The Linux Foundation today announced a new open-source project aimed at simplifying enterprise networking software at the edge.

The DENT initiative‘s goal is to create a network operating system for disaggregated network switches used in remote enterprise locations such as retail stores. The project is being backed by a number of companies, including Amazon.com Inc., Cumulus Networks Inc., Delta Electronics Inc., Marvell Technology Group, Mellanox Technologies Ltd. and Wistron NeWeb Corp.

DENT’s founders say they’re trying to facilitate “open networking” at the network edge based on the idea of “disaggregation.” That refers to the evolution of switching and routing appliances from proprietary, closed hardware and software sourced from a single provider toward totally decoupled, open components combined to form a complete switching and routing device.

These kinds of disaggregated networks are already popular in some industries, such as telecommunications. But DENT’s founders say that nothing exists for enterprise edge properties that fall outside of the traditional public cloud, since these often have very specific requirements to take advantage of disaggregation.

The main requirement is that remote campus locations need a simple and cost-effective networking operating-system stack that’s based on open-source Linux, and that’s what DENT is hoping to become. Based on the Linux Kernel, Switchdev and other Linux-based software, the project is designed to simplify abstractions, application programming interfaces, drivers and other overhead.

“With new technologies like 5G, edge, IoT and AI, the next generation of remote buildings, retail stores and enterprises will have a lot of innovative workloads and services close to the applications and users,” DENT’s founders said. “Having a simple disaggregated Linux/SwitchDev-based switch to power the remote offices will enable an ecosystem of apps that simplifies and standardizes integration across the ecosystem.”

Analyst Holger Mueller of Constellation Research Inc. said the battle for the edge is in full swing and it’s not surprising that some companies are choosing to wage it on the standards front too.

“The Foundation has a good track record on standards so far, and enterprise executives want to see cross-vendor endorsed standards win in the marketplace to power their next-generation applications,” he said.

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