Unified Networking

Unified Networking is a networking approach that delivers different communication and infrastructure services across a shared network environment. These can include traditional data traffic, storage communication, voice, video and other applications. Its purpose is to consolidate separate network infrastructures and provide more consistent management. In data centres, Unified Networking can use Ethernet-based technologies to carry both data and storage traffic across a common infrastructure. Technologies such as Data Center Bridging and Fibre Channel over Ethernet can support this approach. Consolidation can reduce the number of separate network components and cabling structures while enabling more centralised administration. Unified Networking is particularly relevant in data centres, virtualised environments and enterprise networks where multiple network services need to operate efficiently across a shared infrastructure.