Inside Open Networking by STORDIS – the podcast where tech meets real life

STORDIS GmbH

Inside Open Networking by STORDIS – a podcast about open disaggregated networks, from hardware to software. Expect unboxings, insights, and stories that bring technology closer to real life. STORDIS is a European-based team of Open Networking experts, trusted by cloud data centers, telecoms, service providers, and enterprises across Europe. We deliver innovative hardware and software solutions, 24/7 support, and knowledge sharing through the route2open Academy. Join us to stay ahead in Open Networking — and learn from those who build it every day.

  1. Broadcom Tomahawk 6 & Ultra: Ethernet Silicon for AI

    Jun 1

    Broadcom Tomahawk 6 & Ultra: Ethernet Silicon for AI

    Broadcom Tomahawk 6 and Tomahawk Ultra are redefining Ethernet for AI infrastructure. Recorded at CLOUDFEST, Łukasz Łukowski from STORDIS talks with Kamran Naqvi from Broadcom about 102.4 Tb/s switching silicon, scale-out and scale-up AI networking, ultra-low-latency HPC, Enterprise SONiC, and why Ethernet is ready for the next generation of AI data centers.

    9 min
  2. Infrastructure as Prompt: AI Agents, Digital Twins & the Future of Network Automation with Kamal Bhatt

    May 22

    Infrastructure as Prompt: AI Agents, Digital Twins & the Future of Network Automation with Kamal Bhatt

    What happens when infrastructure is no longer written only as code, but described as a prompt? In this CLOUDFEST Masterclass, Kamal Bhatt from STORDIS explains the concept of Infrastructure as Prompt — an AI-driven approach to designing, testing, documenting, and automating modern infrastructure using coding agents, digital twins, Git, GNS3, NetBox, telemetry, and real network devices. What if modern infrastructure could be designed, tested, and automated through natural language? In this episode, we feature Kamal Bhatt, Head of Value Driven Software Delivery at STORDIS, presenting his CLOUDFEST Masterclass on Infrastructure as Prompt — a new way of thinking about infrastructure automation in the age of AI coding agents. Kamal walks through the evolution of orchestration, from CLI and SNMP to SDN, REST APIs, Infrastructure as Code, and now AI-assisted workflows where prompts, skills, instructions, and MCP can help turn intent into infrastructure actions. This session explores how tools such as GitHub Copilot, GNS3, NetBox, telemetry systems, Git repositories, Draw.io, and real switches were combined in a proof of concept for AI-driven infrastructure operations. You will learn how AI agents can compare documentation with live or simulated network topologies, generate deviation reports, support digital twin workflows, identify ACL overlaps and IP conflicts, and even turn diagrams into simulated labs. The episode also looks honestly at the trust gaps that still need to be solved before AI-driven infrastructure automation can be used safely in production — including hallucinations, ambiguity, AAA, vendor differences, rollback strategies, and the need for guardrails. If you are interested in network automation, NetDevOps, AI infrastructure, digital twins, data center orchestration, or the future of Infrastructure as Code, this episode is for you. You will discover: How infrastructure orchestration evolved from CLI and SNMP to APIs and Infrastructure as CodeWhat “Infrastructure as Prompt” means in practiceHow AI coding agents can support infrastructure operationsWhy Git repositories matter for backups, generated code, and reference designsHow GNS3, NetBox, telemetry, and real switches can work together in an AI workflowHow hand-drawn diagrams and Draw.io files can become topology simulationsWhy digital twins and guardrails are essential before production useWhere the biggest trust gaps are in AI-driven infrastructure automation 00:00 Intro00:55 Evolution of orchestration: CLI, SNMP, SDN, REST, IaC01:58 From code to prompt03:03 What Infrastructure as Prompt means04:27 Proof of concept architecture06:44 Prompts, skills, instructions, and MCP07:39 GNS3, NetBox, telemetry, and real switches09:33 Why Git repositories matter12:07 Device skills and automated backups15:33 GNS3 REST API automation17:20 Comparing GNS3 topology with NetBox documentation19:03 Digital twins, GitHub issues, ACL overlaps, and IP conflicts21:28 Turning diagrams into GNS3 labs23:29 Trust gaps in AI-driven orchestration25:57 Digital twins, guardrails, and validation28:10 Q&A Presentation:https://stordis.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Kamal-Krishna-Bhatt_Infrastructure-As-Prompt_Stordis-GmbH-.pdf Kamal Bhatt YouTube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/@UCGZUFgtdxAkUIyiS-YU9XpQ STORDIS:https://www.stordis.com Support:support@stordis.com

