FAQ PAGE

What is SONiC and what benefits does it offer?

SONiC is an innovative open-source network operating system (NOS) for the cloud pioneered by Microsoft. It contributed to the Open Source community within the Open Compute Project (OCP) hosted under the Linux Foundation. SONiC is based on a containerized architecture with independent containers. It is easy to use, can be easily upgraded, and enables quick adoption of specialized applications. SONiC is also a reliable, scalable, and highly programmable NOS that has been testing in one of the world’s largest cloud networks, including more than 40,000 nodes at Microsoft.

What is Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies?

Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies is a hardened, validated, and supported version of SONiC with additional features, enhancements, and support tailored to the needs of enterprise customers. Dell Enterprise SONiC is validated and tested for customer use cases to ensure that it meets the performance, reliability, and security requirements of enterprise networks. Dell Enterprise SONiC allows the user to integrate applications and features further to support the ecosystem and partners.

With Dell Technologies, customers gain the advantages of a highly scalable, cloud-ready data center network fabric that leverages a real-world tested SONiC OS and adds enterprise-level support from a global organization that aligns with the unique needs of customers’ network environment. As a leader in open networking, Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies integrates Linux-based, open-source SONiC with full life-cycle service and support of the OS, a focused roadmap of features and enhancements, and a growing set of validated use cases, to meet the needs of large enterprises, telcos, cloud service providers and retailers.

To address common Cloud scenarios and meet enterprise customer needs, Dell Technologies offers three bundles: Cloud, Enterprise, and Edge.

Cloud bundle: Contains features such as BGP, OSPF, ECMP, WRED, COPP, BFD, VRF, LAG, LLDP, ACL, VRRP, PBR, UFD, NAT, ZTP, and the Management Framework.
Enterprise bundle: All Cloud features, plus VXLAN, EVPN, MC-LAG, xSTP, and Multicast.
Edge bundle:
- Management Plane: Same as Cloud, except Telemetry.
- Control Plane: BGP, OSPF, ECMP, WRED, COPP, BFD, VRF, LAG, LLDP, ACL, Guest/Private/Critical/Voice VLAN MSTP, LLDP-MED, Port security 802.1X POE, POE+, UPOE, VXLAN, EVPN, EVPN DCI.

What problems can Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies solve?

Large-scale implementations of SONiC include companies like Microsoft, LinkedIn, Alibaba, and Tencent. Each of these companies runs global hyperscale web environments that require many resources to operate and maintain. While the containerized architecture of SONiC provides great flexibility to customize components, traditional enterprise customers often do not have a similar depth of staffing and level of expertise to operate and support such a complex infrastructure.

Network disaggregation through Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies helps enterprises adopt hyperscale network innovations on their terms. Dell Technologies customers can now have the best of both worlds: the agility, flexibility, and openness of a scalable, open-source NOS based on containerization, combined with full platform integration, certified hardware, and trusted service and support from the recognized leader in open networking solutions. Dell Enterprise SONiC includes capabilities that make the management of large-scale networks easier by connecting not only data center (DC) to DC, but also out to the Edge, which is for enterprises using Dell Enterprise SONiC.

What is the difference between Open Source SONiC and Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies?

The goal of Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies is to maintain the open-source spirit of SONiC. Most of the development for Dell Enterprise SONiC will be contributed to the community. However, there are three distinctive areas for Enterprise SONiC Distribution unique to Dell Technologies:

Dell Technologies provides 24x7 global support for Dell Enterprise SONiC with highly trained experts who can provide technical assistance and troubleshooting for hardware and software issues.
Dell Technologies invests heavily in research and development to create new features, improve performance, and ensure the stability and reliability of Dell Enterprise SONiC with validated use-cases.
Dell Technologies is building an ecosystem of partners for lifecycle management by fostering strategic alliances with technology partners to deliver comprehensive solutions that cover the entire lifecycle, from deployment to support.

Customers can rely on the community to get help, although it is best effort.

Customers who require an SLA can purchase Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies.

What type of deployment services does Dell Technologies provide with Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies?

Dell Technologies provides multiple deployment offers for customers:

ProDeploy Plus Onsite deployment with CLI-based configuration of Layer-2/Layer-3, including advanced BGP EVPN routing protocol, Multi-Vendor Integration Testing, and training credits.
ProDeploy Dell Technologies partner installs the device and Dell experts perform remote CLI-based configuration of Layer-2/Layer-3. (Add four hours of ADT per switch if BGP EVPN is required.)
ProDeploy Remote Every task is completed in ProDeploy, but customers install device and Dell Technologies configures remotely.
Basic Development Dell Technologies installs the hardware, connects cables, and boots firmware. This option is ideal for customers who want to configure the environment themselves or if customers want to use a third-party operating system (not Dell Enterprise SONiC).
Custom ProDeploy This includes advanced automation services requiring Ansible or Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP), software configuration for any third-party solutions like Apstra or Augtera, excessive cabling reorganization inside or outside of rack, or holistic consulting heavily focused on data center redesign and Dev/Ops with implementation. Dell Technologies can provide these services, but a custom service engagement is required.

