As they say, when you build a hammer, everything looks like a nail. For IP Infusion, which provides a networking software stack to networking OEMs, that means the future of networking is…software. That’s the story the vendor is telling today as it rolls out a new release of its ZebOS platform (v7.9), with new capabilities targeting carrier hot-button areas including data center networking, mobile back-haul and carrier Ethernet.
IP Infusion sells its software to system, silicon and software partners, which then drive those new capabilities into carrier networks. Highlighted in today’s release:
Data Center: Overall goal is accelerating the transition from Fibre Channel to Fibre Channel over Ethernet, as well as the inclusion of TRILL (Transparent Interconnect of Lots of Links).
Mobile Backhaul: Includes support for Mobile Backhaul Implementation Agreement for Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF)—MBH IA as well as IEEE 1588v2 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) support, key upgrades to carrier mobile backhaul capabilities.
Carrier Ethernet: Implementation of MEF 13 and MEF 20 specifications, as well as support for MPLS-TP for packet-based transport networks.
Network silicon and system vendors must weigh the cost and time-to-market differences in writing new software versus turning to a partner like IP Infusion, said Sandra Orlando, vice president of marketing for IP Infusion, in an interview. At a time like the present, when network and service needs are evolving rapidly, such decisions become even more mission-critical.
“When it’s a very new capability, something like TRILL, that’s still in the draft stage, we can help [an OEM] get to market quickly without forcing them to dive down deep into specs,” she said. “It really depends on the stage the customer is in.”
We @Cisco have to really watch out.