Arista Networks, a provider of software-driven cloud networking solutions for large data centre and computing environments, has announced the introduction of its Containerized EOS (containerised Extensible Operating System) designed to support alternate models of procuring, packaging and deploying its EOS for cloud, enterprises and service providers.
Leveraging the industry-standard container development/operations (DevOps) model, Arista is extending the architectural options beyond its own hardware to enable support for EOS on virtual machines, containers and third-party merchant silicon-based switches.
Containerized EOS
Arista's new cEOS provides for the containerised packaging of EOS software and agents for deployment in cloud infrastructure based on the same proven EOS software image that runs on all Arista products. The flexible deployment options are designed to allow cloud network operators that are customising their operating environments to create a uniform workflow for development, testing and deployment of differentiated services.
Arista stated that the initial roll-out of Arista cEOS has been endorsed by ecosystem partners including Broadcom, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) and Microsoft Azure Networking. The new capability means that Arista EOS is supported on a range of open hardware, including three form factors: Arista's merchant silicon-based platforms, bare metal switches, and industry standard virtual machines or containers.
Arista EOS for DevOps
Arista is also extending the DevOps approach to microservice architecture and containerisation to support workloads, workflows and complex development and validation at large scale. For example, as cEOS can execute as a container, customers can run other containerised applications on the same platform, such as automation or monitoring tools.
In addition, Arista cEOS extends the core EOS architecture to offer a lightweight module for use in network modelling, development and validation in the cloud. As with virtualisation, this capability helps developers to seamlessly migrate from development to production for the entire operating environment using a consistent cloud network approach.
Arista EOS additionally now offers support for the container ecosystem as follows: can run in a container on a range of hardware and cloud operating platforms; supports applications running concurrently within its workspace, either in a VM, as native Linux apps or as a container; allows automated discovery and provisioning of services for container workloads running within EOS or in external containers via Container Tracer.
EOS disaggregation
Customers can also now use cEOS with industry standard white box hardware and support an array of tools and applications from the container ecosystem.
The new Arista cEOS is available immediately for customer trials on selected third-party hardware platforms.
