Another tale in the Cisco vs Juniper saga: Juniper CEO Kevin Johnson speaks with Jim Cramer on Mad Money. It’s a good interview, in which Cramer asks him “You’re taking share and taking names in this business, aren’t you?” Take a look:

Related posts on BWTB:

• Juniper CEO: Why Cisco’s approach is wrong
• VMworld 2010: A Chat with Xsigo CEO Lloyd Carney
• The Cisco Nexus or the Juniper EX Series?

This from a recent press release:

SUNNYVALE, CA, Aug 04, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — Juniper Networks(R)  (JNPR 28.31, -0.17, -0.60%) today announced that several of its routing, switching and circuit-to-packet solutions have been tested and certified by the U.S. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) for interoperability with Defense Department networks and have been added to the Unified Capabilities Approved Product List.

Newly certified by JITC are Juniper Networks EX3200 and EX4200 Ethernet Switches; MX240, MX480 and MX960 Universal Edge Routers; and the CTP 1000 and 2000 Series circuit-to-packet solutions that enable Voice and Video over IP (VoIP) advances in voice and data networks. The EX Series and MX Series products are now certified as Assured Services Local Area Networks (ASLAN) devices; the MX Series is the industry’s first edge router to pass the new DISA MPLS ASLAN requirements.

These new certifications follow other recently announced JITC certifications of Juniper Networks SA Series SSL VPN solutions for interoperability with Defense Department Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) requirements.

By our count, that makes a majority of Juniper’s current/modern equipment certified by the U.S. Defense Department. The JTIC testing focuses on security and open standards based interoperability, so they are definitely worth paying attention to. The (not entirely current) approved products list (APL) can be accessed here: http://jitc.fhu.disa.mil/apl/. It’s worth noting that in the “Routers/IP Switches” category, Juniper outnumbers Cisco in approved devices 5 to 1!

Related posts on BWTB:

• Juniper Fuels Derivatives, Insurance and Healthcare
• Juniper seeks to out-virtualize Cisco in data centers
• Juniper Networks Wins ‘Leading Lights’ Award for Best New Product

By now, all of our readers are sure to know all about AT&Ts supply chain streamlining and their break from the two vendor rule in the IP core. Juniper, Cisco and Alcatel-Lucent will all provide equipment for the carriers wireline and wireless IP core.

Rounding out the coverage of this announcement from AT&T are a couple more posts we found interesting:

First, :Rethink Wireless has some cool numbers regarding the scale of AT&Ts IP core:

The carrier says the project will eventually support routing and forwarding of packets across 880,000 route miles of fiber, carrying an average 18.7 petabytes a day. It will also include the packet core for managing LTE traffic in future.

They further note that “Reports indicated that Juniper was likely to major on IP, MPLS and Ethernet,” no surprises there!

A Connected Planet post focuses on the convergence of wireline and wireless cores within AT&Ts network:

The domain covers all of the equipment used to forward and route IP voice, data and video traffic across AT&T’s extensive collection of networks… But the domain also includes AT&T’s future EPC [Evolved Packet Core], the central IP network linking the tens of thousands of long-term evolution (LTE) base stations in its planned 4G network. Typically wireline and wireless cores are kept distinct, but unifying them under a single domain may signal AT&T’s intent of creating a single core and transport network that links its disparate access technologies.

The author goes on to point out ALUs distinct advantage in 4G wireless networks:

Alcatel-Lucent does appear to have an inside track with the 4G core, though, as AT&T named ALU as a radio domain vendor. Alcatel-Lucent will be able to supply an end-to-end solution from cell tower to P-gateway while the others will not.

Related posts on BWTB:

• AlcaLu, Juniper, Cisco Share AT&T Domain Status
• Juniper Calls Time On Spanning Tree Protocol
• Here’s Your Chance to Buy Juniper

We here at Burning With The Bush are very excited to announce that you can now stay up to date with all things Juniper on your apple device of choice! Thanks to our new app built by MotherApp, you never have to miss any Juniper news, information or expert advice!

