Asterfusion SONiC

Network Operating System

Open Source
Production-ready
Easy to Use 

Asterfusion Enterprise SONiC Distribution

  • A ready-to-use Enterprise SONiC Distribution for both campus and data centers
  • One stop support for full software stack plus hardware
  • A feature rich SONiC software support multiple merchant switching silicon platforms

Why SONiC Network Operating System?

SONiC (Software for Open Networking in the Cloud) is a free and open network operating system based on Linux and developed by Microsoft which nowadays has attracted a large number of industrial chain partners, forming a comprehensive SONiC ecosystem.

  • Containerization
    The container-based architecture enables users’ containers (applications) such as SNMP, to be upgraded without data plane downtime.
  • Portability
    Switch Abstract Interface (SAI) allows ASICs from different ASIC vendors to support SONiC. 
  • Scalability ​
    Enterprise users can easily insert new components, third-party, proprietary or open-source software, and customize SONiC according to their needs.
  • Visibility
    Open Source-Oriented Network Operating System with Visible Source Code and No Security Vulnerabilities.

Why Asterfusion Enterprise SONiC NOS – AsterNOS ?

Asterfusion has officially joined the SONiC community at 2017, becoming one of the earliest cloud network companies to take part in the SONiC community. Upholding the soul of open-source and openness, Asterfusion proactively contributes to the community by providing an industry-ready Enterprise SONiC on a full range of SONiC-based white box switches. Compared to the community version, the commercial SONiC-based AsterNOS offers more comprehensive features and user-friendliness. At the same time, Asterfusion can flexibly customize and develop the required software functions for our customers.
  • Asterfusion delivers a all-in-one turnkey solution by offering an extensive selection of SONiC-based open networking switches, ranging from 1G to 400G. These switches boast more advanced features compared to the community version, without worrying about compatibility and interoperability issues.

  • With our faster response times, AsterNOS releases new versions quarterly, outpacing the community version’s biannual updates.Meantime,Asterfusion can flexibly customize and develop the required software functions for customers.

  • Asterfsuion SONiC OS operates flawlessly on Marvell Prestera, Teralynx, Intel Tofino, and Nvidia platforms. This highlights our value in assisting those who wish to utilize innovative features on modern switch chips beyond Broadcom.

  • Embracing ARM architecture is a key technical milestone for Asterfusion. As a growing number of applications adopt ARM, we strive to fulfill the diverse performance, power consumption, and pricing needs of users. Tailored for optimization, AsterNOS now runs smoothly on entry-level ARM cores like A53.

  • Asterfusion SONiC OS prioritize an exceptional user experience by providing Klish CLI, REST API, and a unified operation style across various ASIC vendors – all while enjoying stable performance at cost-effective rates.

Based on
Standard Linux SONiC and SAI

Based on
Standard Linux SONiC and SAI

SONiC and its associated SAI (Switch Abstraction Interface) are open source projects that have flourished in open cloud networking field in recent years. They are built on top of standard Linux systems and leverage the latest technologies such as containers and in-memory database.

AsterNOS built with SONiC as its kernel benefits from its open architecture, modular design, high reliability, and flexibility to expand new features in control plane.

Programmable Interface

Programmable interface

AsterNOS provide RESTful API as first order management interface for all its functionalities as well as legacy CLI interface. By using the RESTful API, the switch systems can be fully controlled and managed by northbound controllers or any newly developed applications.

Cloud Integration

Cloud Integration

When deploy switches with AsterNOS alongside Asteria Network Controller (AFC), cloud administrators can centralized manage and control all the switch units in the Leaf-Spine topology as a single virtual switch.

When using standalone, AFC provides AsterNOS zero touch deployment, network topology discovery, one-click underlay and overlay service configuration, trouble shooting, and etc.

When integration with cloud controller, AFC works as OpenStack neutron plugin so that OpenStack compatible management stack will manage all the switches in the same context as computing and storage being managed.

