This talk presents a refined methodology for Network Operating System code development that leverages reference virtual hardware. This approach has been instrumental in the evolution of IOS-XR and the recent advancements in SONIC. We discuss the comparative benefits and constraints of this method against abstract platform NOS simulators and introduce SONIC-NGDP-VS, a virtual switch/router that marries the agility of an open platform with the robust capabilities of Cisco’s Silicon One dataplane.
For the Silicon One based Cisco 8000 routers, we have developed a suite of virtual platforms capable of running IOS-XR and SONIC. These range from simulations of compact systems to large-scale platforms with dual router processors. These models are used internally for development and test, and also provided to customers.
To support the SONIC community, we have developed a new disaggregated solution that allows users to integrate SONIC source with our proven SAI/SDK and NPU models to construct their own Silicon One based SONIC-VS. This approach ensures that development against a commercial-grade SAI/SDK/dataplane increases the probability of seamless functionality on physical hardware.
