Big Switch’s new Switch Light software implements the OpenFlow networking protocol in physical and virtual switches. It lets data center administrators automatically and centrally send out policies from one location when new switches are added to the network, instead of having to go through with a time-consuming, hands-on process.
The open-source version of Switch Light is available for free because “we want to make sure (OpenFlow) industry standards are enabled in the data plane,” said Jason Matlof, vice president of marketing at Big Switch. The commercial version comes with technical support and is more scalable and highly available than the open-source version, Matlof said.