Learning Outcomes:-

Data Center Fundamentals

Historical perspective and evolution

Key components of a data center

Data Center Networking

Data center network topologies

SDN (Software-Defined Networking) in data center

Data Center Automation and Scaling

Automation in Data Centers

Infrastructure as Code (IaC) and automation tools

Scalability and elasticity in cloud data centers

INTRODUTION TO Data Center
A data center is a physical space that is environmentally controlled with clean
electrical power and network connectivity that is optimized for hosting servers.
The temperature and humidity of data center environment are controlled to enable
proper operation of the equipment and the facility is physically secured to prevent
deliberate or accidental damage to the physical equipment.
The data center is a place where can accommodate many computing resources that
collect, store, share, manage, and distribute a large volume of data. It consists of all
necessary data center facility elements (space, power, and cooling) and IT
infrastructure elements (server, storage, and network) based on business
requirements.
It is a facility made up of networked computers, storage systems, and computing
infrastructure that businesses and other organizations use to organize, process,
store large amounts of data and to broadcast this data.
A business typically relies heavily on applications, services, and data within a data
center, making it a focal point and critical asset for everyday operations.
INTRODUTION TO Data Center
Enterprise data centers increasingly incorporate cloud computing resources and
facilities to secure and protect in-house, onsite resources.
As enterprises increasingly turn to cloud computing, the boundaries between cloud
providers' data centers and enterprise data centers become less clear.
INTRODUTION TO Data Center
This facility will have one or more connections to the public Internet, often via
redundant and physically separated cables into redundant routers.
Behind the routers will be security applications, like firewalls or deep packet
inspection elements, to enforce a security perimeter protecting servers in the data
centre.
Behind the security appliances are often load balancers which distribute traffic
across front end servers like web servers.
Often there is one or two tiers of server behind the application front end like
second tier servers implementing application or business logic and a third tier of
database servers.
Establishing and operating a traditional data center facility including IP routers and
infrastructure, security applications, load balancers, servers’ storage and
supporting systems requires a large capital outlay and substantial operation
expenses, all to support application software that often has widely varying load so
that much of the resource capacity is often underutilized.
Working of a Data Center
A data center facility enables an organization to assemble its resources and
infrastructure for data processing, storage, and communication, including:
systems for storing, sharing, accessing, and processing data across the
organization;
physical infrastructure to support data processing and data communication;
Utilities
such as cooling, electricity, network access, and uninterruptible
power supplies (UPS).
Gathering all these resources in one data center enables the organization to:
protect proprietary systems and data;
Centralizing IT and data processing employees, contractors, and vendors;
Enforcing information security controls on proprietary systems and data;
Realize economies of scale by integrating sensitive systems in one place.
Importance of a Data Center
Data centers support almost all enterprise computing, storage, and business
applications.
To the extent that the business of a modern enterprise runs on computers, the data
center is business.
Data centers enable organizations to concentrate their processing power, which in
turn enables the organization to focus its attention on:
IT and data processing personnel;

computing and network connectivity infrastructure; And

Computing Facility Security.

Need of a Data Center
Almost all business activities, including data storage and computing, are handled by
data centers.
Thedata center is the business of a modern firm to the extent that it is run on
computers.
Inthe world of business IT, data centers are built to support company applications
and activities such as:
Use email and sharing to communicate
The computer software that increases productivity
Customer relationship management (CRM)
Enterprise resource planning (ERP) and databases
Artificialintelligence, machine learning, and big data are all terms that refer
to the use of computers.
Virtual desktop infrastructure, collaboration, and communication services
Evolution of Data Centers
The origins of the first data centers can be traced back to the 1940s and the
existence of early computer systems such as the Electronic Numerical Integrator
and Computer (ENIAC).
These early machines were complicated to maintain and operate and had cables
connecting all the necessary components.
They were also in useby the military - meaning special computer rooms with racks,
cable trays, cooling mechanisms, and access restrictions were necessary to
accommodate all equipment and implement appropriate safety measures.
However, it was not until the 1990s, when IT operations began to gain complexity
and cheap networking equipment became available, that the term data center first
came into use.
Itbecame possible to store all the necessary servers in one room within the
company. These specialized computer rooms gained traction, dubbed data centers
within organizations.
Evolution of Data Centers
At the time of the dot-com bubble in the late 1990s, the need for Internet speed and
a constant Internet presence for companies required large amounts of networking
equipment required large facilities.
At this point, data centers became popular and began to look similar to those
described above.
In the history of computing, as computers get smaller and networks get bigger, the
data center has evolved and shifted to accommodate the necessary technology of
the day.
Key Components of Data Centers
There are mainly Three components of data centers.

storage

Network

Compute resource

A modern data center concentrates an organization's data systems in a well-

protected physical infrastructure, which includes:
Server;

storage subsystems;

networking switches, routers, and firewalls;

cabling;

Physical racks for organizing and interconnecting IT equipment.

Key Components of Data Centers
Datacenter Resources typically include:

power distribution and supplementary power subsystems;

electrical switching;

UPS;

backup generator;

ventilation
and data center cooling systems, such as in-row cooling configurations
and computer room air conditioners; And
Adequate provision for network carrier (telecom) connectivity.

Itdemands a physical facility with physical security access controls and sufficient
square footage to hold the entire collection of infrastructure and equipment.
Key Components of Data Centers
Network infrastructure:-
Datacenters require physical components between servers, switches, routers, and
firewalls to connect them to the outside world.
They can handle a lot of traffic without slowing down when set up correctly and
structurally.
The core layer is connected to the access layer through core switches at the edge,
while the data center’s Internet connection is accessed through a middle aggregate
layer.
Routers, switches, and firewalls facilitate communication between servers, devices,
and external networks.
Load balancers distribute network traffic across multiple servers to optimize
performance and ensure redundancy.
Advances such as cloud-level agility and scalability are now available in on-
premises networks through advancements like hyper scale network data center
security and software-defined networking.
Key Components of Data Centers
Storage infrastructure:-
Sensitivedata is housed in data center equipment used for both organizational and
customer needs.
Increasing the amount of storage accessible by backing up data in multiple formats
increases storage capacity.
Storage systems are responsible for storing and retrieving data.

