Open networking solutions— the disaggregation of the data plane, control plane, and management plane of a switch, router, or similar network device— have gained increasing traction in hyperscale data centers. Open networking gives these customers the freedom to choose standards-based hardware, network operating systems (OS), management software, and even networking architectures. This freedom has enabled hyperscale data centers to reap the following benefits:
- Reduced capex through lower hardware costs
- Reduced opex through automated network provisioning, deployment and services
- Flexibility and greater control over their networks
Can enterprise data centers enjoy the benefits of open networking as well?
Yes!
First, the open system approach is not new to enterprises; it has been widely applied to servers for years. Enterprises have the freedom to choose Intel x86-based industry-standard server hardware, Windows or open source-based Linux operating systems, and management software. So, why not apply a similarly open approach to networking equipment?
Second, hybrid cloud architecture is increasingly popular among medium and large enterprise data centers. In this architecture, enterprises build their own private cloud, and supplement it with some services on public cloud storage like Amazon Web Services. The hybrid cloud approach (and the orchestration it requires) presents enterprise data centers with the same networking challenges that hyperscale have, albeit on a proportionally smaller scale. Those challenges include:
- Making the network more affordable to run while staying innovative
- Scaling the network with resiliency
- Simplifying network operations through improved efficiency
- Gaining more flexibility and control over the network
Champion ONE offers open networking solutions that can help enterprise data centers overcome these challenges and realize the additional benefits mentioned at the top of this article. Our Intelliport line of open network switches provides a wide range of hardware choices from 1GbE to 100GbE. These high-performance switches can be paired with feature-rich, highly reliable software from our software partners. These complete solutions can be applied in data centers, enterprise buildings, branch offices, edge data centers, central offices re-architected as data centers (CORD) cross service providers, enterprises, healthcare and education networks. If you’d like to discuss how open networking can help your data center, contact us today.