What type of service and support will Dell Technologies provide with Dell Enterprise SONiC?

Dell Technologies will provide complete, global, 24x7 support with Dell Enterprise SONiC.

ProSupport, ProSupport Plus, and ProSupport One are available to customers for comprehensive coverage.

To receive support and on-going software updates, customers must have a valid license for their Dell Enterprise SONiC and an active ProSupport level contract on their hardware and software.

For open hardware, Dell Technologies will provide software support only.

What are the key features and benefits of Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies?

Key Feature	Benefits
Based on Open Source SONiC	Full suite of network functionality that has been production-hardened in large cloud service providers, including Microsoft and LinkedIn Leverages the collective strength of a large ecosystem and community of contributors
SONiC container-based architecture	Enables fine-grained failure recovery and in-service upgrades Extremely extensible for simplicity and managing at scale
Integration with Dell PowerSwitch Z and S series platforms	Industry-leading, open networking switching platforms supporting ONIE and proven in some of the largest web/service provider leaf-spine fabric networks
Integrated enterprise and cloud data center feature set	Layer 2 and Layer 3 protocols including BGP, OSPF, VRRP, BFD, VRF- Lite, NAT, QoS, ZTP, VxLAN EVPN, MLAG and IPv4/IPv6 Advanced features including an alert framework and streaming
Centralized management	A new centralized, intuitive, and holistic CLI framework to support both existing and new functionality Programmatic northbound interfaces including REST and gNMI
Complete testing and validation	Enterprise-class tested and validated across hardware and software Integration with a growing ecosystem of third-party partner management applications
Dell Technologies Global Support and Services	Global enterprise-class support with a choice of services (including four-hour response) that aligns with your unique needs and environment Around-the-clock, consistent, single-source support offered in 165 countries with more than 60,000 Dell Technologies and partner professionals

Is NVMe/TCP supported with Dell Enterprise SONiC?

Yes, Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies supports NVMe-over-TCP by using SmartFabric Storage Software (SFSS) with its endpoints as ESXi and PowerStore. To learn more about NVMe/TCP with Dell Enterprise SONiC, see in the following blog: Unleash the Power of NVMe over TCP with Enterprise SONiC by Dell Technologies.

To learn more about SFSS and its deployment steps, see the SFSS Deployment Guide.

Is Ansible supported with Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies?

Yes, to use Ansible with Dell Enterprise SONiC, customers will need to create or use existing playbooks and roles that are designed for managing and configurating devices running Dell Enterprise SONiC. Dell Enterprise SONiC Ansible Collections are available on Ansible Galaxy. For more information, See the Ansible Galaxy webpage.

Can Dell Enterprise SONiC customers take advantage of Augtera AI Network Pulse?

Yes, customers can use Augtera AI Network Pulse for monitoring and to detect Dell Enterprise SONiC network anomalies in a greenfield or brownfield environment. To learn more about Augtera AI Network Pulse, see the white paper Unlocking the Network Enterprise Sonic Distribution by Dell Technologies with Augtera AI Network Pulse.

Can Dell Enterprise SONiC be used with Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE)?

Yes, customers can deploy Dell Enterprise SONiC Edge bundle switches with existing Cisco Identity Services Engine (ISE) for dot1x and MAB endpoints authentication/authorization through access control, policy management, and other popular authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) methodologies. To learn more about deployment steps for Dell Enterprise SONiC Edge bundle at retail edge locations with Cisco ISE, see the Dell Technologies Enterprise SONiC Edge with Cisco ISE Deployment Guide.

What are the commercially available management and orchestration products that can be used for Dell Enterprise SONiC?

