Aviatrix's hybrid mesh: Bridging the gap between data centers and AI-powered cloud networking

AI

The influx of generative artificial intelligence technology is requiring massive structural changes, from data centers to the cloud. Aviatrix Systems Inc. hopes to seize the moment with its secure and seamless cloud networking software.

“Cloud networking is not invisible. It doesn’t just happen by magic,” said Doug Merritt (pictured), chief executive officer of Aviatrix. “You still have to physically move bits around, and without a data center and a compute center and applications having [an] effective, guaranteed, high visibility, resilient network connection, none of it matters. I love being at the foundational layers of what ultimately is necessary to power AI.”

Merritt spoke with theCUBE industry analysts John Furrier and Dave Vellante at the “Supercloud 5: The Battle for AI Supremacy” event, during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed the importance of networking and computation for powering gen AI and the data strategies needed for a future of machine learning.

Sustaining and supporting AI models

Networking is the foundational layer on which all innovations in gen AI rest, according to Merritt. Aviatrix focuses on creating a “hybrid mesh” that incorporates different cloud services, data centers and locations at the “edge.”

“I’m really excited about what AWS is doing and others on bringing generative AI to the masses,” he said. “With Aviatrix, we’re finally at the point where the average corporation realizes we have a very complex landscape.”

Many companies still have proprietary data centers that are difficult to move to the cloud, so it is especially important to educate them on how to adapt their infrastructure to AI technology, emphasizes Merritt.

“If you want an optimal experience and you want to get the speed and the flexibility that everyone’s trying to drive by going to the cloud, there is augmentation necessary around those awesome networking services that AWS and other clouds have,” he said.

Two major factors in gen AI’s sustainability are compute power, which Merrit predicts will be one of the “big constraints” on AI’s potential and data management. AI requires far more compute power than previous programs and massive amounts of data, quickly.

“When you are in a cloud world and you’ve got billions, potentially, of users, you can’t have a general purpose data store,” said Merritt. “We’ve got the reality of data being fragmented across these different data stores for very good reasons. Now, how do you work across those different data stores to bring additional value with gen AI? I think that will create another new layer of abstraction and new data storage.”

Aviatrix can potentially manage that new layer of abstraction by integrating various data stores across a flexible and secure network.

“What Aviatrix is able to do is take advantage of the networking services the clouds are providing, but then add a whole new set of dimensionality on the visibility, on traffic optimization, on cost reduction, on efficiency and operational consistency, making it easier for a non-networking guru to operate these very complex environments and meet their customers’ goals,” said Merritt.

The future of Aviatrix looks very encouraging, according to Merritt, who emphasizes how the company’s services meet the needs of developing AI technology. “The promise over the next decade … I get goosebumps,” he said.

Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of the “Supercloud 5: The Battle for AI Supremacy” event:

Photo: SiliconANGLE