Barefoot Networks

Barefoot Networks | June 17, 2016

It’s been a while since we caught up with Nick McKeown, chief scientist at Barefoot Networks. Longtime SDxCentral readers know the resume. McKeown and U.C. Berkeley professor, Scott Shenker got software-defined networking (SDN) off the ground through research that led to the OpenFlow protocol. They founded Nicira Networks with Martin Casado. Nicira is now part of VMware, which means McKeown is three for three in having startups get acquired. Now, he’s on his fourth try. With Barefoot Networks di...

Barefoot Networks | June 14, 2016

Networking has undergone radical changes in the past few years, and two startup launches this week show the revolution isn’t over yet. Barefoot Networks is making what it calls a fully programmable switch platform. It came out of stealth mode on Tuesday, the same day 128 Technology emerged claiming a new approach to routing. Both say they’re rethinking principles that haven’t changed since the 1990s. Now is a good time to shake up networking, because IT itself is changing shape, says Nemertes Re...

Barefoot Networks | June 14, 2016

Barefoot Networks is also making its switch platform completely programmable. Networking has undergone radical changes in the past few years, and two startup launches this week show the revolution isn’t over yet. Barefoot Networks is making what it calls a fully programmable switch platform. It came out of stealth mode on Tuesday, the same day 128 Technology emerged claiming a new approach to routing. Both say they’re rethinking principles that haven’t changed since the 1990s....

Barefoot Networks | June 14, 2016

Barefoot Networks says its ASIC will make networks fully programmable without sacrificing performance. A team of networking industry veterans has developed a super-fast switch chip that provides data center operators and network equipment makers with the ability to program the way packets are forwarded. Their startup, Barefoot Networks, emerged out of stealth today. The company boasts record-breaking speed with its Tofino switch chip, which processes packets at 6.5 terabits per second. By making...