Arista Extends Open Cloud Networking Software Leadership

Arista Networks has strengthened its commitment to open network software with the introduction of Arista switches Powered by SONiC (Software for Open Networking in the Cloud). Enabled by a new Arista SAI (Switch Abstraction Interface) offering, customers now have the flexibility to deploy SONiC software on Arista switching platforms, combining the benefits of open source software with Arista EOS for open, high performance, highly available networks.

Arista’s SAI layer allows SONiC to run on Arista switches, leveraging Arista’s advanced hardware design and platform drivers. SONiC is an open source network operating system that runs on multiple hardware platforms and was developed initially by Microsoft for the Azure cloud platform.

Key benefits of Arista SAI include:

• Choice of high performance platforms from Arista’s market leading data center portfolio for leaf and spine networks
• Lower opex by leveraging DevOps tools for consistent automation for compute and networking deployments
• Native streaming of deep platform telemetry with OpenConfig APIs
• High scale and extensive debugging capabilities leveraging from cloud deployment experience
• 24×7 global customer support from Arista world-class services organization for SAI and platform related issues for a positive end-user experience

Distribution of Arista switches Powered by SONiC will be available as a network operating system in addition to Arista’s standard EOS offering. Customers have the option of choosing between Arista EOS and Arista SAI with SONiC software on these systems, and as an added benefit, Arista platforms running SAI can be easily migrated to EOS, providing a flexible path to the mainstream, feature-rich EOS software for broader network roles.

Read the full Press Release here or contact your local Exclusive Networks Account Manager to learn more about Arista Open Networking, including Arista switches Powered by SONiC.