Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cloud
    • Cloud
    • Networking

    SnapRoute Unveils Cloud-Native Network OS

    Written by

    Jeffrey Burt
    Published February 15, 2019
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      SnapRoute, a 2-year-old startup launched by former Apple engineers and backed by the likes of AT&T and Microsoft, is rolling out a new network operating system that leverages containers and microservices and is designed to integrate into DevOps environments while improving network agility.

      The company this week said its Cloud Native Network Operating System (CN-NOS) will enable enterprises to run networks that can deliver new services and applications quickly and securely as business needs change. It’s an improvement on what SnapRoute officials call traditional monolithic and complex network OSes whose codebases make adapting to changing demands difficult.

      “More and more business value is being delivered via applications as companies strive to improve the customer experience and address increasing competitive pressure,” SnapRoute co-founder Glenn Sullivan told eWEEK. “In response, the way those applications are being built and deployed into the data center has been rapidly evolving to accelerate time to service, enhance security and compliance, and improve operational efficiency.”

      The rigid architecture of legacy network operating systems “creates brittle network environments that are prone to outages, and restrict collaboration between the teams that develop applications (DevOps) and the teams that operate networks (NetOps),” Sullivan said. “This results in significant increases in application time to service, security vulnerabilities, and operational inefficiencies.”

      SnapRoute has been active over the past couple of years in developing an open-source network stack and has worked with AT&T in the telecommunications company’s strategy to develop a software-centric network environment that includes the use of low-cost commodity “white box” switches. It’s part of a larger trend over the past several years toward network virtualization, such as software-defined networking (SDN) and software-defined WAN (SD-WAN), which features the disaggregation of network software from the underlying hardware.

      It has given momentum to white-box switch makers developed by original design manufacturers (ODMs) like Accton, Quanta and Foxconn. At the same time, there has been the rise of companies like Cumulus Networks, Big Switch Networks and Pluribus Network that develop network OSes and software that can run on hardware from multiple vendors. In response to the network virtualization trend, established vendors like Dell EMC, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Cisco Systems have developed switches that can run software from third parties and versions of their own network OSes that can run on other vendors’ systems.

      Despite this evolution, enterprises are still left with operating systems that don’t enable networks to be as agile or adaptable as needed in these more application-centric times, Sullivan said. 

      “With SnapRoute’s microservices, containerized cloud-native architecture and natively embedded Kubernetes, companies have an open, agile network operating system where features can be added and upgraded without impacting the system (bringing value to customers faster), reduced security expose given the ability to patch and surgically replace vulnerabilities in real-time (any-time compliance), and improved policy control and means to limit tedious tasks traditionally needed to support application roll-outs (simplified operations),” he said.

      Sullivan added that “traditional vendors are making strides with making their offerings more open and portable. This, however, only scratches the surface on what is necessary to ease the pain of day 2 operations.”

      With the microservices and container architecture and integrated Kubernetes for container orchestration, SnapRoute’s CN-NOS enables better collaboration between the DevOps groups and teams that operate the networks, which leads to faster time-to-service for applications and quicker response time to new business needs, officials said. Network administrators can add and upgrade features and fix problems in real time and without downtime and can remove unused services, which improve security.

      The capabilities also improve compliance, allow for the use of DevOps tools to automate and control network attributes and make it easier for network operators to support applications as they are rolled out.

      The results are 10 times faster application deployment, a five-times reduction in the ratio of administrator to platform and a 99 percent improvement in the time needed to fix a problem. CN-NOS also eliminates the need for network maintenance windows.

      Initially the network OS will support platforms from Edgecore Networks, though support for other platforms will be added, Sullivan said.

      “SnapRoute is aiming for the cloud service providers and enterprise SaaS [software-as-a-service] players who are looking to deliver accelerated application time-to-service with enhanced security and compliance, and simplified run-time operations,” he said. “Our GA use cases are data center-focused with features and functionality geared toward the top-of-rack and spine/leaf network topologies.”

      Jeffrey Burt
      Jeffrey Burt

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×