Opening the Black Box – Linux Network OS for Bare Metal Switches

Transform the network from gatekeeper to enabler with a Linux Network OS platform for switches that enables automation, feature velocity and innovation on par with servers.

“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” – Albert Camus

In my role as a Customer Solutions Engineer (affectionately known as CSE) at Cumulus Networks, I am on the frontlines discussing customer requirements, use cases and networking architectures. A frequent question that customers ask me is “what can an open network operating system (OS) do for me?”

Most customers have lived in the world of black boxes where the OS and hardware are vertically integrated and your vendor keeps you in a sandbox that controls what you can and cannot do. In the black box world, if you want a new feature, application or a different operational model, you have to request it from your account team and wait while the vendor decides if your use case is important enough or you are a big enough customer.

The idea of having direct access to the different operational aspects of the OS is a foreign concept Continue reading