The second largest mobile operator in the US, AT&T has partnered with Barefoot Networks and SnapRoute to enable deep visibility into its production network using Tofino switch and In-band Network Telemetry (INT).
The Operator has installed Tofino-based white boxes running SnapRoute’s FlexSwitch Network Operating System (NOS) in parts of its existing MPLS-based networks to trial instantaneous visibility into packets' path and latency.
At the same time, Barefoot has also collaborated with Intel to create a new reference platform using the 6.5Tb/s Tofino based Wedge 100B switches and Intel Silicon Photonics CWDM4 and PSM4 100G optical modules. The reference platform, available today, is a validated solution for reliable and efficient transport of multiple terabits of traffic, allowing data center operators to easily upgrade to more than double the bandwidth of their existing networking equipment, said the company.
Announced in June 2016, Barefoot Networks' Tofino Ethernet switch ASICs and Capilano SDE remove the last barrier to full network programmability by opening the forwarding plane, enabling full and granular control of the networking stack down to the packets flowing on the wire, said Barefoot. Its first Tofino chips were delivered to customers in Q4 2016 and the company continues to add industry leaders to its growing network of partners.
Craig Barratt, CEO of Barefoot Networks
Barefoot is leading the way into the future of networking by delivering programmability and performance without compromise to the users of its trailblazing technology. Barefoot's Tofino programmable switch delivers precise and real-time network telemetry information needed to detect and correct problems in the fastest networks, right down to the nanosecond.
Alexis Bjorlin, VP Data Center Group & GM Connectivity Group, Intel
Barefoot's fully programmable 6.5 Tb/s Tofino-based Wedge 100B switch, together with our high-volume 100G silicon photonics optical modules, gives network operators and cloud service providers the ability to upgrade their existing equipment and benefit from the high bandwidth and advanced telemetry provided by this solution.
