021

This week's Network Break covers new firewalls & other security products from Palo Alto Networks, discusses Arista's lowest-latency switch (now with EOS), reviews financial results from Cisco and Palo Alto, and explains why Microsoft is making Internet Explorer go away (just not entirely).

Heavy Networking 579: How Arrcus Enables Network-as-a-Service For 5G Edge/Access Networks (Sponsored) May 21, 2021

Today on Heavy Networking, we talk with sponsor Arrcus about its support for segment routing and the impact it will have on the wider network market, particularly for 5G networks. Our guests from Arrcus are Keyur Patel, CTO and Co-Founder; and Murali Gandluru, Vice President, Product Management.

Day Two Cloud 098: Cloud Centers Of Excellence – Should You Have One? May 19, 2021

A fractured cloud strategy causes headaches such as duplicated services, unnecessary costs, poor security controls, and other problems. A cloud center of excellence can reduce the pain by developing and championing best practices, socializing adoption, and addressing inevitable exceptions. Fred Chagnon visits the Day Two Cloud podcast to advocate for building a cloud center of excellence in your org.

Network Break 333: Cisco Acquires Optical Controller Software; DarkSide Gang Gets The Spotlight May 17, 2021

This week's Network Break covers a pair of Cisco acquisitions, new path analysis capabilities from NetBeez, how the DarkSide ransomware gang is getting the spotlight, sleazy behavior from US broadband companies, and other tech news.

Heavy Networking 578: When Your Homegrown Tool Becomes Essential To The Team May 14, 2021

Lots of network engineers develop tools to help them automate tasks. What happens if you build something so useful it becomes adopted in your organization? Ivan Del Rio, Senior IP Engineer at DQE Communications, stops by the podcast to talk about a tool he built to automate some of his own tasks that is now being widely used. He discusses how and why he built the tool, and how supporting and developing the tool affects his day-to-day responsibilities.

Day Two Cloud 097: Azure Cloud Networking Essentials May 12, 2021

Today's Day Two Cloud podcast explores essential networking capabilities in Azure, including Virtual WAN, VPN gateways, availability zones, SSL termination options, connecting premises and branch offices to the cloud, and more. Our guest is Pierre Roman, Sr Cloud Ops Advocate at Microsoft. This is not a sponsored episode.

Network Break 332: Juniper Teases SASE Offering; IBM Gets Small With 2nm Chip May 10, 2021

Today's Network Break covers IBM's new 2nm chip process, Juniper's first step toward a SASE offering, whether secondary markets for network gear might be an option for companies dealing with supply chain shortages, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 577: A Customer View On Cloud-Delivered Security For Streamlining Distributed Workforces (Sponsored) May 07, 2021

Today's Heavy Networking gets into cloud-delivered security for user access. We're sponsored by Palo Alto Networks, and we'll talk about its Prisma Access service with a customer: Josh Dye, SVP at Jefferies Group. We discuss how Josh pivoted to Prisma Access during the pandemic, how he meets strict security and regulatory requirements for financial services, and more.

Day Two Cloud 096: Public Cloud Isn’t Wrong. You Are. May 05, 2021

Today's Day Two Cloud is a wide-ranging discussion about the value of public cloud, a response to the growing backlash toward cloud cost and complexity, and techniques to better meld automation with application and infrastructure delivery. Our guest is Chris Wahl, Senior Principal at Slalom.

Network Break 331: Proofpoint Goes Private In $12 Billion Deal; Defense Dept. Unveils IPv4 Address Cache May 03, 2021

Guest analyst Johna Till Johnson, CEO and Founder of Nemertes Research, joins the Network Break to discuss a variety of IT news including the rising price of copper, Proofpoint going private in a $12.3 billion deal, why the US Defense Department suddenly began advertising a huge block of IPv4 addresses, and space networking.

Heavy Networking 576: Deception And Canaries In Network Security Apr 30, 2021

Today's Heavy Networking examines the role of deception and "canaries" in network security. A canary sits on a network segment (or multiple segments) and sounds the alarm if it comes under attack. Is this an effective security tool? How is it deployed and operated? What are the drawbacks? We discuss with guest Haroon Meer.

Day Two Cloud 095: Grappling With The Open Source Business Model Apr 28, 2021

Today on Day Two Cloud we get into a whole lot of things. For example, what is IT's value in the age of cloud? How can IT figure out what's actually providing value to the business vs. undifferentiated heavy lifting? How companies built on open-source software make their money? Our guest is Stu Miniman, Director of Market Insights at Red Hat.

Heavy Networking 575: Designing Better Networking And Security With SASE (Sponsored) Apr 27, 2021

On today's Heavy Networking, sponsored by Palo Alto Networks, we examine what SASE means to you as a network engineer, its effects on how applications are protected and how you provide access to end users, and useful things to think about regarding how SASE services are provisioned and operated while you evaluate whether SASE is right for your org.

Network Break 330: VMware Stitches Together A SASE Offering; Nvidia’s Arm Purchase On Hold Apr 26, 2021

This week's Network Break podcast examines VMware's new SASE offering for the distributed workforce, Nvidia's Arm-based accelerators, why the United Kingdom de-accelerated Nvidia's Arm acquisition, new routers from Juniper Networks, and more nerdy IT news.

Heavy Networking 574: Get HIP With Zero Trust And Tempered Networks (Sponsored) Apr 23, 2021

Today's Heavy Networking podcast, sponsored by Tempered Networks, dives into how Tempered builds a software-defined perimeter with native zero trust, leveraging the Host Identity Protocol (HIP), Tempered's Airwall software, cryptographic identities, and secure overlays. Our guests from Tempered are Jeff Hussey, Founder and CEO; and Bryan Skene, CTO.

Day Two Cloud 094: Essential Concepts Of Zero Trust Apr 21, 2021

Today's Day Two Cloud episode aims to pick apart the marketing fluff around Zero Trust (there's a lot of it) to uncover a workable definition, discuss the rationale for this approach, and develop a framework for how to think about zero trust.

Network Break 329: Dell, VMware Consciously Uncouple; Aruba Networks Lives On The Edge Apr 19, 2021

This week's Network Break podcast examines Dell's plans to spin off VMware for a healthy dose of cash, reviews Aruba Networks' Atmosphere keynotes, and dives into NVIDIA announcements around SmartNICs/DPUs and an AI security framework. We also cover a whopping-big acquisition by Microsoft, and what a drought in Taiwan means for the silicon supply chain.

Heavy Networking 573: Using Application Dictionaries For Better Security Policy Management Apr 16, 2021

Today's Heavy Networking thinks hard about how to manage security policy in modern IT infrastructure. We get into sources of truth, application modeling and application dictionaries, approval workflows, and more--all in the context of automation. Our guests are Ken Celenza and Brett Lykins from Network To Code.

Day Two Cloud 093: Application Modernization With VMware (Sponsored) Apr 14, 2021

Today’s Day Two Cloud tackles application modernization with sponsor VMware. As new application platforms such as containers and the public cloud take hold, organizations need to examine their application portfolio to figure out how applications are meeting business requirements—and how they aren’t. The point of app modernization is to determine whether a new approach and... Read more »

Network Break 328: Arista CloudVision Adds Config Workflow Automation; Innovium ASICs Embrace SONiC Apr 12, 2021

On this week's Network Break we cover Arista's careful steps into automation, new support for SONiC from Innovium, a cash injection for whitebox NOS maker Pica8, a startup tackling cloud infrastructure and application experience, and why you can blame cosmic rays the next time there's a network problem.

Heavy Networking 572: How First Bank Leverages Aruba SD-WAN For Network And Security Transformation (Sponsored) Apr 09, 2021

Today's Heavy Networking explores how First Bank uses Aruba’s SD-WAN to advance its cloud migration, support remote workers, and provide secure segmentation for IoT devices. We also discuss the growing trend of SASE and First Bank’s strategy around cloud-delivered security services. Our guests are Marc Ashworth, CISO at First Bank; and Damon Ennis, VP of Engineering at Aruba Networks.

Day Two Cloud 092: What AWS Lambda Is Good For Apr 07, 2021

Today's Day Two Cloud podcast is a thorough introduction to AWS Lambda, which is AWS's serverless compute service. We discuss how Lamdba works, what it can do, use cases, and more. Our guide for today's conversation is Julian Wood, Senior Developer Advocate for the Serverless Product Group at AWS. This is not a sponsored show.

Network Break 327: Cisco Embraces As-A-Service Procurement; Will Amazon Make Its Own ASICs? Apr 05, 2021

Today's Network Break sifts through the most interesting news from Cisco Live 2021 including an as-a-service procurement model, support for biometric-based authentication, integrating ThousandEyes and AppDynamics, and more. We also examine reports that Amazon is designing its own switch ASIC, and discuss new research on harvesting power from 5G electromagnetic waves.

Heavy Networking 571: Network Automation Workflows With Jenkins Apr 02, 2021

Today on Heavy Networking, we talk about how to roll your own network automation workflow. Guest Steve Puluka has developed an automation workflow system that uses GitLab and Jenkins, among other tools, to make sure the network devices he supports are pure gold. We talk about how it works, and how you can put your own together.

Day Two Cloud 091: BGP School For Cloud People Mar 31, 2021

On today's Day Two Cloud, Ethan Banks and Ned Bellavance dive into essentials about BGP including why it's so widely used, concepts such as the Autonomous System (AS), the AS number, loop prevention, BGP communities, IBGP, EBGP, and more.

Heavy Networking 570: Dell Brings The SONiC NOS To SmartNICs And DPUs (Sponsored) Mar 30, 2021

On today's sponsored Heavy Networking podcast we examine the use of SmartNICs and DPUs to offload networking and security processes. We also discuss the use of the SONiC network OS to run on SmartNICs and DPUs, with P4 as a programming layer. Dell Technologies is our sponsor, and our guest from Dell is Ihab Tarazi, Sr. VP and Networking CTO.

Network Break 326: Cloudflare Announces New WAN Services; Intel’s Turnaround Roadmap Mar 29, 2021

Can Pat Gelsinger refloat the Intel container ship? Is Cloudflare's new magic WAN service all that new? What's behind the Fortinet/Linksys partnership? Is a tweet really worth $2.9 million? This week's Network Break podcast ponders these and other tech questions, plus listener FUs.

