Converged virtualized Data Center Networks — Reasons for non-deterministic nature and possible solutions

This paper takes a holistic view of the Data Center Networks and the non-deterministic nature of these networks. The paper aims to root-cause the non-deterministic nature of these networks as a result of Virtualization brought about at various levels. In recent years, with the adoption of virtualization and cloud computing in the data centers, technologies and standards such as FCoE^[3], TRILL^[2] and SPB^[7] have emerged. As a result the entire Data Center network can be visualized as a single virtual switch. This single virtual switch attempts to simplify the network and make it appear like a flat Layer 2 network. At the same time, it becomes increasingly challenging for Equipment vendors and Service Providers to build and maintain a deterministic network. This paper discusses various aspects that contribute to the non-deterministic nature of such networks and possible ways to overcome these challenges.