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Cumulus Networks Simplifies Web-Scale Networking with a Next Gen Network Command Line Utility
[November 17, 2016]

Cumulus Networks Simplifies Web-Scale Networking with a Next Gen Network Command Line Utility


Cumulus Networks®, the leading provider bringing web-scale networking to enterprise cloud, today announced the availability of the Network Command Line Utility (NCLU) to simplify the configuration, troubleshooting, and operation of networking components on a network switch. NCLU is a new and evolved take on the traditional Command Line Interface and eases the transition to web-scale networking for customers with limited Linux experience.

Linux is increasingly becoming the operating system of choice for enterprise data centers because of its interoperability, flexibility, scalability, and the mature community driving innovation around it. Until this point, however, Linux tools for switching and routing lacked a common interface, and the benefits of web-scale approaches to networking -- including increased efficiency, scalability and cost savings -- have seemed beyond the reach of network operators without deep Linux expertise.

NCLU provides a uniform way to access and use existing and future Linux networking tools through a modern and simple to use interface. NCLU grants users one central point from which they can manually drive the system, giving them the ability to run the network in a manner that is familiar to network engineers and apply all the benefits of standardizing on Linux to achieve significant operational efficiency. Moreover, the interface offers embedded help, configuration suggestions and examples that help users translate well-known network commands, making Cumulus® Linux® now accessible to a broader community of network operators.

"The real value of the Cumulus Linux platform lies in the unparalleled flexibility it offers to networking engineers scaling out their architecture," said JR Rivers, CTO and Co-founder, Cumulus Networks. "With web-scale networking gaining mainstream adoption, NCLU will dramatically reduce the learning curve for network engineers, enabling the accelerated adoption of Linux as a networking model."

While it will be familiar to networking professionals used to working with traditional Command Line Interfaces, NCLU offers numerous advantages beyond the norm, including:

  • A modern, non-modal design allows users to aoid getting locked into a shell
  • The ability to interoperate with the standard Linux interface, automation, and the traditional way of accessing underlying files
  • NCLU never leaves bash; for example, you can pipe NCLU output to bash commands
  • Guardrails to prevent typos and mistakes, including context-sensitive prompts, embedded help and examples
  • Support for rollback to previous configurations



Even with NCLU, customers can still rely on doing networking with existing Linux commands to maintain interface coherency across their data center.

"We love the functionality and flexibility of Cumulus Linux but also wanted an interface that allows us to easily configure and manage switches in a familiar realm," said Paul Roberts, Senior Director of Product and Field Operations at Mirantis. "NCLU bridges that gap, while still allowing us to leverage all the benefits of a standardized Linux interface across our infrastructure."


More than 550 organizations of all sizes - from small businesses to the largest web-scale data centers in the world - use Cumulus Linux, the original operating system for Web-Scale Networking, to build affordable, high-capacity networks.

NCLU is targeted for general availability in early December, through the upcoming 3.2 release.

About Cumulus Networks

Cumulus Networks is leading the transformation of bringing web-scale networking to enterprise cloud. As the only systems solution that fully unlocks the vertical network stacks of the modern data center, Cumulus Linux's network switch allows you to affordably build and efficiently operate your network just like the world's largest data centers. By allowing operators to use standard hardware components, Cumulus Networks offers unprecedented operational speed and agility, at the industry's most competitive cost. Cumulus Networks has received venture funding from Andreessen Horowitz, Battery Ventures, Sequoia Capital (News - Alert), Peter Wagner and four of the original VMware founders.

For more information visit cumulusnetworks.com or follow @cumulusnetworks.

CUMULUS, the Cumulus Logo, CUMULUS NETWORKS, and the Rocket Turtle Logo (the "Marks") are trademarks and service marks of Cumulus Networks, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. You are not permitted to use the Marks without the prior written consent of Cumulus Networks.

The registered trademark Linux® is used pursuant to a sublicense from LMI, the exclusive licensee of Linus Torvalds, owner of the mark on a worldwide basis.


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