One-of-a-Kind Open NOS
The one-of-a-kind PICOS open NOS with tightly coupled control planes gives network operators surgical, non-disruptive control of their enterprise applications, deep and dynamic traffic monitoring, and even attack mitigation – all in real time. There’s no better way to implement zero-trust networking and software-defined perimeters than PICOS.
(Bonus: it also runs on superior quality open switch hardware from vendors such as Dell EMC for increased performance and reliability at a fraction of your current costs.)
PICOS® Enterprise Edition
Our flagship open network operating system installs on 1G- to 100G-interface open switches from a broad array of Tier 1 manufacturers. This fully featured license offers the most comprehensive support for enterprise features on the market. It includes the Debian Linux distribution, with an unmodified kernel for maximum DevOps programmability. Enterprise Edition also includes Nymble, an Ansible-based automation framework that couples Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) with the Open Network Install Environment (ONIE) to simplify installation and operation of open network switches across the enterprise. Nymble typically runs as a containerized virtual machine in an enterprise private cloud.
Enterprise Edition also includes Pica8’s revolutionary CrossFlow™ capability. With CrossFlow, companies can control every switch port in a network using both L2/L3 protocols and OpenFlow-based software-defined network capabilities at the same time.
CrossFlow, available only from Pica8, gives network operators real-time, non-disruptive control of their enterprise applications. CrossFlow supports deep and dynamic traffic monitoring as well as cyber-attack mitigation without interrupting flow processing or requiring switch restarts. For the first time, business can truly become non-stop using CrossFlow.
PICOS® SDN Edition
Like PICOS Enterprise, PICOS SDN includes the same Debian Linux distribution, again with an unmodified kernel for maximum DevOps programmability. It also offers support for all major OpenFlow controllers, including OpenStack Neutron ML2, ONOS, Open Daylight (ODL), NEC’s Programmable Flow Controller, and Ryu.
At Pica8, we don’t take our “infinitely programmable” claim for PICOS lightly. MPLS, GRE, NVGRE and VXLAN tunnels can all be easily controlled using PICOS SDN. The product also takes advantage of OpenFlow 1.5’s User-Defined Fields, allowing PICOS SDN to look deep into the packets for next-generation real-time analytics, security and remediation.
Like Enterprise Edition, PICOS SDN supports AmpCon™, an Ansible-based automation framework that couples Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) with the Open Network Install Environment (ONIE) to simplify installation and operation of open network switches across the enterprise – making them the easiest open, disaggregated NOS offerings on the market.
AmpCon™ Campus Network Automation Framework
Pica8’s new AmpCon™ automation framework is a Cisco DNA Center-class solution for the deployment, configuration and lifecycle management of any number of open network switches in an enterprise campus. Based on the open-source Ansible project, AmpCon comprises a set of server-based tools that enable enterprises to remotely install and configure Pica8 software on hundreds – or thousands – of Pica8-powered white box or brite box switches across either a distributed campus network or an entire branch/retail offices access network. This can literally be done by a non-programmer with the push of a button using AmpCon’s Quick-Start mode.
AmpCon is the first – and only – automation framework available for open networks in the enterprise today, meaning that customers can finally deploy an entire automated, centrally managed network of white/brite box switches as a proven commercial option to their expensive, legacy network infrastructure.
The framework directly addresses the problem of how to install hundreds of switches at remote locations, such as retail stores and branch offices, with limited numbers of available IT personnel. It brings the concept of Zero Touch Provisioning to switch deployment at these remote sites that lack the separate management network found in data centers – no “truck roll” or IT staff required. Once the switch is powered up, it kicks off an automation routine, ultimately reaching out to the Pica8 Automation Server and downloading a pre-configured software image and license for that switch.
And that’s just the beginning. AmpCon can also take advantage of Ansible playbooks to automate a wide variety of processes. Top make adoption as easy as possible, Pica8 provides a number of these free of charge, and we are writing new playbooks for customers all the time – we also take requests.
