Save time. Save money.

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Solution | AMF

Allied Telesis Management Framework

TM

_(AMF

₎

Reducing the cost and complexity of enterprise network management

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Your network. Simplified.

Software Defined Networking (SDN) has recently

hit the headlines with claims of better network

utilization and easier management. Unfortunately,

most SDN solutions are targeted at large data

centers and are out of reach for the typical

enterprise customer. The Allied Telesis SDN

solution is different. With Allied Telesis Management

Framework (AMF), Allied Telesis brings the benefits

of SDN to enterprises—without the hefty price tag.

One of the main advantages of SDN is the promise of centralized management that treats the network as a single virtual device. AMF achieves this and more. An entire network can be managed from any single device, through a simple and intuitive CLI. The network can span different locations, as AMF fully supports multi-site business operations. Configuration and firmware files are automatically and regularly backed up and can automatically regenerate failed devices, and configuration changes can be made on multiple devices simultaneously. These features enable AMF to decrease network operating expenses, by reducing the skill and time required to maintain the network.

Eliminate the chore of configuration management

Research consistently shows that network configuration management is arduous and error-prone. Significant time and effort is expended on ensuring that the latest configuration changes are kept safely, so that if a replacement device is required urgently, the correct configuration can be found and installed quickly. When devices fail, often the most recent configuration is not available or the failed device is replaced by a slightly different one. This makes the task more complex and stressful, and this is when mistakes can creep in.

AMF Auto-backup reduces effort and the risk of errors by automatically managing the configurations for all devices in the network. Every day, AMF automatically backs up the configurations and firmware for the entire network, into a central library. Backups can also be created manually after configuration changes. Furthermore, AMF takes the stress out of assigning the correct configuration to devices, because it can identify each device and select the correct configuration file from its library. Replacing a failed device becomes a truly zero-touch experience with Auto-recovery. The replacement device needs no configuration, other than a physical

connection to the network. As soon as the device is powered up, AMF automatically reconfigures it.

Reduce network running costs

Highly skilled network engineers spend a significant amount of time performing simple and/or repetitive tasks on a daily basis, for example installing network devices, upgrading configurations or firmware, and making configuration changes across multiple devices. Experienced network engineers waste their valuable time travelling to remote locations,

performing the same task again and again, or writing and testing complex automation scripts.

AMF is all about making things easy. With AMF, there are no time wasters, and that means less money is spent.

Cut costs and complexity

As networking evolves, complexity and demands on staff increase. The risk of errors—and resulting outages—also increases. The traditional solution is to hire more management expertise and introduce more policies and procedures to control changes. However, this costs more and is less efficient. AMF provides an alternative approach: it automates many of the day-to-day tasks and takes the complexity out of repairing and extending the network. A large network can be run by fewer staff. This leads to considerable savings on operating expenditures and makes the network more agile, to keep up with the pace of change that successful businesses demand.

Hear what our customers are saying

about AMF

“Deploying AMF was a much more

straightforward than we anticipated. We

installed AMF on 88 switches in just one

evening. ”

—

Educational Institution

“Configuration changes that were taking 2

hours previously, we can now do in just 10

minutes with AMF.”

—

Educational Institution

“AMF provides integrators with a simpler and

more efficient way of delivering a managed

network service to their customers.”

—

Systems Integrator

“We use AMF to perform centralized

management, which is extremely efficient and

effective. I can now successfully administer and

manage a large, highly-available network with a

very small IT team.”

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Save time. Save money.

Adding a unit

In traditional networks, any new unit must be pre-configured and tested before it can join the network. Adding an unconfigured device and attempting to configure it online is risky, and may cause unpredictable network behavior. With AMF, unconfigured devices can be added directly into the network because AMF can pre-provision the device even before it is present. This allows for zero-touch expansion of the network as devices can be easily added and AMF will select the correct configuration automatically. If a new device has not been pre-provisioned then AMF will isolate the device until it has been successfully configured, which can be managed automatically by AMF, or manually by the user. However the network grows, AMF Auto-provisioning makes it very easy and importantly, does not require significant time from skilled network engineers.

Configuring multiple devices

A powerful feature of AMF is the centralized management, which enables CLI commands to be run on multiple devices simultaneously. CLI commands are issued only once and AMF ensures that each device receives and processes the commands. This saves time and reduces the chances of mistakes when configuration changes need to be made across several devices.

Troubleshooting the network

The consolidated command line makes diagnosing network issues simple, with a powerful range of smart commands. A user simply issues a diagnostic command once, and AMF consolidates the results from a whole group of devices into a single report. Problematic devices are obvious at a glance.

Upgrading device firmware

Firmware upgrades can be rolled out to groups of devices or the entire AMF network, quickly and easily, with Auto-upgrade. The user simply selects the group of devices to be upgraded, then issues the CLI commands to load the new firmware release. Each device in the group will download the files in preparation for a reboot.

Rather than having to reboot all devices in the group at the same time, AMF can use a rolling reboot. AMF ensures that only one device is rebooting at any one time, so maximum network connectivity is retained throughout the firmware upgrade process. Of course, all devices can be rebooted simultaneously, if preferred, simply by issuing a reboot command on the consolidated CLI.

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Centralized

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Auto-backup

Auto-upgrade

Auto-provisioning

Auto-recovery

AMF can save considerable time and cost by reducing the amount of time skilled staff spend on

day-to-day activities, such as:

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AMF Controller

AMF is a proven solution for saving time and reducing cost by automating many every day network management tasks. The new AMF Controller allows the benefits of AMF to be applied to much larger networks to multiply the administrative time and cost savings.