Underlay & Overlay Features

Underlay & Overlay Features

Asterfusion SONiC NOS support EVPN-Mutihoming,EVPN-VXLAN

  • AsterNOS supports L2 and L3 switching, multiple routing protocols, MC-LAG and virtualisation functions, advanced QOS, etc.
  • AsterNOS implements EVPN-VXLAN, which expands the potential number of Layer 2 domains and realizes services such as multi-tenant hosting and virtual machine migration.
  • AsterNOS implements EVPN Multihoming on the CX-N series, allowing users to connect to the data centre network using multiple physical links from different switches, improving network performance, simplifying management, and increasing availability and flexibility.

Asterfsuion  SONiC NOS Runs on Reliable and Well-supported Platforms 

Asterfsuion provides reliable and well-supported platforms that are compatible with SONiC. These platforms cover a wide range of bandwidth options, allowing you to choose from different Switch Abstraction Interfaces (SAIs) ranging from 1G to 400G. Whether you require leaf switches or super-spine layer switches, Asterfsuion has you covered with their support for SONiC across the entire spectrum of platform bandwidths.

Falcon

Asterfusion®
CX-M

Spectrum

Mellanox
SN2700/SN3700

Asterfusion Delivers a turnkey SONiC Networks with full series SONiC Open network switches

SONiC Use Case Key Features Speed Model
Campus Leaf Layer

PoE / non-PoE access

Layer-3 capability

Distributed gateway

Access security

MC-LAG

ZTP

1G (PoE / non-PoE)

CX204Y-24GT-M-S

CX204Y-48GT-M-S

CX204Y-24GT-M-SWP2

CX204Y-48GT-M-SWP4

CX206Y-48GT-M-H

CX206Y-48GT-M-HWP4

CX206Y-48GT-M-HWP8

Campus Spine Layer

ZTP

MC-LAG

Built-in OpenWiFi controller

10G/25G

CX206P-24S-M-H

CX206P-48S-M-H

Data Center

CLOS (Leaf-Spine) architecture

VXLAN

BGP-EVPN / EVPN Multi-Homing

MC-LAG

In-band Network Telemetry

25G/100G/200G/400G

CX308P-48Y-N

CX532P-N

CX564P-N

CX664P-N

CX732Q-N

High Performance Computing

Low latency

Converged Enhanced Ethernet

Datacenter QoS

RoCEv2

100G/200G/400G

CX532P-N

CX564P-N

CX664P-N

CX732Q-N

Asterfusion Enterprise SONiC NOS and SONiC-based whitebox switches’ Support and Service

Asterfusion offers excellent service and support to assist customers in adopting both Enterprise SONiC (AsterNOS) and Community SONiC on our 1G-400G switches. With our professional services and support, operators can easily build a SONiC deployment for their applications and take their open networking to the next level. Asterfusion Wuhan’s SONiC expert has organized a dedicated support team to handle customer inquiries and provide assistance.
We have also created a comprehensive Knowledge Base with answers to past questions on open firmware, available for download.

Hardware Support

  • Enjoy 2 years of free hardware maintenance for high quality repairs & reliable spare parts.
  • Benefit from our advance RMA & professional support in spare parts dimensioning.

Software Support

  • Enjoy AsterNOS permanent perpetual license.
  • Recieve 1 year of free feature upgrade support & ongoing software maintenance .
  • Customize features according to customers’needs 

Portability Deployment

  • Experience a seamless transition with our readiness assessment and expert project management.
  • Our team of remote deployment assistants and technical assistants will ensure a smooth deployment.

Asterfusion CX-N Series Ultra-Low Latency Cloud Switch Software Features

Layer-2 features 4k VLANs, VLAN-Based MAC learning, LAG/LACP, MAC dynamic learning, MAC priority, MAC migration, LLDP neighbor discovery and aging, LLDP custom TLV, STP, MSTP, 9K Jumbo frame
Layer-3 features IPv6 NDP, IPv6 ND proxy, Static ARP, Dynamic ARP, Gratuitous ARP, ARP proxy, Routing protocols: OSPF, BGP, MP-BGP, Static routes, 252-path Equal Cost Multipath Routing (ECMP), ECMP elastic hash, DHCPv4/v6, VRF, Uplink and downlink association (monitor-link)
Virtual network VXLAN encapsulate and decapsulate, VXLAN layer-2 forwarding, VXLAN layer-3 gateway, Distributed gateway, ARP suppression, VXLAN L2/L3 tunnel automatically establish, Dynamic virtual network routing, Symmetric IRB, VM migration awareness
High reliability Containerized system, MC-LAG, BFD: BGP association, OSPF association, SLA, Track, ICPM-echo

