Arista Networks is integrating its EOS (Extensible Operating System) natively with OpenStack as well as delivering enhanced OpenFlow extensions via direct flow-based configuration interfaces and data-plane programmability.
The idea is to enhance cloud networking workflows for rapid cloud provisioning. The OpenFlow extensions into Arista EOS gives customers the ability to implement both IP and OpenFlow in a heterogeneous solution. Standard OpenFlow support in EOS can be orchestrated through a SDN Controller, and value added extensions to OpenFlow are now possible via direct, data plane manipulation of flow tables in the Arista switches. This brings open, application-driven and programmatic control of network path selection at wire speed.
Arista's key SDN introductions include:
- Arista EOS application programmatic interfaces (eAPIs) for integration with leading orchestration and provisioning tools and customer applications.
- Arista contributed code to the OpenStack Quantum project that enables unified physical and virtual network device configuration.
- A new modular hardware driver architecture in the Quantum OVS plugin, and an open source version of Arista's driver.
- New EOS native OpenStack provisioning capability that connects the Quantum OVS plugin to EOS via eAPI.
- OpenFlow 1.0 support in Arista EOS for external controllers.
- Enhanced Data Plane Programmability via direct flow-based OpenFlow extensions
"Extending Arista EOS for connection to cloud orchestration platforms provides programmability for building agile, self-service cloud architectures. This has been core to Arista EOS development from its inception," stated Tom Black, vice president, SDN Engineering for Arista. "These software innovations demonstrate Arista's increasing relevance and agility in addressing SDN for public cloud operators and private clouds."
"Arista continues to lead the way in data center network innovations. This is the first real API integration of a broad-based data center network platform, and seeing it connect with OpenStack and solve real customer provisioning issues is exactly what this industry has needed to scale cloud computing," said Paul Rad, vice president of Rackspace.
Arista EOS now supports OpenFlow, Arista Direct Flow mode, eAPIs and OpenStack.
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