Heavy Networking 569: New Metro Architectures For 5G, IoT, And Low Latency Services (Sponsored) Mar 26, 2021

5G, IoT, and low-latency virtualized edge services present a major opportunity for providers and enterprises to build and consume new services in the metro network. On today's Heavy Networking episode, sponsor Juniper Networks is here to share its vision of new metro architectures. Our guests are Amit Bhardwaj, Sr. Director Product Management; and Mats Nordlund, Sr. Director Product Management.

Day Two Cloud 090: Hashicorp Vault For Beginners Mar 24, 2021

HashiCorp Vault is a management tool that stores and controls access to sensitive data (passwords, certificates, API keys, and so on). Today's Day Two Cloud is a deep dive on Vault and its use cases. This is an unsponsored show that came together unexpectedly due to a scheduling issue.

Network Break 325: VMware Buys API Security Startup; Gartner Bullish On SONiC Network OS Mar 22, 2021

This week's Network Break podcast discusses VMware's purchase of API security startup Mesh7, looks at a new security option for third-party Web components from Tala Security, and analyzes why Gartner is so bullish on the SONiC network OS. We also speculate on motivations behind Google's real estate spending spree, and hand out a nice selection of virtual donuts.

Heavy Networking 568: Effective Technical Communication Mar 19, 2021

Today's Heavy Networking explores how to communicate complex, nuanced technical topics to non-technical people. We examine how to balance finicky details with broader outcomes, discuss the value of editing and review, share writing tips, and more.

Day Two Cloud 089: Connect All The Cloud Things – AWS Networking In 2021 Mar 17, 2021

Network engineer and AWS product manager Nick Matthews visits the Day Two Cloud podcast to talk about the newest cloud networking capabilities in AWS. We also discuss common design mistakes, what's happening with IPv6, SD-WAN and cloud, and more.

Heavy Networking 567: Why You’ll Use A Service Provider Edge Cloud (Sponsored) Mar 16, 2021

In today's sponsored Heavy Networking podcast, Juniper Networks is here to make the case that service providers are building cloud services at the edge that enterprises can take advantage of. Joining us is Kevin Hutchins, SVP, Strategy & Product Management at Juniper, to assert that service providers can thrive and compete in a cloud-based economy, and that Juniper will be a key part of that ecosystem.

Network Break 324: Cisco ASIC Hits 25.6Tbps; AWS Extends VPC Flow Logs For Better Visibility Mar 15, 2021

This week's Network Break discusses new ASICs from Cisco, new metadata fields in AWS VPC flow logs, a cloud visibility fabric from packet broker specialist Gigamon, lessons from a data center fire, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 566: Inside Intel’s Strategy To Unlock Data Center Performance (Sponsored) Mar 12, 2021

On today's Heavy Networking we dive into Intel's portfolio---including Tofino, SmartNICs, P4, and more---to understand how it unlocks the compute power of your data center. Our guest is Mike Zeile, Data Center Group Vice President and General Manager of End-to-End Network Applications at Intel. Intel is our sponsor.

Day Two Cloud 088: The Tech Recruiter – Friend Or Foe? Mar 10, 2021

Our guest is Taylor Desseyn, Sr. Recruiter Advocate at Vaco. Taylor knows tech recruiting forwards and backwards. He gives us an insider's view of how recruiters look at you and how you should look at them to maximize the benefit of the relationship. Because it IS a relationship. And like any relationship, you need to work at it.

Network Break 323: Google To Swap 3rd-Party Cookies For Cohorts; Attackers Exploit On-Prem Exchange Mar 08, 2021

This week's Network Break checks the fine print on a Google pledge to phase out third-party cookie tracking, examines a serious attack against Microsoft Exchange servers, dives into HPE's latest financial results, and analyzes more tech news.

Heavy Networking 565: In Defense Of EIGRP Mar 05, 2021

Does EIGRP need defending? Can this protocol even be defended? Ethan Banks and Zig Zsiga debate the case for EIGRP and discuss major use cases, design considerations, scaling tips, and more.

Day Two Cloud 087: Inside The World Of A Technical Marketer Mar 03, 2021

Engineers are skeptical of vendor marketing, which is typically heavy on buzzwords and light on actual information. But technical marketing tries to change that dynamic by creating collateral to help engineers and practitioners understand a product. We get into this world with guest Martez Reed, Director of Technical Marketing at Morpheus Data.

Network Break 322: Juniper Mist-ifes 128 Technology; US Telcos Spend Big For 5G Spectrum Mar 01, 2021

On today's Network Break we discuss a slate of Juniper announcements around new integrations with its Mist platform, plus new switches. HPE acquires a SaaS company for controlling cloud and infrastructure costs, US telcos spend $81 billion on spectrum for 5G, and we dive into the latest round of financial results from SolarWinds, VMware, and Nutanix.

Heavy Networking 564: Seven Engineers At The Community Roundtable Feb 26, 2021

Today's Heavy Networking episode is a grab bag of topics delivered in our community roundtable format. Five engineers join Ethan Banks and Greg Ferro to talk about subjects including IPv6, SmartNICs, firewall rule management, becoming a manager, and other topics.

Day Two Cloud 086: AWS Succession – Does It Matter Who’s The Next CEO? Feb 24, 2021

AWS needs a new CEO now that Andy Jassy has been tapped to run the Amazon mothership. Does the cloud giant need a high-powered, Type-A successor to drive AWS's growth, or is it now so dominant that a ham sandwich could run the company? That's the topic for discussion on today's Day Two Cloud podcast.

Network Break 321: Palo Alto Buys Bridgecrew For IaC Security; Azure Steps Up Its Firewall Game Feb 22, 2021

Today's Network Break discusses an acquisition by Palo Alto Networks that targets the security of Infrastructure as Code, a souped-up firewall for Microsoft Azure, a new private cloud option from Dell, commentary on the wisdom--or lack thereof--about gathering in person in Barcelona for a wireless convention, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 563: Automating Documentation With Ansible, Genie, And Jinja2 Feb 19, 2021

On today’s Heavy Networking, we explore how to get network data you reference all the time and store it in a CSV using Ansible, the Genie parser, and Jinja2. Our guide for how to assemble these gears and get them cranking is John Capobianco, automation maven and Sr. IT Planner and Integrator for the House of Commons in the Canadian Parliament.

Day Two Cloud 085: Hosting Your Infrastructure Code In The Cloud Feb 17, 2021

Let’s say I host my Infrastructure as Code provisioning stuff locally. It works. It’s nearby. I feel in control. Are there good reasons I should move that stuff to the cloud? Here to help us sort the pros and cons of that question is Calvin Hendryx-Parker. Calvin is the co-founder and CTO of Six Feet Up, a Python web application development company.

Heavy Networking 562: Juniper’s Paragon Automation Portfolio Prioritizes Service Experience (Sponsored) Feb 16, 2021

In today’s sponsored show with Juniper Networks, we dive into Juniper's Paragon product portfolio, which measures service quality for critical applications. The portfolio allows service providers and enterprises to get deeper visibility into, and automated control over, their networks. Our guests from Juniper to walk us through the portfolio are Peter Weinberger and Jonas Krogell.

Network Break 320: Juniper Rebrands Service Provider Automation Offerings; Fortinet Gets SASE With Latest OS Feb 16, 2021

This week's Network Break dives into Juniper reorganizing and rebranding automation products as the Paragon portfolio, new SASE and ZTNA capabilities from Fortinet, the rise of cyber-insurance premiums, an HPE server getting launched into space, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 561: Modeling Your Network For Intent-Based Assurance With IP Fabric (Sponsored) Feb 12, 2021

In today's podcast, sponsored by IP Fabric, we dive into the IP Fabric Network Assurance platform. This platform gathers network configuration and state, and then builds a network model using a graph database. The result is a "digital twin" of the network that engineers and security teams can use for troubleshooting, to plan and verify changes, for network and security analysis, and to enable closed-loop automation. Our guests from IP Fabric are Pavel Bykov, CEO; and Daren Fulwell, Network Automation Evangelist.

Day Two Cloud 084: So You Want To Be A Consultant Feb 10, 2021

Today's Day Two Cloud gets into consulting. How do you start? What does the job entail? Is it a good job to have? How do you build a client base? There are so many questions! We're joined by Michael Jenkins, Sr. Systems Reliability Engineer at Managed Kaos; and Anthony Nocentino, Enterprise Architect at Centino Systems and Pluralsight author, to get some answers.

Network Break 319: Arista Unveils Zero Trust Offering; Google Searches For Cloud Profits Feb 08, 2021

Take a Network Break! This week we start with a couple of follow-ups, and then dive into the week's news. Arista Networks announced a Zero Trust offering that has room to grow, Google's Stadia game streaming service shuts down its in-house game development studio, AWS and Google Cloud announce their financial results, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 560: Moving Big Data Sets From Far-Off Locations Feb 05, 2021

Construction sites generate tons of data but often lack network connectivity. Today's Heavy Networking explores how one CTO has found ways to move huge data sets to HQ and the cloud using everything from Free Space Optics to LTE to consumer broadband. There are also stories about flying drones and robot dogs, and the operational impacts of SD-WAN. Our guest is Michael Shepherd, CTO of Rogers-O’Brien Construction.

Day Two Cloud 083: Should Cloud Be A Public Utility? Feb 03, 2021

Computing power is a vital part of modern life. Should access to that power be more equitably distributed? Is there a role for a public-utility-style cloud that could make computing more cost-effective and accessible to a broader number of constituencies? These are the starting questions for today's episode of Day Two Cloud. Our guest is Dwayne Monroe, a cloud architect, consultant, and author.

Network Break 318: Cisco Unveils New Catalyst Hardware; Internet Sleuth Uncovers Global IPv4 Misuse Feb 01, 2021

Today's Network Break explores new Catalyst hardware and micro switches from Cisco, a new security offering from Fortinet that combines endpoint security with cloud analytics, an Internet sleuth tracking IPv4 shenanigans, financial results from Juniper and F5, and a whopping big investment for routing startup DriveNets.

Heavy Networking 559: Nokia SR Linux – A Hyperscaler NOS Designed For Everyone (Sponsored) Jan 29, 2021

Today's sponsored Heavy Networking dives into SR Linux, a new network OS built by Nokia. SR Linux combines a microservices architecture with modern data center networking features and is designed to fit multiple use cases while also being automation-friendly and extensible. Our guest is Bruce Wallis, Senior Director of Product Management in Data Center Switching at Nokia.