They can include traditional hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), and
network-attached storage (NAS) or storage area network (SAN) solutions.
In addition, non-volatile storage technologies have improved data access speeds.
Software-defined storage systems also enhance employee efficiency in managing a
storage system, just as software-defined networking does.
Key Components of Data Centers
Computing resources:-
The data center’s engines are its servers.

Servers may use a variety of mechanisms to process and memory, depending on the
platform: physical processing and memory, virtualized processing and memory,
distributed across containers, or distributed among remote nodes in an edge-
computing architecture.
Because large data centers must execute tasks that are most appropriate for them,
specialized processors such as those specializing in artificial intelligence (AI) and
machine learning (ML) may not be the best option.
 Key Components of Data Centers
Support Infrastructure:-
Power Infrastructure:
UninterruptiblePower Supply (UPS): Provides a temporary power source during outages, ensuring
continuous operation.
Power Distribution Units (PDUs): Distribute power to servers and networking equipment.

Cooling Systems:
Cooling systems maintain an optimal temperature within the data center to prevent equipment
overheating.
They include air conditioning units, precision air conditioners, and liquid cooling solutions.

Security Systems:
PhysicalSecurity: Includes measures such as access controls, surveillance cameras, and biometric
authentication to secure the physical premises.
Digital Security: Involves firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, and encryption to
protect data and networks.
 Key Components of Data Centers
Fire Suppression Systems:
Specialized systems, such as gas-based fire suppression or water mist systems, are designed to
quickly extinguish fires without damaging sensitive equipment.
Backup and Disaster Recovery Systems:
Backup systems create copies of critical data to prevent data loss in case of hardware failure or
other disasters.
Disaster recovery solutions ensure the ability to quickly recover operations after a catastrophic
event.
Physical Infrastructure:
Raised Flooring: Provides space for cabling and airflow management.
Server Racks: House and organize servers and networking equipment.
Cable Management: Ensures organized and efficient routing of cables within the data center.
Monitoring and Analytics Tools:
Tools for real-time monitoring, performance analysis, and predictive analytics help optimize
resource usage and identify potential issues before they impact operations.
Google’s Data Center
Google’s Data Center Cooling Plant
Data Center Equipment Cabinets
Data Center Physical Layout
ANSI/TIA-942-2005 Standard
ANSI/TIA-942-2005 Standard
Computer Room: Main servers

Entrance Room: Data Center to external cabling

Cross-Connect: Enables termination of cables

Main Distribution Area (MDA): Main cross connect. Central Point of Structured
Cabling. Core network devices
Horizontal Distribution Area (HDA): Connections to active equipment.

Equipment Distribution Area (EDA): Active Servers+Switches. Alternate hot and cold
aisle.
Zone Distribution Area (ZDA): Optionally between HDA and EDA. ZDA allows easy

Backbone Cabling: Connections between MDA, HDA, and Entrance room

 Data Center Support Infrastructure
Data centers are a critical asset that is protected with a robust and reliable support
infrastructure made up of power subsystems, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS),
backup generators, ventilation and cooling equipment, fire suppression systems and
building security systems.
Industry standards exist from organizations like the Telecommunications Industry
Association (TIA) and the Uptime Institute to assist in the design, construction and
maintenance of data center facilities. For instance, Uptime Institute defines these four
tiers:
Tier I: Basic capacity, must include a UPS.

Tier II: Redundant capacity and adds redundant power and cooling.

Tier III: Concurrently maintainable and ensures that any component can be
taken out of service without affecting production.
Tier IV: Fault tolerant, allowing any production capacity to be insulated from ANY
type of failure.
 Data Center Support Infrastructure
Tier 1: Basic site infrastructure:-
Theseare the most basic data center designs and include a UPS. Tier I data centers do not have
redundant systems, but they should ensure at least 99.671 percent availability.
Tier 2: Redundant-capacity component site infrastructure:-
These data centers are designed for maximum uptime and include system, power, and cooling
redundancy of 99.741%.
Tier 3: Concurrently maintainable site infrastructure:-
Concurrently maintainable ensures that no component can be taken offline without disrupting
operations. The data centers in this section are only partially fault-tolerant. Complete
redundancy with a 99.98 percent uptime guarantee ensures that your system will run
uninterruptedly even in the event of an outage.
Tier 4: Fault-tolerant site infrastructure:-
It’s
fault-tolerant, so any production capacity can be insulated from any outage. As a result, the
data centers have 99.995 percent availability, or no more than 26.3 minutes of downtime per
year, total fault tolerance, system redundancy, and 96-hour disaster recovery.
 Types of Data Center Facilities
There are many types of data centers and service models to choose from in these
facilities with various different data center infrastructure.
The method by which data centers are classified differs based on whether
organizations control them, how they match (if they fit) into the topology of other data
centers, what computing and storage technologies they employ, and even their energy
efficiency.
The following are the four most frequent types of data centers:

Enterprise data centers

Managed services data centers

Colocation data centers

Cloud data centers

 Types of Data Center Facilities
Enterprise data centers
These are developed, owned, and operated by businesses, and they’re designed to
appeal to their consumers.
They are generally located on the corporate campus.

this is a type of data center built and owned by a company that may or may not be
onsite.
Managed services data centers
The data centers themselves are owned and maintained by a third party (or managed
data center services provider) on behalf of a business.
The firm purchases the equipment and infrastructure rather than renting them.

