--- title: Software Disaggregation in 2022 « ipSpace.net blog description: A survey of the hardware/software disaggregation landscape in networking as of 2022, covering open-source network operating systems (Cumulus Linux, SONiC,... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/software-disaggregation-in-2022-ipspace-net-blog-meku5iypc twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Software Disaggregation in 2022 « ipSpace.net blog | daily.dev og:description: A survey of the hardware/software disaggregation landscape in networking as of 2022, covering open-source network operating systems (Cumulus Linux, SONiC,... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/software-disaggregation-in-2022-ipspace-net-blog-meku5iypc og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/MeKu5iypC.png og:image:alt: Software Disaggregation in 2022 « ipSpace.net blog og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Software Disaggregation in 2022 « ipSpace.net blog **[ipSpace.net Blog](https://daily.dev/sources/ipspace)** · 5 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary A survey of the hardware/software disaggregation landscape in networking as of 2022, covering open-source network operating systems (Cumulus Linux, SONiC, VyOS, Dell OS10), Linux ASIC driver approaches (SAI vs switchdev), support for SONiC across traditional vendors like Arista, Dell, Juniper, and Cisco, proprietary NOS options running on whitebox hardware (IOS-XR, Junos, ArcOS, DNOS), and the growing trend of running control-plane software (BGP route reflectors, etc.) as VMs or containers (vEOS, cEOS, cRPD, vMX). ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### Which traditional networking vendors support SONiC on their hardware? Arista, Dell, Juniper, and Cisco all support SONiC. Arista supports it across switches using Tomahawk, Trident, Jericho, and Tofino chipsets. Dell supports it on Tomahawk and Trident-based switches. Juniper supports it on two spine switches using Tomahawk. Cisco supports SAI (enabling SONiC) on select Nexus 9200 and 9300 switches, and SONiC directly on Cisco 8000 routers. _Network engineers evaluating SONiC deployments track vendor support changes on daily.dev._ ### What are the two main ASIC driver approaches for disaggregated network operating systems on Linux? The two competing approaches are SAI (Switch Abstraction Interface) and switchdev. SAI is a standardized ASIC programming API embraced by the Open Compute Project, widely used by SONiC. Switchdev is a Linux kernel API that offloads data-plane processing from the Linux kernel to an ASIC. SAI has broader vendor adoption, especially among hyperscaler-facing hardware vendors. _Developers building or choosing network OS stacks find architecture comparisons like this on daily.dev._ ### Can I run Cisco IOS-XR or Junos on third-party whitebox hardware? Cisco IOS-XR can be run on third-party network hardware. Juniper discusses 'disaggregated Junos' but concrete options are limited — running Junos as a VM on their own NFX150 CPE platform, and a datasheet claiming support on a single Accton Edgecore switch. Arista cEOS can theoretically run on whitebox switches, but functionality beyond basic L2+L3 forwarding is uncertain. _Engineers weighing proprietary NOS portability decisions find up-to-date vendor news on daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [One open NOS, any workload: SONiC on Cisco](https://daily.dev/posts/one-open-nos-any-workload-sonic-on-cisco-ho9rhwjyb) · Cisco · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Networking and eBPF Predictions for 2026 and Beyond](https://daily.dev/posts/networking-and-ebpf-predictions-for-2026-and-beyond-qaar5acjo) · Isovalent · 2 upvotes · 0 comments - [Building Neocloud AI Data Centers with Cisco 8000 and SONiC: Where Disaggregation Meets Determinism](https://daily.dev/posts/building-neocloud-ai-data-centers-with-cisco-8000-and-sonic-where-disaggregation-meets-determinism-zf9igcomr) · Cisco · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [2026 Kubernetes and Cilium Networking Predictions : @VMblog](https://daily.dev/posts/2026-kubernetes-and-cilium-networking-predictions-vmblog-7ks5aftve) · cilium · 2 upvotes · 0 comments --- [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/software-disaggregation-in-2022-ipspace-net-blog-meku5iypc) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Software Disaggregation in 2022 « ipSpace.net blog","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/software-disaggregation-in-2022-ipspace-net-blog-meku5iypc","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/software-disaggregation-in-2022-ipspace-net-blog-meku5iypc"},"datePublished":"2026-08-11T08:53:16.941Z","dateModified":"2026-08-11T08:59:51.339Z","description":"A survey of the hardware/software disaggregation landscape in networking as of 2022, covering open-source network operating systems (Cumulus Linux, SONiC,...","image":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--CxzD6vbw--/f_auto/v1722860399/public/Placeholder%2005","thumbnailUrl":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--CxzD6vbw--/f_auto/v1722860399/public/Placeholder%2005","isAccessibleForFree":true,"articleSection":"ipSpace.net Blog","inLanguage":"en","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180}},"author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"ipSpace.net Blog","logo":"https://media.daily.dev/image/upload/s--xS7E82MT--/f_auto,q_auto/v1786438303/logos/ipspace?_a=BAMAMicg0","url":"https://daily.dev/sources/ipspace"},"commentCount":0,"discussionUrl":"https://daily.dev/posts/software-disaggregation-in-2022-ipspace-net-blog-meku5iypc","interactionStatistic":[{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"LikeAction"},"userInteractionCount":0},{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":{"@type":"CommentAction"},"userInteractionCount":0}],"keywords":"","timeRequired":"PT5M"} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://daily.dev"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"ipSpace.net Blog","item":"https://daily.dev/sources/ipspace"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Software Disaggregation in 2022 « ipSpace.net blog"}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/software-disaggregation-in-2022-ipspace-net-blog-meku5iypc#faq","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"Which traditional networking vendors support SONiC on their hardware?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Arista, Dell, Juniper, and Cisco all support SONiC. Arista supports it across switches using Tomahawk, Trident, Jericho, and Tofino chipsets. Dell supports it on Tomahawk and Trident-based switches. Juniper supports it on two spine switches using Tomahawk. Cisco supports SAI (enabling SONiC) on select Nexus 9200 and 9300 switches, and SONiC directly on Cisco 8000 routers. Network engineers evaluating SONiC deployments track vendor support changes on daily.dev."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What are the two main ASIC driver approaches for disaggregated network operating systems on Linux?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The two competing approaches are SAI (Switch Abstraction Interface) and switchdev. SAI is a standardized ASIC programming API embraced by the Open Compute Project, widely used by SONiC. Switchdev is a Linux kernel API that offloads data-plane processing from the Linux kernel to an ASIC. SAI has broader vendor adoption, especially among hyperscaler-facing hardware vendors. Developers building or choosing network OS stacks find architecture comparisons like this on daily.dev."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Can I run Cisco IOS-XR or Junos on third-party whitebox hardware?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Cisco IOS-XR can be run on third-party network hardware. Juniper discusses 'disaggregated Junos' but concrete options are limited — running Junos as a VM on their own NFX150 CPE platform, and a datasheet claiming support on a single Accton Edgecore switch. Arista cEOS can theoretically run on whitebox switches, but functionality beyond basic L2+L3 forwarding is uncertain. Engineers weighing proprietary NOS portability decisions find up-to-date vendor news on daily.dev."}}]} ```