Juniper adds OpenFlow to its routers

Juniper Networks this week said it is making the source code of its OpenFlow application accessible to developers of applications for its Junos networking operating system software.

Interface that enables software-defined networks

OpenFlow is an interface that enables software-defined networks, in which multivendor switches and routers are programmable through software. OpenFlow provides a layer of abstraction from the physical network to the control element, allowing that network to be configured or manipulated through software, which at the time opens it up to furthermore customization, proponents says.

It's been pitched as a key element to enabling flexibility required in large data centers and in cloud computing environments. Other observers, even though, are hard pressed to find applicability for OpenFlow and SDNs in the enterprise.

How to respond to OpenFlow

uniper rival Cisco is currently considering how to respond to OpenFlow and its momentum. Cisco says it is adding OpenFlow to its Nexus switches; however it's believed that OpenFlow and SDNs may furthermore commoditize network hardware, which would squeeze Cisco's and other vendors' profits on equipment sales and diminish the proprietary value of software.  

The OpenFlow application works with Junos to change the control plane of those switches and routers to create more dynamic network programmability, Juniper says. This will simplify control of network devices and allow more rapid development of applications and capabilities across the network infrastructure, the company says.

Juniper demonstrated the OpenFlow protocol running on its MX 3D edge routers at the Carrier Ethernet World Congress and presented finally week's Open Networking Summit at Stanford University. Juniper is a founding member of the Open Networking Foundation, an organization of users, vendors and service providers evangelizing OpenFlow and SDNs, and plans to participate in this week's Applied OpenFlow Symposium in San Jose.