Together with Docker we are delivering unique and open solutions that help IT organizations rapidly and efficiently build, ship and run their containerized applications.

Guest Blogger: Siva Sivakumar, Senior Director, Data Center Solutions

Containers are revolutionizing the way organizations develop and deliver applications. We have established a new strategic alliance with Docker to jointly develop, market and support unified and certified solutions for the entire application journey, whether you are containerizing traditional apps, refactoring apps to microservices, or creating new applications. Our goal is to provide your organization greater confidence and unique advantages as you adopt containers.

Building on Our Strategy

Partnerships have been an essential dimension of the Cisco data center strategy, because customers expect us to provide solutions that are open and integrated while still providing value-add. We have successfully implemented this strategy with our Cisco UCS converged infrastructure solutions that include unified and validated systems and software from many vendors. They combine the advantages of UCS automation and programmability with technology from our partners into certified, enterprise-ready solutions.

Now we are extending this strategy to containers through our alliance with Docker. This will provide your organization with a low risk approach to securely modernize and continuously deliver applications in flexible and highly scalable cloud native and hybrid cloud environments. You can evolve existing tools and processes as you implement containerized applications through the breadth and capabilities of the Cisco and Docker partner ecosystems.

Adding Open Source to the Mix

Docker simplifies container creation, management, and security, and it integrates with many open-source projects. Cisco has been working with Docker on an open source project called Contiv. It provides a unified networking fabric for heterogeneous Docker deployments on VMs, bare-metal, public and private clouds. Docker Datacenter provides the application management and intent, and Contiv supports multiple networking back-ends for containerized environments giving you the flexibility to support your unique application needs.

Cisco is adding the benefit of worldwide technical support for Contiv while still keeping it open source. When you combine Contiv with ACI as the networking fabric, security is built from the ground-up, giving you complete traffic isolation in multi-tenant environments and microsegmentation for your applications. We will maintain the open source heritage, ensure support and offer greater advantages.

You can read this blog, if you'd like to learn more about Contiv, and you can download Contiv from The Docker Store.

Continuous Delivery with Confidence

Containerized applications offer many advantages, but they also introduce new complexities. Our partnership with Docker is designed to address these complexities, so we don't slow your efforts to adopt continuous integration / continuous delivery (CI/CD) methods. Our Cisco Validated Designs (CVDs) ensure ease of deployment and optimized performance for applications using containers and microservices architecture across the stack.

The CVD for Docker Datacenter (DDC) on Cisco UCS describes installation of DDC on Cisco UCS B-Series Blade Servers and C-Series Rack Servers. This includes installation, configuration and fine-tuning of all three products included in the DDC subscription: CS Docker Engine, Docker Trusted Registry, and the Docker Universal Control Plane.

Unlike some other vendors who are implementing Docker exclusively on their products, Cisco is working with our ecosystem partners to offer broader, more open solutions. The first example is the Docker Datacenter on FlexPod CVD. It includes DDC implemented on Cisco UCS, the Cisco Nexus platforms, and the NetApp storage system. The NetApp storage system is integrated with Docker Datacenter using the NetApp Docker Volume Plugin (nDVP) to provide persistent storage for containers via NFS.

Cisco plans to offer similar CVDs in the future for other converged infrastructure solutions we have developed with our partners. We will work with them as well as NetApp and Docker to offer sales and support programs across Cisco customers and channel partners to ensure that DDC works seamlessly for applications deployed across hybrid cloud, converged infrastructure, and Cisco servers.

Cisco + Docker = Acceleration

Cisco is committed to working with Docker and our ecosystem partners to deliver unique and open solutions that provide automation, consistency, and built-in security. We will implement joint engineering, sales and support to provide you and your organization the confidence to adopt containers across your enterprise, so you can innovate more rapidly and accelerate time to value when building, shipping and running distributed applications.

For additional information:

• Go to the Docker web page or https://www.cisco.com/go/ucscontainers
• Learn more about Contiv at http://contiv.github.io/