Server virtualization is well-established in today’s data centers. Today’s hypervisors and virtualization tools offer the means to consolidate workloads, increase resiliency and lower operational costs. And this has led to the promise of huge efficiencies within the data center. However, this promise has only been partially realized—with enterprises and IT shops often finding the task of coordinating their server, storage and networking technologies dragging down their overall efficiency.

1. Challenges of Today’s Virtualized Data Center
Server virtualization is well-established in today’s data centers. Today’s
hypervisors and virtualization tools offer the means to consolidate workloads,
increase resiliency and lower operational costs. And this has led to the promise
of huge efficiencies within the data center. However, this promise has only been
partially realized—with enterprises and IT shops often finding the task of
coordinating their server, storage and networking technologies dragging down
their overall efficiency.
Why is this? First, server virtualization does not exist in a vacuum. It must
operate over the related storage and networking infrastructure. And even
though a virtual machine can be provisioned in minutes, the administrator still
needs to ensure that network and storage resources are properly configured for
each virtual machine – requiring coordination across separate data center
groups. Second, the applications themselves are sensitive to this underlying
environment. That is, the infrastructure must be right-sized and configured
properly for the application to ensure optimal application performance and
efficiencies. And this does not even consider the planning, testing and
validation required to deploy entirely new virtualized applications within the
data center environment.
What’s the upshot of this? It can take months for an enterprise to deploy a new
service or make a change to their data center infrastructure. For example,
Avaya research shows that 41% of companies take over a month to complete a
network change. Coordination across multiple server, networking and storage
teams often delays data center updates or new implementations. Delays are
further compounded by the lack of in-house expertise or resources to help with
the adoption of new data center technologies.
Steps to a New Virtualized Application Deployment
These challenges become more apparent when viewed through the lens of a
new application deployment within a virtualized data center. Looking at the
tasks involved, administrators must first analyze each new application in terms
of the demands it will place on the server, storage and the underlying network
avaya.com | 1
Accelerating the Deployment
of Virtualized Applications in
the Data Center
Introducing Avaya Collaboration Pods
Table of Contents
Challenges of Today’s
Virtualized Data Center............. 1
Steps to a New Virtualized
Application Deployment........... 1
What If There Was Another
Way? ............................................. 2
Avaya Collaboration Pods....... 2
Packaged Solutions to Address
a Range of Application and
Infrastructure Needs.................. 3
Avaya VENA Fabric Services
for Dynamic, Simplified
Networking ..................................4
Comprehensive Pod
Management Services ..............4
Seamless Support for your
Infrastructure................................ 5
Integrated Solutions for the
Enterprise...................................... 5

2. avaya.com | 2
technologies. The need to involve multiple internal teams and multiple vendors
only complicates this task. Once this analysis is complete and the application/
solutions architecture has been established, individual infrastructure
components (e.g., servers, storage, network) must be tested with one another
to ensure interoperability. Once tested, the total solution must further be fine-
tuned for optimal performance of the new application. Needless to say, this
whole process can take weeks or even months to complete. It also may require
enterprises to draw on expertise that may not currently exist within the
organization.
What If There Was Another Way?
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could:
• Deploy a virtualized application in as little time as it takes to power up a rack
of equipment?
• Roll-out a complex solution without investing weeks/months designing,
validating, integrating, testing and upgrading components?
• Take advantage of a fully turnkey offer where the application inside is
preconfigured according to Avaya best practices?
• Manage all the server, network and storage resources seamlessly through
integrated management?
Avaya Collaboration Pods
Avaya Collaboration Pods are turnkey solutions consisting of virtualized server,
storage, networking and management components all fine-tuned to deliver
maximum performance of Avaya application solutions over the underlying data
center infrastructure. With fully integrated management and support, the
solution enables rapid deployment of complex technologies, including
virtualized applications and services, storage and networking, while simplifying
the task of operating technologies from multiple vendors.
Highlights
• Combines best of breed server, storage, virtualization and networking
components in easy-to-order, easy-to-deploy and ready-to-operate packages
• Eliminates the planning, design, integration and testing required to deploy
complex and disparate technologies within the data center
• Avaya Collaboration
Pods enable rapid
deployment of
complex data center
technologies,
including virtualized
applications and
services, storage
and networking.
• Eliminates the
planning, design,
integration
and testing of
disparate data
center technologies
while optimizing
virtualized application
performance