Day Two Cloud 082: You Don’t Need A Service Mesh Jan 27, 2021

Today's Day Two Cloud podcast speaks with the creator of the Envoy proxy, Matt Klein, about the challenges of networking, load balancing, and service discovery in microservices architectures. The upshot? Depending on what you're trying to do and why, you may not need a service mesh. You may not need microservices. Sometimes a VM is just right.

Network Break 317: Citrix Bets The House On SaaS Collaboration; AWS Forks Elasticsearch Jan 25, 2021

Today's Network Break examines Citrix's multi-billion bet on a SaaS collaboration acquisition, a fight over the Elasticsearch project where everyone gets a black eye, Red Hat's sop to everyone angry about CentOS, a pair of dangerous Cisco SD-WAN bugs, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 558: No Time For Hardware – The Case For NFV Jan 22, 2021

Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) transforms routers, load balancers, firewalls and other network devices into virtual instances that can be service-chained, spun up and down as needed, and are cloud-friendly. But if you're a hardware hugger or have been been burned by virtualization in the past, should you avoid NFV? Today's Heavy Networking guests want to change your mind. The Packet Pushers speak with Michael Pfeiffer, a Cloud Networking Architect for a VAR; and Brad Gregory, Senior Product Manager at Equinix.

Day Two Cloud 081: Abstractions Should Save Typing, Not Thinking Jan 20, 2021

Today's Day Two Cloud episode is part one of a two-part show on abstractions. Hosts Ned Bellavance and Ethan Banks riff on the idea that "Abstractions are there to save you typing, not to save you thinking." The upshot? Abstractions don't eliminate issues, they just move them someplace else. And that has repercussions for design, development, infrastructure, and operations.

Network Break 316: New CPU CEO Bids VMware Adieu; NSA Says Check Your DoH Jan 19, 2021

This week's Network Break opines on the breach of Ubiquiti customer data via a third-party cloud service, Pat Gelsinger's appointment to the CEO role at Intel, and the NSA offers advice for enterprises on deploying DNS over HTTPS (DoH). We also cover how a chip shortage is stalling auto production and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 557: User Experience Is A Full-Stack Responsibility (Sponsored) Jan 15, 2021

Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM) is the topic on today's Heavy Networking. IT folks tend to view user experience from their own particular area of responsibility--networking, security, app development--but the reality is there's a common set of data that IT should consume and understand. Sponsor Catchpoint joins us to discuss its DEM platform and how it measures user experience using metrics that are relevant across the IT stack. Our guest is JP Blaho, Director, Product Marketing at Catchpoint.

Day Two Cloud 080: Multi-Cloud Isn’t A Myth – We Have Proof Jan 13, 2021

Is multi-cloud real? Some say no, but others know the reality of multi-cloud because they are living it every day. One such human is William Collins, and he joins us to talk through some actual multi-cloud use cases.

Network Break 315: Pluralsight Sold For $3.5 Billion; Dent NOS Hitchhikes To The Edge Jan 12, 2021

This week's Network Break discusses the jaw-dropping $3.5 billion purchase of Pluralsight; welcomes a new network OS to life, the universe, and everything; debates whether ICANN was cautious or tardy in implementing DNSSEC for gTLD name servers, catches up on the SolarWinds hack, and more tech conversation.

Heavy Networking 556: The State Of GNS3 For Network Labs Jan 08, 2021

GNS3 is a tool for building virtual networks for labbing. Heavy Networking welcomes GNS3 co-founder and developer Jeremy Grossman and networking instructor David Bombal. We cover the state of GNS3 in 2021, including what GNS3 can do that maybe you didn’t know, and what’s on the roadmap.

Heavy Networking 555: Top Network Design Trends Of 2020 Dec 18, 2020

Today's episode is the last Heavy Networking of 2020. In the spirit of an end-of-year reflection, we're going to talk about network design trends from this year, some of which were driven, or at least accelerated, by the pandemic hellscape that was 2020. Our guest is Zig Zsiga, a network designer, architect, CCDE, and instructor.

Day Two Cloud 079: Kubernetes Is Inevitable But Not Always Necessary Dec 16, 2020

There's a lot of hype and fanfare around Kubernetes, but on today's Day Two Cloud episode we'll cut through the hype with a guest who has enterprise experience with Kubernetes and containers--including the pain and problems. Those pains revolve around complexity, the ignorance of the Kubernetes platform, and the disconnect between the designers of Kubernetes and the people trying to use it now. Our guest is Eric Wright, Technology Evangelist at Turbonomic and host of the DiscoPosse podcast.

Network Break 314: Juniper Buys Apstra For IBN; Aruba Targets The Data Center With Fabric Software Dec 14, 2020

Today's Network Break analyzes Juniper's acquisition of Intent-Based Networking startup Apstra, HPE's Aruba targets the data center with new switches and fabric software, and the US FTC sues Facebook for violating anti-trust laws. We also cover new products from Arista, Aryaka, and Gluware, a trio of Cisco acquisitions, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 554: Mistaking Commercial Software For A Security Blanket Dec 11, 2020

Today's Heavy Networking talks about the tradeoffs between commercial and open source software. While open source takes time and effort to make work, is commercial software any better? Guest Daniel Teycheney is here for the debate.

Day Two Cloud 078: Cloud Economics Are Ridiculous Dec 09, 2020

Corey Quinn stops by the Day Two Cloud podcast to explore the complicated world of understanding and managing cloud costs, CapEx vs OpEx, cloud lock-in, and other tricky issues. Corey is Chief Cloud Economist at Duckbill Group. He also publishes the Last Week In AWS newsletter.

Network Break 313: Salesforce Snaps Up Slack; HPE To Decamp For Houston Dec 07, 2020

This week's Network Break analyzes the implications of Salesforce's Slack acquisition, discusses why HPE is moving its HQ to Houston, new ASICs from Broadcom, the distastefulness of Dell selling security add-ons for its supply chain, the shakiness of IETF funding, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 553: Why Does BGP Need Link State? Dec 04, 2020

Hannes Gredler stops by the Heavy Networking virtual studios to educate us on what BGP-LS is, the problems it aims to solve, how it differs from segment routing, and whether the industry is loading too many features onto the back of the BGP workhorse.

Day Two Cloud 077: Why Kubernetes Is Wrong For You Dec 02, 2020

Kubernetes seems like a shining paragon of Ops efficiency, but the reality of running it is quite different. Is your organization up to the task? Is Kubernetes the thing you actually want or need? In this Day Two Cloud episode we talk to Cory O’Daniel and Rishi Malik from Container Heroes, and they have some thoughts on why Kubernetes is wrong for you.

Network Break 312: AWS Kneecapped By Kinesis; Linux Unlikely For Apple M1 Nov 30, 2020

The latest Network Break episode explores AWS's pre-Thanksgiving outage and the lack of fallout, discusses a new AWS firewall service, reports on why Linus Torvalds isn't holding his breath on seeing Linux run on Apple's new M1 SoC, covers the latest tech financial results, and more.

Heavy Networking 552: How Fortinet Enables Multi-Vendor Security Integration (Sponsored) Nov 27, 2020

On today's Heavy Networking, sponsored by Fortinet, we dive into a variety of topics including a multiplicity of edges that require connectivity and security (WAN edge, LAN edge, cloud edge, remote edge, etc.), the convergence of infrastructure and security, the need for interoperability among security vendors, implementing Zero Trust Access (ZTA), and the current and future roles for machine learning and AI. Our guest is John Maddison, EVP of Products.

Day Two Cloud 076: A Curated KubeCon And CloudNativeCon Roundup Nov 25, 2020

On today's Day Two Cloud we review announcements and make our observations of the KubeCon and CloudNativeCon North America 2020 virtual event. That includes a new Kubernetes certification, the results of a Cloud Native survey, the quality of technical sessions, and new product releases.

Network Break 311: Apstra Gets Loud About SONiC; VMware Sinks More Hooks Into Networking Nov 23, 2020

Each week Network Break runs vendor press releases through our patented ML algorithms to strip out the marketing & buzzwords. It doesn't leave us much to work with, but we do our best. Today's episode covers Apstra's IBN support for the SONiC NOS, IBM's purchase of APM newcomer Instana, VMware's furthering of its networking ambitions, a startup building 5G chips for the edge, and more.

Heavy Networking 551: An Insider’s Guide To The SONiC Network OS Nov 20, 2020

SONiC is a network OS that can run on a variety of whitebox switches. Originally developed by Microsoft, SONiC is now an open-source project with distributions that target hyperscale and enterprise environments. Today's Heavy Networking is a deep dive into SONiC with Dave Maltz, a Technical Fellow at Microsoft who has been closely involved with SONiC's development. While Microsoft is a SONiC backer, this is an unsponsored episode.

Day Two Cloud 075: Operationalizing Your Hybrid Cloud With VMware vRealize (Sponsored) Nov 18, 2020

Consistency is key for your cloud operations team and your end users (be they employees, customers, or developers). On today's Day Two Cloud episode with sponsor VMware, we discuss how to implement consistent operations for your hybrid cloud. Our guests from VMware are Brandon Gordon, Staff Technical Marketing Architect; and Matt Bradford, Sr. Technical Marketing Manager.

Network Break 310: Kemp Acquires Flowmon; Networking Startup Isovalent Nabs $29 Million VC Bucks Nov 16, 2020

This week's Network Break discusses a serious flaw in some Aruba switches, why Kemp acquired Flowmon, what makes a networking startup worth a $29 million investment, what Extreme Networks is up to with its AWS Outpost competitor, how Cisco is spinning a tough financial quarter, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 550: Automation Readiness Isn’t About Your Routers (Sponsored) Nov 13, 2020

Today's Heavy Networking podcast examines cross-domain automation. Our sponsor is Cisco and our guest is Omar Sultan, Leader, Product Management for Cisco's Network Services Orchestrator (NSO) product. While the discussion starts with NSO, the conversation also covers dealing with automation complexity, the need for tool choice, and the critical roles that organizational structure and teams play in a successful automation/orchestration effort.

Day Two Cloud 074: Why Is There Still Shadow IT? Nov 11, 2020

Why are we talking about shadow IT in 2020? Didn't we DevOps shadow IT out of the picture? Turns out we didn't. All the initiatives and process changes that were supposed to eliminate the need for shadow IT didn't quite work out the way we expected. Guest Christopher Kusek stops by to talk about why shadow IT still exists, and how to deal with it.

