Juniper Networks Contrail - Detailed Review
Networking Tools
Juniper Networks Contrail - Product Overview
Juniper Networks Contrail
Juniper Networks Contrail is an open, standards-based software solution that plays a crucial role in the Networking Tools and AI-driven product category, particularly in network virtualization and service automation.
Primary Function
Contrail’s primary function is to deliver network virtualization and service automation for federated cloud networks. It simplifies the creation and management of virtual networks, enabling policy-based automation that reduces the need for physical and operational infrastructure. This makes it ideal for dynamic application environments such as enterprise virtual private clouds (VPC), managed Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) use cases.
Target Audience
The target audience for Contrail includes cloud service providers, enterprises, and organizations that require advanced network management and automation. It is particularly beneficial for those managing large-scale, multitenant environments where network segmentation, access control, and IP service enablement are critical.
Key Features
- Self-Service Provisioning: Contrail offers a self-service graphical user interface that allows tenants or cloud service providers to easily create, manage, and control virtual network nodes, IP services, and security policies.
- Policy-Based Automation: It enables policy-based automation, allowing users to define and apply network and service policies across multiple network nodes through a simple browser-based interface.
- Service Chaining: Contrail supports service chaining, enabling the dynamic addition and removal of IP services such as firewalls, load balancing, and DNS to virtual networks.
- Integration with OpenStack: Contrail can be used with open cloud orchestration systems like OpenStack and can interact with other systems using northbound APIs, enhancing its interoperability.
- Multitenancy and Network Segmentation: It addresses key challenges in large-scale managed environments, including multitenancy, network segmentation, and network access control.
- Elastic Architectures: Contrail allows customers to build elastic architectures that leverage the benefits of cloud computing, such as agility, self-service, efficiency, and flexibility.
Overall, Juniper Networks Contrail is a comprehensive solution that streamlines network management, enhances automation, and provides the flexibility and scalability needed for modern cloud and virtualized network environments.
Juniper Networks Contrail - User Interface and Experience
User Interface Overview
The user interface of Juniper Networks Contrail is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, making it easier for users to manage and configure their networks.Browser-Based Interface
Contrail features a browser-based user interface that allows users to define, manage, and control virtual networks and network service policies. This interface enables users to configure and interconnect networks simply by attaching policies, eliminating the need for device-level configuration.Self-Service Provisioning
The self-service graphical user interface is a key aspect of Contrail. Users can easily create virtual network nodes, add and remove IP services such as firewall, load balancing, and DNS, and connect networks using traffic policies. These policies can be applied, changed, added, and deleted across multiple network nodes from a single interface.Centralized Dashboard
Contrail Command provides a central dashboard that simplifies network configuration, administration of network policies, and the creation of service chains for services like load balancing, firewall, and NAT. This centralized approach makes it easier to manage both underlay and overlay networks from a single user interface.Personalized Experience
Contrail Service Orchestration offers a personalized user experience through customized service onboarding with customer-specific profiles. Users get role-based access to a self-service portal where they can select services that best meet their business requirements.Integration and Automation
The interface is integrated with various systems and tools, such as Kubernetes, OpenShift, OpenStack, and other DevOps tools like Ansible. This integration allows for automated network resource provisioning and orchestration, making it easier to create and manage virtual networks and chain network functions dynamically.Ease of Use
The overall user experience is streamlined to reduce operational complexity. Contrail automates the entire service delivery life cycle, transforming what could be a lengthy process into a near real-time experience. This automation significantly enhances user efficiency and satisfaction, particularly for service providers and enterprises managing complex network services.Conclusion
In summary, the user interface of Juniper Networks Contrail is designed for ease of use, with a focus on automation, self-service provisioning, and centralized management. It provides a clear and intuitive way to manage virtual networks and network services, making it a valuable tool for both enterprises and service providers. Juniper Networks Contrail - Key Features and Functionality
