Juniper Networks unveils new reference architecture

British Airways selected the Juniper Networks’ MetaFabric Architecture to accelerate deployment of new services and applications at scale.

According to the company, using this technology will mean BA can easily scale the datacentre as its IT needs evolve over time, which in turn protects its investment in building a private cloud, allows for long-term business-capacity planning and provides greater agility.

“British Airways is an iconic global brand synonymous with quality and customer service”, said Gerard Allison, senior VP of EMEA at Juniper Networks.

The software runs on the Junos OS image on an EX9200 switch. Juniper employs a similar bridge extension technique on its earlier generation QFabric node/director product line to create the logical single layer topology. Juniper says it made significant enhancements to the Junos Space Security Director, the company’s network security policy and management platform, that will allow enterprises to centrally manage the security of the entire network through a central interface.

On the firewall side, Juniper added two new SRX gateways to its roster that work to broaden Unite’s capabilities in the enterprise. The SRX300 packs a firewall and a virtual private network option to let remote workers access protected assets in a compact formfactor geared towards small branch offices, while the SRX1500 repackages that functionality for larger corporate locations. Administrators can investigate the details of such incidents using the updated version of the Junos Space Security Director that Juniper is launching in conjunction, which introduces a monitoring dashboard that can be customized to provide a “complete” view of the environment.

Third party integration through the Open Converged Framework now includes wireless LAN interoperability with gear from Aerohive Networks, Aruba Networks and Ruckus Wireless. Users can now see which users are using which applications, which threats have been detected, and a list of suggested actions for remediation.