Network Break 309: Arista Rolls Out New Campus Switches; Financial Reporting Roundup Nov 09, 2020

Guest commentator Johna Till Johnson, CEO of Nemertes Research, brings her analytical eye to this week's Network Break. Coverage includes new Arista campus switches, a Dutch telco shutting down legacy TDM systems, Google Chrome getting its own certificate store, and a massive Bitcoin seizure.

Heavy Networking 549: The Future Of Networking With Simon Sharwood Nov 06, 2020

In this discussion, Greg accosts...no, converses with...Simon Sharwood on a variety of issues highly relevant to networking's future. It turns out, Simon is not short on opinions. And thusly, Simon and Greg opine about sundry topics.

Day Two Cloud 073: AnsibleFest & HashiConf 2020 Announcements, Analysis & Awesomeness Nov 04, 2020

Ned Bellavance and Ethan Banks analyze the big announcements from two conferences the clouderati should care about: AnsibleFest and HashiConf Digital. Both of these were virtual events because there's still an pandemic on, folks. Speaking of which, how do Ned and Ethan feel about virtual events? Not great, really. Slidewhipping the attendees in multi-day webinars seems to be how vendors are running their virtual conferences, and it ain't workin'...

Heavy Networking 548: Automating Multi-DC EVPN With Apstra (Sponsored) Nov 03, 2020

If you’ve been looking at automation for your network, you should listen to this episode. This is one of those discussions that can help you understand whether you should roll your own artisanal automation, lovingly handcrafted with Python scripts flowing from your keyboard, or whether your organization would be better served with a commercially supported tool like Apstra. That’s the choice Beelastic needed to make, and we’re going to discuss why they went the Apstra direction. Apstra customer Beelastic is going to tell their tale of data center fabric, multiple data centers, automation, validation, multi-tenancy, EVPN, and more.

Network Break 308: AMD Gobbles Xilinx, Marvell Chops Inphi. Its SmartNIC DPU Week Nov 02, 2020

This week Network Break is about silicon companies Marvel and AMD bulking up to fight competition. Cisco ships a SmartNIC, Catchpoint releases new features and Space Networking.

Heavy Networking 547: Building And Monitoring A User-Centric Digital Experience With Catchpoint (Sponsored) Oct 30, 2020

Today’s Heavy Networking show dives into Digital Experience Monitoring (DEM) with sponsor Catchpoint. Catchpoint combines synthetic testing with end user device monitoring to provide greater visibility into the end user experience while helping network engineers and IT admins support and troubleshoot a distributed workforce. Our guests from Catchpoint are Nik Koutsoukos, CMO; and Tony Ferelli, VP Operations.

Day Two Cloud 072: VMworld 2020 Analysis And Roundup – Project Monterey And More Oct 28, 2020

Today's Day Two Cloud covers the most interesting announcements and presentations from VMworld 2020, including Project Monterey and partnerships with nVidia and Pensando, an an announcement from analysis tool vendor Runecast, and highlights from Pure Storage.

Heavy Networking 546: Making Zero Trust Remote Access Work (Sponsored) Oct 27, 2020

Zero trust network access is ideal for today's distributed workforce, but it can be tricky to put into place. On today's sponsored Heavy Networking podcast, we talk with NetMotion about its remote access product that enable zero trust plus performance monitoring to help troubleshoot problems for remote workers. Our guest is Jay Klauser, VP of Worldwide Sales Engineering & Alliances at NetMotion.

Network Break 307: Cisco Launches Catalyst 8000 Edge Routers; Juniper Spends $450 Million For 128 Technology Oct 26, 2020

Today's Network Break covers new SD-WAN routers from Cisco, a giant Juniper acquisition, new WIPS capabilities from Extreme, the United States' anti-trust lawsuit against Google, Intel selling its NAND business, and Space Networking!

Heavy Networking 545: Achieving Automated Network State Validation Oct 23, 2020

Automated state validation is our topic today on Heavy Networking. The hard part isn't configuring the network: it's ensuring the configuration has resulted in the desired state. Guest John Capobianco regards automated state validation is an advanced automation technique. We dive into details in this episode.

Day Two Cloud 071: It’s Not Too Late To Make DevOps Work Oct 21, 2020

Technology is accelerating like crazy, with new tools, services, open-source projects, and processes. If you're trying to make DevOps work in your organization, you might feel like you're perpetually behind. This Day Two Cloud episode is here to say: You're going to be OK. You can still engage with DevOps to move your career and your organization forward. Our guest to tell you how is April Edwards, a Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft.

Network Break 306: Cloudflare Launches Secure NaaS Offering; SonicWall Vulnerability Affects Nearly 800,000 Devices Oct 19, 2020

Today's Network Break examines a new security service from Cloudflare, a SonicWall vulnerability that affects a massive number of its appliances, a fresh funding round for networking startup Alkira, and more nerdy networking news.

Heavy Networking 544: Building Effective Network Monitoring Solutions With Codilime (Sponsored) Oct 16, 2020

Monitoring and visibility are critical to network operations. On today's sponsored Heavy Networking show, we talk with sponsor Codilime about custom development and integration of network monitoring and management tools for the data center and cloud. Our guests from Codilime are are Monika Antoniak, Head of R&D; and Edyta Kałka, Senior Project Manager.

Day Two Cloud 070: The State Of Multi-Cloud Networking Oct 14, 2020

Today's show is a vigorous discussion of multi-cloud networking. Our guest, networking expert Ivan Pepelnjak, brings a heavy dose of skepticism, nuance, and informed perspective to the tricky issue of connecting workloads across different public clouds.

Network Break 305: NVIDIA Unfolds DPU Roadmap; IBM Spins Off Managed Infrastructure Biz Oct 13, 2020

Today's Network Break analyzes NVIDIA's new roadmap for DPUs (also known as SmartNICs), IBM's spin-out of its managed infrastructure business, new security features from Juniper, a whopping judgement against Cisco for patent violations, and more.

Heavy Networking 543: What 2020 Internet Outages Teach Us About Managing Remote Work (Sponsored) Oct 09, 2020

Stuff breaks all the time. With so many people working from home, most of the stuff that's breaking isn't yours, but that doesn’t mean it’s not your problem. Today's Heavy Networking, sponsored by ThousandEyes, reviews critical outages in 2020 and considers network design tips for Internet and remote work. Our guests from ThousandEyes are Angelique Medina and Archana Kesavan.

Day Two Cloud 069: The Life Of A Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) Oct 07, 2020

On today's Day Two Cloud podcast we talk with a real-live SRE, or Site Reliability Engineer, who works in an IT group that delivers applications using DevOps principles as part of their day-to-day work. Our guest is James Quigley, SRE at Bloomberg. He and his team builds infrastructure and tooling for application and infrastructure teams to develop for the public cloud.

Network Break 304: The VMworld 2020 Roundup; Arista Acquires Awake Security Oct 05, 2020

Keith Townsend stops by Network Break to lend analysis and commentary on our review of the biggest announcements to come out of VMworld, including Project Monterey and the SaltStack acquisition. We also discuss new products from Arista, acquisitions by Arista and Juniper, Google joining the Linux Foundation's LF Networking, and more.

Heavy Networking 542: Is Whitebox Too Risky For The Enterprise? Oct 02, 2020

Tom Hollingsworth stops by the Heavy Networking podcast to weigh in on a few topics, including the conflict between Broadcom and NVIDIA, and whether whitebox networking is becoming too risky for enterprise networks.

Day Two Cloud 068: Achieving Crucial Cloud Visibility With Riverbed (Sponsored) Sep 30, 2020

Today's show explores cloud visibility with sponsor Riverbed. Perhaps best known for its Steelhead WAN optimization appliances, Riverbed has a suite of solutions that target cloud performance and visibility, and we'll get to know them. Our Riverbed guests are Dr. Vincent Berk, VP, Chief Architect Security, CTO; and Brandon Carroll, Director, Technical Evangelist, Worldwide Marketing Management.

Network Break 303: Ericsson Acquires Cradlepoint For WAN Connectivity; HPE/Silver Peak Deal Closes Sep 28, 2020

Today's Network Break starts with follow-up to correct a few items, and then dives into Ericsson's Cradlepoint acquisition. On the acquisition front, HPE finalizes its Silver Peak purchase, Kentik adds synthetics to its visibility platform, Cisco bets on a live, in-person event in 2021, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 541: An Update On Free Range Routing Sep 25, 2020

Today's Heavy Networking jumps into the Free Range Routing (FRR) project, including features of the latest release, what's on the roadmap, and use cases and platform support. Our guest is Donald Sharp, a longtime FRR contributor and Principle Engineer at NVIDIA.

Day Two Cloud 067: Choosing The Right Applications For The Cloud With SolarWinds (Sponsored) Sep 23, 2020

What apps belong in the cloud and which are better on premises? Dave Wagner, Senior Manager, Product Marketing at SolarWinds, joins Day Two Cloud to develop a strategy and find the right tooling to help you make the best decision. SolarWinds is the sponsor for today's episode.

Network Break 302: Nvidia Bids Billions For Arm; VMware Melds Kubernetes With vSphere Sep 21, 2020

It's a baker's dozen of tech news in today's Network Break episode. We analyze Nvidia's $40 billion bid for Arm, Broadcom's banishment of Cumulus, vSphere's Kubernetes injection via Tanzu, a new hardware strategy from Extreme, new products from Palo Alto and Juniper, and more!

Heavy Networking 540: Sinefa Blends Network Data, Synthetics To Measure End User Experience (Sponsored) Sep 18, 2020

In today's sponsored show, we talk with Sinefa about its Digital Experience Monitoring capabilities. Sinefa assembles network traffic, DPI, end point monitoring, and synthetic transactions to get clear, actionable information on network performance to measure end user experience and improve troubleshooting. Our guests are Chris Siakos, CTO; and Alex Henthorn-Iwane, VP of Product Marketing.

Day Two Cloud 066: Cloud Computing At The Edge(s) Sep 16, 2020

Mark Thiele joins the Day Two Cloud podcast to school us on all things edge. He argues that edge is more than a buzzword, with a specific set of opportunities and challenges for IT operations and infrastructure.

