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Apr 19

DentOS 3.0 Unveiled: Open Source NOS Powering Distributed Enterprise Edge Brings Network Management, Scalability, and Security via New  Rapid Release Cycle

By Announcements
  • Newest version of DENT, an open source Network Operating System under the Linux Foundation, enables users to securely manage and operate their distributed enterprise edge network deployments 
  • Release implements a new LTS kernel, following kernel upstream best practices
  • DENT 3.0 ushers in the technical community’s move to a rapid innovation/release cycle, enabling earlier access to requested features in a modern DevOps world that includes 802.1x, QoS, IGMP Snooping, and Egress Policing

SAN FRANCISCO, 19 April 2023 —The DENT project, an open source network operating system utilizing the Linux Kernel, Switchdev, and other Linux based projects, today announced the launch of DentOS 3.0, code-named “Cynthia,” a cutting-edge network operating system (NOS) that’s now moved to a more rapid release cycle.  This innovative operating system provides a flexible and customizable platform for network administrators to manage their networks, while also leveraging the power of open source technologies.

DENT provides access to open source- based switches at a lower cost and with more flexibility compared to proprietary switches with locked ecosystems. Network wiring closets in many facilities–including retail stores, warehousing, remote locations, enterprises, and small and mid-sized businesses–are often small, requiring a compact solution for network management. Additionally, staff expertise may be limited, and branch-office switches from leading suppliers can require costly contracts. DENT can be easily deployed on white-box hardware in small spaces, providing an efficient and cost-effective solution for network management. As a result, DENT deployment can significantly enhance network management in a wide range of environments, providing greater efficiency, reliability, and scalability.

DENT 3.0 builds on a solid foundation of fundamental OS features for networking, three years in the making, that include SwitchDev, POE+ and others. 

Specific feature updates in 3.0 include:

  • Traffic Control (TC) Persistence
    • Enables traffic control commands and configuration data across boots simplifies configuration and set up
  • New Kernel 5.15(LTS)
    • Increased security, management with new Kernel software
  • Rapid DevOps, providing early access to:
    •  IEEE 802.1x :security/patches in kernel and Switchdev
    •  QoS: (Mgmt): enables prioritization and optimization of bandwidth usage in remote locations
    • IPv6: for continued expansion and support of more IOT Devices 
    • IGMP Snooping: no router required at enterprise location 
  • Egress Policer

DENT in Deployment

DentOS enables Amazon’s Just Walk Out Technology to connect and manage thousands of devices like cameras, sensors, entry and exit gates, and access points on the network edge. For more information, please see this presentation from ONE Summit 2022, as well as content from the latest DENT Mini-Summit, co-located at ONE Summit.  

“We are pleased to leverage the DENT open-source platforms to power networking infrastructure to enable customers to skip check-out lines with our Just Walk Out Technology,” said Jason Long, head of Networking for Amazon Physical Retail Technology and chairman of the DENT Board. “DENT enabled us to reduce our networking costs by giving us access to open-source switches that allowed Amazon to efficiently deploy new hardware and software whenever we need instead of waiting for a bug fix from a third-party vendor”.

“Adoption and deployment by the world’s largest e-commerce leader with its Just Walk Out Technology is a shining example of the power of open source,” said Arpit Joshipura, general manager, Networking, Edge and IoT, the Linux Foundation. “In just three years, the DENT community created a working platform for disaggregated networks to power multiple device locations at the edge, now used by top retailers to streamline operations. This undertaking is only possible by the power of collaborative open source development.”   

Amazon joins Delta, Edgecore Networks, and Marvell as premiere members of DENT, which is only enabled by important contributions from across the community and wider ecosystem.

To download and start testing DENT 3.0 today, visit: https://github.com/dentproject/dentOS 

To join DENT technical working groups, visit:  https://lists.dent.dev/g/tsc/calendar

Ecosystem Support for DentOS 3.0:

“With its cost-effective cloud managed networking products, Quantum Networks has established itself as a reliable community partner, especially in emerging markets,” said Mukesh Majithia, director (Technical), Quantum Networks, a user of DENT Project. “Our collaboration with the DENT community and Sartura is intended to build a roadmap for market-required features. Being able to provide a quality service to our customers through the use of Open Source technologies is what sets us apart from traditional vendors at a lower price.”

“Having a reliable verification process is paramount in networking, and Delta is proud to support DENT in their vision for OS verification. Investing in open-source hardware is an investment in the industry’s community, and we believe there will be numerous developments in the coming years that push the entire industry forward,” said Charlie Wu, VP of Data Center RBU, Delta Electronics.

