Suite for enterprises who want to modernise and simplify the operations and management of their datacentres at scale
Dell Technologies has released Enterprise SONiC Distribution, a set of supported open source networking solutions.
The suite of networking solutions are designed for enterprises who want to modernise and simplify the operations and management of their datacentres at scale.
Dell Technologies is building off the work Microsoft spearheaded, as part of the Software for Open Networking in the Cloud (SONiC) open source project. The vendor has integrated SONiC “into the DNA” of the Dell EMC PowerSwitch Open Networking hardware.
Tom Burns, senior vice president and general manager, Dell Technologies Integrated Products and Solutions said as organisations increasingly rely on modern hybrid cloud models to do business, the historically monolithic and proprietary approach to networking has created inefficiencies and unneeded complexity.
“While a hybrid cloud approach is critical to [our customer’s] success, they struggle to maintain and scale their networks, and manage them to effectively avoid multiple points of failure,” he said. “By breaking switch software into multiple, containerised components, we are providing enterprises the means to drastically simplify the management of massive and complex networks and increase availability in a cloud model.”
According to Dell there will be “commercial-grade support” for Dell’s Enterprise SONiC Distribution.
Shankar Subramanian general manager networking at Dell Technologies Asia Pacific and Japan told CIO Tech Asia, successful CIOs need to move quickly and with agility.
“According to IDC this thirst for agility is a major driver of the take up of hybrid cloud in the region,” he said. “But without the right infrastructure and network support, the complexity of proprietary systems becomes a constraint.”
By introducing enterprise-level features on popular open source networks, large businesses can move quickly and adapt to customer needs.
“With centralised management, networks can respond with the speed required to run multiple cloud environments,” said Subramanian.
“The past couple of months have shown us what is achievable when businesses embrace agility and are able to move workloads quickly, with minimum business disruption.”
Projects that previously would have taken months or years have been completed in days. This sets a “precedent for how the IT team operates” and provides “CIOs with better access to open source at an enterprise level will help them keep this momentum going”.
“Any sector that is managing workloads through multiple cloud environments including cloud service providers, telcos and large enterprises,” he said.
According to Subramanian the healthcare and financial sectors are increasingly embracing hybrid cloud as they look to build IT environments where they can house data in the most logical place for the requirements of that workload, but fit into an ecosystem that allows innovation to keep pace with business requirements.
“They’re sectors that are creating masses of data, as are the media and entertainment industry, governments and manufacturing, that need a harmonious and manageable network environment to thrive,” he said.
