Assembly the wants of each buyer within the AI period
Because the calls for of AI and machine studying (AI/ML) proceed to surge, organizations of each measurement—together with enterprises, service suppliers, neoclouds, and hyperscalers—are reimagining their knowledge heart networks. The period of conventional high-performance computing (HPC) networks is giving solution to a brand new era of architectures designed to ship seamless scalability, excessive efficiency, and the pliability required by trendy AI/ML workloads.
Scaling for AI/ML is now not nearly including extra capability; it requires essentially new approaches that prioritize open, sustainable, and vendor-agnostic options.
Disaggregated architectures are on the forefront of this evolution, enabling organizations to decouple {hardware} and software program elements. This method permits for unbiased scaling, extra granular management over assets, and the power to combine and match best-of-breed applied sciences. By leveraging disaggregated architectures, organizations achieve the agility to adapt shortly, leverage open-source applied sciences to keep away from lock-in, and guarantee environment friendly useful resource utilization throughout more and more advanced environments.
Cisco 8000 Sequence and SONiC: Tailor-made for contemporary calls for
Cisco is main the AI networking transformation, embracing disaggregated architectures and assembly clients wherever they’re within the digital transformation journey. For patrons looking for alternative and openness of their community working methods, Cisco presents sturdy assist for Software program for Open Networking within the Cloud (SONiC) on Cisco 8000 Sequence switches powered by Silicon One. This resolution empowers organizations to pick the community working system that most closely fits their operational wants, together with open supply, whereas taking full benefit of Cisco industry-leading {hardware} capabilities.
A key enabler of this flexibility is the Swap Abstraction Interface (SAI), a core part of SONiC. SAI offers ASIC and {hardware} abstraction, permitting for seamless portability of community working methods throughout numerous {hardware} platforms (Determine 1). This abstraction layer allows distributors to ship constant programming interfaces to their ASICs, whereas additionally enabling the event of extremely differentiated {hardware} options.
Determine 1: Constructing versatile, scalable, and sustainable community infrastructures
Cisco 8000 Sequence switches, powered by Silicon One, ship a variety of speeds—from 100G to 400G, 800G, and shortly 1.6T—making them preferrred for each general-purpose knowledge facilities and essentially the most demanding AI/ML clusters. By combining the excessive efficiency of Cisco Silicon One, the superior switching capabilities of Cisco 8000 Sequence switches, and the SONiC open, modular structure, organizations can confidently construct versatile, scalable, and sustainable community infrastructures. This resolution allows seamless provisioning and operations throughout a number of distributors and all kinds of use instances, empowering clients to modernize and increase their knowledge facilities to fulfill the challenges and alternatives of the AI period.
Determine 2: Cisco 8000 Sequence SONiC Portfolio
Supporting numerous architectures for a number of use instances
Supporting numerous architectures is essential for AI/ML environments as a result of it allows organizations to effectively tackle a variety of efficiency, scalability, and workload necessities, making certain optimum community agility and useful resource utilization as calls for evolve.
Cisco 8000 Sequence platforms with SONiC empower three important knowledge heart architectures:
- IP/BGP material:
Probably the most broadly deployed material structure, IP/BGP helps each two-tier and three-tier Clos designs. It presents simplicity, scalability, and a mature characteristic set for each IPv4 and IPv6, making it preferrred for organizations looking for a confirmed and resilient front-end community. - VXLAN EVPN material:
Superior, multitenant networks are powered by options like EVPN multi-homing, host mobility, and seamless workload migration. This mannequin is right for service suppliers and enterprises modernizing their front-end environments. - AI/ML backend material:
Goal-built for essentially the most demanding AI/ML purposes, this resolution incorporates a lossless, non-blocking design and helps a variety of AI community architectures—together with fat-tree and rail-optimized designs. Superior options corresponding to QPID hashing and adaptive routing and switching (ARS) with flowlet load balancing and packet spraying optimize site visitors distribution. Enhanced congestion administration—together with assist for Distant Direct Reminiscence Entry over Converged Ethernet v2 (RoCEv2), Precedence Circulation Management (PFC), and Specific Congestion Notification (ECN)—ensures excessive throughput and low latency, even at scale. Moreover, built-in AI observability instruments present deep visibility into community operations, making this resolution preferrred for supporting large-scale AI/ML clusters throughout numerous topologies.
Versatile SONiC consumption fashions on Cisco 8000 Sequence switches
For SONiC consumption on Cisco 8000 Sequence platforms, Cisco presents versatile choices to go well with diversified buyer wants, together with:
- Deep integration and customization:
Supply code sharing for hyperscale clients allows tailor-made SONiC deployments. - Prepared-to-deploy options:
Absolutely compiled SONiC photos can be found for quick, dependable deployment. - Construct-your-own flexibility:
SDK, SAI, and platform code binaries are offered for purchasers who need to compile their very own SONiC resolution on Cisco {hardware}.
Our versatile SONiC consumption fashions on high-performance Cisco 8000 Sequence switches empower each group to undertake SONiC in a method that aligns with their operational and enterprise objectives. With wealthy characteristic assist, enhanced programmability, open APIs, automation, and complete observability via deep {hardware} and software program telemetry, clients can future-proof their investments, streamline operations, and speed up innovation—whereas sustaining the liberty to decide on options that finest match their wants.
Empowering the SONiC Ecosystem: Cisco management, funding, and group engagement
Cisco isn’t just adapting to the AI period—we’re main it.
We’re among the many high 5 contributors to the SONiC group, actively collaborating in key working teams and constantly investing in new options, integrations, and enhancements. This deep group engagement ensures that our clients profit from the newest improvements and {industry} finest practices, driving a extra sturdy and interoperable open networking ecosystem.
Determine 3: Prime contributors to the SONiC Basis
See innovation in motion on the 2025 OCP World Summit!
Be part of us on the 2025 OCP World Summit to expertise Cisco management firsthand. Uncover how Cisco 8000 Sequence switches and SONiC may also help you construct a contemporary, open, and scalable AI-ready knowledge heart—optimizing efficiency for each use case, from front-end multitenant environments to high-performance AI/ML backends (Determine 4).
Determine 4: SONiC on Cisco 8000 Sequence switches
Go to the Cisco sales space at OCP to see our options stay in motion and embrace the chance to revolutionize your knowledge heart infrastructure for the AI period.
