Dell recently announced an expansion of its Open Networking initiative to include Midokura, a global company focused on network virtualizstion, to complement Dell’s networking and server infrastructure. This agreement includes a joint go-to-market program, validated reference architecture and global reseller agreement.

The announcement offers Midokura’s Enterprise MidoNet software on Dell infrastructure, delivering a network virtualisation overlay for OpenStack that helps enterprise customers and service providers create an agile cloud networking infrastructure based on open technologies. As the industry increasingly moves to disaggregate hardware from software, customers require a variety of open technologies to complete this vision. Dell’s open networking switches and industry-standard x86 servers form the foundation of many modern data centres.

MidoNet is a software-based, highly-distributed network virtualization system that allows service providers and enterprises to build, run and manage virtual networks with increased control and flexibility. Leveraging industry standards and existing infrastructure, MidoNet provides network agility and scalability while helping reduce costs.

Dell and Cumulus Networks announced a partnership in January 2014. Together, they provide customers data centre networking solutions that enable affordable capacity and operational efficiency. Now, with Dell Open Networking switches, the Cumulus Linux operating system and MidoNet, Dell offers comprehensive network virtualization solutions for the software-defined data centre.

As companies of all sizes shift to a software-centric operation, Cumulus Linux plays a critical role as an operating system for open networking – making it simpler and more affordable to build, manage and automate modern data centres.

The Dell, Cumulus Networks and Midokura solution enables a growing number of service providers and enterprise customers to provision scalable virtual networks to connect to physical workloads in a matter of minutes. Midokura MidoNet leverages Dell switches to facilitate network traffic flows from virtual machines to non-virtualised, physical workloads such as high-performance databases, email servers and legacy systems at line rate.

Gartner recently published a paper^* titled, “The Future of Data Centre Network Switches Looks ‘Brite’.” In this research, Gartner introduces the term ‘brite box’ (aka ‘brite label’) switching, which identifies a new form of network switching.

Gartner explains: “Inspired by hyperscale organisations, ‘Type A’ organisations started to express interest in white-box switching technology but were largely turned off by the substantial challenges. As a result, a new style of network switching has emerged, which Gartner is referring to as ‘brite box switching.’ This approach essentially ‘splits the difference’ between traditional and white-box switching.

“Network decision-makers can reduce cost, improve management and enable long-term innovation using ‘brite box’ switches versus traditional switching approaches.”

Dell is driving a new open ecosystem that stimulates innovation with best-of-breed, standards-based network equipment, networking operating systems and network applications to serve customers’ unique business needs.

Benefits and value of the open networking model include:

* Best-of-breed networking for workloads, application and other networking needs including orchestration, automation and monitoring;

* Consistent view across data centre resources with a common deployment and operational model; and

* Rapid standards-based innovation and availability of abundant open source data centre solutions.