Cumulus Networks unveils its 4th-generation of open, modern network software

New Features and Benefits

As a result of nearly 10 years of focused development, Cumulus Linux 4.0 is the most reliable and performant version ever. With this fourth-generation release, Cumulus will continue to enable customers to meet modern network challenges with the best networking software designed to run and operate today’s data center and campus environments.

Cumulus Linux 4.0 includes:

·         Support for the widest range of hardware platforms: 134 platforms across 14 ASICs.

·         Newly added support for Mellanox’s Spectrum-2 chipset for faster performance, Broadcom’s Qumran chipset for deep buffering at the top of rack, Facebook’s Minipack-- an open, modular chassis with a single 12.8TB chip, and additional campus networking platforms with Dell.

·         Migration to the latest, and most advanced, Linux kernel for greater route scale, the latest security updates, and thousands of contributions from the broader Linux community.

·         Support for SwitchDev, an open source in-kernel abstraction model, providing a standardized way to program switch ASICs and speed development time.

·         Enhancements to our EVPN implementation (EVPN-PIM and EVPN multi-homing) for Layer 2/Layer3 connectivity, making it the simplest, most scalable, and easiest to configure EVPN solution.

·         Comprehensive end-to-end automation for CI/CD workflows including simulation, validation, troubleshooting and NetDevOps practices such as Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC).

·         The ability to build a single fabric across data center and campus environments enabling a common operational model.

Cumulus NetQ 2.4 provides a faster way to validate the root cause of network issues across data center and campus fabrics, utilizing real-time telemetry data. Updates include:

·         Additional deployment models, including an as-a-service cloud-delivery option.

·         Integration with Mellanox’s What Just Happened (WJH) feature for deeper visibility at the packet layer.

·         Increased validation capabilities, including closed loop verification of automated configurations.

“With nearly 10 years of development, we remain singularly focused on making networking open and standardized. Cumulus Linux 4.0 is the most reliable, robust, and performant open network operating system for over 2,000 companies like JPMC, PayPal and Qualcomm,” said Josh Leslie, CEO of Cumulus Networks. "We’ve extended our open source leadership in networking and made cutting-edge enhancements that span the latest in L2/L3 connectivity, NetDevOps, visibility, troubleshooting, and support for the widest range of hardware platforms.”

“We’ve worked closely with Cumulus Networks over the years to expand our integration and help customers tackle modern networking challenges, so Spectrum-2 and WJH with the new Cumulus Linux and NetQ releases is a natural extension of our partnership,” said Amit Katz, VP of Ethernet Switches at Mellanox. “As our joint customers take advantage of artificial intelligence, edge computing, and the IoT and other emerging technologies, we’ll continue to provide them with the most efficient tools to run and operate modern data center networks.”

“Nearly five years ago, we introduced the concept of open networking by working with Cumulus to be the first mainstream switch vendor that allowed third-party operating systems,” said Drew Schulke, vice president, Dell EMC Networking. “The new Cumulus enhancements boost the ecosystem that helps customers build the open, modern and scalable networks they need.”