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Tigera Launches Revolutionary Calico for VMs on Kubernetes

Tigera, Inc., recognized as the developer of Calico Open Source, has unveiled a groundbreaking solution: Calico for VMs on Kubernetes. This innovative platform employs eBPF technology to facilitate seamless network and security management for both virtual machines (VMs) and containers without the need for extensive network redesign.

In today’s ever-evolving tech landscape, companies migrating their VMs from VMware seek a reliable alternative to NSX. The migration process often poses significant challenges, particularly in maintaining network functionality and security protocols that are deeply integrated into the existing infrastructure. By introducing Calico for VMs, Tigera addresses these concerns directly, thus enhancing the migration experience without compromising on the critical features users have come to expect.

As organizations increasingly shift to Kubernetes platforms such as OpenShift, the migration of computing power and storage typically proves to be the simpler aspects of the transition. The challenge predominantly lies in transferring the network identity of VMs, which is intricately linked to existing infrastructure, business rules, and operational processes. Any alteration to this network identity can disrupt essential functionalities, complicating the migration for teams accustomed to the network management capabilities offered by NSX.

Goals for Migrating to Kubernetes

VMware users transitioning to Kubernetes generally have four primary objectives:
1. Minimal Disruption Migration: Moving VMs in their current state to adhere to tight migration timelines, ensuring continuity of operations.
2. Network Architecture Modernization: Eliminating dependencies on outdated networking stacks like VLANs and firewalls, simplifying operations and reducing costs. Companies aim to eventually transition from layer-2 to layer-3 network designs on their schedule.
3. Platform Flexibility: Maintaining independence from any particular Kubernetes platform while planning for potential future AI workloads.
4. Converged Platform Preparation: Developing a platform that accommodates both containers and VMs, preparing for the demands of AI workloads and securely keeping high-quality, data-sensitive models within their facilities.

Unified Operation Model for All Workloads

With Calico's unified network and security policies, operational teams can work within a singular framework for managing both VMs and containers. This approach streamlines deployments across various environments, including on-premises setups and cloud configurations, thus eliminating platform-specific complexities and vendor dependencies that have historically created operational hurdles.

As enterprises initiate their migration processes, Calico allows them to retain existing IP addresses, VLANs, and firewall rules from day one. The transition to Kubernetes-native frameworks may occur later, without disrupting ongoing operations. Calico effectively simplifies network automation and management, adhering to the expectations of traditional VM administrators used to NSX.

Unified Network Framework: Calico fosters a single model that combines networking functionality for both VMs and containers, ensuring they share the same policies and monitoring metrics. This means that a VM can retain its IP address while operating alongside containers, benefiting from features like micro-segmentation, load balancing, and service quality—all integrated directly within Kubernetes.

Enhanced Features for Networking and Security

Calico for VMs on Kubernetes is designed to enhance team efficiency by providing cohesive network, security, and observability features:

• - Connectivity: Through Calico Networks, connectivity for VM workloads is ensured, extending existing network VLANs into Kubernetes. This coverage is critical during and after migration for workloads requiring Layer-2 connectivity.
• - Security: Leveraging network policies tailored for Kubernetes, teams can reinforce access enforcement and micro-segmentation, aiding in the preservation of security integrity throughout the migration process.
• - Observability: The platform employs eBPF-based deep packet inspection, yielding crucial insights into data flows between VMs and Pods, which is vital for troubleshooting.

Proven, Trusted by Industry Leaders

Calico is already a trusted solution, securing over 1 million clusters worldwide. Notable enterprises that utilize Calico include NVIDIA, Royal Bank of Canada, and Bloomberg, ensuring robust security and management across their Kubernetes environments. This latest expansion to support VMs further establishes Calico's place as an essential tool for modern enterprises aiming to unify their cloud operations.

Availability and Next Steps

Calico for VMs on Kubernetes is now readily accessible for businesses looking to enhance their migration and management strategies. For organizations eager to explore how they can transition their VMs without sacrificing superior network automation and security, demos and self-paced tutorials are available.

For further information about Tigera and its transformative offerings, please visit tigera.io.