Rackspace vs. Cisco Elastic Services Controller

Enhanced capabilities for full-lifecycle cloud native development allow customers to build applications that are prepared for the future. By leveraging the extensive resources of the cloud now, organizations can design applications that meet the demands of tomorrow. Traditionally, strategies for adopting the cloud have focused primarily on migrating infrastructure and applications, often overlooking necessary updates in the foundational code. While the cloud has always offered benefits such as elasticity and scalability, its true potential is unlocked only when application code undergoes modernization. Adopting cloud native technologies and modern architectures facilitates the development of innovative applications that fully utilize the cloud’s capabilities, improving agility and accelerating innovation. By creating applications that can self-heal and automatically scale, organizations free themselves from traditional server limitations. Serverless architectures not only enhance efficiency and reduce costs but also shift the burden of infrastructure and software management to the platform, leading to a more efficient development process. This transformation enables companies to prioritize innovation over infrastructure, setting the stage for remarkable advancements in their offerings. Ultimately, embracing this shift in mindset can propel organizations into a new era of rapid technological progress.

The Cisco Elastic Services Controller (ESC) operates as a Virtual Network Functions Manager (VNFM), overseeing the complete lifecycle of Virtual Network Functions (VNFs) from their initial onboarding and deployment to ongoing tasks such as monitoring, scaling, healing, and eventual retirement. Its adaptable and modular architecture supports both Cisco's own VNFs and those provided by third-party vendors, making it versatile for various network environments. Seamlessly integrating into any ETSI-compliant Management and Orchestration (MANO) framework, ESC maintains the integrity and compliance of the overall architecture. The platform offers extensive visibility into the creation of services, facilitating effective management from the initial instantiation through crucial maintenance processes, including auto-scaling and healing, all the way to the final dismantling of both straightforward and complex multi-VNF services. By skillfully managing these multi-VNF services, ESC provides vital tools for establishing service definitions, implementing policies, and managing VNF placements, thereby improving operational efficiency. Additionally, ESC incorporates sophisticated analytics and service health monitoring capabilities, bolstered by its built-in instrumentation, which guarantees continuous optimization of network performance. This all-encompassing strategy not only streamlines network management but also significantly boosts the reliability of services implemented across various settings, ultimately leading to improved user experiences and operational outcomes.