Beyond the Horizon: STORDIS’ Pioneering Role in Open Networking with Monsoon and ORCA

As we navigate the 21st century, the tide of technological evolution is unmistakably steering us towards collaboration, innovation, and the expansive realm of open source. At STORDIS, we are not just passive observers of this revolution; we actively shape its trajectory. With our steadfast commitment to open networking, we’ve conceptualized and brought to life two projects: Monsoon and ORCA.

SONiC: The Pillar of Open Networking

At the core of our open networking endeavors lies SONiC, an acronym that stands for Software for Open Networking in the Cloud. SONiC isn’t merely another piece of software; it stands as the cornerstone of the open networking revolution. As an open-source Network Operating System, SONiC provides the solid foundation upon which scalable, flexible, and sophisticated networking solutions are built. At STORDIS, we consider SONiC not merely as code but as a catalyst that enables projects like Monsoon and ORCA to flourish.

Monsoon: The Overture to Open Networking

In the symphony of modern IT, where innovation meets complexity, orchestration is paramount. IT organizations worldwide strive to deliver superior business value, embracing the latest technological innovations to increase productivity, deliver services faster, and remain adaptable. However, this pursuit presents a myriad of challenges in network management. It necessitates network administrators to embody proactiveness and agility in monitoring network performance, a task easier said than done.

High Level Design

Amidst this dynamic landscape, we proudly introduce Monsoon—the trusted open-source network monitoring exporter for SONiC. Watch our detailed video on Monsoon here.

Monsoon serves as your conductor’s baton—a user-friendly and cost-effective network monitoring solution. It takes center stage, continuously monitoring network devices such as routers and switches that utilize the SONiC Network Operating System—an open-source gem that empowers your network infrastructure. Monsoon meticulously observes the network’s performance, offering profound visibility and control.

Should a discordant note be struck within your network, Monsoon allows you to swiftly detect and rectify the issue, ensuring that operations remain harmonious. With Monsoon, you hold the power to conduct your network’s performance and ensure its resilience.

SONiC installation process

A Symphony of Features

With Monsoon, you have a symphony of features at your fingertips:

• Port / Interface Monitoring: Observe interface traffic levels, queues, errors, optical power levels, voltage, temperature of transceivers, transceiver type, and cable length.
• System Level Monitoring: Dive into Ethernet VPN info, static anycast gateway info, system uptime, CPU utilization, memory, and storage utilization.
• Dynamic Routing Monitoring: Keep a close watch on BGP peers and BGP routes (per peer).
• Environmental Monitoring: Monitor PSU power usage, fan speed (RPM), temperature of various switch components.
• Asset Management: Gain insights into device information, including model/part number, serial number, NOS version, and system MAC address.

The Overture’s Benefits

Embracing proactive network performance monitoring yields a symphony of benefits:

• Gain an end-user perspective of network and application performance.
• Test your network’s performance under various loads to optimize resource allocation.
• Identify and mitigate sudden spikes in traffic to minimize device downtime.
• Ensure the smooth operation of your IP assets and equipment upgrades.
• Utilize open-source Prometheus for collecting and storing switch monitoring details.
• Craft your personalized dashboard with open-source Grafana, putting the information you value most front and center.

Open-source Grafana

But the music doesn’t stop here. Dive into our comprehensive Monsoon video for a detailed walkthrough—from high-level design to seamless integration with essential open-source tools. To explore more, visit our Monsoon GitHub, enroll in our SONiC Course, or dive into the world of Prometheus Opensource Exporters. And for a live performance, try our Monsoon Live Demo.

Don’t just listen to the symphony—become a part of it. Join us in the world of open networking, where every note counts. Your network’s performance is your magnum opus. Embrace Monsoon and let the overture begin. To explore more, visit our Monsoon GitHub, enroll in our SONiC Course, or dive into the world of Prometheus Opensource Exporters. And for a live performance, try our Monsoon Live Demo.

The stage is set; the baton is yours. Conductor, the future of open networking awaits.

