Open Souce Network Operating Systems

Thu May 3 20:39:19 UTC 2018

Colton,

Maybe it is obvious to some, but I just want to point out that the reason
Cumulus Linux publishes list of supported hardware is kind of two fold:

1st is Linux inherently doesn't program the hardware. So if you install
Ubuntu on some Quanta switch, you still need a way to program the ASIC.
Cumulus Linux is open source with the exception of switchd, which is what
they use to take network state from the kernel and program the silicone
with it. switchd can only program "supported" silicon.

2nd (and I think that applies to any OS, not just a NOS) is that supported
hardware is the one they know how to (or taught linux to) control the LEDs,
the power supplies, the fans, etc. Technically you can run Cumulus Linux on
some unsupported switches, but I would not put that in production.

So if you accept that linux is an OS and it needs drivers to drive the
hardware, you can, hopefully, see that you can't just take any linux distro
and run it on just any switch. You will need drivers that this linux OS can
use to drive the hardware (including the ASIC) that you chose to run this
linux on.

Cumulus Networks does just that. They provide you with the drivers for the
ASIC and environmentals. And since they do it, they list the hardware they
support (aka provided the drivers for).

Hope this helps.
-Andrey.

--Andrey

On Thu, May 3, 2018 at 12:29 AM, Kasper Adel <karim.adel at gmail.com> wrote:

> Feedback about Cumulus has been positive :
>
> https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/msg66192.html
>
> if i am not mistaken, they have added lots of networking enhancements to
> the OS, they have videos on youtube that will paint the picture.
>
>
>
> On Sat, Jan 20, 2018 at 11:26 AM, Colton Conor <colton.conor at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Peter,
> >
> > Thanks for the information. Do you have a recommendation of which
> > distribution of Linux to use for this? Is there one that is more network
> > centric than another?
> >
> > On Sat, Jan 20, 2018 at 1:11 PM, Peter Phaal <peter.phaal at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > On Sat, Jan 20, 2018 at 9:32 AM, Colton Conor <colton.conor at gmail.com>
> > > wrote:
> > >>
> > >> My understanding if Free Range Routing is a package of software that
> > runs
> > >> in linux, but not a full and true NOS right?
> > >>
> > >
> > > Why not consider Linux a NOS? Installing Free Range Routing adds
> control
> > > plane protocols: BGP, OSPF, ISIS, etc.
> > >
> > >
> > >> I looked into Cumulus Linux, but it seems to only run on the supported
> > >> hardware which is while box switches. Can you run Cumulus Linux on a
> X86
> > >> server with intel NICs? Can you run Cumulus on a raspberry pi?
> > >>
> > >
> > > Cumulus Linux is basically Ubuntu with Free Range Routing pre-installed
> > > along with a daemon that offloads forwarding from the Linux kernel to
> an
> > > ASIC. CumulusVX is a free Cumulus Linux virtual machine that is useful
> > for
> > > staging / testing configurations since it has the same behavior as the
> > > hardware switch.
> > >
> > > On X86 servers with Intel NICs, just run Linux. Cumulus Host Pack can
> be
> > > installed to add Free Range Routing and other Cumulus tools on the
> > server.
> > > Alternatively, you can choose any Linux control plane, automation, or
> > > monitoring tools and install them on the hosts and Cumulus Linux
> switches
> > > to unify management and control, e.g. Bird, collectd, telegraf, Puppet,
> > > Chef, Ansible, etc.
> > >
> > > Linux distros (including Ubuntu) are available for non-X86 hardware
> like
> > > Raspberry Pi etc.
> > >
> > >
> > >>
> > >> Ideally I think I am looking to a Linux operating system that can run
> on
> > >> multiple CPU architectures, has device support for Broadcom and other
> > >> Merchant silicon switching and wifi adapters.
> > >
> > >
> > > If you consider Linux as the NOS then it already meets these
> > requirements.
> > >
> >
>