The Packet Pushers’ Priority Queue series from IETF 99 continues with a conversation about whitebox switching at LinkedIn.

Shawn Zandi, principal infrastructure architect at LinkedIn; and Russ White, network architect at LinkedIn.

Greg Ferro and his guests discuss the architectural changes going on at LinkedIn, including a move to adopt whitebox switches.

They look at the drivers for whitebox adoption, including wanting to have more control over their infrastructure, the ability to rethink network design, the opportunity to get features they want (and remove ones they don’t), and potential cost savings.

They also explore the challenges that come with whitebox deployment and operations, and talk about the pros and cons of various network designs.

Thanks to Huawei, which covered travel and accommodations to enable the Packet Pushers to attend IETF 99 and record some shows to spread the news about IETF projects and initiatives.