With its partners, Dell Technologies continually reviews additional management and orchestration tools. These are the currently supported partners:

Beyond Edge BeyondEdge Verity is an intent-based networking (IBN) solution that enables IT teams to focus on the high-level tasks of deploying network services through a graphical and centralized interface. The IBN platform adheres to Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies and delivers unparalleled visibility with automated validation checks and real-time monitoring of network components and interconnects.
MetalSoft MetalSoft can deploy complex network configurations on Dell PowerSwitch. MetalSoft Fabric Manager takes an intent-based approach, where a user defines the intent and the MetalSoft Fabric Manager translates those into Dell Enterprise SONiC configurations.
Racksnet With Racksnet, customers can efficiently automate their Dell Enterprise SONiC network with a smart and convenient network automation software that relieves IT staff from repetitive and time-consuming tasks.
Augtera Augtera is an Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML) platform used to gain deep insight into the customer's network infrastructure. Augtera combined with Dell Technologies delivers AI-driven network anomaly detection to our customers.
Dorado Dorado Zrux is a suite of tools used to configure, manage, and operate a network. Dorado integrates with Dell Enterprise SONiC through the Cruz Operations Center (CruzOC). Cruz OC is the base suite of tools to manage, operate, deploy and monitor Dell Enterprise SONiC.
Apstra Apstra AOS is a software suite that allows for configuration, management, and deployment of various NOS. Apstra integrates with Dell Enterprise SONiC using REST API and gNMI and can leverage these technologies to interact seamlessly with Dell Enterprise SONiC.

What hardware is supported on the latest Dell Enterprise SONiC release?

As of April 2023, Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies 4.1 release is supported on the following Dell Technologies Open Networking switches:

Z Series: Z9332F-ON, Z9264F-ON, Z9432F-ON, Z9664F-ON
S Series: S5448F-ON, S5296F-ON, S5248F-ON, S5232F-ON, S5224F-ON, S5212F-ON
N Series: N3248TE-ON
E Series: E3248PXE, E3248P

Dell Enterprise SONiC is supported on non-Dell switches with version 4.1. Version 4.1 is the initial pilot of Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies for Open Hardware. This release uses the Dell Enterprise SONiC 4.0.2 images, but these images are not supported on the following Edge-Core/Accton switches:

Accton A S5835-54T
A S4630-54PE
A S7326-56X
A S7712-32X
A S9716-32D

What optics are qualified for Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies?

Dell Technologies has qualified Dell Networking optics and some original design manufacturer (ODM) optics for Dell Enterprise SONiC. Customers can use third-party optics; however, Dell Technologies will not support them.

Unlike other NOS, Dell Enterprise SONiC does not reject unknown/unqualified optics. If the software does not recognize an optic as Dell, it will still try to apply the best available settings to make it work, however there is no guarantee.

How can customers deploy Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies on the Edge?

Dell Enterprise SONiC Edge Bundle is a customized software bundle that is lightweight and designed to run on edge-class Dell Networking switches. Dell Technologies switch platforms that are available for Dell Enterprise SONiC can run on smaller footprint switches and program, deploy, and manage those networks in the data center with an end-to-end unified NOS, managed from a single point. For more information, see the Dell Technologies Enterprise SONiC Edge Deployment Guide.

Does Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies support the Data Center Interconnect (DCI) use-case?

Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies supports EVPN-VxLAN based Multisite Data Center Interconnect (DCI), To configure a DCI use case, see the EVPN-VxLAN based Multisite Data Center Interconnect (DCI) using Dell Enterprise SONiC guide.

What is the default username and password for Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies?

Customers can use the default username/password “admin/YourPaSsWoRd” to log into Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies. Upon log in, the prompt asks customers to change the password.

Is Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies interoperable with other Network Operating Systems (NOS)?

Yes, Dell Enterprise SONiC is interoperable with other NOSs that comply with industry standard RFCs and IEEE standards, depending on the specific requirements and use cases. Before deployment, users should ensure that both Dell Enterprise SONiC and the other NOSs support the required network protocols and standards for seamless communication and integration.

Will there be any code merge if the community independently implements a feature that Dell Technologies already has in Dell Enterprise SONiC?

Dell Technologies works very closely with the community to avoid cases in which several organizations work on similar workstreams just to avoid that scenario.

The community might also enhance Dell Technologies contributed code. This is desirable to make true the statement that open-source projects foster innovation. As long as the enhancements follow Dell Technologies architecture and design principles, it will be a win-win.

What is the Management Framework CLI?

The Management Framework hides all the complexity of dealing with Linux, FRR, the legacy SONiC CLI, etc. Plus, it provides holistic programmatic interfaces: gNMI and REST.

Dell Technologies works with the Management Framework to provide a familiar and intuitive CLI experience to seasoned network administrators.

Does Dell Technologies support legacy interfaces like FRR and the Linux-based SONiC CLI?

All new features developed by Dell Technologies will only be available through the management framework. If customers want to manage Dell Enterprise SONiC through legacy means, although it is possible, it will not be fully supported by Dell Technologies.

Do Dell Enterprise SONiC customers get to explore its solutions to ensure successful implementation?

Dell Enterprise SONiC customers can use the Dell Demo Center to interact with, explore, and test Dell Enterprise SONiC for an immersive learning experience.