Are you tired of managing multiple physical networks? Are you looking for a more efficient and cost-effective way to manage your network infrastructure? Look no further than network virtualization software! In this blog post, we’re highlighting the 7 best network virtualization software options of 2024.

From improved scalability to better security features, these software tools are essential for any organization looking to streamline its networking operations. So whether you’re an IT professional or a business owner, keep reading to discover which network virtualization software is right for your needs!

What is Network Virtualization?

Network virtualization is the process of creating a virtual version of a network, including the hardware and software components. It allows users to create, deploy, and manage networks in a virtual environment.

Network virtualization can be used for a variety of purposes, including testing new network designs, simulating different network environments, and training employees on new networking technologies.

It also enables network administrators to manage multiple networks more efficiently, reducing costs and increasing efficiency. Additionally, virtualization can be used to improve the scalability, availability, and security of a network.

Benefits of Using Network Virtualization Software

1. Increased Flexibility

Network virtualization software provides a high degree of flexibility, allowing you to easily change your network configuration without having to physically reconfigure your hardware. This can be a major advantage when you need to quickly respond to changes in your business environment or when you want to experiment with different network designs.

2. Improved Efficiency

Network virtualization can also improve the efficiency of your network by consolidating multiple physical devices into a single virtual device. This can reduce the amount of hardware you need to purchase and maintain, and it can also make it easier to manage your network since there are fewer devices to configure and monitor.

3. Enhanced Security

Another benefit of using network virtualization software is that it can help enhance the security of your network. By isolating each virtual device from the others, you can prevent one compromised device from affecting the others. Additionally, many virtualization platforms offer built-in security features, such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems, that can further protect your network.

Also Read: How to Manage and Protect Virtualized and Containerized Environments with Scale Computing and Rubrik? 

7 Best Network Virtualization Software of 2024

As networking technology advances, more and more businesses are looking to adopt network virtualization software. This type of software allows businesses to create a virtual version of their network, which can be used to test out new configurations or ideas without affecting the live network.

There are many different types of network virtualization software available on the market, so it can be difficult to know which one is right for your business. To help you make the best decision for your business, we have put together a list of the best network virtualization software of 2024.

1. VMware NSX

2. Check Point Virtual Systems

3. Cisco Enterprise NFV

4. Red Hat OpenStack Platform

5. oVirt

6. Vagrant

7. Juniper Networks vSRX Virtual Firewall

1. VMware NSX

VMware NSX is the industry-leading network virtualization software that enables organizations to revolutionize their network infrastructure. By decoupling networking from hardware using server virtualization capabilities, NSX provides a Software-Defined Data Center (SDDC) that is more agile, efficient, and secure. With NSX, organizations can dynamically provision new services and applications in minutes, without the need for costly and time-consuming hardware deployments.

NSX also enables automated network security policies, providing distributed firewall and micro-segmentation capabilities. This helps organizations protect their applications from malicious traffic and attacks from inside or outside of the data center.

NSX provides a single pane of glass for managing both physical and virtual networks, giving IT teams better visibility into their infrastructure. They can also use NSX to automate tasks such as provisioning new applications and services with just a few clicks.

Features

• Streamline network management and provisioning
• Robust multisite networking and security capabilities.
• Proactive security measures against sophisticated cyber threats.
• Micro-segmentation and granular access controls.
• Comprehensive L2-L7 network stack and overlay services.
• Enforce security policies at the virtual machine level.
• Authorized users can connect securely from remote locations.

Pros

• Increased agility and scalability.
• Lower operational costs.
• Improved visibility and security.
• Faster service deployment.
• Multi-site network support.
• Ability to automate network operations.

Cons

• High upfront costs.
• Potential interoperability issues.
• The complexity of security policies.

Pricing

The cost of VMware NSX varies depending on the number of CPUs and the type of license you choose. The price for a perpetual license starts at $6,995 per CPU. The subscription-based model starts at $1,995 per CPU per year.

2. Check Point Virtual Systems

Check Point’s virtual systems offer the best in security and performance, making them the perfect choice for any business looking to improve its network infrastructure.

With Check Point virtual systems, businesses can enjoy all the benefits of a virtualized environment without sacrificing security or performance. Check Point’s unique approach to virtualization ensures that each virtual system is isolated from the others, ensuring that if one system is compromised, the others remain safe.

Check Point’s virtual systems are also incredibly scalable, allowing businesses to easily add or remove resources as needed. This makes them ideal for businesses that are constantly growing and changing, as they can easily adapt to new needs.

Check Point’s virtual systems are backed by world-class support, so businesses can rest assured knowing that they’re always covered. Whether it’s 24/7 phone support or online chat, Check Point has the resources businesses need to keep their networks running smoothly.