Facilities where third-party providers offer managed IT services, including

infrastructure management, security, and support.
 Types of Data Center Facilities
Colocation data centers
In colocation data centers, a firm leases space in a data center energy efficiency owned
by others and located off the company’s premises.
The data center physical infrastructure, such as the facility, cooling systems,
bandwidth, security, and other features, is housed by a colocation provider.
The company provides and manages the components, such as servers, storage, and
firewalls.
Cloud data centers
A cloud managed services providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft
(Azure), IBM Cloud, or another public cloud computing provider hosts data and
applications in this off-premises data center facility model.
Deliver on-demand computing resources, storage, and services over the internet.
Data Center Networking
Data center networking is the integration of a constellation of networking resources —
switching, routing, load balancing, analytics, etc. — to facilitate the storage and
processing of applications and data.
Modern data center networking architectures leverage full-stack networking and
security virtualization platforms that support a rich set of data services connecting
everything from VMs, containers, and bare metal applications while enabling
centralized management and granular security controls.
Thismodel of data center networking represents a significant shift from the standard
networking model in data centers not long ago.
From on-premises physical servers, to virtualized infrastructure, to an integrated edge-
to-cloud model of networking and security that is present wherever apps and data live,
data center networking has evolved greatly in a short time.
Need of Data Center Networking
Automation:-Achieving speed and agility in modern data centers depends greatly on
automated provisioning of networking services for applications. Far faster and more
reliable than a human administrator, modern networking platforms not only find the
most efficient way to program a network, balance workloads, and automate time-
consuming tasks, they also respond dynamically to changes in usage.
Consistent policies:-With modern data center networking responsible for integrating
resources from edge to cloud, consistent application of policies is essential.
Single pane of glass:-Typically connecting resources located both on-premises, in the
cloud, and at the edge, modern data center networking platforms offer centralized
management from a single console.
Granular security:-Today’s data center networking platforms often feature integrated
security controls that can include micro-segmentation and IDS/IPS.
Global visibility:- Most data center networking platforms can display a visual
representation of the network and its interconnections, which makes troubleshooting
network issues much easier.
 Working of Data Center Networking
A modern data center networking platform runs all network services required to
support traditional enterprise applications entirely in software, enabling the
automation of what were previously manual and error-prone provisioning tasks.
It also makes possible capacity planning, security policy planning, and network
troubleshooting. When applications are decommissioned, the networking platform
handles de-provisioning policies associated with that application, which prevents the
sprawl of stale policies that would otherwise degrade manageability, security,
connectivity, and compliance.
Data Center Networking topologies
Centralized

Hierarchical (Three-Tier) Topology

End of Rack(EOR-Zoned)

Tope of Rack(TOR) (Leaf-Spine)

Clos Topology

Tree Topology

Fat Tree Topology

Data Center Networking topologies
Centralized Topology:-
The centralized model is an appropriate topologies for smaller data centers (under
5,000 square feet).
As shown, there are separate local area network (LAN)/ storage area network (SAN)
environments and each one has home run cabling that goes to each of the server
cabinets and zones.
Each server is effectively cabled back to the core switches, which are centralized in the
main distribution area.
This provides very efficient utilization of port switches and makes it easier to manage
and add components.
The centralized topology works well for smaller data centers but does not scale up
well, which makes it difficult to support expansions.
Inlarger data centers, the high number of extended-length cable runs required causes
congestion in the cable pathways and cabinets, and increases cost.
Data Center Networking topologies
Centralized:-
 Data Center Networking topologies
Centralized Topology :-
While some larger data centers use zoned or top-of-rack topologies for LAN traffic, they
may also utilize a centralized architecture for the SAN environments.
Thisis especially true where the cost of SAN switch ports is high and port utilization is
important.
Advantages:-
Resource Consolidation
Cost Savings
Improved Security
Disadvantages:-
Single Point of Failure
Network Bottlenecks
 Data Center Networking topologies
Hierarchical (Three-Tier) Topology:-
This topology breaks down into three primary layers:

the core layer,

the aggregation or distribution layer,

the access layer.

In this topology, servers are connected to switches in the access layer.

Edge routers are connected to the core to provide access from/to WAN and the
internet.
Data Center Networking topologies
Hierarchical (Three-Tier) Topology:-
 Data Center Networking topologies
Hierarchical (Three-Tier) Topology:-
Core Layer:
The core layer is the backbone of the data center network, providing high-speed, non-
blocking connectivity between distribution switches.
Its primary function is to facilitate fast and efficient data transfer between different
parts of the network, without introducing bottlenecks.
Core layer switches are typically high-performance devices capable of handling large
volumes of traffic with minimal latency.
Distribution Layer:
The distribution layer aggregates traffic from access switches and routes it to the core
layer.
It provides segmentation, policy enforcement, and access control within the network.
Distribution layer switches often implement features such as VLANs (Virtual Local
Area Networks), Quality of Service (QoS), and routing protocols to optimize traffic flow
and ensure efficient network operation.
Data Center Networking topologies
Hierarchical (Three-Tier) Topology:-
Access Layer:
The access layer connects end devices such as servers, storage systems, and
user devices to the network.
Its primary function is to provide connectivity and access to network resources
for devices within the data center.
Access layer switches typically have a high port density to accommodate
numerous end devices and often support features such as Power over Ethernet
(PoE) for powering devices like IP phones and wireless access points.
 Data Center Networking topologies
End of Rack (Zoned)Topology:-
Zoned topology consists of distributed switching resources.

The switches can be distributed among end-of-row (EoR) or middle of- row
(MoR) locations, with chassis-based switches typically used to support multiple
server cabinets.
This solution is recommended by the ANS/TIA-942 Data Center Standards and
is very scalable, repeatable, and predictable.
Zoned architecture is usually the most cost-effective design, providing the
highest level of switch and port utilization while minimizing cabling costs.
Data Center Networking topologies
End of Rack (Zoned)Topology:-
Data Center Networking topologies
End of Rack (Zoned)Topology:-
In certain scenarios, end-of-row switching provides performance advantages.

For example, the local area network (LAN) ports of two servers (that exchange
large volumes of information) can be placed on the same end-of-row switch, for
low-latency port-to port switching.
A potential disadvantage of end of- row switching is the need to run cable back
to the end-of-row switch.
Assuming every server is connected to redundant switches, this cabling can
exceed what is required in top-of-rack architecture.
 Data Center Networking topologies
Top of Rack Topology(Leaf-Spine):-
Top-of-rack (ToR) switching typically consists of two or more switches placed at
the top of the rack in each server cabinet, as shown below.
This topology can be a good choice for dense one rack-unit (1RU) server
environments.
Allservers in the rack are cabled to both switches for redundancy. The top-of-
rack switches have uplinks to the next layer of switching.
Top of rack significantly simplifies cable management and minimizes cable
containment requirements.
This approach also provides fast port-to-port switching for servers within the
rack and predictable oversubscription of the uplink.
Data Center Networking topologies
Top of Rack Topology(Leaf-Spine):-
 Data Center Networking topologies
Top of Rack Topology(Leaf-Spine):-
A top-of-rack design utilizes cabling more efficiently.