“As a key contributing company to the DENT test working group, it is our pleasure to see another successful DENT 3.0 release and the platform becoming a robust network operating system with Amazon’s successful deployment in Just Walk Out Technology,” said Dean Lee, senior director, Cloud Solution Team at Keysight Technologies. “With the growing test coverage in Keysight’s system integration test lab, we are confident that onboarding new users will accelerate resulting in more successful DENT deployments in 2023.”

“By concentrating on switchdev and mainline Linux kernel support, DENT has laid a solid basis for the future of Linux-powered networking. There is no doubt that Linux-based ecosystems are the best choice for any buyer,” said Luka Perkov, CEO, Sartura. “Our efforts in the Upstream Working Group will be aimed at lowering the gap between SAI and mainline Linux as the DENT ecosystem continues to evolve.”

“We are pleased to be part of DENT’s third major release, bringing even more features that enable more streamlined operations across multiple devices at the edge,” said Larry Ho, VP of Software Engineering at Edgecore. “DENT has established a strong foundational platform for Linux and open source based network operations that is only possible via collaborative development.” 

About The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world’s top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and industry adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org.

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

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Media Contact
Jill Lovato
The Linux Foundation
jlovato@linuxfoundation.org 

Apr 18

DENT Network Operating System Collaborates with OCP to Integrate Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI)

By Announcements, News
  • Harmonizing Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI) with the DENT Network Operating System enables hardware and silicon vendors to speed up innovation and interoperability
  • Further collaboration between the Linux Foundation and the Open Compute Project is a testament to the robust partnership across open source software and hardware
  • Along with the existing and planned DENT platforms, adoption of SAI will enable support for the AS4610, AS7326 and similar OCP-recognized switch platforms

PRAGUE, Czech Republic – Open Compute Regional Summit – April 19, 2023 – The Linux Foundation (LF), the nonprofit organization enabling mass innovation through open source, today announced the incorporation of the Open Compute Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI) into the open source DENT Network Operating System (NOS) project. This move marks a milestone in the collaboration between the Linux Foundation and the  Open Compute Project (OCP), aimed at benefiting the entire open-source community by providing a unified and standardized approach to networking across hardware and software.

The DENT project, a Linux-based network operating system (NOS), has been designed to empower disaggregated networking solutions for enterprises and data centers. By incorporating OCP’s SAI, an open-source Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) for network switches, DENT has taken a significant step forward in enabling seamless support for a wide range of Ethernet switch ASICs, thereby expanding its compatibility and fostering greater innovation in the networking space.

Why Incorporate SAI into DENT

The decision to integrate SAI into the DENT NOS was driven by the need to widen standardized interfaces for programming network switch ASICs, enabling hardware vendors to develop and maintain their device drivers independently from the Linux kernel. SAI offers several advantages:

  • Hardware Abstraction: SAI provides a hardware-agnostic API, enabling developers to work on a consistent interface across different switch ASICs, thus reducing development time and effort.
  • Vendor Independence: By separating the switch ASIC drivers from the Linux kernel, SAI enables hardware vendors to maintain their drivers independently, ensuring timely updates and support for the latest hardware features.
  • Ecosystem Support: SAI is backed by a thriving community of developers and vendors, ensuring continuous improvements and ongoing support for new features and hardware platforms.

Collaboration Between the Linux Foundation and OCP

The collaboration between the Linux Foundation and OCP is a testament to the power of open-source collaboration for hardware software co-design. By combining efforts, the organizations aim to:

  • Drive Innovation: By integrating SAI into the DENT NOS, both organizations can leverage their respective strengths to foster innovation in the networking space.
  • Expand Compatibility: With the support of SAI, DENT can now cater to a broader range of network switch hardware, enhancing its adoption and utility.
  • Strengthen Open-Source Networking: By collaborating, the Linux Foundation and OCP can work together to develop open-source solutions that address real-world networking challenges, thus promoting the growth and sustainability of open-source networking.

The Linux Foundation and OCP are committed to empowering the open-source community by delivering cutting-edge technologies and fostering innovation. The integration of SAI into the DENT project is just the beginning of a fruitful partnership that promises to revolutionize the world of networking.

Industry Support

Linux Foundation

“We are excited that Network Operating Systems have evolved significantly from Data Centers to Enterprise Edge,” said Arpit Johipura, general manager, Networking, Edge and IoT, the Linux Foundation. “Harmonizing at the lower layers provides alignment for the entire ecosystem across silicon, hardware, software and more. We’re eager to see what innovations arise from the extended collaboration.” 

