This is the first in a new series of posts highlighting members of the DENT Project. We begin the series with a spotlight on Amazon Web Services (AWS), as explained by AWS Senior Product Manager Vincent Tong.
Please tell us a little about your organization:
We’re a team in AWS that is responsible for delivering networking services for both internal and external customers. The network services include LAN, Wi-Fi and WAN installation, provisioning, monitoring and remediation.
Why is your organization adopting a Network Operating System (NOS)?
We needed a NOS that we could develop, fix bugs and roll out new releases on for the 48x1G switches, that are part of the Just Walk Out solution. AWS had previously used third party NOS but had issues with the availability and timing of new releases to deliver new features or fix bugs.
Why did you join DENT, and what impact do you think DENT has on Network Operating Systems?
AWS joined DENT because there were no viable open source NOS for Enterprise applications at that time. Today, AWS is deploying DENT at scale in switches, wireless base stations, and entry/exit gates.
What do you see as the top benefits of being part of the DENT community?
Being part of the DENT community has allowed AWS to collaborate with leading silicon vendors, original device manufacturers, software developers, and test vendors to create an ecosystem for Enterprise Edge applications.
What sort of contributions has your team made (or plans to make) to the DENT community?
AWS has taken leadership positions in the DENT Board of Directors, Technical Steering Committee (TSC) and Marketing Committee. In 2023, AWS obtained speaking slots in several conferences in US, Canada and Europe to promote DENT. In addition, AWS has upstreamed test cases and POE code for dentOS.
What sets DENT apart from other industry alliances?
DENT is different from other open source NOS like SONiC because it is focused on Linux. Developers will be able to use the same Linux tools that they normally use to develop and deploy dentOS.
How will DENT help your business?
DENT has helped AWS move quickly to develop new features, fix bugs and roll out new releases with the support of other DENT members. The addition of SAI support within dentOS will allow AWS to widen the range of hardware platforms that can use dentOS.
What advice would you give to someone considering joining DENT?
Participate in the different DENT user group forums (https://lists.dent.dev/g/main) like the TSC, Features working group or Marketing working group to check out DENT at no cost. This will allow you to quickly make an evaluation and decide if DENT is right for you.