Features

• Isolate each virtual system for added security and protection.
• Easily add or remove resources as needed.
• 24/7 phone support and online chat are available.
• Choose from a variety of features to customize your experience.

Pros

• Provide advanced security measures to protect network resources.
• Enables easy scalability where organizations can dynamically allocate resources and adjust the system’s capacity as per their needs.
• Simplifies and automates network virtualization processes.
• Empowers deployment of multiple virtualized security gateways on a single hardware device.
• User-friendly interface for easy configuration and platform usage.
• Establishes a single point of control for security policies across virtual and physical environments.

Cons

• New software versions of Check Point Virtual Systems can be resource-intensive.

Pricing

Contact Check Point Virtual Systems for Pricing.

3. Cisco Enterprise NFV

Cisco’s Enterprise NFV software is designed to help organizations virtualize their network infrastructure and improve operational efficiency. The software enables organizations to create and manage virtualized network functions, such as routers, switches, and firewalls, in a single platform. This reduces the need for physical hardware and allows organizations to scale their network infrastructure more easily. Additionally, the software provides enhanced security and performance monitoring capabilities.

Cisco’s Enterprise NFV is available as a subscription-based service, which includes access to Cisco’s cloud-based management tools, such as its Network Services Orchestrator. Additionally, the software supports both on-premises and cloud-based deployments.

Also Read: Exploring Proxmox VE: A VMware Alternative

Features

• Virtualization of network infrastructure
• Scalable and easy-to-manage platform
• Enhanced security and performance monitoring
• Cloud-based management tools (Network Services Orchestrator)
• On-premises and cloud-based deployment options

Pros

• Cost-effective solution for virtualizing network infrastructure
• Increased agility to scale and manage networks
• Improved security and performance monitoring capabilities
• Access to Cisco’s cloud-based management tools

Cons

• Limited scalability for larger organizations with complex network architectures
• High cost of subscription-based services

Pricing

Cisco Enterprise NFV is expected to be provided through the Cisco ONE WAN suite as an annual subscription. Cisco ONE Foundation offers list pricing starting at US $1200 for WAN and US $200 for Access. However, I would recommend you contact Cisco directly for more accurate pricing information as prices may vary depending on your specific needs and requirements.

4. Red Hat OpenStack Platform

Red Hat OpenStack Platform is the best virtualization software for revolutionizing your network infrastructure. It enables you to create a private cloud that is open, scalable, and secure. With the Red Hat OpenStack Platform, you can:

• Build an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud
• Provision and manage virtual machines and other resources
• Enable self-service provisioning for users
• Achieve high availability and scalability

Red Hat OpenStack Platform is based on the industry-leading Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) hypervisor and provides a robust set of features for building a private cloud, including:

• A web-based management console for easy administration
• A command-line interface (CLI) for advanced configuration options
• APIs for integration with third-party tools and services

Features

• Support  for application deployment and orchestration
• Support for Windows and Linux guest operating systems
• Security features to help protect your cloud environment

Pros

 Easy to use: With an intuitive web-based management console, it’s easy to get up and running quickly.

• Robust features: A wide range of features enable you to build a reliable and secure cloud environment.
• Flexible: Red Hat OpenStack Platform provides flexibility for scaling up or down as needed.

Cons

• Expensive: The Red Hat OpenStack Platform can be costly to set up and maintain due to the cost of licensing fees.
• Complexity: The platform can be complex to configure and manage, so it may require expert knowledge.

Pricing

Red Hat OpenStack Platform pricing depends on the edition you choose and the number of socket pairs you need. 

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform for Controller Nodes Standard: $2,149/socket-pair/year
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform for Controller Nodes Premium: $2,799/socket-pair/year
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform Standard: $3,449/socket-pair/year
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform Premium: $4,499/socket-pair/year 

5. oVirt

oVirt is a free and open-source virtualization software used to manage virtual machines and other virtualized resources. oVirt provides a web-based interface for managing virtual machines, storage, networks, and users. It also includes a command line interface and a REST API for automated management.

oVirt is based on the KVM hypervisor and is designed to be easy to install and manage. oVirt can be used to create and manage virtual machines, storage pools, and networking configurations. oVirt also provides a web-based interface for monitoring resource usage and performance statistics.

Also Read: VMware Alternatives: 8 Best Virtualization Solutions

Features

oVirt provides a wide range of features to help manage virtualized resources. These include:

• Supports distributed storage for both file-based and block-level storage, providing high availability and scalability.
• Supports the creation of multiple networks, with different isolation levels and user access control.
• web interface allows users to easily create and manage virtual machines, allocate resources, and set up network configurations.
• Provides a dashboard that displays resource usage statistics such as CPU utilization, memory usage, disk I/O, and network traffic.
• Supports high availability by automatically migrating running virtual machines to other nodes in the cluster if one node fails.

