Leading Knowledge Management Tech Provider Solves Networking Challenges with VyOS

“In conclusion, the KnowTech provider´s success story exemplifies how VyOS can be a game-changer for businesses seeking a reliable, customizable, and cost-effective networking solution. With its stability, ease of use, automation capabilities, and adaptability to diverse use cases, VyOS empowers organizations to optimize their network infrastructure, enhance performance, and meet the demands of today's dynamic business environment. The KnowTech provider´s endorsement of VyOS reinforces its position as a trusted choice for organizations aiming to overcome networking challenges and unlock the full potential of their networks.”
— The Leading Knowledge Management Tech Provider Team

Customer Overview

The customer is a Leading AI-Driven Governance & Knowledge Management technology provider. Previously a Brocade customer utilizing Vyatta for their networking requirements, they sought an alternative solution when updates ceased. Not being an enterprise IT company, they prioritize simple licensing structures over complex vendor ecosystems like Cisco's DNA Center.

Challenge

The provider faced multiple networking challenges across their estate. They needed a reliable and flexible solution to handle:

Internal Routing: Routing between subnets and services on their private cloud infrastructure.
Connectivity: Customer VPN termination and on-premises gateways to Azure express route for their hybrid cloud setup.
Licensing Complexity: While exploring options like Cisco, the licensing complexity posed a major challenge, leading them to prioritize a simpler structure.

Why VyOS

For the KnowTech provider, uptime and stability were critical factors in their decision-making process. Key drivers included:

Stability: They measured success based on user complaints, and with VyOS, they rarely received any real service tickets.
Simplicity: The ability to drop VyOS into their infrastructure and have it run smoothly without constant maintenance ("deploy and forget") was a significant benefit.
Cost-Effectiveness: Compared to Cisco ASR9001 and XRv virtual routers, VyOS offered a more cost-effective solution without expensive licensing.

Implementation

When the KnowTech provider embarked on a greenfield deployment for their Azure express route gateway, they turned to VyOS.

Automation: Leveraging tools like Terraform, cloud-init, and Ansible, they found the automation capabilities of VyOS to be exceptional.
Virtualization: They could easily spin up VyOS instances as virtual machines, avoiding separate appliance requirements.
Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP): This option was particularly valuable, streamlining the deployment process and enhancing their automation capabilities.

Results

The provider described VyOS as a "general-purpose Swiss army knife" that catered to their specific use cases. Key outcomes included:

Performance: VyOS consistently delivered excellent performance, handling both internal and external routing, including full tables.
Reliability: They experienced minimal downtime and received positive feedback from their users, confirming the stability of the solution.
Efficiency: VyOS facilitated effortless build and teardown processes, making deployment and management straightforward.