I'm on a consulting engagement with a new client whose network infrastructure is comprised of slightly non-standard equipment.
During discovery, I inquired about the switching equipment and network topology. I was surprised to find that the main switches were running Debian, in the form of Cumulus Linux, atop Whitebox switch hardware (Edge-Core AS5610-52X).
The infrastructure is relatively small, but needs to run some critical public-facing applications and will also be moving to a VMware vSphere virtualization solution.
I'm in the picture because the environment hasn't been documented by its previous on-staff sysadmins. I'm working on my list of recommendations/risks, and I can't shake the feeling that the Cumulus Linux and Whitebox switch combination isn't a good idea. Granted, I come from a Cisco/HP/Arista background, but is it reasonable to suggest that the relatively low mindshare and vendor presence is a potential operational risk?
Is the Open Network Install Environment (ONIE) really gaining traction in the Network Engineering space? Is it the best choice for an environment that doesn't have the staff with the knowledge to maintain it?
I'd appreciate any thoughts on this.
Best Answer
This is always an issue. Products from a small vendor could (and more often than not, do) end up abandoned. As long as they continue to function, there's little to worry about. But when they break, there's nowhere to go but somewhere else.
Not in any professional spaces that I'm aware of. HP has "OpenFlow" SDN hardware, but it's all HP software, backed by HP.
That's a universal NO. It's never wise to bank on hardware/software no one in the organization understands. Being able to "bring someone in" may sound like an option, but there's a good chance you'll be calling them more than you think. (I've been on both sides of that coin.)