Pica8 Launches Open Data Center Framework

As the Open Networking Summit 2013 gets underway this week in Santa Clara, Pica8 announced its Open Data Center Framework. The framework is designed to provide the essential building blocks toward an eventual transformation to programmable data center networks, including OpenFlow 1.2 and Open vSwitch. Designed for cloud and data center service providers, the framework is an extension of its Open Networking vision, blending the conceptual benefits of the server and conventional networking worlds.

"Server best practices are now also driving initiatives for networks, in particular, simplifying the planning and execution of upgrade processes,” said Seamus Crehan, President of Crehan Research. “Pica8’s framework for a programmable network strives to lay the foundation for an improved way to upgrade network devices, paralleling what is coined a 'rip and replace' model on the server side."

The Pica8 Open Data Center Framework will continue to leverage SDN to develop components needed to manage and provision the network. OpenFlow 1.2 and Open vSwitch bring capabilities such as GRE tunneling for overlays, traffic engineering to optimize network resources and SDN-based network taps for ensuring application flow performance.  Software release 1.7 leverages these resources, and is available immediately on all four of Pica8's 1 GbE and 10 GbE open switches.

“For many, utilizing SDN in their data center represents the future. And the proof in the proverbial pudding will be when managers can centrally define the application flows as needed so that applications run faster and more efficiently,” said Brad Casemore, Research Director, Datacenter Networks at IDC. “Pica8 is seeking to address this challenge, looking to provide IT shops with reduced operating costs while offering network managers greater control and flexibility."