The Data Center Interconnect (DCI) framework helps to enable new, value-added use cases and service offerings for your internal and external customers and partners. Connecting data centers facilitates distributed resource pooling and sharing, as well as rapid workload elasticity, and the ability to scale vertically and horizontally based on consumer demand. Additionally, DCI can provide an effective IT framework for business continuity and disaster recovery.

The two main use case areas include:

• Workload mobility
• Business continuity and disaster recovery

The framework comprises four main technology components:

• LAN extension - Facilitates virtual machine and application mobility
  New Design Guidance:
  • Overlay Transport Virtualization (OTV) Inter-DC Multicast Traffic over Unicast Transport
  • Overlay Transport Virtualization (OTV) Unicast-Mode Transport Infrastructure Deployment
• Path optimization - Improves traffic flow between consumers and applications or services
  New Design Guidance:
  • LISP Host Mobility
  • LISP Proxy Tunnel Router Redundancy Deployment
  • Locator Identifier Separation Protocol (LISP) Mobility Troubleshooting Guide
  • Cisco Group Encrypted Transport VPN (GET VPN) and LISP Interaction: Validation and Configuration Notes
• Virtual networking and services - Transparently and more securely connects services between virtual and physical networks
• Intelligent storage solutions - Optimizes RPO and RTO and application content availability