Beluganos: Network OS for White Box Switches In-house produced by NTTNTT Network Innovation Center

NTT implements the device controlling software (Network OS: NOS) on the white-box switch and makes the flexible deployment of carrier networks possible.

For "white box switches," general-purpose large-capacity routers providing multiple choices to device controlling software, NTT has developed "Beluganos," an in-house produced NOS for carriers.

While providing cost efficiency by expanding the carrier network's choices to general-purpose hardware with fast product lifecycles, Beluganos makes it possible to cope quickly with the expansion of transport capacity and to add easily and quickly the unique functions for new business and operational improvement. Beluganos achieves the continuous expansion of the telecommunication networks that support various services.

In the future, in addition to the development of the platform functions for packet transport layers, NTT will work with the expansion of service/maintenance management functions and will aim at the deployment to commercial networks by experiments in the lab networks at laboratories and business companies.

In recent years, the market of general-purpose large-capacity routers has been expanding for data centers and so forth.

In particular, along with the expansion of the market for "white box switches" with no dedicated control software, the choices of the device for software to be used are also expanding. As a result, network users will realize the network configuration with the software and hardware which suitable for their needs, and get the benefits such as reducing the cost.

On the other hand, conventional carrier networks have been composed with integrated software and hardware. This is because a dedicated product supporting the carrier’s unique functions is essential.

In this project, NTT have reached a breakthrough in the conventional situation and developed, for the first time in the world, software for telecommunication device with a wide range of device choices and carrier functional requirements. Moreover, NTT have been disclosing its source codes.

NTT combine general-purpose large-capacity routers with the software supported by NTT and aim to apply them in the commercial networks of carriers and our intra-company networks.

• For hardware control, open interfaces (IF) are used; thus, the device choices to configure networks are expanded by controlling the white-box switches of multiple vendors and following the newest hardware in a timely manner.
• Providing a reliable and scalable network with autonomous distributed network control, just like a conventional carrier network.
• Adding new functions is made easy by integrating also external OSS in the software configuration while the development cost is reduced.
• Beluganos is available as an open source for anyone to use it. * See this link; Beluganos (GitHub) https://github.com/beluganos
• Global achievements have been also made through the joint experiments with open communities and overseas carriers such as Telecom Infra Project. * See this link; Telecom Infra Project https://telecominfraproject.com/

• The platform networks for data centers to provide a variety of application programs
• The enterprise networks embodied with simple functions and devices
• The relay networks of carriers where high-speed and large-capacity telecommunication is required

NTT Network Innovation Center - Transport Network Systems Project