[SONiC Introduction Lecture Report] Open Networking Practice Seminar ~Hands-on session learning about white Box switches, network OS, and optical modules with actual equipment~
Introduction
This article outlines the content of the presentations and the live demonstrations conducted at the "Open Networking Practice Seminar" held at Macnica 's Shinagawa office on September 10, 2026.
This seminar focused on "open networking," which involves freely combining white-Box switches, network operating systems, and optical modules. The session included a basic explanation, a live demonstration, case studies, and hands-on practice.
In the live demonstration on the day, we used Enterprise SONiC by Broadcom (hereinafter, Broadcom SONiC) and a white Box switch equipped with Sera NOS to step-by-step verify the basic operations of the network, from connecting to and checking the status of network devices to VLANs, MAC addresses, switching, and routing.
The presentation materials from the day can be downloaded from the following link.
In particular, if you want to see all the commands introduced in this demo, please be sure to check them out as well.
speaker
Open networking allows you to build the optimal network with flexible combinations.
In traditional networks, it's common to install switches, network operating systems, and optical modules from a single vendor.
While this approach makes it easier to select compatible products and allows for a single point of contact for support, it also presents challenges such as increased costs due to vendor lock-in and difficulty in flexibly selecting products to suit specific applications.
In open networking, switches, network operating systems, and optical modules can be selected from different vendors and combined to suit specific requirements. While this offers expanded options and potential cost reductions, it also presents challenges such as verifying product compatibility and interoperability, and the decentralization of maintenance and support channels.
To address this challenge, Macnica 's Open Networking solution not only verifies the interoperability of switches, network operating systems, and optical modules, but also consolidates often dispersed maintenance and support contact points into a single point of contact. Furthermore, leveraging our extensive experience and knowledge in supporting Broadcom 's SDKs, we provide continuous support from pre-implementation verification to post-implementation operation.
A product portfolio that supports a wide range of speeds and applications.
In the product introduction section, we showcased open networking-related products offered by Macnica, including white-Box switches, network operating systems, optical modules, and monitoring tools.
Our switches cover speeds from 1G to 800G, supporting a wide range of applications including data centers, telecommunications carriers, and MoIP. We also offer a broad selection of optical modules to suit different distances and transmission speeds.
Regarding network operating systems, we discussed Broadcom SONiC, a commercialized version of Community SONiC developed by Broadcom, highlighting its features such as support for multi-vendor network equipment, application-specific packages, and a Cisco-like command system.
Click here for details on Broadcom's network-related products.
About Sera Network
Sera Network社では、データセンター向けスイッチおよび産業用ネットワークシステム装置を展開しています。
Edge AIから5G、エンタープライズ、データセンターまでの幅広いネットワークインフラと、Community SONiCを商用向けにカスタマイズしたSera NOSを提供しています。
台湾の通信事業者が運用するネットワークにおいて、Spine/Leafスイッチとして採用された実績もあります。
Sera Network社の詳細はこちら
Coherent's optical module
Coherent The company manufactures and develops optical communication products and industrial lasers, and has the following characteristics:
• Major companies OEM Extensive track record of adoption by vendors and cloud providers.
- A vertically integrated business structure that handles everything from the design and manufacturing of major components to the finished product.
• Research and development capabilities to create advanced products
From Enterprise AI A broad product portfolio covering everything up to data centers.
Coherent Our optical modules are 1G from 25G The enterprise access domain, 40G from 400G Cloud ISP Backbone area, 800G from 1.6T of AI It covers even the data center domain.
Click here for more details about Coherent.
A live demonstration combining a white Box switch, NOS, and optical module.
For the live demonstration, we used the following network devices equipped with Broadcom SONiC and Sera NOS, along with their corresponding optical modules.
・ Edgecore AS5835-54X (DCS201): Broadcom SONiC
・ Edgecore AS7326-56X (DCS203): Broadcom SONiC
・ Sera Network SBR-O0408EBP150W: Sera NOS
• Optical modules for Edgecore and Coherent
The AS5835-54X features 48 1G/10G SFP+ ports and 6 40G/100G QSFP28 ports.
The AS7326-56X features 48 1G/10G/25G SFP28 ports and 8 40G/100G QSFP28 ports.
Furthermore, the Sera Network gateway features 1G and 2.5G PoE+ compatible RJ45 ports and four 1G/10G SFP+ ports.
View product information for Edgecore white Box switches.
In the demo environment, the Edgecore and Sera Network were connected via 10G.
The connection uses Edgecore and Coherent optical modules, and by sending traffic from a packet generator, the configuration allows us to verify the communication results before and after VLAN and routing configuration.
Basic operation of SONiC
In the first half of the live demonstration, we introduced the basic operations of the network OS.
First, let's talk about how to connect it to the switch.
