Accton Technology Contributes Open Switch Software to ONF’s Open Source SDN Distribution

SANTA CLARA, Calif.

Accton Technology Corporation, the leading developer and manufacturer of open network switches, today announced that it has contributed switch software to Atrium, the Open Network Foundation’s (ONF) open source SDN distribution for OpenFlow™-based SDN deployments. Accton also announced that it will make available open switch software distributions with additional features to enable customers, data center operators, software providers and the open source community to develop software applications to automate and control networks deploying Accton’s Edge-Core open network switches.

Accton’s contribution to ONF’s Atrium distribution enables the use of Edge-Core open network switches in OpenFlow-based SDN deployments. For the first time with Atrium, a production SDN network can be deployed based on completely open hardware and software platforms, which have been integrated and validated as a system through ONF’s open community and which allow additional functions and customization by network operators and developers.

“ONF welcomes Accton’s current and future contributions to Atrium, which will allow for the deployment of OCP switches in open SDN deployments and accelerate the continued development of the open SDN ecosystem,” said Dan Pitt, executive director of the Open Networking Foundation.

With the first release of Atrium, an SDN network can be deployed using Edge-Core switches communicating via the OpenFlow v1.3 protocol to the Open Network Operating System (ONOS) SDN controller running a BGP peering application based on Quagga. The Accton contribution consists of the following open source software components, which were integrated, ported and validated by Accton on the Edge-Core AS5710-54X 10GbE top-of-rack switch, the first switch hardware design fully approved by the Open Compute Project (OCP):

• Open Network Linux, the OCP-approved reference NOS;
• OpenFlow Data Plane Abstraction (OF-DPA), developed by Broadcom and implementing an OpenFlow hardware abstraction layer;
• Indigo OpenFlow client.

Accton will continue working with ONF’s Atrium project by enhancing the Accton contribution to support Edge-Core’s 40GbE and 100GbE open network switches, and by supporting the next release of Atrium running on the OpenDaylight SDN and NFV software platform.

“Big Switch is happy to partner with Accton both on the Atrium project with the ONF as well as with our commercial products Big Cloud Fabric and Big Tap Monitoring Fabric,” said Rob Sherwood, CTO, Big Switch Networks.“It’s exactly these types of hardware/software collaborations that show the real power of open networking.”

Open Switch Software Distributions from Accton to Enable Custom Application Development

Accton announced that it will make available an open switch software distribution that will enable cloud and data center operators, software providers, and researchers to develop value-added applications or Network Operating System (NOS) software to run on Edge-Core open network switches, in addition to using the switches in OpenFlow-based SDNs. By integrating individual open source components into a validated distribution for its Edge-Core switches, Accton provides an open switch platform for the development and deployment of automation, SDN and NFV network applications.

The open switch software distribution will consist of the following open source software elements, packaged and validated by Accton on the Edge-Core 10GbE, 40GbE, and 100GbE open network switches:

• Open Network Linux, the OCP-approved reference NOS;
• OpenFlow Data Plane Abstraction (OF-DPA), developed by Broadcom and implementing an OpenFlow hardware abstraction layer;
• Indigo OpenFlow client;
• OpenNSL, contributed by Broadcom and implementing an open API to the Broadcom StrataXGS^® switch silicon which is designed into the Edge-Core OCP switches;
• FBOSS Agent, contributed by Facebook to provide an interface to control Broadcom switch silicon and manage low-level control packets.

“Cloud providers and enterprises with web-scale infrastructures want greater automation and control over their networks through the use of open software platforms,” said Jeff Catlin, VP Technology, Accton Technology Corporation. “With our contributions to ONF’s open source SDN distribution and with Accton’s distribution of open switch software, we are enabling an ecosystem of customers, cloud providers, software companies, and the open source community to add value on top of our OCP-approved Edge-Core switches to deploy SDN and NFV architectures that meet those needs.”

Availability

The Edge-Core AS5710-54X open network switch running the Accton software contribution to Atrium will be part of the Atrium demonstration in the SDN Solutions Showcase at the Open Network Summit in Santa Clara, June 16-18.

The Accton open switch software distributions will be available for Edge-Core’s family of open network switches whose hardware designs have been contributed by Accton to OCP: AS5710-54X and AS5712-54X 10GbE switches, the AS6712-32X 40GbE switch, and AS7712-32X 100GbE switch. The open switch software is loadable via the Open Network Install Environment (ONIE) universal installer tool provided with Edge-Core open network switches.

The OpenFlow-based switch software distribution for AS5710-54X will be available as part of ONF’s Atrium distribution by June 30. Accton’s distribution of the open switch software providing the additional OpenNSL and FBOSS Agent software for the AS5710-54X, AS5712-54X and AS6712-32X switches will be available by July 15.

About Accton Technology

Accton Technology is a global premier provider of networking and communications solutions for top tier networking, computer, and telecommunications vendors. Leveraging its advanced hardware engineering, software applications and system design capability, Accton collaborates with its strategic partners to architect, develop and manufacture innovative, leading-edge network products. Accton’s evolving core technology and its highly-qualified global workforce enable it to deliver superior distributed virtual network solutions that are affordable and robust. For more information about Accton and its subsidiaries, please visit www.accton.com.

About Edge-Core Networks

Edge-Core Networks is a wholly owned subsidiary of Accton Technology Corporation. Edge-Core delivers network solutions through channel partners worldwide that keep information moving and connections strong for SMB, enterprise, data center, and service provider customers. For more information, visit www.Edge-Core.com.

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© 2015 Accton Technology Corporation. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. Accton shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

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Accton Technology
Bill Burger,508-485-5193
bill_burger@accton.com