Juniper Networks Contrail Overview
Contrail is a comprehensive software-defined networking (SDN) solution that offers a range of key features and functionalities, particularly in the areas of network virtualization, automation, and analytics.Network Virtualization and Automation
Contrail Networking enables the creation and management of virtual networks, allowing tenants to define, manage, and control the connectivity, services, and security policies of these networks. It simplifies the process by abstracting virtual networks at a higher layer, eliminating the need for device-level configuration. This is achieved through a browser-based user interface where users can create virtual network nodes, add and remove IP services (such as firewall, load balancing, DNS), and connect networks using traffic policies.Multi-Tenancy and Hybrid Cloud Support
Contrail provides a multitenant structure with complete isolation and role-based access control (RBAC) capabilities. It supports hybrid cloud environments by integrating with public clouds like Amazon Web Services (AWS) virtual private clouds (VPCs), ensuring unified policy semantics across different cloud platforms. This allows for seamless connectivity and workload migration between private and public clouds.Service Chaining and Orchestration
Contrail automates network resource provisioning and orchestration, enabling the dynamic creation of highly scalable virtual networks. It supports the chaining of virtualized network functions (VNFs) and physical network functions (PNFs) to form differentiated service chains on demand. This is particularly useful for service providers, who can integrate Contrail with cloud IaaS stacks like OpenStack and OpenNFV to ensure high availability and reliability.Advanced Analytics and Insights
Contrail is equipped with always-on advanced analytics capabilities, providing deep insights into application and infrastructure performance. These analytics enable better visualization, easier diagnostics, and rich reporting. Contrail Insights, a part of the Contrail suite, includes features like overlay-underlay correlation and path finding, which help operators identify and mitigate issues such as network congestion and resource contention. This is further enhanced by integration with other analytics platforms and technologies like Apache Kafka.Cloud-Native and Kubernetes Integration
The latest version of Contrail, known as CN2 (Juniper Cloud-Native Contrail Networking), is cloud-native and heavily integrated with Kubernetes. CN2 uses Kubernetes’ native RBAC and IAM systems, and it is configured as code, supporting GitOps, infrastructure as code, and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) through tools like ArgoCD and ArgoWorkflows. This makes it highly suitable for complex multi-cluster Kubernetes deployments.AI-Driven Network Management
While Contrail itself is not primarily an AI-driven product, it is often used in conjunction with other Juniper tools that leverage AI. For example, Juniper’s Mist platform, which integrates with Contrail, uses an AI engine called Marvis to identify the root cause of issues across various IT domains. This integration enhances the overall network management and troubleshooting capabilities by providing proactive insights and automated issue mitigation.Conclusion
In summary, Juniper Networks Contrail offers a powerful set of features that automate network management, provide deep analytics, and support hybrid and cloud-native environments, making it a versatile tool for both enterprises and service providers. Juniper Networks Contrail - Performance and Accuracy
Performance
Visibility
Data Management
Flexibility
Accuracy
Infrastructure Mapping
Comprehensive Management
Limitations and Areas for Improvement
Complexity Challenges
Data Quality
Learning Curve
Additional Considerations
Interoperability
Integration with Other Solutions
Conclusion
Juniper Networks Contrail - Pricing and Plans
The Pricing Structure for Juniper Networks Contrail
The pricing structure for Juniper Networks Contrail is varied and based on different modules, features, and subscription durations. Here’s a breakdown of the available plans and their associated costs:
Subscription-Based Licenses
- Contrail Networking Secure SDN:
- Advanced 1, Class 1, Non-integrated install: This plan includes 5-year support and costs $6,000.
- Advanced 1, Class 2, Integrated Kubernetes: This plan includes 5-year support and costs $6,600.
- Advanced 2, with Contrail Pipelines, Class 2, Integrated Kubernetes: This plan includes 3-year support and costs $6,600.
- Premium 1, Class 2, Integrated Kubernetes: This plan includes 3-year support and costs $6,600.
- Premium 2, with Contrail Pipelines, Class 2, Integrated Kubernetes: This plan includes 3-year support and costs $9,900.
Analytics Feature Packs
- Networking Only for 1 Contrail Virtual Network Virtual host:
- 1-year subscription: $320.
- 2-year subscription: $640.
- 3-year subscription: $960.
- Compute and Networking for 1 Contrail host: 3-year subscription costs $6,000.
