Since its inception in 2016, hyperscalers have leveraged Software for Open Networking in the Cloud, more commonly known as SONiC, to bring innovation and agility to the management and control of their networks. For non-hyperscale organizations, accessing the benefits of SONiC has not been an easy task. Now, however, thanks to the efforts of Aviz Networks, enterprises around the globe can tap into the power of SONiC.
Aviz Networks is leading the charge for widespread SONiC adoption by enabling deployments in datacenter and edge networks. It is accomplishing this by delivering platform and ASIC-agnostic, easy-to-use applications for network observability, orchestration, and assurance. Its goal is to ensure SONiC becomes a ubiquitous, accessible, and intelligent network operating system for every stakeholder.
Appreciating the power of SONiC
SONiC was born out of a quest for innovation, efficiency, and reliability. Microsoft began its development in 2015 as it saw technology in the cloud evolving. To keep its Azure platform competitive, Microsoft knew it needed something that would make supporting and expanding the platform seamless and secure - SONiC was that innovation.
The key to SONiC's effectiveness, according to Aviz Networks CEO and co-founder Vishal Shukla, is the control that it provides to users on their network software layer, which drives faster innovation and deployment. In addition, the capability that SONiC brings for standardizing network software gives users control of their infrastructure, which increases flexibility and lowers costs.
"SONiC brings three C's for customers," explains Vishal. "Control for their network operating system, which generates choices. And more choices generate cost savings."
Advancing SONiC adoption
Aviz launched in 2019 with a group of SONiC evangelists. It was bootstrapped from the founder's garage and grew along with the SONiC community. During its first few months, the company focused on understanding the SONiC community mindset, the strategy that networking vendors' had for SONiC, and customer traction, along with their barriers to entry.
One of the important observations made by Vishal as the company grew was that it had to embrace the whole networking ecosystem. Any product Aviz developed would need to be comprehensive and inclusive of all networking ecosystems. At the same time, it would need to remain 100 percent neutral in terms of partnerships.
In 2022, the company got funded and that put Aviz among the coveted 1% of startups that find success, which is a huge achievement according to Newchip CEO Andrew Ryan. In the same year, it created an end-to-end software networking stack for SONiC and other networking operating systems that is extensible for public and hybrid cloud networks use cases. It is committed to leveraging its technology stack to lead the SONiC transition for private and edge cloud.
Bringing SONiC to the masses
The product stack that Aviz has developed includes three products: Open Networking Enterprise Suite (ONES), Open Packet Broker (OPB), and Fabric Test Automation Suite (FTAS). These products are designed to enable organizations to transition seamlessly to SONiC. They provide the tools needed to evaluate the right solution for each use case, deploy the solution, and manage it with 24/7 expert vendor-neutral support.
ONES is a network management and support solution that Aviz developed to give organizations the tools they need to address the unique challenges associated with transitioning to SONiC. Its modular design allows it to address multiple use cases, ranging from orchestration to visibility and support. With ONES, organizations have a tool for configuring, monitoring, and acting on what matters most for smooth network operations.
Taking steps to ensure accessibility
As with any new technology, advocates are needed if wide-scale adoption of SONiC is to be achieved. Aviz is filling that role. It knows that large companies have the resources to hire big teams and develop their own tools.
Smaller companies, however, need the type of resources that Aviz provides. Bringing SONiC to the masses is central to its mission.
Some of the steps that Aviz is taking to ensure SONiC accessibility include:
Embracing the existing ecosystem as-is for ASIC, switch, and network operating system vendors so customers can deploy SONiC within their existing infrastructure. Aviz's signed partnership with the ecosystem is the first of its kind in the networking industry.
Providing an end-to-end networking stack that is open for integration with existing app vendors, including those focused on private, hybrid, and public clouds, so customers have maximum flexibility and minimal lock-in.
Providing productized support, which provides cost-effective enterprise support in the most neutral manner.
Committing to the ongoing development of the SONiC ecosystem. With every client Aviz Networks assists, it gains more experience that can be leveraged to develop more in-depth deployment strategies and more mature products capable of a wider degree of use cases.
Building a system that benefits all
Vishal and the Aviz team have learned many lessons as they have sought to achieve widespread acceptance for SONiC. One of the most important, according to Vishal, has been how challenging it is to advance a cause that is both comprehensive and inclusive.
Many entrepreneurial efforts often face challenges of this magnitude, but the most important thing is to remember that there is no shortcut to success. In a conversation with the Los Angeles Tribune, tech entrepreneur and founder of Branch Metrics, Inc., Michael Molinet says that discipline is an essential quality for those who want to succeed.
Luckily for Aviz, they are up for any challenge that the company faces. As Vishal says, in order to advance this kind of cause, you must align many diverse views. However, Aviz is making significant progress in this area by staying focused on building a system that will benefit everyone.
"If you present an opportunity where the whole ecosystem will benefit, the alignment happens ASAP," says Vishal.
