ArcOS, the network operating system (NOS), gets an upgrade as Arrcus expands its network services capabilities by adding virtualized distributed routing (VDR) and multi-cloud networking (MCN), which can be implemented on-premises or in the cloud.

CEO of Arrcus, Devesh Garg, further explained the additional capabilities and stated that these have the potential to offer programmatic network services that often are needed by tech enterprises to take care of deployments on hybrid cloud computing ecosystems.

The new development by Arrcus looks promising as the MCN capability is engineered to connect workloads and data across any cloud platform securely, and VDR works toward eliminating the need for physical routers that demand own chassis.

The Idea behind

Arrcus has been working toward a disaggregated approach to networking with a focus on eliminating dependencies on physical infrastructure. Nonetheless, it allows IT teams to deploy ArcOS, the network operating system, on a cloud service, or any white-box appliance selected for the on-premises IT setup. This particular step by the company makes it possible for enterprises the freedom of not getting locked into specific network hardware platforms.

CEO Mr. Garg added that Arrcus sources DevOps teams with a stable foundation to implement distributed apps and eliminates the need to navigate across multiple NOSes running in the cloud and on-premises IT ecosystems. Additionally, ArcOS offers a consistent set of application programming interfaces (APIs) for accessing network services.

He also mentioned that the need to programmatically invoke those network services powers the combination of network operations and DevOps teams. The fact that applications are becoming more disaggregated in the era of cloud computing, most IT enterprises demand more efficient options to expose network services on-demand.

Expert take on the roadmap

Devesh Garg, CEO, Arrcus, states that the convergence is still in progress as several networking teams still favor routers and switches as physical devices with a NOS over the deployment of an OS on infrastructure they select and manage. Nevertheless, as DevOps teams consistently push for access to network services that demand a more flexible scale up and scale down, it is said that it is just a matter of time before software-defined networking services take charge.

He also mentioned that the growth of microservices would force that issue as DevOps teams look to deploy applications that will be updated frequently.

Additionally, he noted that the increase in edge computing platform and 5G wireless networking services are here to give a parallel push to enterprises toward virtualized network services.

Reality check

At the given point in time, the rate at which network services are being transformed is ambiguous. In fact, software-defined networking services are already readily available in the cloud. Progress in on-premises IT ecosystems is at the discretion of IT enterprises to fund upgrades to core network infrastructure.

In the wake of the deadly Coronavirus pandemic, several IT companies are going through an economic crisis and are looking out for cost-effective ways to achieve the goal. This is where white-boxes play vital as they provide cost-effective alternatives to switches from vendors such as Arista Networks and Cisco Systems. At the same time,  it is possible to reduce the total cost of delivering network services across a hybrid cloud computing ecosystem by deploying a common NOS across all platforms.

Irrespective of the way forward, legacy network infrastructure looks promising and displays qualities of a major competition when IT enterprises will demand to be more agile than ever.