The tradeoffs are often an increase in the cost of switches and the high cost for
under-utilization of ports.
Top-of-rack switching may be difficult to manage in large deployments, and
there is also the potential for overheating of local area network (LAN) switch
gear in server racks.
As a result, some data centers deploy top-of-rack switches in a middle-of-row
or end-of-row architecture to better utilize switch ports and reduce the overall
number of switches used.
Data Center Networking topologies
Clos Topology(Leaf-Spine):-
The Clos data center topology, also known as a Clos network or Clos fabric, is a
highly scalable and resilient network architecture commonly used in large-scale
data center environments.
Named after its creator, Charles Clos, a French engineer, this topology is based
on the principles of non-blocking switching and multi-stage switching networks.
The Clos topology is often implemented using spine-and-leaf architecture,
where spine switches provide connectivity between leaf switches.
Data Center Networking topologies
Clos Topology(Leaf-Spine):-
 Data Center Networking topologies
Clos Topology(Leaf-Spine):-
Spine-and-Leaf Architecture:
The Clos topology typically employs a spine-and-leaf architecture, consisting of spine
switches and leaf switches.
Spine switches form the core of the network and provide high-speed connectivity
between leaf switches.
Leaf switches connect servers, storage systems, and other network devices, providing
access to the network fabric.
Non-Blocking Design:
A key feature of the Clos topology is its non-blocking design, which ensures that there
are enough paths available to handle any potential traffic flow without causing
congestion.
Non-blocking switching is achieved by ensuring that the number of spine switches and
ports on each spine switch is sufficient to accommodate the traffic between leaf
switches.
 Data Center Networking topologies
Clos Topology(Leaf-Spine):-
Multi-Stage Switching Network:
The Clos topology is based on a multi-stage switching network, where multiple
layers of switches are interconnected in a hierarchical fashion.
Each stage consists of a set of switches interconnected in such a way that every
input/output port of each switch is connected to another switch at the next
stage, forming a full-mesh topology.
Advantages:
Scalability

Redundancy and Resilience

Data Center Networking topologies
Tree Topology:-
In a tree topology, switches and routers are organized in a hierarchical tree-like
structure.
This topology is scalable and provides redundancy, as there are multiple paths
for data transmission.
It is commonly used in traditional data center architectures but may lack some
of the flexibility required in highly dynamic cloud environments.
Data Center Networking topologies
Tree Topology:-
 Data Center Networking topologies
Fat-Tree Topology:-
Fat-Tree is a type of Clos network, which is a non-blocking network
architecture.
It is highly scalable and provides low-latency, high-bandwidth connectivity.

Fat-tree topologies are popular in large-scale cloud data centers due to their
efficiency and fault-tolerance.
Software Defined Network
SDN stands for Software Defined Network which is a networking architecture
approach.
It enables the control and management of the network using software
applications.
Through Software Defined Network (SDN) networking behavior of the entire
network and its devices are programmed in a centrally controlled manner
through software applications using open APIs.
To understand software-defined networks, we need to understand the various
planes involved in networking.
Data Plane

Control Plane
 Software Defined Network
Data plane:

Allthe activities involving as well as resulting from data packets sent by the
end-user belong to this plane.
In computer networking, the data plane is the part of a network device
responsible for forwarding data packets from one interface to another.
It is also referred to as the forwarding plane or the user plane.

This includes:

Forwarding of packets.

Segmentation and reassembly of data.

Replication of packets for multicasting.

 Software Defined Network
Control plane:

Allactivities necessary to perform data plane activities but do not involve end-
user data packets belong to this plane.
In computer networking, the control plane is part of a network device or system
that is responsible for managing and controlling the flow of network traffic.
In other words, this is the brain of the network.

The activities of the control plane include:

Making routing tables.

Setting packet handling policies.

Software Defined Network in data center
Traditional Data Center Networking:

In a traditional data center network, the control plane (which makes decisions
about where traffic is sent) and data plane (which forwards traffic to
destinations) are coupled together on the network switches and routers.
Configuring the network requires managing each network device individually
via CLI or SNMP. This is cumbersome and error-prone.
The network is fairly static and hard to change dynamically and require
configuring each network device individually.
 Software Defined Network in data center
Software Defined Networking:
Decouples the control plane from the data plane.
Control plane is centralized in software-based SDN controllers.
SDN controllers have a global view of the entire network.
SDN controllers
communicate via APIs to simple forwarding devices and virtual
network components.
Forwarding devices simply forward packets based on rules set by the
controllers.
Allows programmable, dynamic configuration of network from a centralized
point.
SDN transforms the network into a programmable software-defined
infrastructure to provide agility, flexibility and automation for cloud data
centers. It is a key enabler of elasticity and efficiency in the cloud.
 Software Defined Network
Key Benefits of SDN in data center:-
Agile configuration: Network can be dynamically programmed via software instead of
needing manual device-by-device configuration. This allows the network to adapt
quickly to changing requirements.
Centralized control: Network control is centralized in SDN controllers instead of
distributed across devices. This provides a unified view and point of automation.
Improved management: Centralized controllers simplify network management by
abstracting underlying network complexities.
Flexible traffic control: Traffic can be dynamically routed based on application needs,
load balancing, etc rather than static routing tables.
Better scalability: Simpler forwarding devices are easier to scale out than fully
featured routers and switches.
Automation: SDN enables tight integration between network operations and
automation/orchestration systems.
Reduced costs: SDN's centralized control, automation and open standards hardware
reduces operational costs.
Software Defined Network
Software Defined Network
SDN Architecture :-
The architecture of software-defined networking (SDN) consists of three main
layers:
The application layer

