Network virtualization platform

This allows for the virtualization of CPU, memory, disk and most importantly network IO.

This technology gave IT organizations the ability to reduce the amount of rack space required to accommodate multiple servers and reduced the cost of powering and cooling data centers by consolidating server based applications onto a single piece of hardware.

Within a server virtualization environment, applications are interconnected by what is referred to as a virtual switch, which is very different from high-performing hardware-based network switches offered by the likes of Juniper Networks and Cisco Systems.

Because of this software approach to switching, networking applications such as firewalls and routers, which require high levels of throughput and low levels of latency, were not ideal to operate within a server virtualized environment, while applications less sensitive to throughput and latency such as email and file sharing were ideal.

Initially, network virtualization only involved the separation of the control plane and the forwarding plane (management and packet transmission) within networking devices like switches.