Pros

• oVirt is an open-source virtualization platform that is free to use.
• It provides a web-based interface for managing virtual machines and hosts.
• oVirt supports multiple hypervisors including KVM, Xen, and VMware ESXi.
• It provides high availability and load-balancing features for virtual machines.
• oVirt supports live migration of virtual machines between hosts.

Cons

• oVirt requires a significant amount of resources to run efficiently.
• It can be difficult to set up and configure for new users.
• oVirt does not have as many features as some of its competitors such as VMware vSphere

Pricing

• According to Spiceworks, oVirt gives you enterprise-level functionality at $0.00 cost

6. Vagrant by HashiCorp

If you’ve been looking for a way to revolutionize your network infrastructure, look no further than Vagrant. Vagrant is the best virtualization software on the market, and it can help you take your network to the next level. With Vagrant, you can create and manage virtual machines with ease, and it’s perfect for both development and production environments.

Vagrant’s main features include support for a wide range of operating systems, deployment automation, and containerization. You can also use Vagrant to quickly scale up your infrastructure and make sure that everything is running smoothly. Vagrant makes managing virtual machines easy, so you can spend less time worrying about the technical details and focus on getting things done.

Features

• Automated deployment
• Cross-platform support
• Provisioning with Puppet, Chef, and Ansible
• Network and security configuration
• Containerization with Docker, LXC, and Vagrant boxes
• High availability and portability of applications

Pros

• Vagrant is designed for ease of use, allowing users to quickly spin up and configure virtual machines with minimal effort.
• Supports multiple operating systems, meaning you can deploy applications on multiple platforms without having to worry about compatibility issues.
• With Vagrant, you can automate the deployment process, ensuring that your infrastructure is properly configured and running efficiently.
• Vagrant makes it easy to scale up or down your infrastructure as needed, so you can always meet the demands of your business.
• Because Vagrant allows you to automate processes and quickly spin up new machines, it’s a cost-effective solution for businesses looking to save money on setup costs.

Cons

• Vagrant is not well suited for handling changes to infrastructure.
• It is most often used to create consistent development and testing VMs

Pricing

• Creating a Vagrant Cloud account enables you to create, share, and collaborate on Vagrant boxes2. The pricing for this service starts at $5/month for a private box

7. Juniper Networks vSRX Virtual Firewall

Juniper Networks vSRX Virtual Firewall is an industry-leading network virtualization software that offers comprehensive security, performance, and scalability for your data center or cloud deployment. With vSRX, you can easily deploy and manage virtual firewalls in complex environments while providing robust security features to protect your data and applications.

vSRX provides an advanced set of features such as Application Identification, Intrusion Prevention, URL Filtering, and Advanced Threat Protection. It also supports multiple virtualization technologies such as VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM. With vSRX you can be sure that your data is safe and secure.

Features

• Application Identification, Intrusion Prevention, URL Filtering, and Advanced Threat Protection
• Supports multiple virtualization technologies such as VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, and KVM
• Easy to deploy and manage virtual firewalls in complex environments
• Provides robust security features to protect your data and applications

Pros

• Easy to deploy and manage
• Comprehensive security, performance, and scalability for data center or cloud deployments
• Automated threat detection and prevention
• Supports multiple virtualization technologies

Cons

• Licensing can be expensive for large deployments
• Some features require additional licenses for full functionality

Pricing

Juniper Networks vSRX Virtual Firewall is available in multiple license options from $1,000 to $15,000. The pricing depends on the features you need and the number of virtual firewalls you want to deploy.

How to Choose the Best Network Virtualization Software?

Here are some tips to help you choose the best network virtualization software for your business:

Define your goals: What do you want to achieve with network virtualization? Do you want to improve resource utilization, reduce costs, or increase agility? Once you know what your goals are, you can narrow down your options.

Consider your budget: How much can you afford to spend on network virtualization software? There are many affordable options available, so don’t let cost be a deciding factor.

Evaluate your existing infrastructure: What type of hardware and software do you currently have in place? Make sure that the network virtualization software you select is compatible with your existing infrastructure.

Compare features and functionality: Not all network virtualization software is created equal—some products offer more features and functionality than others. Compare products side-by-side to find the one that best meets your needs.

Get expert advice: If you’re still not sure which product is right for you, seek out expert advice from someone who specializes in network virtualization. They can help you evaluate your options and make a decision.

Also Read: Top 44 Scenario-Based VMware Interview Questions and Answers