The control layer

The infrastructure layer

Each layer has a specific role and interacts with the other layers to manage and
control the network.
Software Defined Network
Infrastructure Layer:

The infrastructure layer is the bottom layer of the SDN architecture, also known
as the data plane.
It consists of physical and virtual network devices such as switches, routers, and
firewalls that are responsible for forwarding network traffic based on the
instructions received from the control plane.
Software Defined Network
Control Layer:

The control layer is the middle layer of the SDN architecture, also known as the
control plane.
It consists of a centralized controller that communicates with the infrastructure
layer devices and is responsible for managing and configuring the network.
The controller interacts with the devices in the infrastructure layer using
protocols such as OpenFlow to program the forwarding behaviour of the switches
and routers.
The controller uses network policies and rules to make decisions about how
traffic should be forwarded based on factors such as network topology, traffic
patterns, and quality of service requirements.
Software Defined Network
Application Layer:

The application layer is the top layer of the SDN architecture and is responsible
for providing network services and applications to end-users.
This layer consists of various network applications that interact with the control
layer to manage the network.
 Software Defined Network
Real time scenario: Example Library:

Traditional Networking(Non-SDN)

In Traditional library , the librarian is responsible for managing and directing all
activities. If you need a book , you ask the librarian, who then physically goes to
the shelves , finds the book and given to you.
SDN Cloud Computing (With an Analogy) :

Imagine an SDN enabled library Instead of relying solely on the librarian, there's a
smart system that controls everything.
This system knows where every book is located and can instantly guide you to the
right shelf.
You don't need to wait for the librarian to fetch the book, you can go directly to
the shelf and pick it up.
 Software Defined Network
Applying the Analogy to SDN :
Control and Data Planes :
Traditional:The librarian (human) acts as both the controller (making decisions)
and the one executing tasks (finding books).
SDN: The Smart system has a controller (making decisions) separate from the
actual execution (finding books). This separation is like having a librarian and a
computer system working together.
Flexibility and Automation :
Traditional: If you want to change how the library is organized, you need to ask
the librarian to physically rearrange the shelves.
SDN: With SDN, you can change how the library is organized (configure the
network) using a computer interface without physically moving any books. It's
like rearranging virtual shelves.
 Software Defined Network
Applying the Analogy to SDN :

Adaptability (Example - New Book Arrival) :

Traditional : When a new book arrives, the librarian needs to manually update the
catalog and inform everyone about its location.
SDN : The smart system automatically updates the catalog and informs everyone
about the new book's location. It adapts to changes without human intervention.
Efficiency (Example - Finding a Book) :

Traditional : You wait for the librarian to find your book, potentially leading to
delays.
SDN: You go directly to the shelf and find your book instantly. SDN allows for
faster and more direct access to resources.
Software Defined Network
Applying the Analogy to SDN :

SDN in a data center uses a centralized controller to make decisions about how
data traffic should be directed.
This controller communicates with switches and routers to manage the flow of
data, providing a more flexible, automated, and efficient network infrastructure.
Example in Cloud Computing :

In a cloud data center, SDN enables dynamic allocation of resources. If a certain
application needs more network bandwidth, the SDN controller can instantly
adjust the network settings to meet that demand without manual configuration.
In essence, SDN simplifies network management, improves efficiency, and allows
for quick adaptation to changing conditions, much like the efficient organization
and access of books in our smart library analogy.
 Software Defined Network
Advantages of SDN:-
Centralized Network Control:
One of the key benefits of SDN is that it centralizes the control of the network in a single
controller, making it easier to manage and configure the network.
This allows network administrators to define and enforce network policies in a more
granular way, resulting in better network security, performance, and reliability.
Programmable Network:
In an SDN environment, network devices are programmable and can be reconfigured on
the fly to meet changing network requirements.
This allows network administrators to quickly adapt the network to changing traffic
patterns and demands, resulting in better network performance and efficiency.
Cost Savings:
With SDN, network administrators can use commodity hardware to build a network,
reducing the cost of proprietary network hardware.
 Software Defined Network
Advantages of SDN:-

Enhanced Network Security: The centralized control of the network in SDN

makes it easier to detect and respond to security threats. The use of network
policies and rules allows administrators to implement fine-grained security
controls that can mitigate security risks.
Scalability: SDN makes it easier to scale the network to meet changing traffic
demands. With the ability to programmatically control the network, administrators
can quickly adjust the network to handle more traffic without the need for manual
intervention.
Simplified Network Management: SDN can simplify network management by
abstracting the underlying network hardware and presenting a logical view of the
network to administrators. This makes it easier to manage and troubleshoot the
network, resulting in better network uptime and reliability.
 Software Defined Network
Disadvantages of SDN:-

Complexity: SDN can be more complex than traditional networking because it

involves a more sophisticated set of technologies and requires specialized skills to
manage.
 Forexample, the use of a centralized controller to manage the network requires a
deep understanding of the SDN architecture and protocols.
Dependency on the Controller: The centralized controller is a critical component
of SDN, and if it fails, the entire network could go down.
This means that organizations need to ensure that the controller is highly available
and that they have a robust backup and disaster recovery plan in place.
Compatibility: Some legacy network devices may not be compatible with SDN,
which means that organizations may need to replace or upgrade these devices to
take full advantage of the benefits of SDN.
 Software Defined Network
Disadvantages of SDN:-

Security: While SDN can enhance network security, it can also introduce new
security risks. For example, a single point of control could be an attractive target for
attackers, and the programmability of the network could make it easier for
attackers to manipulate traffic.
Vendor Lock-In: SDN solutions from different vendors may not be interoperable,
which could lead to vendor lock-in. This means that organizations may be limited in
their ability to switch to another vendor or integrate new solutions into their
existing network.
Performance: The centralized control of the network in SDN can introduce latency,
which could impact network performance in certain situations. Additionally, the
overhead of the SDN controller could impact the performance of the network as the
network scales.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Automation in Data Center:-

Data center automation, as the name implies, is the process of managing and
automating the data center workflows without human interaction or
administration.
Data center automation is not about a single task or process in one single stage. It
can be carried out in many different directions.
Servers, storage, networking and other management tasks can be automated in
data center automation.
If there is a need to handle the entire data center operation with automation,
different operational frameworks based on various tasks will be required.
Data center automation is the process in which the routine processes of data
center operations are completed without any manual effort.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Automation in Data Center:-

Data center automation is the process by which routine workflows and processes of
a data center—scheduling, monitoring, maintenance, application delivery, and so
on—are managed and executed without human administration.
Data center automation increases agility and operational efficiency. It reduces the
time IT needs to perform routine tasks and enables them to deliver services on
demand in a repeatable, automated manner.
These services can then be rapidly consumed by end users.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Importance of Automation in Data Center:-

The massive growth in data and the speed at which businesses operate today mean
that manual monitoring, troubleshooting, and remediation is too slow to be
effective and can put businesses at risk.
Automation can make day-two operations almost autonomous.

