Years ago, Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) announced that it was embarking on an initiative to enable data center operators to use any number of software options after buying a vendor’s hardware. A novel idea, but little has been heard since this long- ago announcement until very recently, when Facebook announced a major development with its Open Compute Project.
The Open Compute Project, the name given to this initiative by Facebook, has been successful in moving forward on defining a network switch that could be used on many operating systems to make this a reality. Recently, two switch designs were submitted to Facebook’s Open Compute Project for approval and they are already being tested in Facebook data centers.
One switch design is from Mellanox and the other is by Broadcom. This development pushes the Project forward in a fast and tangible way. Since the idea was launched in 2011, a network of developers and vendors has quickly grown to begin finding solutions to the ongoing issue of users being locked into a vendor’s software after they purchased the vendor’s hardware.
Facebook has had a very real need to choose the software and technology that best fits any number of scenarios and felt frustrated and limited by the dictates of the vendors. Deciding to develop this piece of network gear really helps Facebook and all users alike by promoting free and open competition amongst all developers, not just ensuring the use of software by the largest hardware manufacturers.
With two switches in testing, expect to hear more from Facebook on its Open Compute Project in the near future. Both switches are near being approved as official Open Compute Project designs, allowing anyone who can manufacture them to sell them.
