SONiC decouples the network operating system from switch hardware. Built on Linux with a containerized architecture, it programs switching ASICs through SAI (the Switch Abstraction Interface), so the same NOS image can run on hardware from many vendors. It originated at Microsoft and is now community-governed, and it underpins large cloud and AI data-center fabrics.
SONiC
At Asteraix
Where Asteraix leads on SONiC
Asteraix ships enterprise SONiC (AsterNOS) preloaded on every CX-series switch — one NOS image across Marvell Teralynx, Broadcom, and Intel silicon via SAI.
- Turnkey: Leaf/spine switches arrive with AsterNOS configured for RoCEv2, EVPN, and MLAG out of the box.
- Operations: ZTP, Prometheus/Grafana telemetry, and a single CLI across the fleet.
- Support: Perpetual license included; 2-year hardware warranty on all platforms.