Image Source: Volterra Networks
The Important
Providing a holistic, automated, and simplified management solution for deploying and operating distributed applications.
Cloud/SaaS-managed Network (underlay+overlay), Security, and cloud-native platform infrastructure (hardware and/or software) for distributed applications and/or distributing applications.
20 Global POPs are connected to local SaaS/Cloud providers with high-speed links.
POPs can also be used for customers to run their applications, but the solution is not limited to those sites, with public, private, hybrid, and edge cloud integrations/capabilities.
This is an interesting solution and team to watch, especially for anyone looking to go anywhere either distributed applications or Edge Cloud. If your solution does not have these components (either directly or through a partnership ecosystem), you might be missing something.
What to call this? Putting Volterra neatly into existing solution categories is challenging. Gartner refers to Volterra as a Distributed Cloud Services play, and recently identified Volterra as a Cool Vendor.
The combination of the scope of functionality and Volterra’s vision of DevOps, NetOps, and SecOps jointly leveraging the Volterra solution makes it a silo-busting effort, defying today’s common taxonomies.
I am tempted to call it distributed applications as a service, but no doubt the industry will work out the taxonomy as solutions like this evolve.
Introduction
[Note: The author of this article previously worked with some of the principles at Volterra. This article was not explicitly, implicitly, or in any way solicited by anyone inside or outside Volterra, and is motivated purely by the author’s own interest in distributed applications].
If like me, you have had trouble understanding what Volterra does, there is a reason. They do a lot!
They are integrating/developing:
A global physical network
Application-to-Application networking and Security with software routers
Distributed load balancing / application delivery controller
Cloud native application platform (zero-touch/automated Kubernetes)
Global cloud sites (customer’s are not limited to these locations)
Public, private, hybrid cloud integrations
SaaS-based management
Branches, factory floors, EV charging stations, and any number of distributed points, will host applications, how they are hosted, delivered, and managed is an issue to be addressed. Distributed applications is one of my interest areas.
The scope of Volterra’s solution is ambitious, but maybe there is no avoiding that at this point of the market’s evolution. The team is aided in this ambition by using software that the team is already very familiar with, having previously created Tungsten Fabric, the Linux Foundation project for Juniper Network’s Contrail. The solution is much more than that though, as outlined below.
The SaaS-based management may be of special interest to Enterprises, though it is applicable to all segments.
Solution
Volterra’s central thesis is:
Data is increasingly distributed
This is driving distributed apps
Existing cloud native solutions are optimized for centralized clouds
There is a need for a distributed cloud native solution across public/private/hybrid cloud and many edges
That needs to be addressed in a way that creates synergies across DevOps, NetOps, and SecOps
The distributed environment needs to be managed with a SaaS-first approach (cloud-managed).
Volterra’s solution has the following main components: VoltMesh, VoltStack, VoltConsole, and Volterra’s Global Delivery Network.
VoltMesh (App-to-App Networking & Security):
Networking & Security (firewall)
Application Delivery Controller (ADC)
Image source: Volterra Networks
VoltStack (Deploy, secure and operate apps)
Kubernetes-based cloud native platform
Zero-touch provisioning
Service Mesh
Distributed control plane
Universal identity
Key management
Image source: Volterra Networks
Volterra Delivery Network
Image source: Volterra Networks
A physical network with physical routers
Regional sites where customers can host their VoltStack, but they are not limited to hosting there
20 lobal global POPs / 13 metro areas.
Discussion
A number of leaders in the Volterra team are Juniper Networks Alumni, and the CEO/founder was a Contrail Systems founder and CEO. The base Contrail Systems code was open sourced by Juniper Networks as Tungsten Fabric, which Volterra uses, though it has developed a cloud managed control plane for it. As discussed previously, the solution is much more: Envoy Proxy, V8 Chrome, Kubernetes,…
(Juniper) Contrail embedded a router (vRouter) in the hypervisor of servers, using BGP to create server-to-server overlay networks. During that journey, many conversations occurred around scenarios where compute and storage needed to be part of the offering. Volterra provides this when needed, in its own regional POPs / data centers and industrial servers. COTS is an option as well.
Figure 1. Cloud native applications can exist anywhere in small and large numbers
After Juniper acquired Contrail, security was developed as an additional Contrail offering. Volterra does this too, though the scope of security offered by Volterra is significantly increased, including web application and service mesh security. The latter being assisted by deep learning leveraged to understand normal patterns between services, allowing for easier/more automated identification of anomalies. APIs are also automatically discovered.
Figure 2. Example Volterra Cloud Management for Distributed Cloud Native Apps.
As Volterra has a global network, and an overlay network and security stack, the solution could potentially play in the SD-WAN and SASE segments. While Volterra maybe opportunistic with those opportunities, that is not its main focus. The main focus is cloud native application to application networking and security. That is a distinctly different focus from other companies that have their own global network and/or SD-WAN & SASE offerings. Will there be a roll-up in the future of companies with global networks that are attacking different parts of the elephant? Possibly. Timing? not clear. Maybe way off in time give some of these solutions are still emerging / maturing. Is it a strategic option that strategy planners should be noodling on? Sure.
Figure 3. Volterra industrial server and gateway for “edge” deployments.
Conclusion
I have not used the Volterra solution myself, though I do intend to play with their free service tier in the future; readers can as well. From talking to Volterra, they do appear to be engaged in some interesting real world opportunities, and the cloud management looks slick as well.
There are many technical challenges for distributed applications, especially at the application layer. Volterra does not attempt to solve all of them. However, simply taking the pain out of extending cloud/CD/CI infrastructure/platforms to wherever needed, is a significant value add.
There are many contexts in which I am following distributed app evolution, including the now culturally/political sensitive big tech context, and the counter-movement to take it on. Volterra is a commercial play. However, in total, distributed apps, whether truly interacting distributed apps, or deploying/managing the same app thousands of times, is a dynamic segment of IT that may significantly shape the future.