    30 min
  3. OpenLAN Switching - More Than Just Cloud Management | OCP Dublin 2025

    Mar 11

    OpenLAN Switching - More Than Just Cloud Management | OCP Dublin 2025

    Recorded live at the OCP Regional Summit Dublin 2025, this session features Gidi Navon of Marvell and Taras Chornyi of PLVISION exploring how OpenLAN Switching is pushing open networking beyond cloud environments and into campus, enterprise, and industrial deployments. As part of the Telecom Infra Project (TIP), OpenLAN is building a community-driven switching ecosystem centered on open-source innovation, SONiC integration, and cloud-based management. In this practical and forward-looking talk, the speakers explain how OpenLAN extends the success of OpenWiFi into Ethernet switching, enabling scalable, cloud-managed infrastructure with Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP), northbound APIs, and true multi-vendor interoperability. They also introduce a community-enhanced, fully open-source SONiC approach designed to deliver greater transparency, flexibility, and freedom from vendor lock-in. Key TakeawaysWhat OpenLAN Is: An overview of the OpenLAN Switching initiative and its role within the TIP ecosystem for open, cloud-managed networking.Cloud-Managed Switching: How OpenLAN enables Zero Touch Provisioning, centralized orchestration, and simplified operations for modern campus and enterprise networks.Growing Ecosystem: Progress across hardware, software, ODM participation, and multi-vendor support—with 22+ switch SKUs and 4+ ODMs already in the ecosystem.SONiC Integration: How OpenLAN is evolving its NOS strategy around SONiC, including containerized northbound agents and a more open, transparent software model.Real-World Applications: Use cases spanning campuses, public venues, and industrial environments where flexible, cloud-native switching is becoming essential.What’s Next: A look at OpenLAN certification plans and the roadmap for broader industry adoption. Session Outline00:00 – Intro00:03 – Welcome00:16 – OpenLAN Switching Overview01:04 – What Is OpenLAN?02:36 – Cloud Management and ZTP05:03 – Building the Ecosystem06:35 – Project Progress Update07:36 – Hardware SKUs and Roadmap08:52 – New Switching Features09:42 – NOS Evolution and SONiC11:18 – Software Architecture12:14 – Cloud SDK Overview15:07 – SONiC Integration16:43 – Use Cases19:01 – Key Takeaways20:45 – Q&A20:58 – Multi-Vendor Support22:06 – Certification Roadmap Whether you're a network operator, campus IT leader, or open-source networking enthusiast, this session offers a valuable look at how OpenLAN is enabling more flexible, interoperable, and scalable switching for the next generation of enterprise infrastructure. Stay Connected📬 Questions or support: support@stordis.com | 🌐 www.stordis.com 💻 Blog: https://stordis.com/blog/📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/STORDIS-GmbH/100057058555819/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stordis_open_networking/👥 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stordis/🐦 X: https://twitter.com/STORDIS_GmbH/

    23 min
  4. Open-Source Operable SONiC | OCP Dublin 2025

    Feb 16

    Open-Source Operable SONiC | OCP Dublin 2025

    Recorded live at the OCP Regional Summit Dublin 2025, this candid session features Matthias Haag (Founder & CEO, UhuruTec) sharing what it really looks like to deploy Community SONiC for a production cloud platform — from the perspective of a network user, not a network admin. Matthias walks through the promise of vendor-neutral networking (a “Linux-like” hardware abstraction for switches) — and the friction points he hit when trying to operationalize Community SONiC: slow and flaky build pipelines, unclear failures and unpinned dependencies, missing release tagging/versioning, feature gaps like EVPN multihoming, and day-2 reliability issues such as SNMP container crashes and unexpected restarts. He then contrasts Community SONiC with commercial/enterprise SONiC distributions (including Broadcom’s), and ends with a clear call to action: a truly open, enterprise-ready SONiC with proper CI/CD, reproducible builds, platform testing, sane releases/tags, and more upstream collaboration — with fewer “politics” slowing down key contributions. 00:00 Music / opening00:11 Intro: who Matthias is and the perspective he brings (user vs. admin)00:36 Project context: why NOS/switching choices matter for a cloud platform00:46 Why SONiC and why starting with Community SONiC03:43 Hardware bring-up + setting up a custom build approach04:18 Build realities: long runtimes, caching effort, failure loops04:59 Versioning challenges: build identification, consistency, missing tags/releases05:56 Pipeline reliability concerns: “rerun works” and dependency/pinning issues06:50 Design goals: target fabric architecture + connectivity requirements07:12 Feature gaps: key capabilities missing or delayed upstream07:32 Operational stability: monitoring/service reliability pain points08:06 Boot/bring-up issues: unexpected states and disruptive fixes08:18 Hardware visibility: intermittent missing interface/transceiver info08:43 Port configuration: workarounds and manual adjustments09:06 Config errors: “applied but errors” situations that reduce confidence09:33 Unexpected restarts after configuration changes10:06 Day-2 usability: split tools for different layers and admin workflow friction10:34 Production readiness: where it’s okay today vs. where it’s still risky11:23 Enterprise/commercial comparison: features, stability, QA, polish12:04 The “server-world” analogy: openness vs. ecosystem constraints/lock-in risk13:13 Call to action: truly open “enterprise” SONiC (releases, CI/CD, testing, UX)18:06 Q&A: bringing issues upstream; tags existed before, then stopped19:25 Vendor discussion: shifting toward stronger community participation21:23 Community feedback: upstream-first collaboration vs. fragmented forks 📬 Questions or support: support@stordis.com | www.stordis.com Let’s get social 💻 Blog: stordis.com/blog/ 📘 Facebook: facebook.com/people/STORDIS-GmbH/100057058555819/ 📸 Instagram: instagram.com/stordis_open_networking/ 👥 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/stordis/ 🐦 X: twitter.com/STORDIS_GmbH/