Download the Apple app now!

Still not convinced? Check out a couple sweet screen shots:

Android Coming Soon

Lest you think we are forgetting about you, rest assured that an Android app is in the works! MotherApp was only offering iPhone apps initially so we took them up on the offer. Now that they can do Android as well we are working with them to get that done too – stay tuned!

Related posts on BWTB:

• Study Finds Huge Rise In Android Malware
• Setting Juniper News on Fire
• Juniper Makes Mobile Security Pitch

Juniper Networks appears to be picking up steam in the Enterprise market – or at least picking up customers. We looked at their international reach a couple weeks ago, so today let’s scan their growing industry diversity:

Derivatives Trading

IntercontinentalExchange, a leading operator of exchanges, trading platforms and clearing houses around the world has chosen Juniper Networks MX 3D routers and EX series switches to power their next-generation derivatives trading platform:

“The majority of our business activity consists of trading functions which require a flexible and highly available network that can enhance operational efficiencies without sacrificing performance,” said Mark Wassersug, vice president of operations at ICE. “With Juniper’s routers, switches and world-class Junos Software, we can reduce latency in our network, which supports our ability to grow volumes and deliver high levels of customer satisfaction. As a result of the implementation of these and other leading-edge infrastructure components, ICE’s technology is recognized for its performance in the global derivatives markets.”

Insurance

Amica switched over to Juniper J-series routers to support it’s converged voice and data network connecting all 39 branch offices to their headquarters in Road Island. When their previous vendor’s routers couldn’t handle the task, Juniper’s ease of management, comprehensive security for VoIP and value were key factors in the choice to use Juniper Networks J2300 Services Routers:

[Ron Rivet, network operations section manager for Amica] said his team became adept at configuring and managing the Juniper Networks routers in just two days. “When it comes down to an IT buying decision, it’s not all about the money. It’s about what product we believe will deliver the best value for what we’re trying to do,” he says, adding that Amica rolled out 60 Juniper Networks J2300 Services Routers to 39 branch offices in a month.

The J Series deployment has since enabled Amica to move forward with its business plan to deploy VoIP over a converged network. “We can run a higher level of data along with voice calls, which we simply couldn’t do before,” Rivet says. And Amica’s achieved a return on its investment in less than a year.

Healthcare

It appears that John C. Lincoln Health Network is also joining the ranks of enterprises taking a new, blue, approach to IT infrastructure:

“Healthcare providers are thinking about their data centers in a new and innovative ways as escalating information processing and privacy requirements continue to put pressure on budgets while caregivers and patients simultaneously expect an improved user experience,” Juniper VP of Enterprise Marketing Mike Banic said in a statement.

Juniper solutions the medical organization will deploy in its new facility include EX Series Ethernet switches, IDP series intrusion detection and prevention appliances, SA series SSL VPN appliances, SRX series services gateways and SSG series secure services gateways.

Related posts on BWTB:

• More Juniper Networks Equipment Certified by the U.S. DoD
• New York commodities trader chooses Ethernet routers and switches from Juniper Networks for networking infrastructure
• Juniper vs. Cisco in the Enterprise

What do a Bahrain based data center and integrated solutions company, one of Malaysia’s largest financial institutions and a school in Winnipeg have in common? They all rolled out Juniper networks solutions!

First, in the Kingdom of Bahrain:

Gateway Gulf, an integrated data center and solutions company based in Bahrain, has selected and installed network and perimeter security infrastructure from Juniper’s Data Center Infrastructure Solution. The new solutions provide carrier-class levels of network availability and reliability combined with low latency to deliver hosted applications to Gateway Gulf’s customers throughout the Middle East. With Juniper, Gateway Gulf is one of the first providers to offer managed services over an IPv6-enabled infrastructure to support its growing cloud computing offering.

Moving to tropical Malaysia:

By deploying Juniper Networks EX Series Ethernet Switches and a range of Juniper security devices in its purpose-built premise, Hong Leong Financial Group enjoys high-capacity, low-latency network performance along with low operational costs thanks to having the Junos operating system running across its switch infrastructure.

