Pica8 asks: why does hardware have to be so hard, especially in managing its relationship to software?
The Palo-Alto, California-based networking company today unveiled its gateway to hardware and software symbiosis appropriately named Threshold — an end-to-end open networking service that takes direct aim at legacy vendors. Pica8 is positioning Threshold to replace proprietary enterprise networks, of any size, with centrally managed, disaggregated white box-based alternatives. And its got its sights set on Cisco.
With the launch of Threshold, Pica8 is claiming a few “firsts” for the industry including: automation software designed for amplified control on open switches; a Linux-based network operating system (NOS) for open networking port aggregation; and a packet steering functionality built on Pica8's integrated Open vSwitch and dual control plane.
Threshold runs on open switch hardware in Dell Technologies’ family of open access and campus switches. The company wants to make automation first available to the enterprise because “automation in the enterprise and in the data center are wildly different animals," said Jeff Paine, vice president of marketing at Pica8.
After three years of research and development Pica8 pooled its various product offerings and bundled them into one package to embark on a vision for open networking in enterprises beyond selling point solutions, Paine explained.
By architecting a complete replacement as an open networking alternative to legacy network vendor lock-in, Pica8’s Threshold offers a centrally managed point, bringing in telemetry for increased control of analytics, visibility, and security, he added.
It can be hard to know when to break up with someone and end a long-term relationship. For some it’s easiest to rip the Band-Aid off in one fell swoop, while others might require a slow but deliberate transition — and the same goes for enterprises trapped in vendor-lock in.
Threshold's backward-compatibility with installed legacy infrastructure can cater to both needs, whether that be a gentle integration or a full replacement.
Pica8's AmpConPica8 describes AmpCon as the “central pillar of Threshold.” Its automation framework deploys, configures, and manages enterprise networks of white box switches by way of zero-touch provisioning via a graphic user interface (GUI) for switch provisioning.
According to Paine, the secret sauce is the inclusion of SDN, Layer 2, and Layer 3 integrated into the system. “No one else does that. Not even Cisco," he said. "So that allows us to control things in a live network using the SDN control plane that you can't do in any other fashion."
By automating the configuration of hundreds of switches, AmpCon can ensure that the correct software version is installed for each switch and provide round-the-clock license management and configuration updates, according to the company.
“It is essentially as easy to use as possible,” Paine said. “We've made it so that even an intern could actually deploy and turn on and configure 1,000 or 2,000 switches at the touch of a button.”
Software FunctionalityPicaPilot, the predecessor to PicaPilotPro that hit the market in May 2018, uses a leaf-spine architecture and can automatically connect multi-vendor white box Ethernet switches and run them as if they were a single logical switch. It also runs on a single IP address for a simplified deployment and management process compared with legacy switch stacks and chassis switches, according to the company.
PicaPilotPro uses open networking to solve issues in the port aggregation areas of the network, such as switch stacks in a wiring closet, intermediate distribution frames, and large chassis switches with an automation framework.
Threshold’s architecture also includes CrossFlow, an open intent-based networking functionality that can simultaneously run an open flow SDN control plane with Layer 2 and Layer 3 support on every port in the network.
In what Paine called “tactically applied SDN,” CrossFlow creates a separate security control plane that redirects data to an analytics tool, sandbox, or a security platform to respond to threats without the need to touch access control lists.
Sled, This One's For YouThreshold is being targeted to government agencies and educational institutions that typically house a disproportionate number of IT professionals to the hundreds or thousands of sites or switches that require management. Those agencies in particular need an automation framework before they can even consider the idea of doing an open network alternative to their existing legacy equipment, Paine said.
Officials in Hoover, Alabama recently ended the city's long-term relationship with Cisco for Pica8. The city says it cut costs, reduced complexities, and improved network performance by implementing Pica8’s PICOS NOS running on open Edgecore Network switches in nine buildings, including two data centers.
“The combination of the Pica8 PICOS NOS and Edgecore hardware enabled us to achieve that goal. It gives us a real future-proofed network – something that legacy networking vendors seem to shy away from,” said Jason Cope, director of technology for Hoover, a city of 85,000 located outside Birmingham.
Cisco, Are You Listening?Prior to that deployment it wasn't possible for an organization to completely replace Cisco or Juniper Networks' equipment because it still had to contend with legacy switches, according to Paine.
Pica8 isn’t shying away from aiming its sights directly at Cisco, which is historically the largest legacy vendor in the market. And Pica8 plans on hitting Cisco where it hurts most: its bottom line. In a 100 switch deployment, Pica8's pricing is roughly 98.5% lower than Cisco's, according to Paine.
“We decided to get very radical and say, 'we're just going to make this so painful not to do or at least not look at it,'" Paine said. "We're pricing this at $10 per switch per year."