ORCA: Pioneering Scalability

While Monsoon takes center stage in the realm of network monitoring, the ORCA project shines as the future of modern network management. It’s more than just a project; it’s a vision that encompasses several crucial modules. At the heart of ORCA lies the ORCA Network Library.

When we delve into the depths of the ORCA Network Library, we discover a treasure trove of Python APIs, tailor-made to simplify the management of SONiC switches. Network configuration, once considered a complex task, becomes remarkably intuitive with the ORCA library at your side.

Multiple Use Cases

However, ORCA isn’t just about simplifying configurations; it’s a testament to network intelligence. It boasts a dynamic graph database, offering real-time snapshots of network topologies and device configurations. This instantaneous insight is a game-changer for network administrators and engineers. For a more in-depth exploration, we invite you to explore our comprehensive ORCA video, guiding you through its intricacies.

As we journey into ORCA’s ecosystem, we encounter the ORCA Network Library, the ORCA Backend, and the ORCA UI, each playing a vital role in redefining how we manage networks.

ORCA backend

STORDIS’ Vision: Advocates for Open Networking

Our commitment to open-source and open networking extends beyond technological innovation; it embodies our belief in collective growth, collaboration, and transparency. While Monsoon is poised to support networks worldwide, we see it as just the beginning.

The ORCA project, still in its infancy, holds the promise of becoming something even greater. It’s a testament to our enduring commitment to open networking. We’re not just creating tools; we’re nurturing an entire ecosystem—a place where individuals, enterprises, and communities come together to contribute, learn, and prosper.

GNS3 Topology

Our journey, from Monsoon to ORCA, reflects this unwavering commitment. Monsoon is just the beginning, and ORCA will emerge as a driving force, shaping the future of open networking. Together, we’re pioneering a new era where innovation is the rule, not the exception—a future where open networking thrives.

Join us on this incredible journey, and together, let’s redefine the world of networking. As Monsoon evolves to support networks across the globe, ORCA beckons, promising a future that’s bigger, brighter, and more collaborative than ever before.

A Clarion Call to the Networking Community

The realm of open networking beckons, filled with promise and potential. With pioneering projects like Monsoon and ORCA, we stand on the threshold of a networking renaissance.

Experience Monsoon firsthand through our Monsoon Online Demo.

We invite you to join us in this journey. Whether you wish to contribute, learn, or simply explore, we encourage you to share our passion and vision for the future of open networking.

Before we conclude, it’s essential to recognize the pivotal role played by our Senior Software Product Manager, Kamal Bhatt, who has been the driving force behind the Monsoon and ORCA projects. Kamal’s dedication and expertise have been instrumental in bringing these projects to fruition, and we owe a great deal of our success to his leadership.

About STORDIS

At STORDIS, we are a collective of IT enthusiasts deeply committed to delivering cutting-edge, customer-centric solutions. Our journey began with an insatiable passion for open networking and an unwavering dedication to trust, leading to robust, long-standing partnerships with our clients. As we build on our legacy of innovation and service excellence, we continue to look ahead, constantly seeking the next transformative idea that can bring unparalleled benefits to our customers and partners.

Our Presence

With strategic locations in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Poland, we are well-positioned to offer our professional consultancy, solution design, integration, and support services to customers across the EMEA region. We work tirelessly to understand, enhance, and extend your networking requirements, ensuring that our solutions meet your needs perfectly.

Our Expertise

We support customers in the EMEA region, providing Professional Consultancy, Solution Design, Integration and Support Services, Certified Trainings, and Tailored Development of Network Tools. Our dedication lies in effectively deploying and extending our customer’s networking requirements.

Innovation at the Core

Our state-of-the-art technical laboratories, some of the most advanced in Europe, serve as our innovation playground. Here, we experiment with 1G to 800G solutions operating on a variety of switch operating systems, automation platforms, and management frameworks. This allows us to deliver only the most innovative and efficient solutions to our clients.

Contributions to the Community

As proud members of the open-source community and an OCP Solution Provider, we are deeply invested in shaping the future of open networking. Our contributions to the Open Compute Project, Telecom Infra Project, Open Networking Foundation, and P4 Language Consortium reflect our commitment to driving research and development in emerging markets.