Clooud Computing

Marist Beefs Up Cloud and Virtualization Tools in SDN Lab

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 05/19/15

A New York college that runs a testing lab for cloud computing will be adding new technology from two private partners to expand what students can do. Marist College, which runs the New York State Cloud Computing and Analytics Center, is teaming up with IBM and Brocade to add computing capabilities in its Software Defined Networking Innovation Lab. The lab works on projects that enable data center operators to control operations more efficiently between the physical and virtual networks.

The college is bringing in IBM's Cloud Orchestrator, an interface that reduces the work involved in managing public, private and hybrid clouds in the areas of configuration, provisioning and deployment of services. IBM is a sponsor for the SDN lab at Marist.

The institution is also adding Brocade's Vyatta 5400 vRouter, a virtual router that provides routing and security functionality for physical, virtual and cloud networking environments.

"Partnering with Brocade and IBM gives students an unprecedented opportunity to conduct research and learn how the rise of cloud computing is changing what is happening on the network," said Robert Cannistra, a Marist lecturer of computer science and IT. "The network is critical to the cloud. We are ensuring the proficiency of students by providing them access to the latest networking technology skills due to the rise of cloud models, and at the same time, are advancing our program as a center of technological innovation."

IBM noted that as clients "embrace cloud computing," they're using software defined networking and virtualization of network functions to "lower their networking costs, improve agility and offer differentiated services." By training Marist students "on the latest in networking and architectures, we will help provide a strong career path," said Marisa Viveros, vice president in IBM's global telecommunications industry division. The collaboration, she said in a prepared statement, "exemplifies the unlimited possibilities of cloud computing and the importance of the development of students on cutting-edge technology."