    23 min
  5. Accelerating AI with Next-Gen Networking SONiC Innovations and Scalable Designs

    Feb 5

    Accelerating AI with Next-Gen Networking SONiC Innovations and Scalable Designs

    Recorded live at the OCP Regional Summit Dublin 2025, this session features Kamran Naqvi (Broadcom) exploring how next-generation Ethernet networking is accelerating AI infrastructure — and what enterprises need to build practical, scalable GPU clusters with SONiC. From AI traffic patterns (elephant flows, low entropy, tail latency) to real-world topology and cabling choices, Kamran breaks down what makes AI fabrics different from traditional data centers — and how Enterprise SONiC enhancements (smarter hashing, adaptive routing, better load distribution) help remove networking as the bottleneck. Key Takeaways The unique networking demands of AI back-end fabrics: elephant flows, poor entropy, RDMA retransmission challenges, and tail latency The four fabrics in AI infrastructure — and why the back-end fabric is where “the uniqueness” shows up Scale-up vs. scale-out networking: what each does and where enterprise designs focus today Enterprise-ready GPU cluster designs and scalable Ethernet fabrics for AI SONiC improvements for AI workloads: Advanced hashing (including deeper header visibility for better entropy) Adaptive routing approaches, including flowlet-based spraying for better balancing with minimal reordering risk Practical best practices for cable/optics selection, rack/topology layout, and failure recovery planning Why Ethernet often beats InfiniBand in production AI deployments — including faster failover behavior and scalability Session outline 00:03 – Intro: Kamran’s role at Broadcom; session focus 00:21 – What you’ll learn: AI network needs, scalable enterprise designs 01:14 – AI infrastructure fabrics + scale-up vs scale-out (enterprise reality) 07:54 – AI as distributed compute: why networking drives job completion time 11:16 – AI traffic patterns: elephant flows, RDMA pain, tail latency 14:08 – Fabric challenges: collisions, failures, incast + required capabilities 16:04 – Broadcom approaches + why Ethernet often wins vs InfiniBand (incl. failover) 18:28 – Topologies: closed vs rail-optimized; when spines still matter 23:08 – Cabling/optics best practices: DAC first, then linear pluggables; CPO intro 27:09 – Reference designs: rack layouts and cluster scaling examples 32:04 – SONiC for AI: advanced hashing + adaptive routing (flowlet spray) 36:07 – Wrap-up: QR code for reference architecture + materials; thanks Download Download the Broadcom AI Reference Architecture (via the QR code shown during the session). Stay Connected 📬 Questions or support: support@stordis.com | 🌐 www.stordis.com Let’s get social 💻 Blog: https://stordis.com/blog/ 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/STORDIS-GmbH/100057058555819/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stordis_open_networking/ 👥 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stordis/ 🐦 X: https://twitter.com/STORDIS_GmbH/

    37 min
  6. Ethernet Based AI Cluster Fabric - Performance Improvement - Tuning in SONiC | OCP Dublin 2025

    Jan 28

    Ethernet Based AI Cluster Fabric - Performance Improvement - Tuning in SONiC | OCP Dublin 2025