Finally in Canada:

The University of Manitoba is replacing networking equipment from Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) with EX4200 switches made by Juniper Networks Inc. (NYSE:JNPR)
The JunOS software, virtual chassis and 10-Gig capacity were all factors in selecting Juniper Networks Inc.’s EX4200 series switches. The hardware cost much less than what Cisco Systems Inc. was proposing.

Related posts on BWTB:

• More Juniper Networks Equipment Certified by the U.S. DoD
• The Cisco Nexus or the Juniper EX Series?
• Juniper grabs another Cisco exec

We are really interested in hearing everyones thoughts on the new Juniper Networks logo.  Is it sleek, modern, childish, simple, sophisticated, trendy, trying-to-hard, high-tech or what?  How about the new Junos logo – what do you think about the star/flower – fabulous or failure?

Going a step further, how important is branding to your network equipment purchase decision?  We are not talking just logo’s with this one, but over all brand – do you need to know the company you are buying from before you buy when it comes to switches, routers, firewalls, etc?  Has Juniper Networks improved or damaged your view of them with this re-branding effort?  Has it changed how you perceive them at all?

Please leave your comments below and if you would, note what general sector you work in (carrier, service provider, data-center, enterprise, etc)!

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• Cisco rival Juniper in for corporate makeover?
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Tomorrow (22 September, 2009) at 1100 PT, Bill Ahlstrom, Kevin Freitas and Jan LaTourette will host a live text chat on the new JUNOS certifications and courseware:

Please join us Tuesday, September 22 at 11am Pacific, for a live chat with members of our Training and Certification team. We’ll take your questions and discuss changes to our technical certification program, including new JUNOS-based Enterprise certifications and courseware. One of those new certifications is the JNCIS-SEC, a new security focused certification sure to be popular with SRX users.

In case you’re wondering, yes, we will give away 3 JUNOS book packs after this event so that’s an added incentive to attend. What’s in a book back? A JUNOS Enterprise Routing book and a JUNOS Enterprise Switching book.

This is the second in a series of three live chats, all focused on JUNOS. If you attend all three, you could be eligible for more prizes including an Asus Netbook and an iPod Touch.  Make sure you are registered for J-Net, as you’ll need that to be eligible to win.

Related posts on BWTB:

• Update on the JUNOS Fast Track Certification Program….
• More Juniper Networks Equipment Certified by the U.S. DoD
• Juniper Networks rebranding and moving deeper into enterprise territory?

A Business Wire press release picked up by Reuters today (Juniper Networks and O`Reilly Media Release Latest Next-Generation Networking Books) talks about the two newest books to come from the Juniper/O’Reilly publishing partnership:

JUNOS Enterprise Switching: A Practical Guide to JUNOS Switches and Certification is a detailed technical book on Juniper Networks EX Series Ethernet Switches, with all-inclusive coverage of Juniper`s switching platforms, architecture and packet flow, management options, user interface options, JUNOS switch deployment, as well as configuration, maintenance, and troubleshooting guidelines. For more information, please visit http://www.juniper.net/us/en/training/jnbooks/junos_switching.html.

JUNOS High Availability: Best Practices for High Network Uptime explains how to build and maintain continuously available network systems. Itprovides advice on managing network equipment with best common practices, enhancing scalability and securing network equipment against breaches and DoS attacks. In the book, the authors explain how to intelligently modify multi-vendor networks and adapt new devices to existing protocols and platforms, and deploy continuous systems even when reporting scheduled downtime. For more information, please visit http://www.juniper.net/us/en/training/jnbooks/junos_ha.html.

We mentioned one of these books recently.

Related posts on BWTB:

• New JUNOS Book on High Availability
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If you are one of the many folks who subscribed to Burning With The Bush following our launch and have not been receiving any updates, please accept our sincere apologies.  We are happy to announce that we (believe that we) have resolved all xml related issues with our rss stream and you should now be getting those updates –  quite possibly a lot all at once!

