Extreme Networks, Inc., today announced that it is collaborating with virtual computing leader Citrix Systems to integrate server virtualization with the network.

Extreme Networks announced its availability, mobility and virtualization lifecycle management solution, XNV, with initial support for Citrix XenServer and VMware. Extreme Networks XNV virtualization and cloud architecture enables network-level virtualization support including management, reporting, and configuration, enabling zero touch management and mobility between server and network. XNV integrates the network management system with the virtualization management platform to ensure full visibility and synchronization between the server virtualization environment and the network.

"One of the major challenges in the next phase of virtualization adoption lies in integration and support for networking functionality," said Gordon Mangione, vice president of the Datacenter and Cloud division at Citrix. "Extreme Networks offers an open platform approach that enables XenServer customers to tightly integrate server virtualization with the network, giving users a seamless mobile VM experience in the data center."

Extreme Networks, with its innovative data center network solutions, is focused on providing an open and integrated virtualization environment, enabling data centers to optimize and automate the networking function. Utilizing the ExtremeXOS operating system and robust intelligence layer, applications like virtualization mobility – in conjunction with the leading virtualization platform Citrix XenServer – are more easily integrated and managed by the network.

"Extreme Networks is addressing the advanced capabilities enabled by virtualization through an open network, multi-hypervisor approach," said Kevin Ryan, director of Data Center Solutions for Extreme Networks. "Citrix is an ideal integration partner as one of the leaders in server virtualization, and as a platform of choice of many of our customers in the managed hosting and cloud marketplace."

With its high-performance data center solutions, the BlackDiamond® and Summit® switches running the ExtremeXOS operating system, Extreme Networks is well suited to deliver high- performance cloud-based networking infrastructure. With advanced data center features including XNV and Direct Attach™, the company has helped lead integration across multi-vendor virtualized environments in Managed Hosting, Cloud and Enterprise environments.