Open Compute Project

“Working closely with the Linux Foundation and the extended open ecosystem to integrate SAI across hardware and software is key to enabling faster and more efficient innovation,” said Bijan Nowroozi, Chief Technical Officer (CTO) for the Open Compute Foundation. “Furthering our collaboration with the LF around the  DENT NOS further enables industry-standardization for more agile and scalable solutions.”

Edgecore

“We are glad to see the Linux Foundation collaborating with OCP to help grow the marketplace for DENT switch platforms. Edgecore Networks will be able to promote the open platforms that we have contributed to OCP to a wider market.” said name, title, Edgecore Networks.

Delta Electronics

“This is an exciting development for the industry because enterprise edge customers using DENT now have access to the same platforms that are deployed on a large scale in data centers to gain cost savings,” said Charlie Wu, VP of Data Center RBU, Delta Electronics. “Creating an open source community benefits the entire ecosystem of solutions for both providers and users, and Delta is proud to continue supporting DENT and SAI as we move towards a more collaborative market.”

Wistron 

“This is an exciting opportunity for the DENT ecosystem as developers and vendors have more options as they grow the ecosystem.” said name, title, Wistron. “DENT customers will be able to go to market quicker with the range of SAI platforms that Wistron has contributed to OCP.”

Keysight

“The adoption of SAI by the DENT project benefits the entire ecosystem, expanding the options available to platform developers and system integrators,” said Venkat Pullela, Chief of Technology, Networking at Keysight. “SAI strengthens DENT immediately with an existing and continually growing set of test cases, test frameworks and test equipment. Thanks to SAI, the validation of ASIC performance can be completed much earlier in the cycle before the full NOS stack is available. Keysight is happy to be a part of the DENT community and provide validation tools for new platform onboarding and system verification.”

About The Linux Foundation

The Linux Foundation is the organization of choice for the world’s top developers and companies to build ecosystems that accelerate open technology development and industry adoption. Together with the worldwide open source community, it is solving the hardest technology problems by creating the largest shared technology investment in history. Founded in 2000, The Linux Foundation today provides tools, training and events to scale any open source project, which together deliver an economic impact not achievable by any one company. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org.

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage.

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

About the Open Compute Project Foundation

At the core of the Open Compute Project (OCP) is its Community of hyperscale data center operators, joined by telecom and colocation providers and enterprise IT users, working with vendors to develop open innovations that when embedded in products are deployed from the cloud to the edge. The OCP Foundation is responsible for fostering and serving the OCP Community to meet the market and shape the future, taking hyperscale led innovations to everyone. Meeting the market is accomplished through open designs and best practices, and with data center facility and IT equipment embedding OCP Community-developed innovations for efficiency, at-scale operations and sustainability. Shaping the future includes investing in strategic initiatives that prepare the IT ecosystem for major changes, such as AI & ML, optics, advanced cooling techniques, and composable silicon. Learn more at www.opencompute.org.

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Media Contact
Jill Lovato
The Linux Foundation
jlovato@linuxfoundation.org 

Nov 15

DENT, the Open Source Network Operating System for Distributed Edge, Now Powers AWS Just Walk Out Technology

By Announcements, Blog, News
  • Amazon deploys open source NOS to automate more efficient customer experience with Just Walk Out technology
  • Large-scale deployment by global enterprise commerce leader signals new level of maturity for open source Networking Operating System 
  • Growing ecosystem of members & collaborators across enterprises, silicon vendors, ODMs, OEMs, and System Integrators, demonstrates deployment readiness for disaggregated hardware  

The DENT Project, an open source ecosystem utilizing the Linux Kernel, Switchdev, and other Linux based projects, announced member company Amazon has deployed the DENT operating system (dentOS) as part of its Just Walk Out Technology in third party customer stores worldwide to streamline the customer experience and scale in-store operations. 

The need for retailers to innovate quickly in the pandemic era depends highly on the network to power the in-store components that enable more seamless and touchless experiences, like grab-and-go and electronic shelf labels. The number of devices, such as IP cameras and sensors, needed to enable these features require massive, edge switching and processing. Disaggregated hardware and open-source collaboration is needed to scale and accelerate standardization at the network edge.

DENT provides access to open source based switches at a lower cost and more flexibility compared to proprietary switches with locked ecosystems. DentOS enables the Just Walk Out Technology to connect and manage thousands of devices like cameras, sensors, entry and exit gates, and access points on the network edge.

“Adoption and deployment by the world’s largest e-commerce leader with its Just Walk Out Technology is a shining example of the power of open source,” said Arpit Joshipura, general manager, Networking, Edge and IoT, the Linux Foundation. “In just three years, the DENT community created a working platform for disaggregated networks to power multiple device locations at the edge, now used by top retail giants to streamline operations. This undertaking is only possible by the power of collaborative open source development.”   

