Big Switch Software Will Encourage SDN, OpenFlow Adoption

An open-source thin switching platform has been released by Mountain View, California-based Big Switch Networks, which will speed up the adoption of the OpenFlow communications protocol and software-defined networking.

In the second half of this year, the Switch Light software is expected to be made available, and it can be distributed both as a virtual switch for server hypervisors and in a silicon-based physical switching platform called a “whitebox switch.”

The Switch Light software, which is slated for commercial availability in the second half of 2013, can be deployed as both a virtual switch for server hypervisors or in a silicon-based physical switching platform, also known as "whitebox switch."

Customers do not need to be tied to the large proprietary of vendor-specific networking architectures in place today, as a result of Switch Light platform usage.

The senior director of product marketing at Big Switch Networks, Andrew Harding, said: “Networking equipment today remains in the mainframe era. You've got proprietary silicon and proprietary systems ... that make it really hard to add new and innovative functionality.”

Harding said that Switch Light will change all that, and seeks instead to provide a vast range of network hardware options, whilst also lowering operational costs via the centralized network automation and the elimination of manual provisioning tasks.

Harding added: “The open-source software is robust and mature enough to combine with these systems to build out true network automation. We can bring to the network what has been in the server world for some time, through automation and centralized control. And, as a result, this increases productivity and reduces the cost of owning and managing a large-scale network.”

Broadcom-based switches and Linux-based hypervisors or virtual switches will at first run Switch Light, when it is released later in the year. It will be transferred to other devices later on.

Switch Light platform will also be free when obtained in conjunction with other offerings in the Open SDN Suite, like the Big Network Controller, Big Virtual Switch or the company’s network monitoring application, Big Tap.

Big Switch Networks has become one of the key vendors in the SDN space since being founded in 2010. In February, it was announced that $6.5 million had been gained through an extra round of Series B funding led by Intel Capital, lifting the total of its venture capital to $45 million.

Furthermore, there are also plans to connect with the channel through a formal partner program, which is currently being developed. Harding said: “We haven't launched a partner program in North America just yet, but that's clearly an obvious next step.”

Previously, Big Switch commented that it sought to make 100 percent of its sales via the channel, and had already initiated the recruitment of system integrators and data center infrastructure-focused solution providers in order to create network architecture through the use of Big Switch Networks software. (CY) Link