An article Let You Know about our Enterprise SONiC Distribution “AsterNOS”

Further know about Asterfusion SONiC network Operating System”AsterNOS”​

Frequently Asked Questions

What the feature that Asterfusion SONiC NOS support?

It built on top of standard Linux systems and with SONiC/SAI as its kernel is characterized by fully open structure, completely decoupled hardware and software, loosely unionized software modules, high reliability architecture, and easy functional expansion. It leverages the latest technologies such as containers and in-memory database.

How Asterfusion SONiC NOS is differ from SONiC Community ?

Firstly ,AsterNOS is a commercial SONiC NOS compare to native SONiC , which means  AsterNOS it’s ready to use version for enterprises,especially we have optimized and upgraded network virtualization functions (Overlay Network), such as VXLAN &BGP- EVPN.

How your AsterNOS is differ from other SONiC Software?

AsterNOS work on both Teralynx, Intel Tofino and Marvell. Making SONiC be able to run these switch chips smoothly, which is our value to help people who want to use innovated features on today’s new switch chip other than broadcom.

Is it easy for us to change and use the software functions or to add functions related to the packet control and management function ?

It depends on your application, in general you can easily start from either SDE or SONiC to all the functions about data plane and management plane.

What is the scope of the software source code that can be distributed and the source code that cannot be provided?

SONiC community source code and our patch are available as source code.

Does Asterfusion SONiC NOS support EVPN-VXLAN, Vxlan and MC LAG ?

Yes,Our AsterNOS fully support EVPN-VXLAN, Vxlan and MC LAG

Will you provide source-code access and does there exist a Git repository for AsterNOS?

AsterNOS has quite a lot of enterprise grade features, currently we don’t provide full source code access, but we can provide SONiC community version code with binary only ASIC vendor’s driver. The quality of community may or may not as good as an out-of-box product.

Does AsterNOS can run on other vendor’s hardware?

Our SONiC based AsterNOS can perfect run on our own hardware, in theory it can run on other vendor’s  hardware, there will be a problem on verify the compatibility,we can arrange a meeting call discuss specially. We strongly suggest you to use our own hardware, which supports the best software compatibility, tech support, hardware stability and of course very cost-effective price

Is there any license fee or software support fee that we need to pay for Asterfusion SONiC?

Usually our AsterNOS runs on our own hardware (for Teralynx ,Tofino and Marvell) we provide either bare metal hardware, or hardware with AsterNOS, there is some amount of software cost if you choose H/W and S/W bundle, but this bundle should be more cost effective than today’s White box and NOS from another vendor.

What is the difference SONiC and P4, and also tell us the difference of your NOS and those similar.

SONiC is used in most data center fabric as the basic OS, our software work on both Teralynx ,Tofino Marvell makes SONiC be able to run these switch chips smoothly, which is our value to help people who want to use innovated features on today’s new switch chip other than broadcom.
P4 is another approach for today’s network disaggregation, it has pretty good usability in niche markets like gateway, load balance or NPB, in these market when people also want to be part of cloud eco system, they need a way to combine P4 with SONiC, that’s what we are doing, we help people to implement these applications in SONiC way.

What is your SONiC software upgrade Service Support?

Asterfusion offers a perpetual software license, we will provide bug fixing and security patch all life long.For example, if you buy version 3.1 with the shipment, you will get all the upgrades 3.x  unless there would be an EOL of version 3.x  . Suppose we release 4.0 in the coming 1 year, you can also get free upgrade from 3.1 to 4.0, and get 4.x upgrades in free. 

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Asterfusion Data Technologies Co., Ltd.

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