Brocade has announced it is taking a leadership position to help define standards to enable scalability and manageability in hyper-scale cloud infrastructures. Brocade has become an initial member of the Open Networking Foundation (ONF), a non-profit organisation dedicated to promoting a new approach to networking called Software-Defined Networking (SDN).
SDN involves several components, one of the most important being standard-based OpenFlow, an emerging standard delivering service providers granular control of their network infrastructures. Brocade will leverage its work in developing OpenFlow across its high-performance service provider portfolio to enable customers to build high-value applications across their networks with greater efficiency and unparalleled simplicity.
Brocade’s goal in working with the Open Networking Foundation is to alleviate the burden of operational complexity for service providers by leveraging OpenFlow to manage and operate their networks.
Brocade has developed an OpenFlow enabled IP/MPLS router as part of its service provider product portfolio for application verification and interoperability testing with its partners and customers. Brocade plans to make additional OpenFlow strategy and product announcements later this year. Brocade will initially focus its efforts on delivering solutions that enable the scalability and manageability required in hyper-scale cloud infrastructures.
“Brocade was one of the first major networking vendors to publicly endorse OpenFlow,” said Ken Cheng, Vice President, Service Provider Products, Brocade. “Our goal is to leverage OpenFlow to build compelling cloud networking solutions for service providers and network operators worldwide, while lowering the cost associated with operating their networks.”