When I started designing Data Center Infrastructure for Networking Engineers webinar I wanted to create something that would allow someone fluent in networking but not in adjacent fields like servers or storage to grasp the fundamentals of data center technologies, from server virtualization and containers to data center fabrics and storage protocols.

Here’s what a network architect said about the webinar:

A great overview course with some design considerations. Ivan’s independence and strong immunity to marketing stuff is perhaps the main difference between all the materials that I met earlier. I really appreciate this approach. My recommendation to anyone interested.

Interestingly, even storage engineers find it useful. This is what I got from one of them:

The webinar is a very good introduction on Data Center Networking: I’m mainly a storage specialist and I want to better understand networking since I work in projects where my clients move part of their IT in the cloud or another DC. I have no networking experience and learned what I know 30+ years ago while attending introductory courses at the university.

I could say “Mission accomplished ;)” and move on, but I decided to make the materials even better. This is what I have planned for 2020:

• Revisit data center firewalls: reflexive ACLs versus next-generation firewalls, virtual versus physical appliances, placement in leaf-and-spine fabric;
• Redo Bridging versus Routing section as part of How Networks Really Work webinar (done);
• Improve VLANs and VRFs section;
• Add service mesh to load balancing section.

Do you feel that anything else needs fixing? Send me a message.