The Linux Foundation (LF) announced the incorporation of the Open Compute Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI) into the open source DENT Network Operating System (NOS) project.
The DENT project, a Linux-based network operating system (NOS), has been designed to empower disaggregated networking solutions for enterprises and data centers.
The Linux Foundation said that by incorporating OCP's SAI, an open-source Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) for network switches, DENT has taken a significant step forward in enabling seamless support for a wide range of Ethernet switch ASICs, thereby expanding its compatibility and fostering greater innovation in the networking space.
The move is driven by the need to widen standardized interfaces for programming network switch ASICs, enabling hardware vendors to develop and maintain their device drivers independently from the Linux kernel. SAI offers several advantages:
- Hardware Abstraction: SAI provides a hardware-agnostic API, enabling developers to work on a consistent interface across different switch ASICs, thus reducing development time and effort.
- Vendor Independence: By separating the switch ASIC drivers from the Linux kernel, SAI enables hardware vendors to maintain their drivers independently, ensuring timely updates and support for the latest hardware features.
- Ecosystem Support: SAI is backed by a thriving community of developers and vendors, ensuring continuous improvements and ongoing support for new features and hardware platforms.
