Open Network Featured Article

Open architectures with disaggregated software and hardware makes it possible for organizations to choose with more flexibility when it comes to their IT needs. For Champion ONE (News - Alert), the announcement of its open network Ethernet switches will give its customers the freedom to select the software that best suits their need without being locked into the feature sets of a single vendor with its line of switch hardware. The new switches will deliver high-performance hardware that includes software defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV) functionality with improvement over legacy solutions.

Champion ONE, which calls its self "The Champion of Open Networking," supplies service providers, enterprises, healthcare, education and governments with open standards-based, carrier-grade network solutions. It manufactures transceivers, optical filters and switches that have been optimized to be used with leading OEM platforms to speed up the deployment of the technology and lower provision costs.

The new Open Ethernet switches will give organizations increased flexibility when it comes to choosing the combination of switch hardware and software that best suits their deployment. The open standards makes it possible to interoperate with legacy equipment and seamlessly integrate into existing infrastructure. On the software side, Champion ONE has partnered with IP Infusion (News - Alert), Pica8, Cumulus Networks and others to provide more operating systems for the different network topologies service providers or data centers employ.

The switches offer full L2/L3 line-rate switching at data rates of 1G, 10G and 40G, with 100G switches planned for mid-2017 in both copper and optical with up to 54 ports. They use Broadcom (News - Alert) chipsets supporting large routing tables, fast forwarding rates and superior switching capacities.

Champion ONE CEO John Jutila, said, "Our new line of switches supports both goals. Pairing open network hardware with interoperable software choices reduce capital costs, and their capability to interact with a SDN/NFV environment anticipates future needs."

The 10G Open Network Switches are available in 52 and 54 port configuration to provide full line-rate switching at Layer 2 or Layer 3 across 48 or 10GbE ports and 4 or 40GbE uplinks. Some of the other key features include: support for hot/cold aisle with port-to-power and power-to-port airflow SKUs; hot-swappable, load-sharing, redundant AC PSUs or -48VDC PSUs or 12VDC power input; hardware switch pre-loaded with Open Network Install Environment (ONIE) for automated loading of compatible independent SwitchOS software; a compact 1RU enclosure; and more.

Next generation architectures require switching and routing technology that can improve the efficiency and capability of the infrastructure operators have in place while reducing capital and operational expenditures. By using open standards-based networking technology in its next-generation switching and routing solutions, Champion ONE can address these challenges.