Open Networking Foundation Formed
“Stronger definition of network behavior in software is a growing trend, and open interfaces are going to lead to faster innovation,” said Nick McKeown, ONF Board member and professor at Stanford University.
Seeking to accelerate network innovation, Deutsche Telekom, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Verizon, and Yahoo, announce the formation of the Open Networking Foundation (ONF), a nonprofit organization promoting Software-Defined Networking (SDN).
Other members of ONF include Broadcom, Brocade, Ciena, Cisco, Citrix, Dell, Ericsson, Force10, HP, IBM, Juniper Networks, Marvell, NEC, Netgear, NTT, Riverbed Technology and VMware. These companies join the six founding board members to promote the SND approach to networking.
According to ONF faster networking innovation is needed and it believes SDN will enable innovation in all kinds of networks which includes, but not is not necessarily limited to data centers, wide area telecommunication networks, wireless networks, enterprises and more. By using SDN the ONF believes this can be accomplished with what it considers to be simply software changes which should give network owners and operators more and better control over their networks.
A six-year research collaboration between Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley resulted in this SND approach to networking. The main components of SND include a software interface (called OpenFlow) and a set of global management interfaces.
According to ONF one of its goal will be will be to adopt and lead the ongoing development of the OpenFlow standard followed by encouraging greater adoption by its member companies from there, defining global management interfaces will begin after these initial goals have been met.
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.