Earlier this week, US based network solutions provider SnapRoute and fellow American computing firm Canonical announced they have joined forces to create a new integrated network stack, which they claim will provide a rock solid software foundation for white-box and brite-box switch deployments in large environments. The new stack has been developed on a combination of SnapRoute’s FlexSwitch, which is a micro-services architecture switch control plane, and Canonical’s Ubuntu, the widely popular open source operating system software.
According to both companies, the FlexSwitch+Ubuntu stack is certified on multiple white-box switches including the Facebook Wedge 100. SnapRoute’s switch control software can now be deployed as a normal Ubuntu application in data centers, with FlexSwitch now being fully automated with Canonical’s MaaS (Metal-as-a-Service) to enable top-to-bottom data center provisioning.
Upon announcing the new network stack, VP of Cloud Alliances at Canonical, Udi Nachmany, had this to say:
Network Operators demand visibility and control of all aspects of their infrastructure. The combination of the familiar and widely trusted Ubuntu OS, and SnapRoute’s pioneering FlexSwitch, raises the bar on security, operational control and network stack innovation.
Similarly, the Founder and CEO of SnapRoute, Jason Forrester, stated:
We strongly believe that open networks are synonymous to good networks. Combining Ubuntu and FlexSwitch on a white-box platform of choice delivers network architects a reliable and simple alternative to closed, traditional switch platforms while providing choice and flexibility to leverage the vast universe of Linux-based software and tools right on the switch. This is the future of networking.
Analysts say the move to Ubuntu will bring a new degree of freedom to the white-box switch market thanks to its huge cloud software ecosystem.