- For 1 Contrail managed DC Device as Contrail Enforcement point: 3-year subscription costs $6,000.
Security and Additional Features
- Juniper SDSN for Contrail Advanced Security with vSRX: 1-year subscription for 1 physical CPU socket protection costs $932.
- Contrail Cloud 1Compute: 1-year subscription costs $7,000.
Implementation and Support Services
- Contrail Cloud Implementation Service: This service costs $90,400.
- Contrail Cloud Platform Jumpstart: This service costs $30,000.
No Free Options
There are no free options available for Juniper Networks Contrail. However, you can test-drive the cloud-native Contrail Networking (CN2) for free to get a firsthand look at its capabilities.
General Features
- Automation: Contrail automates the creation and management of virtualized and containerized networks across private and public clouds.
- Orchestration: It orchestrates the entire service life cycle from creation to delivery in a modular and open framework.
- Security: Includes advanced security features such as policy enforcement and integration with vSRX.
- Analytics: Provides real-time analytics and monitoring capabilities.
For detailed pricing and to get discounts, it is recommended to contact Juniper Networks directly or check their authorized resellers.
Juniper Networks Contrail - Integration and Compatibility
Juniper Networks Contrail
Juniper Networks Contrail is renowned for its extensive integration and compatibility across a wide range of platforms, tools, and devices, making it a versatile solution for managing and automating network environments.
Orchestration Systems
Contrail integrates seamlessly with various orchestration systems, including Kubernetes, OpenShift, Mesos, and OpenStack. This integration is facilitated through northbound REST APIs, allowing Contrail to work in conjunction with these systems to manage and automate network services.
DevOps Tools
It is compatible with popular DevOps tools such as Ansible and Helm, enabling smooth automation and deployment processes. This compatibility ensures that DevOps teams can leverage Contrail within their existing workflows without significant disruptions.
Virtualization and Containerization
Contrail supports integration with open-source hypervisors like KVM and Xen, as well as containerization technologies such as Docker. This allows for the management of virtualized and containerized workloads across different cloud environments.
Cloud Environments
Contrail Enterprise Multicloud supports both private and public clouds, including Amazon Web Services (AWS) and other public cloud providers. It provides a unified management platform for virtual private clouds (VPCs) and ensures multitenant structure and API compatibility with these cloud environments.
Networking Devices
The system manages public clouds by deploying and managing Contrail vRouter as a VPC virtual gateway or as a compute platform. It also integrates with physical network devices, including gateway routers and switches, using protocols like BGP, NETCONF, and XMPP.
Analytics and Monitoring
Contrail includes advanced analytics capabilities through the Contrail Insights analytics package, which collects, correlates, and visualizes information related to infrastructure and overlay usage. It also integrates with other analytics platforms like Juniper Networks AppFormix and supports streaming analytics through technologies like Apache Kafka.
Operating Systems
Contrail is compatible with a variety of Linux operating systems, both with and without virtualization, ensuring it can be deployed in diverse computing environments.
Service Orchestration
Contrail Service Orchestration manages the entire service life cycle, from creation to delivery, in a modular and open framework. This includes automating network resource provisioning and orchestrating the chaining of virtual and physical network functions (VNFs and PNFs).
Conclusion
In summary, Juniper Networks Contrail offers a highly integrated and compatible solution that spans across various orchestration systems, DevOps tools, virtualization technologies, cloud environments, and networking devices, making it a comprehensive tool for managing and automating multicloud and hybrid cloud networks.
Juniper Networks Contrail - Customer Support and Resources
Support Options
Annual Support
Many Contrail Service Orchestration licenses come with annual support, which includes access to technical assistance, software updates, and maintenance. This is often bundled with the subscription license.
Juniper Networks Technical Support
Juniper provides 24/7 technical support through various channels, including phone, email, and online support portals. This support is crucial for resolving issues quickly and efficiently.
Knowledge Base and Documentation
Juniper maintains a comprehensive knowledge base and documentation library that includes user guides, datasheets, and troubleshooting tips. These resources are available on their official website and can be very helpful for self-service support.
