Space will ship with three applications today. Ethernet Activator is a template-based network configuration tool that is simple enough that even a CEO like Juniper's Kevin Johnson can use it, jokes Harding. Network templates are defined so that define network characteristics such as MPLS tags locations, or any other relevant options can be predefined. Building a network between two sites is a simple matter of selecting the objects to be joined and selecting how they should be joined. In their demo, Johnson selected two data center networks and a VPLS network, and committed the configuration out to the hardware devices. In less than 18 seconds, Juniper's target deployment time, the network configuration was complete.
Of course, someone has to define the network objects and customize the templates, but that can be left to senior network engineers while lower lever IT staff can connect the dots. Building network templates is not new--HP and Linesider, for example, provide similar provisioning capabilities, but Ethernet Activator demonstrates the types of applications that can be built.
Juniper Partner Packet Design developed Route Analyzer which is used to discover, model and analyze routing topology so that network engineers can troubleshoot routing problems. Engineers can also use Route Analyzer to simulate changes to routing to see the effect on traffic paths. Aimed at service providers and large enterprises, Route Analyzer demonstrates useful integration between a route analysis tool and the ability to deploy changes.
Finally, Service Now builds on Juniper's technical support, allowing space to gather up configurations and other diagnostic data and send it to Juniper engineers so that when you call into support, they have automatically have the data they need to begin troubleshooting. You can control what gets sent, so you use Service Now within the parameters of your own security policy, but anyone who has worked with technical support knows the time it takes to gather the data technical support engineers often ask for.
