Title

AWS re:Invent 2023 - Unpack the Aviatrix Distributed Cloud Firewall for AWS (HYB102)

Summary

• Speakers: Rod Stahlmuller and Chris McHenry from Aviatrix, with customer panelists Jason Simpson from Choice Hotels and Brent Fowler from Republic Airways.
• Aviatrix Background: Founded in 2014, Aviatrix expanded its transit gateway capabilities after AWS released its own transit gateway in 2018. Aviatrix's system is now multi-cloud, supporting AWS, Azure, Google, Oracle, and Alibaba.
• Product Focus: Aviatrix's distributed cloud firewall, which embeds security into the network's natural traffic path, was introduced in 2020 and has been adopted by over 500 enterprises, including more than 50 Fortune 500 companies.
• Key Features: The Aviatrix system includes a control plane with a controller, distributed networking, embedded telemetry, security, and automation. It supports Terraform for infrastructure as code deployments.
• Security Innovations: Aviatrix introduced ThreatIQ for threat detection and mitigation by comparing traffic to a database of malicious IPs. The distributed cloud firewall product integrates network security into the network foundation, allowing for centralized configuration with distributed inspection and enforcement.
• Customer Insights: Customers discussed their cloud environments, decision-making processes, and how Aviatrix has simplified operations, provided multi-cloud consistency, and improved visibility and security.
• Future Directions: Aviatrix is focusing on empowering teams with education and training, offering a 30-day free trial, and providing a total cost of ownership calculator. They are also exploring AI's role in infrastructure and security.

Insights

• Multi-Cloud Networking: Aviatrix's expansion to support multiple cloud providers addresses the growing trend of multi-cloud strategies among enterprises, allowing for consistent networking and security across different cloud environments.
• Security and Networking Convergence: The integration of security directly into the network infrastructure reflects a broader industry trend where networking and security are increasingly intertwined, necessitating solutions that address both simultaneously.
• Infrastructure as Code: Aviatrix's support for Terraform highlights the importance of infrastructure as code (IaC) in modern cloud deployments, enabling teams to manage infrastructure through code, which is essential for automation and scalability.
• Customer-Driven Development: The inclusion of customer panelists in the session underscores Aviatrix's customer-centric approach, gathering feedback and use cases to inform product development and ensure that their solutions address real-world challenges.
• AI in Networking: The discussion around AI suggests that Aviatrix is considering how AI can be leveraged for network management and security, potentially leading to more autonomous and intelligent network operations in the future.
• Education and Training Emphasis: Aviatrix's focus on education through their Aviatrix Certified Engineer Program and Flight School indicates a recognition of the skills gap in cloud networking and a commitment to empowering IT professionals with the necessary knowledge to succeed in cloud environments.