“We are pleased to leverage the DENT open-source platforms to power networking infrastructure to enable customers to skip check-out lines with our Just Walk Out Technology,” said Jason Long, Head of Networking for Amazon Physical Retail Technology and Chairman of the DENT Board. “DENT enabled us to reduce our networking costs by giving us access to open-source switches that allowed Amazon to efficiently deploy new hardware and software whenever we need instead of waiting for a bug fix from a third-party vendor”.

“With its cost-effective cloud managed networking products, Quantum Networks has established itself as a reliable partner, especially in emerging markets,” said Mukesh Majithia, Director (Technical), Quantum Networks. “Our collaboration with the DENT community and Sartura is intended to build a roadmap for market-required features. Being able to provide a better service to our customers through the use of Open Source technologies is what sets us apart from traditional vendors at a lower price.”

DENT at ONE Summit

The announcement was shared during the ONE Summit opening keynote address in Seattle, Wash. ONE Summit is the one  industry event that brings together decision makers and implementers for two days of in-depth presentations and interactive conversations around 5G, Access, Edge, Telco, Cloud, Enterprise Networking, and more open source technology developments. 

The DENT community also hosted a collocated workshop to provide details on the NOS’ architecture, use in Distributed Edge scenarios, compatible hardware and how DENT impacts and contributes to the upstream Linux kernel. 

More information about DENT is available at https://dent.dev/. 

Ecosystem Support:

Babtel

“It is imperative that we provide reliable, private, and secure communications to US soldiers and military contractors overseas. Achieving our mission requires agility and resilience.” said Peter Catranis, CTO, Babtel. “With our joint efforts with Sartura, we have been able to leverage leading Open Source software extensively. Today these technologies are being adopted by a variety of industries, which of course benefits everyone.”

Keysight

“Keysight has been involved with DENT since its inception because we are eager to drive the success and adoption of open-source communities,” said Dean Lee, Senior Director, Cloud Solution Unit, Keysight. “We are hosting the community system integration lab which provides multi-vendor interoperability testing to make DENT robust and drive customer POCs successfully. We are delighted to see the fruits of these labors come to fruition through Amazon’s pioneering deployment of DENT components in its retail stores.”

TELUS

“Our collaboration with Sartura around DENT, switchdev, and mainline Linux simplifies our support model for data centers and central offices,” said Paul Arola, Senior Design Specialist, TELUS. “With no reliance on proprietary SDK’s, we can rapidly deploy new software releases, and security patches with an agility that is not possible with traditional switch NOS”.

Sartura

“Sartura is one of the key organizations which has consistently delivered on the promise of a modern disaggregated network infrastructure. By providing professional services, our team empowers our partners and customers to utilize state-of-the-art open source networking technologies,” said Luka Perkov, CEO, Sartura. “We have been devoted to making Linux-based networking technologies more accessible to the broad market, and the market is responding favorably. Those that place a high importance on security, flexibility, and openness have found our efforts particularly appealing. As we move forward, our activities will be directed towards further developing the ecosystem.”

Quantum Networks

“With its cost-effective cloud managed networking products, Quantum Networks has established itself as a reliable partner, especially in emerging markets,” said Mukesh Majithia, Director (Technical), Quantum Networks. “Our collaboration with the DENT community and Sartura is intended to build a roadmap for market-required features. Being able to provide a better service to our customers through the use of Open Source technologies is what sets us apart from traditional vendors at a lower price.”

Mar 08

DENT 2.0, Secure and Scalable Open Source Network Operating System Aimed at Small and Mid-Size Enterprises, Available Now

By Announcements, Blog

Newest version of DENT, a Linux Foundation project, adds secure scaling, PoE control, and traffic policing, being deployed in retail environments in North America and Asia markets

Available for immediate download and testing; new Getting Started documentation available, supported hardware platforms list expanded

SAN FRANCISCO, March 8, 2022 – The DENT Project, an open source network operating system utilizing the Linux Kernel, Switchdev, and other Linux based projects, today announced DENT 2.0 is available for immediate download. The “Beeblebrox” release adds key features utilized by distributed enterprises in retail and remote facilities, providing a secure and scalable Linux-based Network Operating System (NOS) for disaggregated switches adaptable to edge deployment. DENT provides a smaller, more lightweight NOS for use at the small, remote edges of enterprise networks.

DENT 2.0 adds secure scaling with Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) and Network Address Translation (NAT) to support a broader community of enterprise customers. It also adds Power over Ethernet (PoE) control to allow remote switching, monitoring, and shutting down. Connectivity of IoT, Point of Sale (POS), and other devices is highly valuable to retail storefronts, early adopters of DENT. DENT 2.0 also adds traffic policing, helping mitigate attack situations that overload the CPU. 