Network Break 301: Samsung Dials Up A 5G Contract; Broadcom Announces Fast, Power-Efficient New Jericho Chip Sep 14, 2020

Network Break analyzes Samsung's multi-billion 5G contract from Verizon, a new Jericho ASIC from Broadcom, the insiders driving Zoombombing, the persistence of DDoS attacks, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 539: Preventing The 4poKalypse With Inter-Domain Multicast Sep 11, 2020

The 4poKalypse is coming, and service providers need more tools in their toolbox to combat congestion in eyeball networks. Local content caches close to the eyeballs (pretty much how we do it today) isn’t going to be quite enough. Jake Holland of Akamai is here to tell us just why inter-domain multicast is important, and why...this time...we can make it work.

Day Two Cloud 065: Building Your Cloud On-Ramp With SD-WAN Sep 09, 2020

SD-WAN vendors offer a variety of mechanisms to connect end users to cloud applications while incorporating policy and performance requirements. Day Two Cloud co-host Ethan Banks interviewed many of these vendors to understand the architectural nitty-gritty of different approaches. In this episode, he shares the fruits of his research.

Network Break 300: Cisco Mixes Microservices And SD-WAN; Broadcom Rolls Out Gen7 Fibre Channel Switches Sep 08, 2020

Network Break dives into a new Cisco project that ties microservices to SD-WAN, a CenturyLink outage, new vulnerabilities in IOS-XR, Broadcom's new Gen7 Fibre Channel switches, and more IT news.

Heavy Networking 538: Running An Open, Automated Data Center Fabric With Nokia (Sponsored) Sep 08, 2020

Today's show dives into Nokia's approach for automating and operating data center fabrics. In this sponsored episode we examine key elements of Nokia's approach including the SR Linux network OS and its Fabric Services Platform. Our guest is Steve Vogelsang, CTO for IP and Optical Networks at Nokia.

Day Two Cloud 064: Bringing Ansible Into A Windows Shop Sep 02, 2020

Today's Day Two Cloud podcast makes the case for bringing Ansible into your Windows automation toolkit with guest Josh Duffney. Josh is an SRE, a Microsoft MVP, and author of a book on Ansible. We discuss key elements of Ansible, how it fits in a Windows shop, using Ansible with the Chocolately package manager, and more.

Network Break 299: Cisco Acquires Audio Filter BabbleLabs; Apple Update Hits Facebook In The Ads Aug 31, 2020

Today's Network Break shares listener follow-up, then dives into a new Cisco acquisition of an audio company; discusses how Facebook is responding to an Apple update that will hurt a part of Facebook's business; covers financial results from HPE, VMware, and Nutanix; and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 537: Ansible Vs. Terraform For Network Automation Aug 28, 2020

The networking community seems to have coalesced around Ansible for network device automation and Terraform for cloud. Why this divide? Are the two tools really that different? Today's Heavy Networking explores how and where you can use both these tools, with guests Ned Bellavance and Josh VanDeraa.

Day Two Cloud 063: The How And Why Of Migrating Databases To The Cloud Aug 26, 2020

Planning a database migration to the cloud? If you're going to do it right, prepare to dig in because you have many options and trade offs to consider, including whether to go with IaaS or PaaS, security and monitoring issues, and much, much more. Day Two Cloud dives into the inner workings of database migration with expert Joey D’Antoni, Principal Consultant at Denny Cherry & Associates.

Network Break 298: Arista Launches CloudVision As A Service; Cisco, Megaport Partner On SD-WAN Aug 24, 2020

Take a Network Break! Pass around the virtual pickles as we delve into Arista's new SaaS version of CloudVision, Cisco and Megaport's SD-WAN partnership, new Intent-Based Networking features from Apstra, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 536: Arrcus Reimagines The Chassis Router With Its Virtualized Distributed Router (Sponsored) Aug 21, 2020

Today's Heavy Networking dives into sponsor Arrcus's Virtualized Distributed Router, new software that transforms the monolithic chassis that can scale to thousands of ports while being operated and managed like a single device. Our guests are Murali Gandluru, Keyur Patel, and Nalin Pai from Arrcus.

Day Two Cloud 062: What Do Words Mean? Aug 19, 2020

Some words mean different things to different IT disciplines. And tech vendors often twist the meaning of technical terms to suit their own purposes. On today's Day Two Cloud, guest Karen Lopez helps us sort out the semantics of IT language and discusses why accuracy matters.

Network Break 297: Juniper Rolls Out New WiFi 6 APs; Security Spending Is Pointless (Mostly) Aug 17, 2020

The latest Network Break podcast debates whether security spending is worth it, discusses new APs from Juniper, reviews two new startups, analyzes Cisco's latest financial reports, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 535: The ‘What’s On Your Mind?’ Roundtable Aug 14, 2020

Today's Heavy Networking is a roundtable show where a group of engineers tell us what's on their minds. Topics include why EVPN/VXLAN is useful even for small data centers, how to get automation going despite internal constraints, the pros and cons of unique network designs, and tales of how working from home has affected projects, teams, and priorities.

Day Two Cloud 061: Using Public Cloud For Disaster Recovery Aug 12, 2020

The Day Two Cloud podcast explores different approaches to using the public cloud for disaster recovery. We examine costs and benefits, discuss recovery times, dive into planning, and more. The show draws on co-host Ned Bellavance's experience working on DR projects for a variety of customers during his VAR days.

Heavy Networking 534: Managing Automated Networks With vCenter And Dell SmartFabric Services (Sponsored) Aug 11, 2020

Heavy Networking dives into building cost-effective, practical, and easily managed leaf-spine networks with sponsor Dell Technologies. We discuss Dell's SmartFabric Services offering, including the underlying infrastructure and software overlay, key automation features, interconnects for enterprise uses such as HCI, and more. Our guest is Saleem Muhammad, Director of Product Management and Marketing at Dell Technologies.

Network Break 296: Cisco Acquires Video Analytics Company; F5 Gear Targeted By Botnet Aug 10, 2020

The latest Network Break podcast examines Cisco's acquisition of Modcam for video analytics, discusses how the Mirai botnet takes advantage of vulnerable F5 load balancers, reviews financial results from Extreme and Arista, and tackles even more IT news.

Heavy Networking 533: Packet Pushers Roundtable – SD-Branch, BGP Over QUIC, Bandwidth Avoidance Aug 07, 2020

Today's episode assembles the Packet Pushers to wrangle over a grab bag of ideas including the evolution from SD-WAN to SD-Branch, new compression standards to preserve Internet bandwidth, and the pros and cons of BGP over QUIC.

Day Two Cloud 060: Charting Global Internet Performance With ThousandEyes (Sponsored) Aug 05, 2020

What's really going on in the cloud? ThousandEyes, our sponsor for this episode, has just released its inaugural Internet Performance Report, which tracks the performance and availability of ISPs, public clouds, CDNs, and DNS across multiple geographical regions. The report measures performance over time and also looks at the current impact of COVID-19 on Internet usage. Angelique Medina, Director, Product Marketing at ThousandEyes, is our guide.

Network Break 295: Arista CloudEOS Edge Joins Multi-Cloud Portfolio; Juniper Announces AI-Powered WAN Assurance Aug 03, 2020

Today's Network Break podcast explores a new multi-cloud offering from Arista, Juniper's WAN Assurance service that leverages Mist AI, and Marvell's Ethernet ASIC line. We also discuss financial results from Juniper, A10 Networks, and F5, plus a space networking update and more.

Heavy Networking 532: Scrapli Is A Netmiko Alternative Jul 31, 2020

Scrapli is a Python screen-scraping client for network devices to help enable automation. Today's Heavy Networking dives into Scrapli with two of its creators, Carl Montanari and Dmitry Figol. We discuss its origins, support for network OSs, how it differs from Netmiko, and more.

Day Two Cloud 059: Cloud Field Day Wrap-Up Jul 30, 2020

Today's Day Two Cloud is a smorgasbord of cloud-related vendor analysis courtesy of Cloud Field Day 8, where host Ned Bellavance and guest Adam Fisher were delegates. This episode includes discussions about Veeam, Zerto, Diamanti, and others, but it's not a sponsored show.

Network Break 294: Fortinet, Arrcus Target Multi-Cloud Networking; Innovium Rakes In More ASIC Funding Jul 27, 2020

Today's Network Break analyzes multi-cloud networking announcements from Fortinet and Arrcus, discusses additional venture funding for ASIC-maker Innovium, looks at more consolidation in the SD-WAN market, and debates whether "Internet" should be capitalized.

Heavy Networking 531: Hyperscale Multi-Cloud Networking With Arrcus (Sponsored) Jul 24, 2020

Today's Heavy Networking podcast examines a new multi-cloud networking product from sponsor Arrcus. Arrcus streamlines and secures multi-cloud networks via its new ArcEdge and ArcOrchestrator products that connect the data center and edge locations to the cloud. Our guest are Keyur Patel, CTO of Arrcus; and Sree Kannan, VP of Product Management.

Day Two Cloud 058: Using Curiosity And Mistakes To Advance Your Career Jul 22, 2020

Today's Day Two Cloud gets into career advancement with guest Sam Erskine. Curiosity is key, and the mistakes you make can actually lead to new knowledge and opportunities. Sam is head of cloud engagement for a large consulting firm and has worked in a variety of IT roles. He's distilled his career experiences into a helpful five-step process, which we explore.

Network Break 293: HPE Acquires Silver Peak; Dell Teases VMware Sale Jul 20, 2020

Today's Network Break scrutinizes HPE's big payout for Silver Peak and Dell's plans for a possible sale of VMware. We also discuss new capabilities in VMware Cloud on AWS, a new synthetic monitoring service from Kentik, how NIST thinks "giga" is pronounced, and more.

Heavy Networking 530: Everything You Need To Know About Wireless ISPs Jul 17, 2020

Today's Heavy Networking dives into wireless Internet Service Providers, or WISPs. WISPs typically serve rural areas that have limited access to fiber or copper, but they also serve metro and urban areas and industrial sectors such as energy. Our guests to inform and instruct us about WISPs are Kevin Myers, Senior Network Architect at IP ArchiTechs; and Cory Steele, Senior Consultant at STIGroup.

Day Two Cloud 057: See Your Data With Grafana Jul 15, 2020

Day Two Cloud gets into data visualization with the open-source Grafana project. Grafana helps you visualize, alert on, and query all kinds of data and metrics. We look at how Grafana works, how it manipulates and stores data, and common use cases. Our guest is Ryan McKinley, VP of Applications at Grafana.

