Disaggregated Network Fabrics: Future of Scalable Sovereign AI Infrastructure
Introduction
Introduction
Traditional networking has long been dominated by vendor-locked, proprietary solutions where hardware and software are tightly coupled. But as data centers scale to support AI workloads, 5G, and hyperscale applications, organizations are turning to disaggregated network fabrics—a revolutionary approach that separates networking hardware from software, unlocking unprecedented flexibility, cost savings, and innovation.
This transformation is particularly crucial for sovereign AI infrastructure, where nations and organizations seek vendor-independent, customizable networking solutions that can scale to population-level requirements.
What Are Disaggregated Network Fabrics?
Disaggregated networking decouples hardware from software, allowing organizations to:
- Choose best-of-breed components independently
- Run open-source Network Operating Systems (NOS) on commodity hardware
- Avoid vendor lock-in while gaining operational flexibility
Key Components:
- White-box switches (commodity hardware from ODMs like Edgecore, Delta, UfiSpace).
- Open NOS options (SONiC, FRRouting, DANOS) or commercial NOS (Arrcus ArcOS).
- SDN controllers (ONOS, OpenDaylight) for centralized automation.
- Kubernetes + BGP + Any CNI + Any Network Fabric Cosmolet
Why Are Industries Adopting Disaggregated Fabrics?
1. Cost Efficiency
- 50-70% lower CAPEX compared to traditional vendor solutions.
- Eliminates vendor markup on commodity silicon.
- Reduced OPEX through simplified management and faster innovation cycles.
2. Vendor Independence
- Freedom to choose hardware and software independently.
- No lock-in to specific vendor roadmaps or licensing models.
- Sovereign infrastructure capabilities without dependency on foreign vendors.
3. Innovation Speed
- Rapid feature development through open-source communities.
- Custom optimizations for specific use cases (AI, 5G, financial trading).
- Future-proofing with software-defined approaches.
4. Operational Flexibility
- Standardized APIs for automation and orchestration.
- Multi-vendor interoperability in the same fabric.
- Gradual migration from legacy to modern architectures.
Which Industries Benefit the Most?
1. Cloud & Hyperscale Providers
- Use Case: Hyperscale data center fabrics.
- Example: Microsoft Azure runs on SONiC-powered white boxes, reducing costs by 50%.
2. Telecommunications (5G & Open RAN)
- Use Case: Disaggregated 5G core, mobile backhaul.
- Example: Vodafone deploys Open vRAN with Dell white-box radios.
3. AI/ML & High-Performance Computing
- Use Case: Low-latency GPU/TPU clusters.
- Example: Google’s Jupiter network connects thousands of TPUs with minimal latency.
4. Financial Services & High-Frequency Trading
- Use Case: Ultra-low-latency financial switching networks including UPI.
- Example: NPCI uses Commodity Switches like Edgecore, UfiSpace with ArcOS and Sonic for UPI
5. Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
- Use Case: Disaggregated BNGs, peering routers.
- Example: Lumen uses DriveNets’ Network Cloud for scalable internet gateways.
Disaggregated vs. Traditional Networking: Key Differences
| Aspect | Traditional Networking | Disaggregated Fabrics |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware-Software | Tightly coupled | Decoupled, mix-and-match |
| Vendor Choice | Single vendor stack | Multi-vendor ecosystem |
| Cost Structure | High markup, licensing | Commodity pricing |
| Innovation Speed | Vendor roadmap dependent | Community-driven, rapid |
| Customization | Limited to vendor features | Full control and customization |
| Operational Model | Proprietary CLIs/APIs | Standardized, open APIs |
| Scalability | Vendor-dependent | Limitless, software-defined |
| Sovereignty | Vendor-dependent | Full control and independence |
The Future of Disaggregated Networking
Emerging Trends:
- AI-Optimized Fabrics: Networks designed specifically for AI/ML workloads with adaptive bandwidth allocation.
- Edge Disaggregation: Bringing disaggregated principles to edge computing and IoT networks.
