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Networking Solutions

Open Data Center Interoperable Network (ODIN)

IBM System Networking Solutions

ODIN Solutions

IBM has taken the lead to articulate the issues faced by agile data center networks and promote best practices by creating a roadmap based on industry standards, known as the Open Data Center Interoperable Network or ODIN.

IBM believes that the practical, cost-effective evolution of data center networks should be based on open industry standards. This can be a challenging and often confusing proposition, since there are so many different emerging network architectures, both standard and proprietary. The ODIN materials created by IBM currently address issues such as virtualization and Virtual Machine (VM) migration across flat Layer 2 networks, lossless Ethernet, Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and OpenFlow, and extended distance WAN connectivity (including low latency).

The benefits of ODIN include:

  • Customer choice and future proof designs for data center networks, including vendor-neutral RFQs
  • Lower total cost of ownership by enabling a multi-vendor network (see the 1Gartner Group study)
  • Avoiding confusion in the marketplace between proprietary and vendor-neutral solutions
  • Providing best practices, relative maturity, and interpretation of networking standards

The following organizations have publicly endorsed ODIN:

1 Gartner Group report, "Debunking the myth of the single-vendor network", by Mark Fabbi and Debra Curtis, 17 November 2010, available from Gartner Group (link resides outside of ibm.com).

Industry Solutions

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