Aruba Networks Builds a Virtual Branch Network with Wireless CPE

Aruba Networks introduced a Virtual Branch Network (VBN) solution that leverages low-cost, easy-to-deploy CPE to connect remote users with enterprise applications and network policies.


Whereas current branch office networking solutions replicate routing, switching, firewall, and other services at each remote location using various appliances, Aruba's concept is to use a single, secure wireless router to tunnel back to an Aruba wireless LAN controller. Instead of replicating complexity at each remote location, Aruba's VBN solution virtualizes complex tasks at data center controllers and pushes them to inexpensive RAPs and BOCs for execution. A centrally controlled, policy enforcement firewall in the data center controller governs user access to the network and its resources by pushing policies to dissolvable firewall agents in every RAP and BOC. These agents automatically enforce the policies for every user and service.


The VBN solution includes new software for data center-based Aruba Controllers, as well as three new families of wired and wireless Remote Access Points (RAPs) and Branch Office Controllers (BOCs). One of the new RAPs, the RAP-2, has a U.S. list price of just $99, making it the least expensive, centrally managed enterprise branch networking solution on the market.

The RAPs and BOCs are centrally managed and automatically disseminated, enabling secure one-click installation at the remote location. The CPE is transport-independent, and work with virtually any wide-area network - including 3G cellular.


"Taking a page from the application virtualization playbook, we are bringing the cost-saving and security benefits of centralized control and management to remote networking. One button installation, zero-touch IT involvement in simple deployments, and a range of elegantly simple and remarkably inexpensive RAPs and BOCs - these are the remedies for the pain points users experience with remote networking today," said Keerti Melkote, Aruba's co-founder and chief technology officer.
http://www.arubanetworks.com