Dell EMC takes open networking to the edge

As a leading use case, the Dell EMC VEP provides next-generation access to the network via SD-WAN. By enhancing WAN operations and economics, service providers and enterprise customers can drive growth, strengthen competitive differentiation and improve the end-user experience.

“There is a real need among service providers and enterprises to update network operations to address distributed and cloud-based applications and capitalise on changing economics enabled by cloud models,” said Tom Burns, senior vice president, Networking & Service Provider Solutions. “By infusing Open Networking into access networks to the cloud with the Virtual Edge Platform family, Dell EMC can help customers modernise infrastructure and transform operations while automating service delivery and processes.”

To control costs, reduce complexity and enable scalability for growth, many service providers and enterprises are modernising infrastructure, not only in the data center, but out to the network edge, including branch offices. Using software-defined architecture, Open Networking and virtualisation to improve network access, organisations can accelerate their digital transformation goals to take advantage of new market opportunities more quickly, flexibly and efficiently.

Dell EMC VEP4600 – Bringing Open Networking to the enterprise edge

Built with advanced intelligence for network virtualization and software-defined architecture, the Dell EMC VEP4600 provides an open Intel® architecture-based platform to support multiple simultaneous virtual network functions (VNF). Numerous proprietary physical devices can be consolidated into this single uCPE while maintaining the high performance levels needed to host many. The modular design includes room to grow with front panel expandability so the platform can be easily upgraded or serviced in the field as needed.

The VEP 4600 is powered by the new Intel Xeon D-2100 product family, Intel® QuickAssist Technology (Intel® QAT), and Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK). These features help optimise compute resources and provide efficiency for growing security workloads.  

The Intel Xeon Processor D-2100 product family’s performance, power and form factor have been tuned for higher performance-per-watt for SD-WAN and uCPE. It delivers  more than 1.5x faster CPU performance¹, up to 2x improvement in packet processing, 2x memory bandwidth and up to 4x memory capacity². These processors enable complex packet processing and other scale-out workloads with responsiveness and low latency.

The cost- and power-efficient Dell EMC VEP4600 expands upon Dell EMC’s Open Networking initiative that offers customers choice and the ability to protect their investment. The Dell EMC VEP platform provides the performance, programmability and time-to-delivery to rapidly adapt new service requirements such as routing, firewalling and deep-packet inspection. These additional VNFs can be added to the VEP by customers and/or Dell EMC in the future if needed.

For large operators and enterprises with multiple locations, Dell EMC can help smooth procurement, deployment and support through its global manufacturing scale, logistics and services with a single point of contact and accountability.

Accelerating SD-WAN adoption with validated solutions

To help service providers speed time to market and enterprises simplify deployments, Dell EMC offers three validated solutions using the VEP4600. These solutions provide turnkey SD-WAN capabilities with pre-validated and pre-integrated configurations combining Dell EMC infrastructure and support services with industry-leading SD-WAN software from Silver Peak Systems, VeloCloud Networks and Versa Networks. Architected and tested to Dell EMC standards, these offerings enable customers to quickly deploy cost effective SD-WAN solutions or managed services.