Ideally,the data center provider would have API access to the infrastructure,
enabling it to inter-operate with public clouds so that customers could migrate data
or workloads from cloud to cloud.
Data center automation is predominantly delivered through software solutions that
grant centralized access to all or most data center resources.
Traditionally,this access enables the automation of storage, servers, network, and
other data center management tasks.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Importance of Automation in Data Center:-

Data center automation is immensely valuable because it frees up human

computational time and:
Delivers insight into server nodes and configurations

Automates routine procedures like patching, updating, and reporting

Produces and programs all data center scheduling and monitoring tasks

Enforces data center processes and controls in agreement with standards and
policies
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Key aspects of Automation in Data Center:-
Provisioning and Configuration Management
Automated Provisioning: The process of deploying and configuring IT resources, such as
servers, storage, and networking equipment, without manual intervention. This includes
server provisioning, storage allocation, and network configuration.
Configuration Management: Automation tools manage and maintain consistent
configurations across a large number of devices, ensuring that they adhere to predefined
standards and policies.
Orchestration and Workflow Automation
Orchestration: Involves the coordination and management of multiple automated tasks and
processes to achieve specific business objectives. This includes the integration of various
systems and tools to automate complex workflows, such as application deployment,
disaster recovery, and scaling of resources.
Workflow Automation: Automation of repetitive tasks and processes, such as backup
scheduling, patch management, and compliance checks, to reduce manual effort and
minimize errors.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Key aspects of Automation in Data Center:-
Monitoring and Remediation
Automated Monitoring: Continuous monitoring of infrastructure and applications to detect
performance issues, security threats, and compliance violations. Automation tools can
trigger alerts and responses based on predefined thresholds and conditions.
Remediation: Automated actions taken to resolve identified issues, such as restarting
services, reallocating resources, or applying corrective configurations to mitigate
performance or security issues.
Self-Service and Lifecycle Management
Self-ServicePortals: Provisioning of IT resources through user-friendly interfaces, allowing
stakeholders to request and manage resources on-demand without administrative
intervention.
Lifecycle Management: Automated management of the entire lifecycle of IT resources,
including provisioning, maintenance, updates, and retirement, to optimize resource
utilization and minimize downtime.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Infrastructure as Code (IaC):-
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is the process of managing your IT infrastructure using
automatic scripts instead of manually.
One of the crucial elements of the DevOps software development approach, it allows you
to fully automate deployment and configuration, thus making continuous delivery possible.
Infrastructure on the whole is a combination of components required to support the
operations of your application.
It consists of hardware such as servers, data centers, desktop computers and software
including operating systems, web servers, etc.
Infrastructure as Code (IaC) is a practice that involves managing and provisioning
computing infrastructure through machine-readable script files, rather than through
traditional interactive configuration tools or physical hardware configuration.
It enables the automation of infrastructure deployment, configuration, and management,
allowing organizations to treat their infrastructure as code and apply software
development best practices to infrastructure management.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Infrastructure as Code (IaC):-
IaC uses software tools to automate administrative tasks by describing
infrastructure in code.
Infrastructure as code (IaC) is the process of using software code for resource
provisioning in data center and cloud environments, instead of hardware
settings or configuration tools, with the benefits of automation and remote
provisioning.
It’s implemented like this:

The team writes infrastructure configurations in a required programming language.

The code files are sent to a code repository.

An IaC tool runs the code and performs the required activities.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Working of Infrastructure as Code (IaC):-
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Benefits of Infrastructure as Code (IaC):-
Reduced costs:-

Cloud computing by itself is more cost-effective since you don’t have to spend
money on hardware and people to maintain it.
By automating with IoC, you also save on infrastructure costs since the effort to
administer it decreases and your team gets to focus on more important tasks that
bring your business value.
Consistency:-

manual deployment introduces many inconsistencies and variations.

IaC avoids so-called configuration or environment drift by ensuring that

deployments are repeatable and setting up the same configuration every time.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Benefits of Infrastructure as Code (IaC):-
Easily duplicate an environment:-

The same environment can be deployed on a different system in another location

using the same IaC, as long as the infrastructure resources are available.
Version control:-

Under IaC, infrastructure configurations are put into a code file that’s easy to edit
and distribute.
As any other code, it can be checked into source control, versioned, and reviewed
along with your application source code using existing practices.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Choosing an IaC tool :- Declarative vs imperative approach
There are two approaches to automating infrastructure: declarative and imperative.
In a declarative approach, you only need to define the desired final condition of the
infrastructure without going into detail on how it should be achieved, allowing the platform
to handle it by itself.
It’s the dominant method because it requires less knowledge on the user’s part and it’s
idempotent – it always produces the same result. This is done via a declarative language
such as SQL, YAML, or JSON.
In an imperative (procedural) approach, you must define specific step-by-step commands
to achieve the required configuration.
Here, you can be very detailed and create complex configurations, having more control over
the task. But you do need a high level of skill to write those commands with languages like
Java, Ruby, or Python.
if you’re building a large infrastructure, you might prefer the automation the declarative
approach provides. But if you’re planning to start with a few scripts, the imperative
approach will work fine.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Choosing an IaC tool :- Provisioning vs configuration management

Typically, IaC tools are divided into the ones that do configuration management and
the provisioning tools. They are both steps of the deployment process, but there are
differences.
Provisioning is the process of setting up an IT infrastructure: virtual machines,
databases, access to resources, and making them available to the users.
The configuration job is then done by a different tool.

