So far, OSN works only with routers, not switches, so it doesn't come with the bandwidth benefits that Cisco envisages, though 3Com, too, says it plans to use the technology for switches. The main OSN selling point is the same as that of other integrated appliances: tight integration of code with the network infrastructure, making it particularly suitable for applications related to networking.
OSN ought to be more open than competitors' approaches, as it can run any Linux application. However, access to the router's internals is so far limited to software from 3Com and its partners. For now, 3Com ships customized versions of several open source apps, including the Wireshark protocol analyzer, NTOP traffic probe, and Nagios monitoring software. Partner applications announced so far include WAN optimization from Expand Networks, IP telephony from Digium, e-mail leak prevention from Vericept, and security event management from Q1 Labs.
Expand's participation looks anomalous, as it usually sells hardware, not software. But like most WAN optimization vendors, it's really a software company, selling appliances preconfigured as blade servers. "We want to give customers a choice of platforms," says Dave White, Expand's VP of business development. Combining WAN optimization with a router makes sense because both have settings that affect traffic prioritization.
For now, 3Com is partnering with VMware so that OSN routers can run Windows and any other x86 operating system. But like Linux apps that haven't been rewritten, they won't have access to the router's inner workings. 3Com says it plans to ship a software development kit for third-party developers within the first half of this year to let companies port in-house apps to the platform.
Some customers are already there. Everus Communications, a wireless ISP in rural Ontario, is moving a homegrown management app to the MSR, says John Tinholt, director of IP networking. Tinholt is placing MSRs at most of the provider's 62 Wi-Fi points of presence, where they function mainly as access routers. The management app, which now runs on Linux servers, collects data from customer premises equipment and alerts support personnel when it detects a problem.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