Heavy Networking 529: Demystifying Automation With Low-Code Workflows (Sponsored) Jul 15, 2020

Today's Heavy Networking explores a partnership between Juniper Networks and Anuta Networks to bring low-code network automation to service providers and enterprises. In this sponsored show, we'll dive into how Anuta's ATOM platform integrates with Juniper's NorthStar SDN controller and HealthBot diagnostic software to automate and orchestrate common networking tasks. Our guests are Peter Weinberger, Principal Product Manager at Juniper Networks; and Kiran Sirupa, Head of Marketing at Anuta Networks.

Network Break 292: Nokia Debuts SR Linux Network OS; AT&T, Cisco Team Up On SD-WAN Jul 13, 2020

On today's Network Break we discuss Nokia's new network OS, examine a Cisco/AT&T partnership on SD-WAN, and analyze Google's pullback from a cloud venture in China. We also cover a new video codec and an image format that will save bandwidth, the rise of online learning, and what Uber's Postmates acquisition can tell us about IT startups.

Heavy Networking 528: If Automation Is So Great, Why Aren’t More Networks Automated? (Sponsored) Jul 10, 2020

On today's Heavy Networking episode, sponsored by Cisco, we discuss reasons why automation isn't more pervasive, particularly in networking, and look at complications such as source of truth, getting state information, the need for orchestration, and user trust. Our guests are Omar Sultan, Leader, Product Management at Cisco; and Kevin Corbin, Sr. Solutions Engineer at HashiCorp.

Day Two Cloud 056: (Not) Streaming Telemetry Jul 08, 2020

Streaming telemetry is all the rage, but today's show dives into an architecture that forgoes streaming telemetry in favor of other options. We talk about why our guests went in a different direction, the problems they're trying to solve, and how it's working out. Our guests are Kevin Landreth, Director, Service Reliability; and Carl Montanari, Network Reliability Engineer, both at Packet Fabric.

Network Break 291: F5 Patches Severe Vulnerability; Senate Bill Aims To Weaken Encryption Jul 06, 2020

Today's Network Break podcast discusses critical security patches from F5 and Palo Alto Networks, examines the implications of a Senate bill that targets encryption, and dives into VMware's latest acquisition. We also explore a new space-oriented business unit at AWS and more tech news analysis.

Heavy Networking 527: New Ideas For A Network Certification Program Jul 03, 2020

Today's Heavy Networking explores ideas for designing a new networking certification program built around a network design challenge that focuses on broad, systems-oriented knowledge. The goal isn't to replace current certifications, but to create an option that emphasizes deep knowledge of protocols and networking concepts. Our guests are Russ White and Scott Morris.

Day Two Cloud 055: Securing Cloud Infrastructure And Applications Jul 01, 2020

Security is difficult and tricky, but we've got an amazing guest on today's Day Two Cloud podcast to help you improve your security posture and manage your cloud risk. Our guest is Tanya Janca, Founder, Security Trainer, and Coach at She Hacks Purple. We discuss key security areas including the network, identity, and applications; taking advantage of cloud visibility; securing SaaS apps; and more.

Heavy Networking 526: Rethinking Your Global Enterprise WAN With Telia Carrier (Sponsored) Jun 30, 2020

In today’s sponsored Heavy Networking podcast we talk to Telia Carrier. Telia runs its own global IP backbone, and as the public Internet becomes the de facto enterprise WAN, your choice of carrier becomes critical. Our guest is Mattias Fridström, Vice President & Chief Evangelist at Telia Carrier. We discuss why enterprises should consider Telia services including DCI, cloud connections, and SD-WAN.

Network Break 290: HPE Unveils Edge-To-Cloud Strategy; Anuta, Juniper Partner On Automation Jun 29, 2020

Take a Network Break! We cover HPE's virtual Discover event, including news on Greenlake and Ezmeral. LiveAction extends its portfolio with cloud monitoring, Anuta and Juniper partner around network automation, VMware releases a private beta of VMC on Oracle Cloud, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 525: Gluware Automating Terracon’s Network (Sponsored) Jun 26, 2020

Some of our favorite Heavy Networking discussions are with folks deep in the hot aisle making technology work. No slide decks, just engineers doing the thing. How did it go? What do you wish you had done differently? What worked out well? We have one of these chats today with Jamie Hughes, Infrastructure Architect at Terracon. He's rolled out many complex network changes with Gluware's network automation platform.

Day Two Cloud 054: Real Life VMware Cloud On AWS Jun 24, 2020

We discuss the reality of running VMware Cloud (VMC) on AWS with Adam Fisher, Cloud & DevOps Engineer at RoundTower. Adam's been deploying VMC on AWS in the real world for customers since the product's early days, and has plenty of insights. VMC on AWS presents a VMware software defined data center (SDDC) hosted on bare metal in AWS data centers. If you're trying to vacate your own data centers or colos, but aren't going to refactor your applications to do it, VMC on AWS presents a compelling technical solution.

Network Break 289: Cisco Live 2020, Palo’s ML, HPE Edge Telco and more Jun 22, 2020

Cisco Live Virtual topics so SecureX, Webex Collaboration and the "Connected Experience" (even if we don't really know what that is). Palo Alto gets machine learning features into the latest PAN-OS release for malware scanning, automated rule creation and more. HPE get Edgey with Telco plus more on Zoom security tradeoffs.

Heavy Networking 524: Network Modeling With Open Source pyNTM Jun 19, 2020

Today on Heavy Networking we cover network modeling using the Python Network Traffic Modeler, or pyNTM, an open-source tool. Creator Tim Fiola explains what network modeling is and how you can use this tool to help you make WAN design decisions and avoid costly mistakes.

Day Two Cloud 053: Effectively Monitoring Cloud-Native Applications Jun 17, 2020

Monitoring is the topic for Day Two Cloud. Before you skip because you think it's boring, this conversation may change your mind. We dig into what's necessary to effectively monitor cloud-native and microservices applications to help you run infrastructure smoothly, improve troubleshooting, and anticipate issues before they affect performance or services. Our guest is Josh Barratt, Senior Principal Engineer at Twilio.

Network Break 288: Aruba ESP Senses Opportunity At The Edge; Intel Wrestles With New Chip Attacks Jun 15, 2020

Take a Network Break! Aruba targets the enterprise edge with Aruba ESP and AI, Intel grapples with new attacks against secure enclaves in its chips, and MIT walks away from negotiations with an academic publisher over open access to journals. Three tech companies rethink the sale of facial recognition technology to U.S. police forces, the Wi-Fi Alliance praises the FCC Chair, and more tech news and commentary.

Heavy Networking 523: OneOncology Boosts WAN Security, Availability With Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect SD-WAN (Sponsored) Jun 12, 2020

Today's Heavy Networking podcast focuses on a real-world SD-WAN deployment with OneOncology. The organization deployed an SD-WAN solution from Silver Peak, our sponsor for today's podcast, to securely segment and prioritize electronic medical records over other WAN traffic, get better service quality for critical voice and video applications, and ensure the WAN was highly available. Our guests are Robert Holloway, Infrastructure Manager at OneOncology; and Damon Ennis, SVP of Products at Silver Peak.

Day Two Cloud 052: Moving Back Home From The Cloud Jun 10, 2020

Today's Day Two Cloud episode is a frank conversation about cloud migration, multicloud, cloud repatriation, and more. If you're here for rainbows and unicorns, prepare for disappointment. We talk about what's real, how expensive it can be to move to cloud, why people bring workloads back on premises, and more. Our guest is Bobby Allen, CTO at CloudGenera.

Heavy Networking 522: How CIOs Prioritize Security – Cisco’s CIO Perspectives 2020 Survey (Sponsored) Jun 09, 2020

Today's Heavy Networking, sponsored by Cisco, examines results and insights from 1,300 global CIOs in Cisco's CIO Perspectives 2020 survey. Guest Jo Peterson, VP of Cloud & Security for Clarify360, shares highlights and learnings on CIO priorities, security, digital transformation, empowering teams, and more.

Network Break 287: Open Compute Infrastructure Makes Its Mark; Cisco Live Postponed Jun 08, 2020

Today's Network Break podcast discusses the growth of the infrastructure market based on Open Compute specs, the decline in switch and routing revenues, Cisco postponing its 2020 Cisco Live virtual event, VMware's latest acquisition, and more tech news.

Heavy Networking 521: Diving Into Dell Technologies’ SONiC Network OS For The Enterprise (Sponsored) Jun 05, 2020

Today's Heavy Networking podcast explores Dell Technologies' SONiC network OS for enterprises. This distro offers hardware support across multiple ASIC platforms and full enterprise support. We dive into technical details, discuss the business and operational value propositions, explore use cases, and more. Dell Technologies is our sponsor for this episode. Our guest is Alley Hasan, Director, Product Strategy and Business Development.

Day Two Cloud 051: Building And Running A Cloud User Group Jun 04, 2020

On Day Two Cloud we talk about how to start and participate in a cloud user group. We explore logistics, money, sponsors, a venue--in other words, the nuts and bolts of running and engaging with a cloud community. Our guest is Chris Williams, an AWS Community Hero and participant in a variety of user groups.

Heavy Networking 520: Cloud Architects’ Multi-Cloud Network Adoption With Alkira (Sponsored) Jun 02, 2020

Today's Heavy Networking, sponsored by Alkira, dives into multi-cloud networking. Alkira's Cloud Service Exchange is an on-demand, as-a-service offering that lets customers deploy multi-cloud networks with integrated security services using an intuitive digital design canvas. We talk with two Alkira customers using the service, as well as with Alkira co-founder and CTO Atif Khan.

Network Break 286: Cisco To Acquire ThousandEyes; The Return Of Follow Up Jun 02, 2020

Take a Network Break! We start with some FU (follow up) from previous Network Break and Heavy Networking episodes, then dive into Cisco's big ThousandEyes acquisition and financial updates.

Heavy Networking 519: Let’s Meet Wi-Fi 6E May 29, 2020

Just as we're getting comfortable with Wi-Fi 6, along comes 6E, an extension that enables the use of newly available unlicensed spectrum in the 6GHz frequency band (at least here in the US). Our guest to introduce us to Wi-Fi 6E is Wes Purvis. We discuss the properties of the spectrum, how it might be used, when to expect products, and more.

