Developer | Microsoft, SONiC Foundation: a part of Linux Foundation, Open Compute Project, and community |
---|---|
Written in | C |
OS family | Unix-like (Linux kernel) |
Working state | Current |
Source model | Open source |
Initial release | 2016 |
Latest release | SONiC.202305 / 2023/05/31 |
Repository | github |
Marketing target | Network devices |
Kernel type | Monolithic |
License | Mix of open-source licenses including the GNU GPL and the Apache License |
The Software for Open Networking in the Cloud or alternatively abbreviated and stylized as SONiC, is a free and open source network operating system based on Linux. It was originally developed by Microsoft and the Open Compute Project. In 2022, Microsoft ceded oversight of the project to the Linux Foundation, who will continue to work with the Open Compute Project for continued ecosystem and developer growth.[1][2][3][4] SONiC includes the networking software components necessary for a fully functional L3 device[5] and was designed to meet the requirements of a cloud data center. It allows cloud operators to share the same software stack across hardware from different switch vendors and works on over 100 different platforms.[3][5][6] There are multiple companies offering enterprise service and support for SONiC.