Additional Resources
Training and Education
Juniper offers various training programs and educational resources to help customers get the most out of their Contrail products. These include online courses, workshops, and certification programs.
Community Forums
Juniper has community forums where users can interact with each other, share experiences, and get help from peers who may have encountered similar issues.
Professional Services
For more complex implementations or customized solutions, Juniper provides professional services, including consulting and integration services. This can be particularly useful for large-scale deployments or for organizations that need specialized expertise.
Tools and Analytics
Juniper Paragon Insights
This is a cloud-native, multivendor, multidomain monitoring and analytics software that uses machine learning algorithms to provide actionable network and service insights. It helps in better visualization, diagnostics, and reporting.
Web GUI and Advanced Analytics
Contrail Networking and Contrail Service Orchestration come with advanced analytics capabilities and a user-friendly Web GUI, which make it easier to manage and monitor network functions and performance.
By leveraging these support options and resources, customers can ensure they are well-equipped to manage and optimize their Juniper Networks Contrail environments effectively.
Juniper Networks Contrail - Pros and Cons
Advantages of Juniper Networks Contrail
Juniper Networks Contrail offers several significant advantages, particularly in the areas of automation, efficiency, and advanced analytics.Automation and Efficiency
- Contrail Service Orchestration automates the entire service delivery life cycle, transforming what was once a several-month process into a near real-time experience. This significantly reduces service delivery times and operational costs.
- It automates the creation and management of virtualized and containerized networks, allowing seamless connection, isolation, and security of ephemeral cloud workloads across private and public clouds.
Cost Efficiency
- Contrail enhances network cost efficiency by dynamically and efficiently routing traffic and assigning resources based on analytics-driven application policies. This leads to reduced maintenance costs and improved resource utilization.
Advanced Analytics and Security
- Contrail integrates advanced analytics through Juniper Paragon Insights, which uses machine learning algorithms to provide actionable network and service insights. This helps in continuous monitoring, analysis, and optimization of the network in real time.
- The platform also offers increased security features, including integration with Juniper Mist AI for enhanced threat detection and unified security management across various network domains.
Scalability and Reliability
- Contrail Cloud provides high scalability, availability, and performance for network virtualization in NFV infrastructure. It ensures always-on reliability and service assurance for virtualized network functions (VNFs).
Flexibility and Interoperability
- Contrail is built on open-source technologies such as OpenStack, OpenContrail, and Ceph, allowing the freedom to add third-party components as needed. This ensures interoperability and stability across different hardware and software environments.
Disadvantages of Juniper Networks Contrail
While Contrail offers numerous benefits, there are some potential drawbacks and considerations:Initial Setup and Integration
- Implementing Contrail, especially in existing infrastructure, can be challenging due to the need for integrating disparate product components and coordinating support across multiple vendors.
Skill Requirements
- Deploying and operating an NFV solution like Contrail requires specific development and operational skills, which can be a barrier for some organizations.
Dependency on Advanced Technologies
- The full benefits of Contrail rely on advanced technologies such as machine learning and AI, which may require additional investment in training and resources to fully leverage.
Cost of Professional Services
- While Contrail can reduce long-term costs, the initial setup and professional services required for building and operating the telco cloud infrastructure can be costly.
Juniper Networks Contrail - Comparison with Competitors
Juniper Networks Contrail
Juniper’s Contrail is a cloud network automation product that implements a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) architecture. Here are some of its unique features:
- Unified Policy Management: Contrail unifies policy for network automation across various physical infrastructure, orchestration systems, DevOps tools, and operating systems, including integrations with Kubernetes, OpenShift, Mesos, OpenStack, and VMware.
- Virtual Networking Overlay: It provides a virtual networking overlay layer that delivers services such as virtual routing, bridging, IPAM, NAT, security, load balancing, and VPNs over any existing physical or cloud IP network.
- Advanced Analytics: Contrail is equipped with always-on advanced analytics for deep insights into application and infrastructure performance, supporting integration with other analytics platforms like Juniper Networks AppFormix and streaming analytics through Apache Kafka.
- Service Orchestration: Contrail Service Orchestration automates the entire service delivery life cycle, enabling quick design and deployment of new services, and integrates seamlessly with the Contrail Cloud Platform for NFV management.