Configuration management comes after provisioning and it means installing

software, configuring servers’ desired state and maintaining them.
Some IaC tools can do both, but one is typically more equipped for a specific task
than the other.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Choosing an IaC tool :- Mutable vs immutable infrastructure
Tools can also differ by what type of infrastructure they’re building: mutable or
immutable. Shifting from one to another is costly and heavy on operations, so
carefully consider your needs.
A mutable infrastructure can be changed to fit business needs. You can easily
introduce updates to the existing version, apply patches, and scale. While this may
be handy, each upgrade compromises your operation security. Besides, this may
negate one of IoC purposes - consistency.
An immutable infrastructure can’t be changed once deployed. If you want to make
alterations to it, you have to replace it with a new version. Since versions are
independent, you can easily roll back, track mistakes, and enjoy consistency and
predictability.
Immutable infrastructures are considered a preferred method since it actually
delivers on all the benefits of IaC.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Automation tools for IaC :-

Terraform

AWS CloudFormation

Ansible

Puppet

Chef
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Automation tools for IaC :- Terraform

Terraform is an open-source IaC tool developed by HashiCorp.

It uses a declarative configuration language to define infrastructure and supports a

wide range of cloud providers and on-premises infrastructure.
Terraform creates and manages resources on cloud platforms and other services
through their application programming interfaces (APIs). Providers enable
Terraform to work with virtually any platform or service with an accessible API.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Automation tools for IaC :- AWS CloudFormation

AWS CloudFormation is a service provided by Amazon Web Services for defining

and provisioning AWS infrastructure as code.
Ituses JSON or YAML templates to describe the resources and dependencies of an
AWS environment.
Cloud Formation stacks can be versioned and changes can be applied with rolling
updates or rollback capabilities.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Automation tools for IaC :-Ansible

Ansible is an open-source automation platform that supports IaC.

It uses simple, human-readable YAML files to describe infrastructure and

automation tasks, and it is known for its agentless architecture and broad support
for various infrastructure components.
Itis not limited to cloud provisioning; it can automate various IT tasks, including
configuration, management and application deployment.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Automation tools for IaC :- Puppet:-

Puppet is an automation tool that supports IaC by allowing the definition of

infrastructure configurations in code.
It supports both on premises and cloud environments.

Ituses declarative language to define system configuration, ensuring consistency

across servers.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Automation tools for IaC :- Chef:-

Chef is another automation tool that supports IaC practices.

Ituses code to define and automate the infrastructure, and it provides a rich set of
resources for configuring and managing systems.
It uses a Rubey-based Domain Specific Language for defining infrastructure
configurations.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Automation tools for IaC :-
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Scalability in cloud data centers:-

Scalabilityin cloud data centers refers to the ability to dynamically adjust

resources to accommodate changing workloads and demands.
Itenables organizations to efficiently manage their infrastructure by adding or
removing resources in response to varying levels of usage.
It is a key characteristic of cloud computing that provides flexibility and cost
efficiency
Load Balancing: Effective load balancing is essential for distributing workloads
across multiple instances to maximize the benefits of horizontal scalability.
Auto-Scaling: Leveraging auto-scaling capabilities provided by cloud platforms
enables the automated addition or removal of resources based on predefined
conditions, such as CPU utilization or network traffic.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Scalability in cloud data centers:-
Cloud scalability is a flexible, reliable data infrastructure capable of scaling
up or down in its amount of data, number of applications, and types of
locations to support changing business demands and objectives.
Data storage capacity, processing power, and networking can all be increased by
using existing cloud computing infrastructure.
Scalingcan be done quickly and easily, usually without any disruption or
downtime.
Third-party cloud providers already have the entire infrastructure in place; In the
past, when scaling up with on-premises physical infrastructure, the process could
take weeks or months and require exorbitant expenses.
This is one of the most popular and beneficial features of cloud computing, as
businesses can grow up or down to meet the demands depending on the season,
projects, development, etc.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Scalability in cloud data centers:-

Types of scaling:-

Vertical Scalability (Scaled-up)

horizontal scalability (Scaled-Out)

diagonal scalability
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Types of Scalability :-

Vertical Scalability (Scaled-up):-

Vertical scalability, also known as scale-up, involves increasing the capacity of a

single resource, such as adding more memory, CPU, or storage to a virtual machine
or server.
This approach can be limited by the maximum capacity of the hardware.

Itautomatically enables the system to allocate more or fewer resources to meet

changing requirements.
One of the primary benefits of vertical scalability is that it allows you to optimize
your existing resources, which can help you save costs and reduce waste.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Types of Scalability :-

Vertical Scalability (Scaled-up):-

 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Types of Scalability :-

Vertical Scalability (Scaled-up):-

Features of Vertical Scalability:-

Enhanced Performance: Increasing the capacity of a single resource can enhance

its performance and ability to handle more intensive workloads.
Consolidation of Resources: Vertical scalability can be beneficial for
consolidating workloads onto fewer, more powerful systems, reducing
management overhead.
Hardware Limitations: Vertical scalability may be limited by the maximum
capacity of the underlying hardware, which can lead to constraints on scalability.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Types of Scalability :-
Horizontal Scalability (Scaled-Out):-
Horizontal scaling refers to adding more servers to your network, rather than simply
adding resources like with vertical scaling.
This method tends to take more time and is more complex, but it allows you to connect
servers together, handle traffic efficiently and execute concurrent workloads.
Horizontal scalability involves adding more instances or nodes to distribute the workload
across multiple machines.
Instead of making individual resources larger, horizontal scalability adds more resources
in parallel.
This approach provides more flexibility and can potentially handle unlimited growth by
adding more resources as needed.
Horizontal scalability requires the application to be designed in a way that allows it to be
distributed across multiple nodes.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Types of Scalability :-

