Brocade Unveils OpenDaylight SDN Controller Vyatta

Brocade announced an OpenDaylight controller for software defined networking.

Its commercially supported Vyatta controller, based on open source SDN software developed by the Linux Foundation's OpenDaylight project, can be used to manage a wide range of physical and virtual network infrastructure components, such as switches, routers, firewalls, VPNs and load balancers. Deployed as a virtual machine, it supports all major hypervisors and non-Brocade network equipment.

Brocade has gear that supports OpenFlow, an open SDN protocol. While OpenDaylight supports OpenFlow, it is one of several network management protocols it addresses.

Brocade rivals in the data center network market have been working toward similar goals. Cisco's XNC controller supports OpenDaylight, and Juniper submitted OpenDaylight plugin code for its Contrail controller to the open source project in April.

Brocade's OpenDaylight controller includes an open source development platform customers and third-party developers can use to build their own SDN functionality. They can retain rights to whatever they develop.

Brocade expects Vyatta to become available in November, along with its first SDN application, the Path Explorer. The app provides network topology awareness and path optimization.

Brocade's second app for Vyatta will be Volumetric Traffic Management, slate for release early next year. The app is designed to help manage volumetric traffic attacks and legitimate "elephant flows" in data centers.

“The momentum behind the OpenDaylight Project is unlike anything else the networking industry has experienced and that is because the customer demand for an open, software-defined platform is louder than ever before,” said Neela Jacques, executive director of the OpenDaylight Project. “Brocade has been among the most active contributors and the Brocade Vyatta Controller is not only a testament of its commitment to the OpenDaylight Project, but to delivering open networking solutions.”