“DENT has made great strides this past year and with its edge and native Linux approach, with a rich feature set for distributed enterprises like retail or remote facilities. DENT continues to expand into new use cases and welcomes community input with an open technical community, under the Linux Foundation,” said Arpit Joshipura, GM of Networking & Edge at The Linux Foundation.

DENT 2.0 Main Features to enable secure and scalable development

  • Secure scaling with IPv6 and NAT to appeal to a broader community of SME customers
  • PoE control to allow remote switching, monitoring, and shutting down
  • Rate limiting to protect against broadcast storms, creating a stronger OS under erroneous BUM (Broadcast, Unicast, Multicast) traffic

DENT goes beyond the data center to enable enterprises to transition to disaggregated network switches and use cases available with the distributed enterprise and edge networking. The open source NOS provides key technology leverage in retail, a sector that is leading innovation in digital transformation. The Amazon public showcase of DENT hardware at re:Invent in November 2021 reached 20,000+ attendees.

“This new release of DENT 2.0 adds critical updates focused on smaller enterprise needs. This was the goal of DENT all along, and I would like to thank our members and the wider community for this broad, concerted effort to move DENT significantly forward,” said Steven Noble, DENT Technical Steering Committee Chair. “It’s not easy building a flexible, accessible network OS, and this is why I’m proud of all the effort and coordination by so many talented individuals. If you are looking for an open source disaggregated network OS, now is great timing for looking at DENT.”

Retail stores, warehousing, remote locations, enterprise, and Small and Mid-Size Enterprises are all ideal environments for DENT deployment. Wiring closets in many facilities are small. Staff expertise may be limited, and branch-office switches from leading suppliers can require costly contracts. DENT is easily deployed on white-box hardware in small spaces. It can be set up to support dozens of wireless access points and IoT sensors, creating a manageable network to track inventory, monitor shelf real estate, scan customer activity, and perform automated checkouts.

DENT premier members include Amazon, Delta Electronics Inc, Edgecore Networks, and Marvell. DENT would also like to acknowledge important contributions from NVIDIA, Keysight Technologies, and Sartura.

To download and start testing DENT 2.0 today: https://github.com/dentproject/dentOS

To join DENT technical working groups: https://lists.dent.dev/g/tsc/calendar 

Supporting Quotes

“Delta has built complete white box networking platforms based on DENT technology, helping drive a disaggregation model in edge that offers cost and flexibility benefits to customers looking for OEM solutions,” said Charlie Wu, Vice President, Solution Center at Delta Networks. “The deployment of our 1G and 10G Ethernet switch boxes with Marvell’s Prestera devices and the DENT OS in real world applications demonstrates the power of open source to accelerate technology innovation in networking.” 

“Edgecore Networks, as the premier member of DENT, is pleased to see the groundbreaking second release of DENT 2.0, enabling DENT community members to use the DENT’s simplified abstracts, APIs, drivers, to lessen development and deployment overhead,” said Taskin Ucpinar, Senior Director of SW Development at Edgecore Networks. “This innovative product development approach enables the community to build robust solutions with minimal effort and immediately help System Integrators deploy a networking solution to remote campuses and retail stores.”

“As the chairing company for DENT Test Working Group, Keysight has partnered with the open-source community to host the system integration test bed in Keysight labs,” said Dean Lee, Senior Director Cloud Solution Team at Keysight Technologies. “Being a neutral test vendor, we have worked with the community to harden the DENT NOS in multi-vendor interoperability, performance and resiliency. We are delighted to contribute to the success and wide adoption of DENT.

“Marvell is accelerating the build-out of Ethernet switching infrastructure in emerging edge and borderless enterprise applications, and DENT is a key component to our offerings,” said Guy Azrad, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Switch Business Unit at Marvell. “With DENT incorporated on our Prestera® switch platforms, we are currently enabling retailers to transform physical stores to smart retail connected environments that benefit consumers through easy and efficient in-store experiences.”

Additional DENT Resources

About the Linux Foundation

Founded in 2000, the Linux Foundation is supported by more than 1,000 members and is the world’s leading home for collaboration on open source software, open standards, open data, and open hardware. Linux Foundation’s projects are critical to the world’s infrastructure including Linux, Kubernetes, Node.js, and more. The Linux Foundation’s methodology focuses on leveraging best practices and addressing the needs of contributors, users and solution providers to create sustainable models for open collaboration. For more information, please visit us at linuxfoundation.org.

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The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

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