PLUMgrid Launches Open Networking Suite 2.0 with OpenStack Distributions

PLUMgrid, a provider of virtual network infrastructure for OpenStack clouds has announced the availability of its Open Networking Suite (ONS) version 2.0 with expanded support for OpenStack distributions and network functions.

PLUMgrid ONS for OpenStack is industry’s first software-only virtual networking suite that provides terabits of scale out performance, production-grade resiliency, and secure multi-tenancy for businesses to build agile cloud networks.

A Choice of Leading Distros

As the OpenStack market matures, distributions are rapidly becoming the preferred choice for enterprises. PLUMgrid has partnered with leading OpenStack distributions to ensure choice and compatibility for customers.

In collaboration with Red Hat, PLUMgrid is announcing support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux OpenStack Platform 5 (RHEL-OSP 5) with ONS 2.0. The support ensures compatibility for customers who leverage functions provided by RHEL-OSP5 and ONS 2.0. In addition to Red Hat, PLUMgrid is partnering with Piston, Mirantis, Canonical and Oracle to support ONS for OpenStack cloud implementations.

Designated as OpenStack Compatible

PLUMgrid ONS has also received the OpenStack Compatible designation from the OpenStack Foundation. The OpenStack Compatible designation requires solutions to demonstrate interoperability with recent releases and OpenStack APIs. PLUMgrid’s OpenStack Compatible designation and collaboration with the leading distributions help customers expedite deployment of the virtual network infrastructure in OpenStack clouds.

Simplified Deployment

PLUMgrid introduces the Life Cycle Manager, which streamlines ONS software installation to rapidly deploy OpenStack cloud networks. Embedded in the Life Cycle Manager is a smart installer that automatically detects the OpenStack distribution and selects the appropriate ONS software packages to deploy. The smart installer dramatically reduces the installation effort and time, allowing users to focus on building advanced cloud applications.

With the Life Cycle Manager, PLUMgrid software can be installed in Linux containers (LXC), a lightweight, Linux-based virtualization method that can be rapidly deployed. By leveraging this modern container technology, ONS is able to run on any data center infrastructure without modification or configuration changes.

Greater Virtual Network Functions

ONS 2.0 provides a rich portfolio of virtual network functions including routing, switching with Private VLAN, security policies, NAT, and DHCP. In addition, ONS 2.0 is introducing tech previews for DNS as a service and end to end data encryption.

“OpenStack clouds need robust, scalable, and secure networking technologies that are simple to deploy and operate with key distros in the industry. With ONS 2.0, we are partnering with OpenStack distro leaders and providing a comprehensive set of software based networking capabilities for OpenStack users, without any hardware. Additionally, we now give our customers a dramatically simplified deployment experience, one that supports their choice of distro with the advanced container and security features they need," said, Awais Nemat, co-founder and CEO, PLUMgrid.