Run Hedgehog at the data edge with Edgecore Networks and SONiC

Hedgehog Open Network Fabric powered by SONiC runs on Edgecore DCS204, DCS203, DCS501 and EPS203 data center and edge switches.

If you have been following this blog the last few weeks, you may have noticed that December’s Just Cause release gave you an option to run Hedgehog on equipment from multiple vendors.  We hear from customers and new prospects every day who want to diversify their supply chain for more consistent, predictable and reliable cloud elasticity.  

Edgecore Networks is a reputable network equipment vendor that supplies the Big 3 with network equipment.  We worked with Edgecore, Broadcom and our customer Blach Construction to support these Edgecore Networks devices in specific roles:

Edgecore Switches Tested and Certified with Hedgehog Open Network Fabric powered by SONiC

Edge Leaf

• EPS203 (AS4630-54NPE)

Cloud Leafs

• DCS204 (AS7726-32X)
• DCS203 (AS7326-56X) 
• DCS501(AS7712-32X)

Cloud Spine

• DCS204 (AS7726-54x)

Edgecore DCS204 (AS7726-32x) 100GbE spine/leaf	Edgecore DCS203 (AS7326-56X) 25GbE leaf
Edgecore DCS501(AS7712-32X) 25GbE leaf	Edgecore EPS203(AS4630-54NPE) 2.5GbE POE access

This gives Hedgehog customers choice.  The Edgecore DCS204 pairs up as a viable alternative to the Dell S5232F-ON, while the Edgecore DCS203 is a good substitute to the Dell S5248F-ON.  The Edgecore EPS203 fills a new role as an edge leaf.  Its power over ethernet (PoE) features support connected devices and sensors at the data edge for AI inference, computer vision, IoT and end user devices.  Blach Construction uses the EPS203 to connect laser measurement and robotic devices to build structures exactly as they are modeled.    

Hedgehog Device Certification Test Cases

I wrote recently about how we test and certify switches from our partners in our lab.  Let’s look at it in a little more depth. We test that each device works with supported features in Hedgehog Open Network Fabric.  This means we test and verify that each of these devices

• Starts Hedgehog ONIE
• Boots on on all supported port configurations, including front panel ports for inband management and management ports for out of band configuration
• Boots SONiC
• Configures Hedgehog Open Network Fabric with the correct overlay given the underlay definition in the wiring diagram
• SONiC feature dependencies work properly, e.g. CLI, API GNMI
• Dataplane passes traffic on links, sub-interfaces and VXLAN
• Auxiliary features like the Power over Ethernet work for specific devices like the Edgecore EPS203.  
• The device functions properly in a specific role: spine, leaf, edge leaf
• Does not regress with SONiC or Hedgehog updates

Stay tuned for more certified device selection in our next release.  For more information on how to install, configure, and run Hedgehog Open Network Fabric powered by SONiC on Dell PowerSwitch devices, please refer to our documentation.  As always, don’t hesitate to DOWNLOAD Hedgehog at https://githedgehog.com