Horizontal Scalability (Scaled-Out):-

 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Types of Scalability :-
Horizontal Scalability (Scaled-out):-
Features of Horizontal Scalability:-
Increased Performance and Workload Distribution:- Horizontal scaling allows for
improved performance by distributing the workload across multiple machines, thereby
reducing the burden on individual resources.
Redundancy and Fault Tolerance:- By adding multiple instances of resources, horizontal
scaling provides redundancy and fault tolerance. If one node fails, the remaining instances
can continue to handle the workload, enhancing system reliability.
Ease of Expansion:- It offers the ability to easily expand the system by adding more
instances or nodes as the workload increases, allowing for seamless scalability.
Cost-Effectiveness:- Horizontal scaling can be cost-effective as it typically involves using
commodity hardware and adding more instances as needed, rather than investing in
larger, more expensive individual resources.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Types of Scalability :-

Diagonal Scalability:-

Itis a mixture of both Horizontal and Vertical scalability where the resources are added
both vertically and horizontally.
Diagonal scaling, which allows you to experience the most efficient infrastructure scaling.

When you combine vertical and horizontal, you simply grow within your existing server
until you hit the capacity.
Then, you can clone that server as necessary and continue the process, allowing you to
deal with a lot of requests and traffic concurrently.
This type of scalability allows you to add more instances or resources as needed while also
optimizing your existing resources to achieve maximum efficiency.
Hybrid scalability is often used for complex applications that require a combination of
processing power, storage, and bandwidth.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Types of Scalability :-

Diagonal Scalability:-
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Benefits of cloud Scalability :-

Convenience: Often, with just a few clicks, IT administrators can easily add more VMs that
are available-and customized to an organization's exact needs-without delay.
Teams can focus on other tasks instead of setting up physical hardware for hours and days.
This saves the valuable time of the IT staff.
Flexibility and speed: As business needs change and grow, including unexpected demand
spikes, cloud scalability allows IT to respond quickly. Companies are no longer tied to
obsolete equipment-they can update systems and easily increase power and storage.
Cost Savings: Thanks to cloud scalability, businesses can avoid the upfront cost of
purchasing expensive equipment that can become obsolete in a few years.
Through cloud providers, they only pay for what they use and reduce waste.

Disaster recovery: With scalable cloud computing, you can reduce disaster recovery costs
by eliminating the need to build and maintain secondary data centers.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Use of cloud Scalability :-

Successful businesses use scalable business models to grow rapidly and meet changing
demands. It's no different with their IT.
Cloud scalability benefits help businesses stay agile and competitive.

Scalability is one of the driving reasons for migrating to the cloud.

Whether traffic or workload demands increase suddenly or increase gradually over time, a
scalable cloud solution enables organizations to respond appropriately and cost-effectively
to increased storage and performance.
Scalable cloud architecture is made possible through virtualization.
Unlikephysical machines whose resources and performance are relatively set, virtual
machines virtual machines (VMs) are highly flexible and can be easily scaled up or down.
They can be moved to a different server or hosted on multiple servers at once; workloads
and applications can be shifted to larger VMs as needed.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Elasticity in Cloud Data Center :-

Elasticity refers to the ability of a cloud to automatically expand or compress the

infrastructural resources on a sudden up and down in the requirement so that the
workload can be managed efficiently.
This elasticity helps to minimize infrastructural costs.

This is not applicable for all kinds of environments, it is helpful to address only
those scenarios where the resource requirements fluctuate up and down
suddenly for a specific time interval.
It is not quite practical to use where persistent resource infrastructure is required
to handle the heavy workload.
Cloud elasticity enables you to access more resources when necessary and release
them when they are no longer needed.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Elasticity in Cloud Data Center :-

The elasticity process often needs to happen quickly.

A delay in increasing capacity could overload your system, potentially causing

service outages.
In contrast, if you delay shrinking, some of your servers will have little to do. But
you’d still have to pay for the idle capacity, which is a waste of your cloud budget.
Elastic environments match resource allocation to dynamic workloads, allowing
you to take up more resources or release those you no longer need. If the process
occurs quickly or in real time, it is called rapid elasticity.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Elasticity in Cloud Data Center :-

Example:

Consider an online shopping site whose transaction workload increases during

festive season like Christmas.
So for this specific period of time, the resources need a spike up.

In order to handle this kind of situation, we can go for a Cloud-Elasticity service
rather than Cloud Scalability.
As soon as the season goes out, the deployed resources can then be requested for
withdrawal.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Elasticity in Cloud Data Center :-
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
 Key characteristics of Elasticity in Cloud Data Center :-
Auto Scaling - Cloud resources can scale out and in automatically based on criteria
like workload demand, utilization metrics, etc. The scaling is handled
programmatically without manual intervention.
Rapid Elasticity - Scaling up and down can happen very quickly, in minutes or
even seconds in some cases. This allows capacity to closely match sporadic
changes in demand.
Fine-grained Control - Scaling can happen at a very granular level, such as
adding/removing individual VMs, storage blobs, containers, etc. instead of
monolithic blocks.
Flexible Capacity - Elasticity allows capacity to expand or shrink based on actual
real-time resource needs. There are no fixed limits on how much you can scale.
Usage-based Costing - You only pay for the resources you currently use. Elasticity
enables releasing unneeded resources and saves money during low demand
periods.
 Data Center Automation and Scaling
Cloud
 Elasticity Cloud Scalability
Elasticity is used just to meet the sudden up and down Scalability is used to meet the static increase in the
in the workload for a small period of time. workload.
Elasticity is used to meet dynamic changes, where the Scalability is always used to address the increase in
resources need can increase or decrease. workload in an organization.
Elasticity is commonly used by small companies Scalability is used by giant companies whose
whose workload and demand increases only for a customer circle persistently grows in order to do the
specific period of time. operations efficiently.
Elasticity is automated. Scalability is usually done manually
Elasticity is reactive and responds to real-time Scalability uses a predictive approach based on
changes in demand. known demand changes.
Elasticity only incurs costs for resources currently Scalability incurs costs even when excess resources
being used. are idle.
It is a short term planning and adopted just to deal Scalability is a long term planning and adopted just
with an unexpected increase in demand or seasonal to deal with an expected increase in demand.
demands.