Dell Technologies announces Open Source Networking solutions for Data Centres

Dell Technologies has now revealed an open-source networking solution for simplifying data center management and operations.

The solution named as Enterprise SONiC Distribution, the platform removes complexities and creates an agile and flexible network by following an approach built on open standards, notes the announcement.

Datacenter networking is gaining importance at a time when enterprises are increasingly moving to a hybrid cloud that calls for seamless networking between data centers.

SONiC (Software for Open Networking in the Cloud) is an open-source switch operating system project spearheaded by Microsoft to remove complexities and inefficiencies created by a proprietary approach.

Executive Opinion

Tom Burns, senior vice president, and general manager, Dell Technologies Integrated Products & Solutions, said, "Our customers tell us that, while a hybrid cloud approach is critical to their success, they struggle to maintain and scale their networks, and manage them to effectively avoid multiple points of failure. By breaking switch software into multiple, containerized components, we are providing enterprises the means to drastically simplify the management of massive and complex networks and increase availability in a cloud model."

Yousef Khalidi, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Azure Networking, Microsoft Corp. said, "SONiC is a leading open-source network switch OS, empowering customers with modern and efficient cloud networking software. We're pleased to see Dell bringing enterprise support to their customers."

Dell's Open Source Development

Dell also revealed that with the help of these new solutions, cloud providers and large enterprises will now have a new level of production tested tools, services, and support that had previously required significant internal investment technology support teams.

It also revealed that it has integrated SONiC into the company open networking hardware, Dell EMC PowerSwitch.

Last year, AT&T partnered with Dell to speed up Cloud Operations for Edge Computing and 5G Software Infrastructure.