Basically we did not have all of the details ironed out when it came to syndicating syndicated content.  The way that we were embedding links to the original content on our syndicated stories ended up causing a lot of invalid xml in our own feed (xml does not like links with an = in them).  We have resolved this by revamping our syndication methods and post format.  The main difference that you will notice, on the site and in the feed, is that the post titles no longer link directly to the original content on syndicated posts.  Instead there is now a link at the bottom of each syndicated post that will take you to the OP and a link that will take you to the site that we pulled the OP from.

On the bright side, this not only fixed our xml issues but also allowed some other enhancements we think you will enjoy.  First off, it makes it much easier to read not just titles but also exerpts here on Burning before deciding to read the full article elsewhere.  Secondly, it makes it much easier to link to the exerpt on Burning and thirdly and maybe most importantly, it allows you to comment on syndicated posts.  So make sure you take advantage of that feature and start commenting on all of our syndicated content!

A big and hearty thank you to all 84 of you who have stuck with us as subscribers while we ironed thes details out!  For everybody else, now is a great time to subscribe!

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• Setting Juniper News on Fire
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One of the outstanding features of the EX-series switches that Juniper offers is the ability to mix and match hardware types into a Virtual Chassis (VC).  The virtual chassis technology allows you to cluster up to ten EX4200-series switches for high availability and easier management. Communication between the switches in the VC is at an impressive 128 Gbps. The individual member switches in a VC can be any model of EX4200 with any mix of supported power supply units, Power over Ethernet options, and uplink modules.  Management is simplified via a single management interface, a common JUNOS software version, one single configuration file, and the ability to add new members quickly and easily.  You can even have VC members in separate locations of your network to create a more unified and highly redundant network.

Before diving into the complexities of the VC protocols, topologies and troubleshooting, I wanted to start off with a situation I ran into that may be useful as you build your Juniper network and take advantage of the VC technology.  Lets say you have a stack of EX4200′s in a working VC topology and you want to power down the stack and just turn on one member of the VC for testing or because you are moving the stack, etc. Here is what you might find.  When you power on one of the switches in a VC without the entire set of switches in the VC being turned on everything will appear normal on the switch. The lights are on and the end point says “connected”.  But you cannot access anything. So what’s going on?  Well, if you were to connect to this switch via a console cable and issue the command ‘show virtual-chassis status‘, you would see your switch reporting “Not Prsnt”.  In order to fix this, just go into configure mode and type ‘request virtual-chassis restart‘. This will allow you to use this switch outside of the VC.  While there may be other ways to do this, this is the method that worked for me and the one recommended by J-TAC.  Once you are ready to put the switch back into the VC, just add it back into the stack and turn on all of the members and everything should work as it did before.

Stay tuned for more information on VC technology as I would like to continue discussing it and exploring it.

Related posts on BWTB:

• How do you simplify network design with VC?
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There is a new O’Rielly Animal Guide on JUNOS High Availability available now. The book was written by James Sonderegger, Orin Blomberg, Kieran Milne and Senad Palislamovic.

From O’Rielly:

Network outages can be deadly, whether your network is a complex carrier or just a few machines supporting a small enterprise. JUNOS High Availability will help you build reliable and resilient networks that include Juniper Networks devices. With this book’s valuable advice on software upgrades, scalability, remote network monitoring and management, high-availability protocols such as VRRP, and more, you’ll have your network uptime at the five, six, or even seven nines — or 99.99999% of the time.

Oh, and don’t forget to check out the back cover ;P

Related posts on BWTB:

• Day One: Exploring IPv6
• Day One: Advanced IPv6 Configuration
• Talking to Juniper about IPv6 and Day One

We are officially launching (in beta) today!  Welcome and please enjoy!

Check out the about page for the scoop on who we are and what we are trying to do here.

Then make sure that you subscribe to BWTB in a reader or subscribe by Email and always know what is happening in the Juniper world!  And send us your feedback, good bad or indifferent, we want to make this site useful to YOU: comments [at] burningwiththebush [dot] com

Don’t forget to check back here often for updates and new features!

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