IT vendor Penguin Computing has rolled out a new line of Ethernet switches running on Cumulus Linux, a distribution of the popular open-source operating system made specifically for data center switches.

The OS is developed by Cumulus Networks, a recently unveiled startup whose products are aimed squarely at the market share of the incumbent network vendors, such s Cisco, Dell and HP. Its co-founder and CEO JR Rivers says the goal is to make commodity data center switches a viable alternative to buying the incumbents' products at their highly inflated prices.

Penguin says its new Arctica switches are the first switches on the market that come with Cumulus Linux preinstaled. This means buyers can use native Linux applications and tools for managing switch configurations as well as automation and monitoring tasks.

The control and management planes are native Linux, while the data path is accelerated using switching silicon. Existing and custom Linux applications run natively on the switch.

The Cumulus OS is optional. The product also comes with traditional network software stacks.

Charles Wuischpard, CEO of Penguin, said the announcement was part of a paradigm shift in networking. “The paradigm shift from high-priced, single-vendor offerings to open systems and software defined architectures is now transpiring for networking infrastructures,” he said.

“When this shift occurred in the server industry about fifteen years ago, we were at the forefront and we have been successfully delivering integrated, open solutions ever since.”

At the start the Broadcom-silicon-based Arctica line consists of the 48-port Gigabit Ethernet Switch Arctica 4804i and the 48-port 10ZGbE switch Arctica 4804x. A 32-port 40GbE switch is slated for the fourth quarter of 2013.