AMF Master AMF Master AMF Master AMF Controller AMF Master Switch Blade® x8100 Switch Blade® x8100 Switch Blade® x8100 Swit_x8100ch_Blade® Swit_x8100ch_Blade®

Distributed AMF networks

The benefits of AMF are not limited to LAN environments. AMF networks can also reach across the internet so that devices in remote locations can be easily managed from a central location—perfect for multi-site businesses.

Devices in an AMF network are usually directly connected to each other on dedicated ‘AMF links’. To extend these connections across non-AMF devices, such as a WAN link, an alternative type of dedicated link is created, called a ‘virtual link’. Virtual links are easy to create and can be configured over an IPsec tunnel to protect them from snooping or malicious activity.

Internet

Members

Secure Virtual Link LAN

Company

office

Branch office

x510

x230 x230 Master Members x230

The Allied Telesis AR4050S Next Generation Firewall (NGFW) is a network security device that can also be used as an AMF Master. It can run the AMF network at head office and can extend those benefits to devices located at remote branch offices. The NGFW can also secure the virtual links making it the ideal solution for a distributed AMF network.

A single AMF Master can support up to 120 devices, which is ideal for small to medium sized Enterprise networks. For larger networks, the AMF Controller extends the benefits of AMF to over 7,000 devices, even across different locations in different time zones. It enables time and money to be saved on a much larger scale, and for the global network as a whole to take advantage of the single-point of management, automated backup and auto-recovery features of AMF.

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Frequently asked questions

Q. How can I try out AMF?

The AMF Starter license is included for free on all products that can be an AMF master. The Starter license enables AMF for 3 nodes.

Q. Can I have more than one AMF master?

Yes. In fact, having more than one AMF master is good practice and ensures maximum reliability.

Q. What happens to my network if the AMF master cannot be reached by the nodes?

There is no disruption to user traffic if the AMF master is unavailable. However, AMF management functionality is limited until the master re-joins.

Q. Can I use AMF to manage equipment made by other vendors?

No. Only the Allied Telesis equipment listed in the table overleaf can be managed by AMF.*

Q. Can AMF links span other vendors’ equipment?

Yes. Using AMF virtual-links, tunnels can be created across other vendors’ equipment to link AMF nodes to the AMF master. This is especially useful to allow remote sites to join an AMF network across WAN links.

Q. If I have a 40-node master license, can I add another 40-node license to manage up to 80 nodes?

No. The numbers in the licenses are the maximums that can be managed by that license. If you have a 40-node license and want to manage more nodes, then you must install an 80-node or 120-node license, provided your hardware supports that.

Q. How do I manage a network of more than 120 nodes with AMF?

The new AMF Controller allows multiple AMF networks to be managed from a central location. It provides auto-backup and auto-recovery features for the individual AMF masters, so management of the entire network becomes simpler and less error-prone. Up to 60 AMF networks can be managed by a single AMF Controller, which equates to a total network size of over 7,000 nodes.

Learn More

To find out more about AMF and how it can improve your network, please

contact your local Allied Telesis sales office or visit us online.

alliedtelesis.com/amf

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NAME AMF NODE AMF MASTER AMF CONTROLLER GS900MX Series ■ - -IE200 Series ■ - -IE510 Series ■ - -x210 Series ■ - -x230 Series ■ - -x310 Series ■ - -IX5-28GPX ■ -

-x510 Series ■ _{20 node license: AT-FL-x510-AM20}

-x610 Series ■ _{20 node license: AT-FL-x610-AM20}■

-x900 Series ■ -

-x930 Series

■ ■

20 node license: AT-FL-x930-AM20 40 node license: AT-FL-x930-AM40

-DC2552XS/L3 ■ _{20 node license: AT-FL-DC25-AM20}

-SwitchBlade x908 ■ _{40 node license: AT-FL-SBX9-AM40}■

-SwitchBlade x8100 series with CFC400 controller card

■ ■

40 node license: AT-FL-CF4-AM40 80 node license: AT-FL-CF4-AM80

-SwitchBlade x8100 series with CFC960 controller card

■ ■

40 node license: AT-FL-CF9-AM40 80 node license: AT-FL-CF9-AM80 120 node license: AT-FL-CF9-AM120

■

10 area license: AT-FL-CF9-AC10 30 area license: AT-FL-CF9-AC30 60 area license: AT-FL-CF9-AC60

AR3050S Next-Gen Firewall ■ _-

-AR4050S Next-Gen Firewall ■ _{20 node license: AT-FL-AR4-AM20}■

-NETWORK SMARTER

North America Headquarters | 19800 North Creek Parkway | Suite 100 | Bothell | WA 98011 | USA | T: +1 800 424 4284 | F: +1 425 481 3895

Asia-Pacific Headquarters | 11 Tai Seng Link | Singapore | 534182 | T: +65 6383 3832 | F: +65 6383 3830

About Allied Telesis

For nearly 30 years, Allied Telesis has been delivering reliable, intelligent connectivity for everything from enterprise organizations to complex, critical infrastructure projects around the globe.

In a world moving toward Smart Cities and the Internet of Things, networks must evolve rapidly to meet new challenges. Allied Telesis smart technologies, such as Allied Telesis Management Framework™ (AMF) and Enterprise SDN, ensure that network evolution can keep pace, and deliver efficient and secure solutions for people, organizations, and “things”—both now and into the future.

Allied Telesis is recognized for innovating the way in which services and applications are delivered and managed, resulting in increased value and lower operating costs.

Visit us online at alliedtelesis.com

AMF product compatibility matrix for AlliedWare Plus

AMF is available for the following Allied Telesis products, running the advanced AlliedWare Plus™_{operating system:}