As discussed in our blog, Rethink your switch refresh, infrastructure decisions are no longer just about port counts and speeds. With many Cisco switching platforms nearing end-of-life, and the demands of modern applications increasing, now is the time to align your next refresh with how your workloads are evolving.
For organisations embracing containerisation, repatriating cloud workloads or supporting fast-moving development teams, network visibility and policy control are becoming more complex and more critical. In this final post of our series, we explore how the right switch refresh can support hybrid application environments and help bring structure to what’s becoming a highly dynamic space. (Click to access the first and second blogs on security and AI-ready infrastructure).
Many organisations have adopted Kubernetes for its adaptability and scalability to modernise their applications, but there can be unintended costs. Containerised environments can be viewed as “black boxes” by traditional network and security teams, making them difficult to monitor and segment. They rarely operate within the same boundaries as legacy applications.
As application teams modernise the applications either within cloud environments or shift back to on-premises data centres to control cloud costs, the lack of visibility becomes a genuine risk. Infrastructure and security teams are being tasked with managing and securing environments that they weren’t originally involved in setting up, often with limited tools to enforce policies or respond to incidents.
While Cisco Smart Switches don’t directly manage Kubernetes workloads, they play an important role in the broader hybrid environment or Cisco Hypershield architecture. Today, visibility and policy enforcement inside Kubernetes clusters relies on lightweight agents installed at the kernel level on Linux nodes. These agents offer a practical solution by providing insight into container behaviour, securing inter-container communication and helping to control access to critical resources.
Smart Switches enhance this by enabling segmentation and policy enforcement within the physical network, especially between application tiers or external systems. Looking ahead, Hypershield architecture will integrate Smart Switches and agents into a unified enforcement model that combines both, all governed under a single policy framework.
In practical terms, this approach helps:
The combined use of agents and Smart Switches reduces the disconnect between infrastructure and application layers, enabling network and security teams to monitor and apply controls without requiring significant changes to how development teams operate.
Cisco’s broader vision includes the convergence of Smart Switches and agents into a single entity under Cisco Hypershield. While not fully realised across all operating systems today, the underlying architecture is already in place. Choosing Smart Switches now means you’re investing in infrastructure that will eventually be a part of a unified security framework, without needing to retrofit or re-architect your network down the track.
Data#3 can assist in evaluating your current environment and deciding if a hybrid, workload-focused refresh is appropriate. We will collaborate with your infrastructure, security and development teams to identify traffic patterns, policy gaps, and how Cisco’s Smart Switches can enhance visibility and control within your environment.
To start the conversation, request a meeting with the Data#3 team using the form below, or contact your Account Manager to arrange a straightforward, expert-led discussion aimed at clarifying your priorities and helping you make informed decisions about your next refresh.
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