Have you ever wasted long days or weeks provisioning infrastructure to support a new application? Wish you could speed up time-consuming, manual network processes or improve your network security?
Thanks to network virtualization, gone are the days of inflexible, inefficient, unsecured networks.
Why Network Virtualization Matters
Network virtualization combines hardware and software network resources into a single, software-based network or transforms a physical network into separate virtual ones. It works by decoupling network services from the underlying hardware and allowing virtual provisioning of your network, enabling IT professionals to create, provision, and manage their networks entirely in software.
As a result, new services and applications can be deployed quickly, and network traffic can be managed more effectively and efficiently. In addition, network virtualization improves security by allowing organizations to segment their networks and isolate trusted networks from untrusted ones.
This technology is altering the reality of service delivery as we once knew it and making networks more dynamic, optimized, and agile. It is therefore becoming more essential for IT professionals to become proficient and understand how this can benefit the organization.
What benefits can network virtualization offer IT organizations that need to support cloud-hosted, distributed apps with their networks while keeping up with ever-changing network security demands?
- Faster provisioning and time to market. With network virtualization, you no longer have to set aside weeks of work to provision a network. You can update and deploy your networks and apps in minutes instead, allowing you to deliver key projects to end users faster.
- Improved efficiency with automation. One of the greatest benefits of network virtualization is improved speed and agility, which IT professionals can achieve through automating network processes, such as network configuration, resource scaling, and load balancing.
- Strengthened security. Network virtualization can heighten security by isolating virtual networks within the same physical infrastructure to prevent unauthorized access, segmenting network traffic to secure communications between resources, enforcing security policies at the virtual network level, and more.
- Greater policy consistency and adherence. Network virtualization distributes your network and security services to a virtual layer and attaches them to individual workloads in accordance with policies defined for each application. When you transfer workloads to a new host, your policy goes with them, allowing you to move across domains without reconfiguring the network. Your policies are also automatically applied to new workloads.
However, with the benefits of network virtualization come challenges for IT professionals to navigate. Managing virtual networks and resources can be complex, as can the process of integrating network virtualization with existing network infrastructure. Network virtualization introduces new security challenges that can arise from misconfiguration or vulnerabilities within virtualization platforms themselves.
Key Trends
The future of network virtualization is also changing, with numerous trends set to impact the technology in the coming months and years. Some of these include:
- The rise of cloud native. Modern organizations are favoring cloud-native applications and architectures more than ever before. With cloud-native environments come new networking requirements, including containerized applications and microservices that must be supported.
- AI and automation. Predictive analytics and automated network optimization are two ways AI and automation can improve network performance and efficiency. They can also detect anomalies and threats faster than traditional monitoring tools that are not attuned to network virtualization, enhancing security.
- Zero Trust security. Network virtualization can be an ideal complement to Zero Trust security models, which benefit from the micro-segmentation and access controls that network virtualization provides. With 58.6% of U.S. and U.K. security subject matter experts pursuing or planning to pursue a Zero Trust program, per JumpCloud, network virtualization will play an essential role in many organizations’ security strategies.
- Green networking. More businesses are designing their networks to incorporate sustainability and energy efficiency. By implementing network virtualization, IT teams can reduce energy consumption in data centers and streamline resource utilization.
- Tightening regulatory compliance. Data privacy regulations are only growing stronger and changing how networks are designed and secured. The tight access controls and security benefits that network virtualization offers help teams meet these standards.
The Importance of Certification
What is the best way to keep up with the evolving world of network virtualization? By earning a certification, of course!
Getting certified in network virtualization helps you build the skills needed to manage networks effectively, whether you are asked to provision a network quickly or troubleshoot a network issue on the fly. If you already have strong baseline knowledge in networking, it is still important to continue upgrading your expertise — after all, the requirements of an IT professional are always changing.
Earning a certification can also strengthen your career development and earnings, even in a competitive job market Having validated network virtualization skills will make you an asset to any team, paving the way for promotions and new jobs. Certifications are also a strong tool to have in hand during salary negotiations.
Get started with VMware Learning
VMware Learning is here to support you on your network virtualization learning journey.
We offer five network virtualization certifications and nine badges to help you build critical network management skills, no matter your level of existing network infrastructure knowledge. Our VMware Certified Instructors are committed to helping you develop a strong network virtualization background to achieve your aspiration, whether it is basic network proficiency or advanced expertise.
VMware certifications are also highly valued by employers around the world, giving certification holders a competitive edge. According to the Global Knowledge 2021 IT Skills and Salary Report, employers’ ROI per credentialed employee is estimated to be as high as $30,000.
Finally, VMware Learners report benefits from getting certified, including increased confidence, greater job satisfaction, and greater respect at work. 55% earn a salary increase within three months, and 77% receive a raise within six months, according to the Pearson VUE 2021 Value of Certification Report.
So, what are you waiting for?
Learn more about our network virtualization certification programs and view our network virtualization courses in our course catalog.
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Read more about VMware Learning and our other certification learning paths.
