I'm sure a lot of you have thought about offering better support for devices that require link-local multicast or broadcast. But you know the challenges. Cisco User Defined Networks is actually a really cool solution by Cisco. And it seems to provide a solution that is both easy for the user and the network operator. How reliable it will be, we shall see.
https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collateral/enterprise-networks/digital-network-architecture/nb-06-user-defined-nw-so-cte-en.html But if you have been able to decipher the extremely confusing and complex Cisco licensing scheme, UDN requires that you maintain a DNA Advantage subscription (If you haven't seen the prices, talk to your Cisco rep). Not only that, but you also have to get DNA Center, ISE, Wave2 APs, and the shiny new 9800s. When you put the whole solution together, you end up with an extremely expensive proposition. Knowing the value of UDN, and all the other features that Cisco is offering, seems like the price is a direct result of the innovation. But at which point does a solution become so expensive that the benefits alone cannot justify the price. Lee has been vocal about this and I totally agree. The consumer hears Cisco say "the value of DNA advantage is justified because of all the features we offer to you", so I'm going to charge you $$$$$$$". The consumer says "but I only need one or two of the solutions that DNA A offers and I can only afford $$$". Clearly, there is a disconnect. Other vendors' solutions are going up in price as well, seems like the new normal is higher prices, subscription models, and extra "features" with additional costs. Regards, Hector Rios, Wireless Network Architect The University of Texas at Austin ********** Replies to EDUCAUSE Community Group emails are sent to the entire community list. If you want to reply only to the person who sent the message, copy and paste their email address and forward the email reply. Additional participation and subscription information can be found at https://www.educause.edu/community