- P4-Programmable Switches: Hardware that can be programmed for custom packet processing.
- Intent-Based Networking (IBN): AI-driven network automation and self-healing capabilities.
- Sovereign Network Infrastructure: Nations building independent networking capabilities.
Building a Basic Disaggregated Network Fabric
1. Overview
A disaggregated fabric typically follows a spine-leaf architecture where:
- Leaf switches connect directly to servers/endpoints
- Spine switches provide non-blocking connectivity between leaf switches
- BGP routing enables dynamic path selection and load balancing
- Commodity hardware runs open-source or commercial NOS
2. Key Components
a. Spine Layer (Terabit Switches)
- High-bandwidth terabit switches form the spine.
- Provide non-blocking any-to-any connectivity across racks.
- Commodity options: Edgecore, UfiSpace with Broadcom Tomahawk ASICs.
- NOS options: SONiC, Cumulus Linux, FRRouting (FRR).
b. Leaf Layer (Gigabit Switches)
- Connects directly to compute nodes.
- Aggregates traffic upward to spine switches.
- White-box gigabit switches are deployed here with 100Gbps NIC support for high-performance nodes.
c. Compute Nodes
- Mixture of CPU-based x86 or ARM servers for general workloads.
- GPU-based servers (NVIDIA or AMD) for AI/ML or HPC workloads.
- Each node connects to one or more leaf switches for redundancy and bandwidth aggregation.
3. Deployment Principles
a. Disaggregation
- Use commodity white-box switches from ODMs.
- Load open NOS (e.g., SONiC) or commercial NOS (e.g., Arrcus ArcOS) as per operational maturity.
b. BGP to the Host
-
All nodes run BGP peering directly from host to network, enabled by:
- FRRouting (FRR) in the host OS.
- IPv6 Unnumbered for link scalability.
- BFD (Bidirectional Forwarding Detection) for rapid failover.
- ECMP (Equal Cost Multi-Pathing) for traffic load balancing across multiple links.
c. DPUs/NPUs for High Performance
- Use Data Processing Units (DPU) or Network Processing Units (NPU) to realize 100Gbps per NIC efficiently.
-
Combine with:
- DPDK for kernel bypass packet processing.
- NOS + BGP + Cosmolet for Kubernetes-aware BGP service advertisement.
4. Key Benefits
- Cost Optimization: 50-70% reduction in networking CAPEX.
- Flexibility: Mix vendors, NOS, and hardware as needed.
- Scalability: Add capacity incrementally without forklift upgrades.
- Innovation: Rapid deployment of new features and protocols.
- Sovereignty: Complete control over network infrastructure and data paths.
5. Implementation Summary
- Procure commodity white-box switches for spine and leaf layers.
- Install an open NOS like SONiC with FRRouting support.
- Design BGP peering to each host, enabling dynamic routing and failover.
- Deploy DPUs/NPUs on compute nodes needing line-rate performance.
- Integrate Cosmolet or similar controllers for Kubernetes service advertisement if deploying containerized workloads.
- Test failover, ECMP load balancing, and BGP route convergence before production rollout.
Conclusion: Is Disaggregation Right for You?
Disaggregated network fabrics are no longer just for hyperscalers—enterprises, telcos, and even financial firms are adopting them for:
✔ Lower costs (no vendor markup).
✔ Greater flexibility (avoid lock-in).
✔ Future-proof scalability (AI, 5G, IoT).
✔ Sovereign infrastructure (independent of foreign vendors).
If your industry deals with massive data growth, strict latency demands, or the need for rapid innovation, disaggregation is worth exploring.
Ready to dive deeper? Learn how to deploy SONiC in your data center or explore white-box options for 5G networks.
What’s Next?
Would you like a technical deep dive into any of these topics? Connect with me on LinkedIn
📝 Quick Definitions
- ODM: Original Design Manufacturer
- ECMP: Equal-Cost Multi-Path routing
- DPDK: Data Plane Development Kit
- Cosmolet: GitHub