Kernel of Truth

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On March 27, 2018, Cisco announced it was embracing disaggregation of the data center by allowing customers to run NX-OS on third-party switches and to use any network operating system on its Nexus switches. It’s certainly an interesting move, considering that they’re the company that claimed to have killed white-box networking.

…But does this model REALLY fit the definition of network disaggregation? What does true data center disaggregation look like? Why did Alanis Morissette name the song “Ironic” when none of the lyrics are examples of irony?? To answer these questions, I invited Ben Ritter (Consulting Engineer, Cumulus Networks) and Rama Darbha (Senior Consulting Engineer) into the recording booth so we can get to the bottom of this.

If you’ve got any questions, feedback or topics you want us to discuss, make sure to Tweet us at @cumulusnetworks and use the hashtag #KernelOfTruth.

Listen, you can’t name an open networking podcast “Kernel of Truth,” and NOT have an episode dedicated to the Linux kernel! In this episode, I’m joined by Roopa Prabhu, leader of the kernel team at Cumulus Networks, and Shrijeet Mukherjee, Cumulus’ former VP of Engineering. We get into some pretty interesting questions: why Linux in the data center? What has Cumulus contributed to the kernel? How has the prolific Linux community evolved? What the heck is a “boffin”?? I’m not a fan of spoilers, (thanks for ruining Avengers: Infinity War for me, Twitter!) so I’ll let you guys tune in and find out the answers for yourselves.

Network monitoring, “Wonderwall” by Oasis, virtual test environments, Wu-Tang Clan (Cumulus Rules Everything Around Me!), validating configurations and cursed email chains. What do all of these things have in common? They’re all topics in Kernel of Truth’s second episode! Now, if you want to know HOW all of these seemingly random talking points fit together, you’ll have to listen for yourself, but the main focus of this discussion is Day 2 operations. Specifically, we get into important topics like:

* The importance of accurate virtual environments

* Managing configuration changes

* How to handle updating configs and removing vulnerabilities

* Why screenshots of Word documents make network operators die inside

* And more!

Our guest panel consists of two networking ops experts from Cumulus Networks: Rama Darbha, who you’ll remember from our previous episode on network automation, and Pete Lumbis. These industry pros provide first-hand experience and insight into why Day 2 operations deserve just as much attention as architectural design.

We decided to kick off the first episode of Cumulus Networks’ podcast Kernel of Truth with a discussion around one of the most transformative solutions in data center networking: automation. Specifically, we’ll dive into how it’s changing expectations for skill sets, creating new, ambitious roles on networking teams and enabling engineers to push the boundaries of innovation. For our guests, You’ll be treated to the sweet, dulcet tones of Cumulus Networks’ automation experts, Brian O’Sullivan (Product Manager) and Rama Darbha (Senior Consulting Engineer). Your host is, well, yours truly — apologies in advance for the terrible puns, but if you’ve read any of my regular blog posts, you understand those are inevitable.

Enjoy!