    I’ll rewrite your session description to match the same structure and tone as the example: short intro, “Learn how” value line, punchy bullet takeaways, and a timestamp-style outline, ending with the same contact/social footer. Recorded live at the OCP Regional Summit Dublin 2025, this episode features Nanda Ravindran (VP of Technical Sales, Edgecore Networks) sharing hands-on, real-world insights into tuning AI-scale network fabrics with SONiC. Learn how Edgecore benchmarks and optimizes 800G AI switches in SONiC — and why consistent, repeatable tuning (plus validation under realistic load) is critical for stable AI network performance. AI workload characteristics and the fabric performance challenges they introduce Step-by-step SONiC tuning: PFC, ECN, and DLB configuration fundamentals Using Spirent test equipment to generate realistic AI traffic profiles and stress conditions What changes performance: topology choices, link failures, VXLAN overlays, and traffic patterns Flowlet mode vs. hash mode — which delivers better outcomes for AI use cases Why automation, repeatable test methods, and community best practices matter at AI scale Edgecore’s open networking approach: collaborating with Broadcom on Enterprise SONiC for next-gen AI deployments Session outline:00:00 Intro — Nanda Ravindran & session overview01:00 Why AI fabric tuning matters — 800G benchmarking + recurring performance gaps02:00 AI workload traits — elephant flows, low entropy, load-balancing pressure; goal: lossless + low latency03:00 SONiC tuning focus — RoCEv2 mapping + PFC, ECN, DLB04:00 Testbed overview — 6× Edgecore 800G (TH5), SONiC 202311-based, non-blocking fabric05:00 Spirent methodology — AI workload emulation, collectives, measurements06:00 PFC configuration — QoS profiles (DSCP→TC→Queue/PG), bindings, enablement08:00 ECN configuration — WRED profile, thresholds, drop probability sweeps09:00 DLB explained — hash vs flowlet; why flowlet tuning matters10:00 Key findings — PFC-only best in lab; PFC+ECN required for deployments12:00 ECN result highlight — example best setting (1% drop, 2MB/10MB thresholds)13:00 800G vs 400G/breakout — native 800G performs better for AI workloads14:00 Failure + VXLAN tests — link failures hurt; VXLAN shows minimal impact15:00 Collectives + PXN — PXN best; flowlet recovers faster than hash16:00 Call to action — automation + repeatable community best practices18:00 Q&A — question on newer enhanced DLB/ECMP; plan to test on newer SONiC 📬 Questions or support: support@stordis.com | 🌐 www.stordis.com Let’s get social💻 Blog: https://stordis.com/blog/📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/STORDIS-GmbH/100057058555819/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stordis_open_networking/👥 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stordis/🐦 X: https://twitter.com/STORDIS_GmbH/ #SONiC #AIFabricTuning #Edgecore #800GSwitches #OCPDublin2025 #ECN #PFC #DLB #AIWorkloads #SONiCOptimization #OpenNetworking #EnterpriseSONiC #Broadcom #FlowletMode #NetworkAutomation #AIInfrastructure

    20 min
  7. Revolutionizing Open Networking: Monsoon 2.0, AI-Enhanced ORCA and Smart CLI for SONiC | OCP 2025

    Jan 21

    Revolutionizing Open Networking: Monsoon 2.0, AI-Enhanced ORCA and Smart CLI for SONiC | OCP 2025

    Recorded live at OCP Regional Summit Dublin 2025, this episode features Kamal Bhatt (Software Product Manager, STORDIS) presenting a suite of open-source tools that bring AI-driven monitoring and orchestration to SONiC network environments. Learn how Monsoon 2, AI-enhanced ORCA, and Smart CLI are transforming SONiC operations — from agentless telemetry with gNMI to natural-language monitoring and AI-assisted command execution. The evolution from Monsoon 1 (agent-based) to Monsoon 2 (agentless monitoring) using gNMIAn AI chatbot for natural-language monitoring queries using InfluxDB (and optional Prometheus support)ORCA orchestration with Neo4j graph database, device discovery, and SONiC lifecycle managementSmart CLI: AI-powered command execution using RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) + GPT-4Real-time validation, safety prompts, and open-source availability through OCP0:00 Intro — Kamal Bhatt & session overview0:10 STORDIS tooling focus: monitoring + orchestration for SONiC0:24 Tool suite: Monsoon 2, AI-enhanced ORCA, and Smart CLI0:49 “Make SONiC consumable” — Smart CLI for the iPhone generation1:01 Monsoon 1 overview (why it existed)1:16 Adoption & feedback loop (downloads, usage, lessons learned)1:51 Monsoon 1 architecture: agent-based Prometheus + SONiC exporter3:30 Monsoon 2: moving to agentless monitoring3:35 gNMI + Unified Management Framework (OpenConfig)3:58 ORCA Network Library: gNMI client + topology discovery (Neo4j)5:04 Data storage choices: InfluxDB (plus limited Prometheus support)5:39 Grafana dashboards + what’s included in Monsoon 26:30 AI monitoring chatbot: natural-language queries → time-series results7:39 Model notes: open-source LLMs (incl. 70B) + work toward smaller models8:07 ORCA orchestration platform: architecture + components9:31 ORCA capabilities: discovery, topology/links, and device configuration10:47 SONiC lifecycle: image/release management + DHCP/ZTP workflows11:53 ORCASK: AI chatbot for configuration via function calling12:58 ORCASK deep dive: plan → confirmation → execute (with safety prompt)15:16 Smart CLI explained: natural-language requests → correct SONiC commands16:22 Smart CLI deep dive: RAG pipeline + vector store + GPT-4 “final verdict”18:39 Q&A begins18:51 Q: vendor CLI differences + transactions + safety/revert concerns22:40 Q: Integrations23:14 Q: prompt engineering + open-source availability (via OCP) 📬 Questions or support: support@stordis.com | 🌐 www.stordis.com Let’s get social💻 Blog: https://stordis.com/blog/📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/STORDIS-GmbH/100057058555819/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stordis_open_networking/👥 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stordis/ What You’ll LearnTimestamps / ChaptersStay Connected

