Open Network Featured Article

Network functions virtualization and software-defined network solutions provider Brain4Net Inc. has announced that its B4N SwitchOS has been certified by the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab. That ensures that x86-based appliances running Brain4Net’s Network OS meet the technical requirements of an OpenFlow-based network.

“As a result of a concentrated effort by the Brain4Net R&D team and our partners from the UNH-IOL (News - Alert), B4N SwitchOS has become the world’s first OpenFlow switch for X86 systems by successfully passing more than 500 extensive tests in accordance to OpenFlow Conformance Testing Program," said Oleg Schapov, CEO of two-year-old Brain4Net.

B4N SwitchOS does high-performance packet processing in virtualized environments as well as on hardware appliances, including ASICs, NPUs, and X86 platforms. It supports all OpenFlow 1.3.4 and other features. And it’s part of Brain4Net’s B4N Service Platform for enterprises and service providers. That platform allows for network orchestration and control of multi-vendor networks.

Brain4Net was at Mobile World Congress (News - Alert) in Shanghai last month talking about agile backhaul networks, which will be required to support new 5G cellular networks. The company’s B4N Carrier Ethernet Transport solution can address that through automation of carrier Ethernet services provisioning, improved time to market, reduced capital expenditures through the use of bare metal switches as opposed to more expensive MPLS routers, and more.

“5G is one of the most discussed telecom trends,” Schapov noted. “Access layer and supporting technologies, such as cloud radio access network, mobile edge computing, etc., engross the attention of international communities. However, the future of mible backhaul and metro networks is also crucial.”

Brain4Net’s solutions support NFV- and SDN-based networks that leverage cloud technology, network disaggregation, and orchestration to allow for a smoother transition to 5G networks.