Aruba Sharpens Cloud, Mobility Story With New Architecture

Aruba Networks has launched a new architecture that the company said will help companies leverage the cloud and mobility as the traditional LAN begins to dissolve.

"User expectation is that they can get to information wherever they are, wherever they connect," said Keerti Melkote, Aruba CTO and co-founder. "It's time to rethink the LAN."

According to Melkote, the rise of public and private cloud computing infrastructures and the massive increase in the number of mobile devices are creating challenging new opportunities for solution providers and businesses. To take advantage of the shift from Ethernet port-centric networks to mobility- and cloud-centric networks, Aruba on Tuesday launched the MOVE (Mobile Virtual Enterprise) architecture, which offers context-aware networking.

Melkote said Aruba Mobility Network Services are delivered centrally from the data center across thin mobility access "on-ramps" and MOVE gives organizations a way to enable mobility and a path to move away from legacy networks.

"The Aruba MOVE architecture is designed for mobility first, addressing the needs of the increasingly mobile workforce and the organizations that support them," said Jeff Gardner, CEO of Carousel Industries, in a statement.

First up is the Mobile Device Access Control (MDAC) Solution for Apple iOS devices, like the iPhone and Apple iPad. According to Aruba, the MDAC targets the recent phenomenon of users bringing in their own devices for work. The software offers zero-touch, secure provisioning for Apple iOS devices, leveraging Aruba's recently acquired Amigopod for self-registration of mobile devices, automated certificate installation on iOS devices and automated authorization of users. The MDAC can scale to 10,000 concurrent sessions while Amigopod enables integration of corporate branding for captive portals.

Another new feature, Mobile Device Fingerprinting, enables the network to identify and monitor Apple iOS and other mobile device platforms.

Aruba also launched ArubaOS 6.1 Mobility Services, the heart of the MOVE architecture, which enables the development, deployment and enforcement of a single set of network services for managing security, policy and network performance for every user and device on the network, regardless of what type of access they have. The Mobility Services are centrally deployed and use private or public cloud-based management.

Next: Aruba Launch New Products To Get Cloud And Mobility On The MOVE

Aruba on Tuesday also launched a new set of products it calls "on-ramps" to the MOVE architecture.

The new Aruba S3500 portfolio of Mobility Access Switches delivers mobility by inheriting policies from Aruba mobility controllers and enforces those policies locally in the wiring closet. The S3500 also features zero-touch configuration and simplified VLAN management, Melkote said. The S3500 comes in 24- or 48-port models, with or without support for PoE+. They can be deployed as an overlay to an existing switched infrastructure.

Aruba also unveiled the multifunction Aruba Access Point-134 and AP-135 for data rates up to 450 Mbps per-radio and support for multimedia applications like video. The AP-134 features two 3x3 MIMO dual-band 2.4-GHz and 5-GHz radios with external interfaces for detachable antennas, while the AP-135 features the same radios with integrated antennas. MACSec authentication and encryption on the AP-134 and AP-135 enables secure one-to-one connection between the AP and the switch port in the wiring closet.

And Aruba Instant, which virtualizes Aruba Mobility Controller capabilities on an 802.11n access point can create a standalone wireless LAN for remote and branch offices.

Lastly, the Aruba AP-175 offers outdoor 802.11n connectivity for rates of up to 300 Mbps per radio and featuring 2X2 MIMO dual-band 2.4-GHz/5-GHz radios with quad antenna interfaces. The AP-175 also provides wireless LAN access with background monitoring, wireless IPS and spectrum analysis, as well as Remote AP (RAP) functionality.

"The bottom line is, I see this fundamental shift as the most profound of the last 10 years," said Bob Bruce, VP of channel sales, adding that Aruba's new portfolio will help solution providers move customers off of legacy networking gear and into a next-generation wireless environment that ties back to the cloud and mobile solutions.

Additionally, it can open up a host of new services offerings for partners, including discovery, mobility assessments and more.

Bruce said Aruba is training partners and bringing them up to speed on new cloud computing and mobility models and will launch new services, like an order-tracking hotline, to get solution providers on board.

"This is a profound shift, and we're making sure the channel is prepared," he said.