Juniper Networks AI-Native Networking Platform
While Contrail focuses on cloud and SDN, Juniper’s AI-Native Networking Platform is another offering that unifies campus, branch, and data center networking operations via a common AI engine. This platform uses AI to ensure reliable, measurable, and secure connections, reducing trouble tickets by up to 90%, OpEx by up to 85%, and incident resolution time by up to 50%.
Nile AI Services Platform
Nile’s AI Services Platform is a competitor that focuses on automating network design, configuration, and management. Key features include:
- AI-Based Network Design: The Nile Services Cloud includes AI-based network design and automated network deployment, including access point configuration.
- Integrated Security and Automation: Nile offers integrated security, cloud-native service delivery, and AI-powered closed-loop automation for campus and branch IT infrastructures.
LogicMonitor, Auvik, and NinjaOne
These tools are more focused on AI-driven network monitoring rather than SDN and orchestration:
- LogicMonitor: Uses AI for anomaly detection, predictive analytics, and intelligent troubleshooting, reducing incident resolution time and improving network performance.
- Auvik: Automates tasks like network mapping, device discovery, and configuration backups. It also uses AI for anomaly detection and predictive analytics to enhance network operations.
- NinjaOne: Focuses on automation, real-time monitoring, and proactive issue resolution. It includes automated anomaly detection, predictive analytics, and automation of routine tasks like network discovery and patch management.
Unique Features and Alternatives
- Contrail’s Strength in Hybrid Cloud: If you need a solution that seamlessly integrates with hybrid cloud environments, including multitenant public clouds like AWS, Contrail is a strong choice.
- Nile’s Focus on Campus and Branch IT: For enterprises needing to automate and manage campus and branch IT infrastructures, Nile’s AI Services Platform might be more suitable.
- AI-Driven Monitoring: If your primary need is AI-driven network monitoring and predictive analytics, tools like LogicMonitor, Auvik, or NinjaOne could be better alternatives.
Each of these tools has its own strengths and is tailored to different aspects of network management and automation, making it important to choose based on your specific needs and infrastructure.
Juniper Networks Contrail - Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions about Juniper Networks Contrail
What is Juniper Networks Contrail?
Juniper Networks Contrail is an open, standards-based software solution that delivers network virtualization and service automation for federated cloud networks. It automates the creation and management of virtual networks, improves network troubleshooting and diagnostics, and enables service chaining for dynamic application environments.What are the key features of Contrail?
Contrail offers several key features, including intelligent networking, increased security, and advanced analytics with automation. It provides self-service provisioning, policy-based automation, and the ability to manage virtual networks across enterprise VPCs, IaaS, and NFV use cases. It also integrates with various orchestration systems like OpenStack, Kubernetes, and VMware, and supports multitenancy, network segmentation, and network access control.How does Contrail simplify network management?
Contrail simplifies network management by abstracting virtual networks at a higher layer, eliminating the need for device-level configuration. It allows users to define and manage virtual network and network service policies through a browser-based user interface. This approach reduces the need for physical and operational infrastructure typically required for network management.Can Contrail be used with other cloud orchestration systems?
Yes, Contrail can be used with open cloud orchestration systems such as OpenStack, Kubernetes, OpenShift, and VMware. It also interacts with other systems and applications based on Operations Support System (OSS) and Business Support Systems (BSS) using northbound APIs.What is Contrail Service Orchestration?
Contrail Service Orchestration is a software platform that orchestrates the entire service life cycle, from creation to delivery, in a modular and open framework. It automates network orchestration and control, provides full visualization of traffic flow and security events, and supports multitenant environments with rich role-based access control. It is used for secure SD-WAN, NFV, telco cloud, and other services.How does Contrail support multitenancy and security?
Contrail supports multitenancy by allowing multiple tenants to share the same physical infrastructure while maintaining isolation and security. It provides advanced security features, including next-generation firewalls, content security, security intelligence, and advanced threat prevention. It also enables network segmentation and access control, ensuring that each tenant’s resources are secure and isolated.What analytics capabilities does Contrail offer?
