Arista Networks has acquired Big Switch Networks, a player in the market for software-defined networks. That company had already raised more than $120 million from investors prior to the acquisition.
Arista is a provider of enterprise networks and sells switches, WiFi access points and similar hardware products, as well as software for managing those devices. CEO Jayshree Ullal of Arista states that Big Switch “has tremendous technical expertise and gives us [Arista] direct access to packet network technology.”
Monitoring expertise
According to SiliconAngle, it was mainly the monitoring capabilities of the startup that attracted Arista’s attention. Big Switch offers a number of software platforms that enable administrators to centrally manage their company’s network and identify potential problems. The Big Cloud Fabric platform provides the management functions, which are linked to built-in monitoring and analysis dashboards, while Big Monitoring Fabric is a solution with a comprehensive set of observation tools.
Both platforms can be deployed in the public cloud or on-premise. Arista wants to use Big Switch’s technology specifically to improve the EOS operating system that powers switches. In particular, it will expand the capabilities of its existing CloudVision and DANZ network modules.