Day Two Cloud 050: Nerding Out On GitHub Actions With Chris Wahl May 27, 2020

Today's Day Two Cloud podcast gets into the nerdy details of how an infrastructure professional can use GitHub Actions. Actions lets you chain together steps or instructions and trigger them to run as a workflow. Our guest and guide to GitHub Actions is Chris Wahl.

Network Break 285: 37,000 Kilometers Of Undersea Cable Coming To Africa; Cisco Announces ACI 5.0 May 25, 2020

Lots to cover in this week's Network Break podcast, including a consortium of telcos and Facebook laying new undersea cable in Africa, new features for service providers and enterprises in Cisco's ACI 5.0, why Intel bought Rivet Networks, software and Wi-Fi for contact tracing, AT&T getting called on misleading 5G advertising, and more.

Day Two Cloud 049: The Gritty Details Of Designing And Running A Private Cloud May 20, 2020

On today's Day Two Cloud we tackle the practical aspects of private cloud, including designing the infrastructure and creating policies before you start racking gear, and why thinking about services is critical. Our guest is Brett Johnson, a Senior Consultant at VMware.

Network Break 284: Dell Technologies Announces SONiC Distro; Microsoft Acquires Metaswitch Networks May 18, 2020

Today's Network Break asks if enterprises want a supported SONiC network OS, Microsoft acquires Metaswitch Networks, VMware buys Kubernetes security platform Octarine, Cisco announces quarterly results, and more tech news.

Day Two Cloud 048: Migrating Your Data Center To The Cloud May 13, 2020

If you're thinking about migrating applications from your data center to the cloud, prepare to do a lot of planning. Today's Day Two Cloud podcast delves into the gritty details with guest Sarah Lean, a Cloud Advocate at Microsoft. We discuss migration business drivers, what apps are better off staying on prem, tips to minimize migration pain, and more.

Network Break 283: NVIDIA Acquires Cumulus Networks; Innovium Announces 25.6 Tbps Switch ASIC May 11, 2020

Today's Network Break analyzes NVIDIA's purchase of Cumulus Networks, boggles at Innovium's announced 25.6Tbps ASIC, and parses why Arista will support the SONiC network OS on its switches. We also cover a new 5G lobbying organization, Zoom's Keybase acquisition, financial results, and more tech news.

Day Two Cloud 047: Highlights And Analysis From Cloud Field Day 7 May 06, 2020

Today's Day Two Cloud podcast storms into your podcast player with product news from VMware, SolarWinds, and startup Pensando. Ethan Banks attended a virtual Cloud Field Day event where vendors with cloudy products showcased their wares. Ethan and Ned share highlights from those presentations, discuss pros and cons of the products, and tease out a theme: solving problems related to distributing computing.

Network Break 282: NVIDIA Completes Mellanox Acquisition; SpaceX Sets Date For Satellite Internet Beta Testing May 04, 2020

The latest Network Break podcast examines NVIDIA's just-completed Mellanox acquisition, beta testing dates from SpaceX, the latest version of Cumulus Networks' NetQ management software, plus quarterly financial news for Juniper, Microsoft, and Amazon

Day Two Cloud 046: A Cloud Checkup During Covid-19 With ThousandEyes (Sponsored) Apr 29, 2020

Day Two Cloud dives into the health and performance of the global cloud during the pandemic. Sponsor ThousandEyes measures, collects, and reports on Internet performance, giving it a unique perspective into how cloud providers are faring region by region, provider by provider, and service by service. Our guests are Archana Kesavan, Director of Product Marketing; and Angelique Medina, Director of Product Marketing.

Network Break 281: FCC Opens 6Ghz Band For Unlicensed Use; Arista Boosts WLAN Software Apr 27, 2020

The FCC makes swathes of new spectrum available for Wi-Fi, Arista upgrades its WLAN software, Cisco and Google announce plans to partner on an SD-WAN solution for Google Cloud, Google rolls out a remote access product for the enterprise, and more tech news analysis on today's Network Break podcast.

Day Two Cloud 045: Tackling Multi-Cloud Challenges With An Actual Multi-Cloud Consumer Apr 22, 2020

We get the architectural nitty-gritty on a multi-cloud migration to Azure and Oracle Cloud on today's Day Two Cloud podcast. Guest Snehal Patel, Network and Cloud Architect for a large corporation, walks us through design and migration details as his company moves applications into two different public clouds.

Network Break 280: Nvidia Advances Mellanox Acquisition; Startup Alkira Tackles Multi-Cloud Networking Apr 20, 2020

Take a Network Break! We discuss Nvidia clearing a major hurdle to its Mellanox acquisition, GitHub changes its pricing, the startup Alkira tackles multi-cloud networking, and more tech news analysis. Our guest commentator is Stephen Foskett, founder of Tech Field Day and GestaltIT.

Day Two Cloud 044: Dev+Ops, Ops+Dev Apr 15, 2020

Derek Campbell joins Day Two Cloud for a discussion about DevOps. Of course, DevOps has been discussed to death across the IT landscape, so we drill into specifics with Derek to get his unique take, which he delivers with a Scottish accent. Even if you can't make out what he's saying, you've love listening to him.

Network Break 279: Cisco Acquires Fluidmesh; VMware NSX 3.0; MS Events Virtual Until July 2021 Apr 13, 2020

Take a Network Break! Grab a virtual donut, sit back and relax, and take a journey with us through Elysian fields of tech news analysis. We’ve got stories today on Cisco, VMware, a new PCAP appliance, a Tech Byte from sponsor Silver Peak with their SD-WAN customer C&S Wholesalers, and more.

Day Two Cloud 043: Git For Ops People Apr 08, 2020

Day Two Cloud dives into Git for operations people. Git is a version-control system used to track changes in software. If you've heard of it but aren't familiar with it and want to learn more, this is your show. Our guest is Damien Garros, Managing Director at Network To Code.

Network Break 278: Palo Alto Buys SD-WAN Maker CloudGenix; Zoom Gets Called On Security, Privacy Problems Apr 07, 2020

Our weekly installment of tech news analysis includes Palo Alto's $420 million purchase of CloudGenix, Zoom's very bad week for security and privacy, Cisco Live going virtual, updates on professional development opportunities, and more on Network Break from the Packet Pushers.

Day Two Cloud 042: AWS Networking Part 1: Performance Apr 01, 2020

Today on Day Two Cloud, Ned Bellavance and Ethan Banks answer listener questions about AWS Networking. They get into the nitty gritty on core AWS networking concepts including placement groups for EC2 instances, Elastic Network Adapters, network and application load balancing, Route 53, and more.

Network Break 277: Juniper’s Mist Systems Announces Premium Analytics; Cato Launches Clientless Remote Access Mar 30, 2020

Today's Network Break podcast examines a new analytics service from Juniper's Mist Systems for engineers and lines of business, a new clientless remote access service from Cato Networks, the impact of increased traffic on Facebook and cloud services, how co-lo sites are restricting physical access, and more.

Day Two Cloud 041: Practical Automation In The Cloud And On Premises Mar 25, 2020

On today's Day Two Cloud, we discuss practical automation, including tools and tips to make automation work. In particular, we focus on deploying consistent builds for VMs across public cloud providers and on premises. We also examine key issues such as the need to close the loop on automation processes, and how to ensure that one person doesn't become irreplaceable. Our guest is Larry Smith, Senior DevOps Engineer.

Network Break 276: Cisco Extends Certification Renewals; EU Asks Streaming Services To Reduce Bandwidth Mar 23, 2020

On today's Network Break we check in on the health of the global Internet as more and workers go remote, Cisco extends the lifetime of professional certs, the EU asks streaming services to throttle back on bandwidth, some debt-laden tech companies see share prices plunge, and more.

Day Two Cloud 040: Building And Operating A Private Cloud Mar 18, 2020

Today's Day Two Cloud delves into how and why to build a private cloud that functions as well as a public cloud. We examine the design and operational challenges of assembling and running cloud infrastructure on premises. Our guest is Bryan Sullins, Senior Systems Engineer for a large retailer.

Network Break 275: Aruba Bridges 5G And Wi-Fi; VMware Embraces K8s With Tanzu, vSphere 7 Mar 17, 2020

On today's Network Break we discuss potential impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on Internet loads, conferences and events, VPNs and working from home, and other tech areas. We also examine Aruba's new Air Pass and Air Slice offerings, drill into VMware's massive Tanzu and vSphere 7 releases, a WatchGuard acquisition, and more. Guest pontificator Ned Bellanvance comes along for the ride.

Day Two Cloud 039: Kubernetes Fundamentals For Infrastructure Mar 11, 2020

Kubernetes is making a lot of noise in the infrastructure world. Day Two Cloud co-host Ethan Banks spent three days taking a deep-dive course on the orchestration platform, and on today's show aims to provide Kubernetes fundamentals as they apply to your infrastructure.

Network Break 274: Let’s Encrypt Revokes Millions Of Certificates; Microsoft Pitches SMB Over QUIC Mar 09, 2020

Let's Encrypt revokes millions of digital certs, Microsoft proposes SMB over QUIC for file access without a VPN (and an easier way to get through firewalls), big vendors offer extended free trials of conferencing software for companies considering remote work, Microsoft pays hourly workers full salaries during work slowdowns, and more. We analyze these and other stories on the latest Network Break podcast.

Day Two Cloud 038: Making The Case For Third-Party Cloud Storage Mar 04, 2020

Today's Day Two Cloud podcast focuses on third-party cloud storage. While cloud providers have native storage offerings, there may be times when you want an alternative. Guest Stephen Foskett discusses why third-party storage in the cloud is viable, describes common enterprise use cases, and examines key issues including performance, data management, and operations.

Network Break 273: Fortinet Pits Deep Learning Appliance Against Malware; Nokia ‘Reviews Options’ As Earnings Struggle Mar 02, 2020

Take a Network Break. This week's IT news analysis covers a new anti-malware appliance from Fortinet, VMware security software for data centers and clouds, Nokia's efforts to buy time as it gets its 5G house in order, and financial results from multiple vendors.

