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2016 Trends: Preparing the Network for Web-Scale Demands

  • 2016 Trends: Preparing the Network for Web-Scale Demands-

    Today's Cloud Isn't Right for Everything

    With 4K/Ultra-HD video poised for growth and the use of IoT devices on the rise, service providers are realizing that the current method of hosting services in the cloud may not be the most economical or efficient way to facilitate service delivery. For example, streaming 4K content over existing data links will present issues with caching that have OTT providers investigating how to bring caching closer to the edge of the network. In the coming year, we'll start to see early innovation around the development of the "cloudlet" – a mobility enhanced, small-scale data center that lives on the edge of the network. This will give rise to a "gas station" model of moving compute and store functionality closer to the end user. This cloudlet could live in a literal gas station, a central office (much like a cable head-end), the base of a mobile cell tower, or in the home or office.

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2016 Trends: Preparing the Network for Web-Scale Demands

  • 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
  • 2016 Trends: Preparing the Network for Web-Scale Demands-3

    Today's Cloud Isn't Right for Everything

    With 4K/Ultra-HD video poised for growth and the use of IoT devices on the rise, service providers are realizing that the current method of hosting services in the cloud may not be the most economical or efficient way to facilitate service delivery. For example, streaming 4K content over existing data links will present issues with caching that have OTT providers investigating how to bring caching closer to the edge of the network. In the coming year, we'll start to see early innovation around the development of the "cloudlet" – a mobility enhanced, small-scale data center that lives on the edge of the network. This will give rise to a "gas station" model of moving compute and store functionality closer to the end user. This cloudlet could live in a literal gas station, a central office (much like a cable head-end), the base of a mobile cell tower, or in the home or office.

Loudon Blair, senior technology director, Network Architecture, Office of the CTO, Ciena, believes that in 2016, we will continue to see fundamental changes to the way networks are designed, architected and provisioned in order to meet the growing bandwidth requirements of today's web-scale world. The web-scale dynamics currently impacting the network include the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud and virtualization, HD video and mobility. As organizations get more comfortable with these changes, we'll see them make adjustments based on lessons learned.

In this slideshow, Blair outlines networking trends that we can expect to start seeing in 2016.