Rational Survivability

Thanks very much to whomsoever at Cisco linked to my previous post(s) on
Cisco/VMware and the Data Center 3.0 on the Cisco Networkers website! I can tell it was a person because they misnamed my blog as "Regional Security" instead of Rational Security… you can find it under the Blogs section here. 😉

The virtualization.info site had an interesting follow-up to the VMware/Cisco posts I blogged about previously.

DataCenter 3.0 is Actually Old?

Firstly, in a post titled "Cisco announces (old) datacenter automation solution" in which they discuss the legacy of the VFrame product in which they suggest that VFrame is actually a re-branded and updated version software from Cisco’s acquisition of TopSpin back in 2005:

Cisco is well resoluted to make the most out of virtualization hype: it first declares Datacenter 3.0 initiative (more ambitiously than IDC, which claimed Virtualization 2.0), then it re-launches a technology obtained by TopSpin acquisition in April 2005 and offered since September 2005 under new brand: VFrame.

Obviously the press release doesn’t even mention that VFrame just moved
from 3.0 (which exist since May 2004, when TopSpin was developing it)
to 3.1 in more than three years.

In the same posting, the ties between Cisco and VMWare are further highlighted:

A further confirmation is given by fact that VMware is involved in VFrame development program since May 2004, as reported in a Cisco confidential presentation of 2005 (page 35).

Cisco old presentation also adds a detail about what probably will be announced at VMworld, and an interesting claim:

…VFrame can provision ESX Servers over SAN.

…VMWare needs Cisco for scaling on blades…

This starts helping us understand even further as to why Mr. Chambers will be keynoting at VMWorld’07.

Meanwhile, Cisco Puts its Money where its Virtual Mouth Is

Secondly, VMware announced today that Cisco will invest $150 Million in VMware:

Cisco will purchase $150 million of VMware Class A common shares
currently held by EMC Corporation, VMware’s parent company, subject to
customary regulatory and other closing conditions including
Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) review. Upon closing of the investment, Cisco
will own approximately 1.6 percent of VMware’s total outstanding common
stock (less than one percent of the combined voting power of VMware’s
outstanding common stock).  VMware has agreed to consider the
appointment of a Cisco executive to VMware’s board of directors at a
future date.

Cisco’s purchase is intended to strengthen inter-company
collaboration towards accelerating customer adoption of VMware
virtualization products with Cisco networking infrastructure and the
development of customer solutions that address the intersection of
virtualization and networking technologies. 

In addition, VMware and Cisco have entered into a routine and
customary collaboration agreement that expresses their intent to expand
cooperative efforts around joint development, marketing, customer and
industry initiatives.  Through improved coordination and integration of
networking and virtualized infrastructure, the companies intend to
foster solutions for enhanced datacenter optimization and extend the
benefits of virtualization beyond the datacenter to remote offices and
end-user desktops.

If should be crystal clear that Cisco and EMC are on a tear with regards to virtualization and that to Cisco, "bits is bits" and virtualizing those bits across the app. stack, network, security and storage departments coupled with a virtualized service management layer is integral to their datacenter strategy.

It’s also no mystery as to why Mr. Chambers is keynoting @ VMWorld now, either.

/Hoff