Day Two Cloud 037: NetApp – The Cloud Data Services Company (Sponsored) Feb 26, 2020

In today's sponsored Day Two Cloud podcast, we talk with NetApp, the storage company that's embracing the cloud. While most people associate NetApp with storage arrays, the company has brought cloud automation principles to its portfolio to make daily operations easier, and has a panoply of products and services to manage your data on premises and in the cloud. Our guest is Nick Howell, Global Field CTO for Cloud Data Services.

Network Break 272: Dell Technologies Sells RSA; Nubeva Cracks TLS 1.3 With Out-Of-Band Decryption Feb 24, 2020

The latest Network Break podcast analyzes Dell Technologies' sale of its RSA business unit; what sponsor cancellations at the RSA Conference might mean for large tech events going forward; Arista Networks' financial results; new capabilities in products from ExtraHop, Nubeva, and Spirent; and more tech news.

Day Two Cloud 036: The Container Contrarian Feb 19, 2020

Are containers a fad? Or maybe just the wrong answer to a problem you're trying to solve. On today's Day Two Cloud podcast, container contrarian Dave Tucker discusses the problems containers solve, the new ones they create, and why you might want to think twice before you immediately adopt containers as your next application platform.

Network Break 271: Global Espionage Agita Kicks Up A Notch; Forescout Gets Bought For $1.9 Billion Feb 18, 2020

Take a Network Break! Global espionage tensions ratchet up between the United States and China, the CIA is revealed to have owned a company that sold doctored cryptography systems to allies and adversaries, VMware adjusts its licensing, and more tech news. Guest analysts Keith Townsend and Ned Bellavance step in for a vacationing co-host.

Day Two Cloud 035: Understanding Kubernetes Operators For Complex Applications Feb 12, 2020

Kubernetes is being used in more and more complex application architectures. It today's episode, we talk about Kubernetes Operators, a way to automate and ensure that complex applications stay up and running. Our guest is Rob Szumski, Senior Manager, Product Management, Red Hat OpenShift.

Network Break 270: Google Reports Cloud Revenues; HPE Acquires Cloud Security Startup Scytale Feb 10, 2020

Take a Network Break! Google breaks out cloud revenue for the first time, Cisco tackles significant CDP vulnerabilities, HPE buys a cloud security startup, the Trump administration ponders an all-American 5G, and more tech news.

Network Break FU Special Edition 001 Feb 08, 2020

It's an all-FU Network Break where we share follow-ups from listeners about our commentary and analysis. No news, no ads--just us responding to you responding to us.

Day Two Cloud 034: Everything As Code – Including Documentation Feb 05, 2020

One key idea for automation and cloud is "everything as code." That includes networking, infrastructure, and documentation. Yes, documentation. On today's Day Two Cloud episode we dive into how to get beyond using Microsoft Office as your infrastructure management strategy. Our guest is William Collins, a cloud architect at a large healthcare company.

Network Break 269: Apstra Enhances Intent-Based Data Center Capabilities; Cisco Brings Kubernetes To Hyperflex HCI Feb 03, 2020

Today's Network Break reports on Apstra's latest software release for Intent-Based Networking, Cisco rolls out new products including Kubernetes on Hyperflex, VMware layoffs get social media attention, and the United Kingdom lays down the rules for Huawei gear in its telecom networks. We also review financial results for several big tech companies.

Day Two Cloud 033: Cloud Governance – Bringing Order To Your Cloud Chaos Jan 29, 2020

Your cloud is starting to look like the wild West. Accounts and subscriptions are created willy-nilly. Your devs have stitched together a networking nightmare. Nothing is named or tagged consistently. Today's Day Two Cloud episode explores how to bring some governance order to your chaos. Our guest is Steve Buchanan, Cloud Architect at Avanade. We discuss how to apply practical governance to the nebulous and ever-changing world of cloud.

Network Break 268: VMware Acquires Nyansa; Microsoft Plans To Hijack O365 Browser Search Jan 27, 2020

Today's Network Break dives into VMware's Nyansa acquisition, the implications of 3G's expiration date, Microsoft's plans to insert Bing as the default search engine in Chrome browsers for an upcoming Office 365 release, financial results from Intel and IBM, and more.

Day Two Cloud 032: The Foggy Path To Cloud Certification Jan 22, 2020

Certifications are a tried and true way to boost skills and knowledge, burnish your resume, and create new opportunities. But when it comes to cloud, which certifications should you pursue? Can cloud cert programs keep up with technology churn and rapid rollout of new services? How should you study? What if you fail? We tackle all these questions and more with guest Mike Pfeiffer.

Network Break 267: Equinix Buys Packet For Bare Metal; Google, Verizon Flirt With Privacy Jan 20, 2020

Today's Network Break podcast analyzes Equinix's acquisition of Packet, privacy announcements from Google and Verizon, a US Senate proposal to spend a billion dollars on 5G, and more tech news.

Day Two Cloud 031: Melding Network Automation With CI/CD Pipelines And Infrastructure As Code (Sponsored) Jan 15, 2020

Today's Day Two Cloud episode explores network automation through the lenses of infrastructure as code and CI/CD pipelines. As network automation permeates organizations, does it make sense for network engineers to adopt more developer-like processes, methods, and tools? Can you successfully automate without them? Our guests for this conversation, sponsored by Cisco, are Carl Moberg, Senior Director of Product Management at Cisco; and Kristian Larsson, who has dual roles at Cisco and Deutsche Telekom.

Day Two Cloud 030: The Gnarly Challenges Of Edge Computing Jan 08, 2020

On today's Day Two Cloud podcast, Rob Hirschfeld joins us to examine the challenges of working in edge environments. Many of those challenges include the infrastructure itself: how to provision, configure, and operate equipment in remote locations, how to ensure logical and physical security, and how to manage it all remotely.

Day Two Cloud 029: Kubernetes Needs To Disappear Dec 25, 2019

This is a special holiday episode of Day Two Cloud with guest Kelsey Hightower, a Kubernetes evangelist and contributor. We discuss the current state of Kubernetes and the future for this orchestration platform, including how it will address networking, should you get certified, and will Kubernetes eventually fade into the background as hidden infrastructure you don't have to think about so much.

Day Two Cloud 028: Using Ansible And Cisco NSO To Automate Hybrid And Multi-Cloud (Sponsored) Dec 18, 2019

Day Two Cloud explores how network engineers can delight their application counterparts by making network resources effortlessly consumable in hybrid and multi-cloud deployments using Cisco's Network Services Orchestrator (NSO) and Ansible. Our guests are Carl Moberg, Senior Director of Product Management at Cisco; and Peter Sprygata, Distinguished Engineer at Ansible by Red Hat. Cisco is our sponsor for today's episode.

Day Two Cloud 027: Do Enterprises Need Kubernetes? Dec 12, 2019

As an IT practitioner, do you actually need to know more about Kubernetes? Does Kubernetes and its ecosystem materially matter to your organization? Is K8s just stepping stone to more advanced technologies? We tackle these questions on today's episode of Day Two Cloud with guests Keith Townsend and Justin Warren.

Day Two Cloud 026: Build Cloud-Native Networks With Aviatrix (Sponsored) Dec 04, 2019

Today on Day Two Cloud, we talk about multi-cloud networking with sponsor Aviatrix. Aviatrix has built a networking solution that’s multi-cloud capable and leverages cloud-native constructs wherever possible. And they do it in a way designed to make the life of IT engineers better. Our guests are Rod Stuhlmuller, VP Marketing; and Nauman Mustafa, VP Solutions Engineering.

Day Two Cloud 025: The KubeCon 2019 Wrap-Up Nov 27, 2019

KubeCon 2019 is a wrap. In today's Day Two Cloud podcast, Ethan Banks and Ned Bellavance share their impressions of the event and dive into why Kubernetes is so complex, what that means for enterprises considering Kubernetes, the role of community, and more.

Day Two Cloud 024: Why IT Operations Needs A Cloud Strategy And How To Form One Nov 20, 2019

You need a cloud strategy so you can tackle complex issues such as access and identity management, security and compliance, and networking. Ed Horley sits in on the Day Two Cloud podcast to share sensible advice on how to build a workable strategy that incorporates high-level business goals with more nitty-gritty operational requirements.

Day Two Cloud 023: Optimizing Multi-Cloud Connectivity With VeloCloud (Sponsored) Nov 13, 2019

As more workloads get spread across private and public clouds, how do you operationalize and optimize connectivity, traffic design, and more? Can you stitch together services that reside in different clouds? What about the edge? On today's Day Two Cloud, sponsor VeloCloud, a VMware company, brings some answers. Our guest is Marco Murgia, Senior Director of Product Engineering.

Day Two Cloud 022: Day Two Cloud Scales Out And Up! Nov 06, 2019

The Day Two Cloud podcast is getting a new co-host, Ethan Banks; and becoming a weekly show! Now you can get deep dives on cloud and infrastructure topics including Kubernetes, cloud security, design and deployment, and more every week.

Day Two Cloud 021: Nice Design; We Need To Change It – The Reality Of Building A Cloud Service Oct 30, 2019

How does technical implementation and user feedback shape a cloud-based solution? When is it time to make a significant change in your design? And how do you know you’re headed in the right direction? This Day Two Cloud podcast episode tackles these questions with guest Michael Fraser, co-founder and CEO of Refactr.

Day Two Cloud 020: Design Tips For Cloud Networking Success Oct 16, 2019

VPCs. Vnets. DirectConnect. Kubernetes. Calico. Public clouds. Hybrid clouds. Networking is no small feat when it comes to the cloud. How does an organization keep their cloud networks from turning into a flying spaghetti monster? Day Two Cloud tackles this critical question with guest Andrew Wertkin, Chief Strategy Officer at BlueCat Networks. We discuss design tips, the critical role of DNS, monitoring and troubleshooting options, and more.

Day Two Cloud 019: Building Your First CI/CD Pipeline Oct 02, 2019

CI/CD. You’ve got a vague notion of what it might be. Then you're asked to help the dev team put together an automated delivery process for a cloud app. How you do get from CI/CD as a concept to making it a reality? That's the subject of today's Day Two Cloud podcast with guest Nathaniel Avery.

Day Two Cloud 018: “I’m Not As Terrified As I Was” – Making The Transition To Cloud And DevOps Sep 18, 2019

Today's Day Two Cloud podcast explores the struggle of transitioning from traditional infrastructure ops to the public cloud using DevOps principles and new tools. My guest is Aaron Strong, a cloud architect. We talk about how to skill up quickly, where to start, when and where to ask for help, and more.

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