The change is effective Nov. 1, with Dyckerhoff fulfilling a personal aspiration to become a venture capitalist and becoming a consultant to CEO Kevin Johnson, Juniper said in a statement.

RK Anand, who had been the 12th employee hired by Juniper in 1997 and its key engineer on early silicon and software development, left the company after relinquishing his leadership of . Anand had also very briefly been a consultant to CEO Johnson before leaving the company to fund a biological research company, according to sources.

that EVPs Mark Bauhaus and John Morris, responsible for services and support, and strategic alliances respectively, have also been shown the door.

Juniper has been struggling to gain traction in markets like data center switching and for growth in its security portfolio. Though company officials say otherwise, its much promoted QFabric data center switching platform has disappointed, gathering only 200 customers in the same two-year timeframe that rival Brocade landed 700 with its competing VDX fabric switch.