■ Management Port
The management port is an Ethernet port used for managing the device. It connects to the management network, and PCs on the same network can access the device via SSH.
■Console port
The console port is used to directly operate the equipment. It is connected to a PC with a console cable and accessed via terminal software. The equipment used in this demonstration used an RJ45-type console port.
Next, we introduced the hierarchical command systems of Broadcom SONiC and Sera NOS, and confirmed how to navigate between the Linux shell, EXEC mode, CONFIGURATION mode, and interface configuration mode.
Next, we introduced the following status check commands used in actual operation and troubleshooting.
·network OS Version check
- Currently applied settings (Running Configuration) Confirmation
・ CPU and memory usage
・ FAN and the status of the power supply unit
- Interface link status and communication counter
• Vendor, model number, and serial number of the optical transceiver
• Temperature, voltage, and receiving/transmitting power of the optical transceiver
The above is just one example of a command.
All the commands demonstrated in this demo can be downloaded from the following link.
VLAN and switching
Next, we introduced MAC addresses and VLANs, which are fundamental to network communication.
A MAC address is an address used to identify a network interface. A switch learns the source MAC address of an received Ethernet frame and forwards the frame to the appropriate port according to the destination MAC address. This process is called switching.
VLANs are a technology that logically separates networks on a single switch. Devices belonging to the same VLAN can communicate with each other at Layer 2. On the other hand, devices belonging to different VLANs cannot communicate directly with Layer 2 switching alone and require routing by a router or L3 switch.
In this live demonstration, we created VLAN 10 and VLAN 20 and assigned ports to them as follows:
After configuration, we checked how the communication results differed between ports belonging to the same VLAN and ports belonging to different VLANs.
This demonstration confirmed, through both the configuration details and the actual communication results, that VLAN configuration is not simply a matter of entering commands, but rather a mechanism for separating communication ranges.
For more detailed information on network fundamentals, please click here.
Connect different networks using static routing.
In the second half of the demo, we introduced IP addresses and routing.
An IP address is equivalent to an "address" on an IP network. Devices within the same subnet can communicate directly with each other, but communication between different subnets requires routing by a router or Layer 3 (L3) switch.
Routing includes dynamic routing, which automatically learns route information, and static routing, where an administrator manually registers routes.
In the demonstration, we configured IP addresses on different subnets for both the Broadcom SONiC and the Sera NOS. Furthermore, we set up static routes to the other network on each network OS to confirm that bidirectional communication was possible between different subnets.
From implementation to support, we provide end-to-end service.
In this seminar, in addition to a technical explanation of Macnica Open Networking, we also introduced actual implementation and support case studies.
■Edgecore Networks
Case study of Sakura Internet Inc.
Case study of implementation at Mitsui E&S Systems Engineering Co., Ltd.
■Coherent
Case study of Sapporo Television Broadcasting Co., Ltd.
We also presented support case studies where we successfully isolated and resolved problems that occurred in environments combining products from multiple vendors.
For more details on support cases, please see here (the relevant section is on pages 96-98 of the demo materials).
Through these examples, we demonstrated how Macnica 's open networking can support not only product delivery but also the isolation and resolution of issues that span multiple vendors.
Summary
At Macnica, in addition to providing white-Box switches, network operating systems, and optical modules, we offer end-to-end support, including configuration proposals, evaluation environment setup, actual equipment verification, training, fault analysis, and operational Q&A.
If you have any requests such as "I'd like to actually evaluate SONiC," "I'd like to consider introducing a white Box switch," or "I'd like to verify a multi-vendor configuration including optical modules," please feel free to contact us.
Inquiry
Macnica will deliver solutions that address the challenges of OpenNetworking and maximize customer benefits.
If you have any inquiries regarding SONiC, or any other Macnica OpenNetworking products such as white-Box switches, or if you require technical advice, please feel free to contact us using this form.
Related information
[Lecture Report Part 1] Broadcast Network Switch Hands-on Seminar: Learning Network Fundamentals and the Characteristics of Broadcast Networks with White Box Switches - Network Fundamentals
[Lecture Report Part 1] SONiC Hands-on Seminar: Learning the Basics of Open Network OS Operations with White Box Switches
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Click here for list of materials
In addition to introducing products handled by Macnica,
We publish materials related to open networking, such as BGP cross network automatic construction files and network operation test evaluation reports.
Click here for details
Click here for the manufacturer's page.
Broadcom, Inc.
We are an industry leader in both semiconductor solutions and infrastructure software, and provide products in a wide range of areas including data centers, networks, broadband, wireless communications, storage, and security.
Edgecore Networks
We continue to be a pioneer in open networking by developing and selling products related to OpenNetworking/white Box switches.
IP Infusion
As a market leader among open networking providers, we provide reliable network solutions to over 600 customers, including carriers, service providers, and data centers.