Contrail includes advanced analytics capabilities through the Contrail Insights analytics package. This package collects, correlates, and visualizes information related to infrastructure and overlay usage within and across cloud environments. It provides deep insights into application and infrastructure performance, aiding in better visualization, easier diagnostics, and rich reporting.Can Contrail be integrated with public clouds?
Yes, Contrail can be integrated with public clouds such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure. It supports various configurations, including using Contrail vRouter as a virtual gateway, managing public cloud VPCs, and deploying Contrail Enterprise Multicloud clusters in public clouds to manage overlay networking services.How does Contrail support automation and orchestration?
Contrail implements automation through a scale-out microservices architecture, automating the creation and management of virtual networks. It uses an “intent compiler” to translate high-level workflows into specific rules and policies, enabling the automated provisioning of workloads and network and security service chaining. It also supports Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP) and configuration templates.What kind of support does Contrail offer for containerized and virtualized environments?
Contrail supports the automation of virtualized and containerized networks, allowing for the seamless connection, isolation, and security of ephemeral cloud workloads and services across private and public clouds. It integrates with Kubernetes, Docker containers, and other virtualization runtimes to provide unified policy management and network automation.How does Contrail handle network programmability and policy management?
Contrail implements network programmability through a unified model for configuration, operation, and analytics exposed via REST APIs and various programming languages. Policies can be written in straightforward business-oriented language to restrict or allow applications to communicate in the multicloud environment. This approach simplifies the management of network policies across different cloud environments. Juniper Networks Contrail - Conclusion and Recommendation
Final Assessment of Juniper Networks Contrail
Juniper Networks Contrail is a comprehensive software-defined networking (SDN) solution that offers a wide range of benefits, particularly in the areas of network virtualization, automation, and service orchestration.
Key Benefits
Network Virtualization and Automation
Contrail allows for the creation and management of virtual networks, simplifying the process through policy-based automation. This reduces the need for physical and operational infrastructure, making it ideal for large-scale managed environments.
Service Orchestration
Contrail Service Orchestration automates the entire service delivery life cycle, enabling service providers and enterprises to quickly design and deploy new services. This transforms what was once a months-long process into a near real-time experience.
Integration and Compatibility
Contrail integrates seamlessly with various systems, including Kubernetes, OpenShift, Mesos, OpenStack, VMware, and popular DevOps tools like Ansible. It also supports multitenant structures and is compatible with public clouds such as AWS and Azure.
Advanced Analytics and Security
Contrail comes equipped with advanced analytics capabilities, providing deep insights into application and infrastructure performance. It also includes integrated advanced security features, such as next-generation firewalls, content security, and threat prevention.
SD-WAN and NFV
Contrail Service Orchestration supports SD-WAN, VPN, and security network services, making it a versatile tool for managing virtualized and physical network services. It also integrates with Mist Cloud for Wi-Fi management and supports NFV for telco cloud and other use cases.
Who Would Benefit Most
Service Providers
Contrail is particularly beneficial for service providers who need to automate network resource provisioning and orchestration. It enables the dynamic creation of highly scalable virtual networks and the chaining of virtualized and physical network functions to form differentiated service chains.
Enterprises
Large, midsize, and small enterprises can benefit from Contrail’s ability to reduce service delivery times and operational costs. It provides a centralized and distributed model for managing virtual network services, enhancing customer satisfaction and revenue growth.
Organizations with Hybrid Cloud Environments
Companies operating in hybrid cloud environments will find Contrail’s multitenant structure and API compatibility with public clouds like AWS and Azure highly valuable. It unifies policy semantics across these environments, ensuring seamless integration and management.
Overall Recommendation
Juniper Networks Contrail is a highly recommended solution for organizations seeking to automate and optimize their network operations. Its ability to integrate with a wide range of systems, automate service delivery, and provide advanced analytics and security features makes it a powerful tool in the networking tools AI-driven product category.
For those considering Contrail, it is important to evaluate your specific needs in terms of network virtualization, service orchestration, and integration with existing infrastructure. Given its comprehensive features and the benefits it offers, Contrail can significantly enhance the efficiency, reliability, and scalability of your network operations.