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• Optimizes the performance of virtualized applications and services across the
underlying network, server and storage infrastructure though pre-configured,
pre-tested packages
• Allows integrated management and orchestration of solution components,
while coordinating operations, troubleshooting and support
• Delivers the infrastructure elements needed to create private or public cloud
deployments
• Provides scalable, pay as you grow options that quickly get you up to speed
but also allow future expansion
Avaya Collaboration Pods leverage best in class components commonly found
in today’s data centers, including storage arrays from EMC, virtualization and
Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) software from VMware, and networking,
management, real-time Unified Communications (UC) applications and
integration from Avaya.
As a pre-tested solution, they are particularly suited for budget and resource
constrained enterprises that may not have the expertise or time to roll out
complex data center technologies as part of a Unified Communications, Virtual
Desktop or infrastructure deployment. They are also well-suited for regional tier
2 and 3 service providers looking to roll out Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) or
Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) in a quick and easy way for faster
time to market and revenue.
Packaged Solutions to Address a Range of
Application and Infrastructure Needs
Avaya Collaboration Pods offer a flexible combination of services and
infrastructure to fit your business needs. Two configurations (or pods) are
available – each consisting of a rack with servers, storage, network and
management components pre-assembled and ready to operate.
• The Avaya Collaboration Pod for Aura® includes an Avaya Aura®application
suite with related server, storage and networking components—all pre-
assembled. This solution enables Avaya Aura unified communications
applications—with features such as mobility, presence and video conferencing
–to optimally run across the virtualized data center infrastructure. And it
allows business to experience increased productivity through anytime,
anywhere collaboration. The Collaboration Pod for Aura is highly scalable and
can support thousands of end-users in a single packaged configuration.
• Integrates best in
class data center
components,
including storage
arrays from EMC,
virtualization and
Virtual Desktop
Infrastructure
(VDI) software
from VMware,
and networking,
management and
real-time Unified
Communications
applications from
Avaya
• A comprehensive
management
toolkit enables
component-level
monitoring,
configuration and
troubleshooting
of both Avaya
and third-party
elements

4. avaya.com | 4
• The Avaya Collaboration Pod for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)
includes VMware’s View product to simplify virtual desktop deployment.
VMware View provides a consistent desktop experience for end users while
allowing IT managers to reduce desktop maintenance costs and protect
sensitive corporate data. Like the Collaboration Pod for Aura®, the Avaya
Collaboration Pod for VDI integrates rack, and related server, storage,
network and management elements.
Each Pod also includes the Avaya Virtual Services Platform (VSP) 7000, an
energy and space-efficient top of rack Ethernet Switching platform built to
support fabric-based virtualized services and lossless environments. The VSP
7000 delivers 10 Gbps Ethernet connectivity along with a unique high-speed
virtual interconnect capability ideally suited for the east-west traffic flows
typical in data center server environments.
Avaya VENA Fabric Services for Dynamic,
Simplified Networking
Avaya Collaboration Pods also incorporate Avaya Virtual Enterprise Network
Architecture (VENA) Fabric Connect services for dynamic, simplified
networking. Avaya Fabric Connect is based on an enhanced and extended
implementation of the IEEE Shortest Path Bridging (SPB) standard. It allows for
the creation of a virtualized network that acts as a dynamic, unified, self-aware
fabric requiring only end-point provisioning. The result is a network that is both
easier to manage and troubleshoot, while reducing the strain on networking
resources and personnel.
Comprehensive Pod Management Services
Avaya Collaboration Pods come with a comprehensive management suite for
monitoring and configuration of pod components. All Pods include Avaya’s
Visualization Performance and Fault Manager (VPFM) with layered dashboards
for health monitoring, performance, analytics and reporting on pod
components. Pictorial views of the Pod further enable “drill down” to individual
components and launch of Avaya or third-party managers (e.g., EMC’s
Unisphere, VMware vCenter) for component-level monitoring, troubleshooting
and configuration. The Collaboration Pod for Aura also includes Avaya System
Manager for comprehensive Avaya Aura® application suite management.

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All trademarks identified by ®, ™, or SM
are registered marks, trademarks, and service marks, respectively, of Avaya Inc.
08/12 • DN7126
Seamless Support for your Infrastructure
Avaya also acts as your single support contact for all Avaya Collaboration Pod
components. This eliminates finger pointing and improves mean time to repair (MTTR).
Integrated Solutions for the Enterprise
By integrating multiple technologies, Avaya Collaboration Pods can simplify your IT
operations, improve time to service and lower your deployment costs – and make a real
difference in how your IT group operates. They can also speed private or public cloud
roll-outs. Enterprises can now better focus on business innovation instead of the tasks
of integrating, validating and managing their IT infrastructure.
avaya.com | 5
About Avaya
Avaya is a global provider of business collaboration and communications solutions,
providing unified communications, contact centers, networking and related services
to companies of all sizes around the world. For more information please visit
www.avaya.com.