This week’s open-source project of the week is OpenSwitch, which is an open source network operating system (NOS) for disaggregated switches hosted by the Linux Foundation.

The goal of the project is to accelerate the transition to open networking and adoption of disaggregated data center networks. It provides a control plan stack with Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking protocol support. 

“It is not a secret that the current vertically-integrated networking switch models are not perceived as a good fit for web-scale data center needs. OpenSwitch serves as a catalyst for accelerating the move to disaggregated networking switches while enabling developers with the tools they need to break free from the limitations of integrated switches, and take control of their networks to better serve their business needs,” the project’s website states.

Charter contributors to the project include Hewlett Packard, Accton, Broadcom, Intel, Qosmos, and Dell EMC. 

OpenSwitch was first inducted into the LF Networking branch of the Linux Foundation in September 2019, and the project reached maturity in August 2020.