    24 min
  8. Exclusive Highlights from OCP Dublin: SONiC Open Insight Forum — Building AI-Ready Open Networking

    Jan 20

    Exclusive Highlights from OCP Dublin: SONiC Open Insight Forum — Building AI-Ready Open Networking

    Relive the key moments from the SONiC Open Insight Forum, recorded during the OCP Regional Summit in Dublin. This special session brings together leaders from STORDIS, The Linux Foundation, the SONiC community, and the wider open networking ecosystem to explore how SONiC is enabling next-generation, AI-ready networks—at scale, in production, and in real hyperscaler environments. From roadmap updates and community momentum to operational tooling and real-world deployments, you’ll hear why SONiC is increasingly seen as the foundation for modern, programmable data center networking. Opening remarks from Waldemar Scheck (STORDIS) and Sunny Cai (The Linux Foundation) SONiC’s growth, roadmap direction, and global community acceleration AI-ready networking: scalability + programmability for AI workloads Operational tooling that simplifies day-to-day SONiC management Real deployments from Microsoft Azure, Alibaba Cloud, Google, and more New SONiC Foundation members announced — including STORDIS and others Why SONiC matters: community, ecosystem, and real adoption SONiC in modern scalable data centers Making networks AI-optimized through working groups and collaboration Market momentum signals: visibility, tracking, and “project-market fit” How regional events are expanding the SONiC community across Europe and beyond 0:00 Intro & welcome0:12 OCP Regional Summit Dublin0:33 Why SONiC matters (community + ecosystem)0:48 SONiC in modern scalable data centers1:06 AI-ready networks: scale & programmability1:27 Tools improving day-to-day SONiC operations1:41 Building the future together with SONiC2:01 Today’s speaker lineup & handover2:16 Sunny Cai: SONiC Foundation overview2:43 Linux Foundation + networking projects landscape3:23 Community growth: contributors, releases, commits3:49 Working groups + making SONiC AI-optimized4:19 One year of momentum: media, views, analyst reach4:58 Market tracking + “project-market fit”5:22 New SONiC Foundation members announced (incl. STORDIS)5:41 SONiC booth + Summit activities5:52 Robust ecosystem & fast-growing community6:09 SONiC deployments: Azure, Alibaba Cloud, Google, etc.6:38 Global community highlights6:49 Regional events agenda: London → Dublin → more7:08 Join the SONiC Foundation7:26 The future of open NOS = SONiC (wrap-up) 📬 Questions or support: support@stordis.com🌐 www.stordis.com Let’s get social💻 Blog: https://stordis.com/blog/📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/STORDIS-GmbH/100057058555819/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stordis_open_networking/👥 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stordis/🐦 X: https://twitter.com/STORDIS_GmbH/ #SONiC #OCP2025 #LinuxFoundation #OpenNetworking #DataCenters #AIInfrastructure #NOS #SONiCWorkshop

    8 min
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About

Inside Open Networking by STORDIS – a podcast about open disaggregated networks, from hardware to software. Expect unboxings, insights, and stories that bring technology closer to real life. STORDIS is a European-based team of Open Networking experts, trusted by cloud data centers, telecoms, service providers, and enterprises across Europe. We deliver innovative hardware and software solutions, 24/7 support, and knowledge sharing through the route2open Academy. Join us to stay ahead in Open Networking — and learn from those who build it every day.

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