Edgecore Networks and Deca Consulting upgraded IPNexia’s data center infrastructure with a SONiC-based spine-leaf architecture, replacing legacy hardware with an automated, open networking design. The deployment modernizes the Belgian operator’s backbone to support more than 3,000 enterprise customers with predictable low-latency performance and horizontal scalability.
The project addresses constraints tied to aging infrastructure and vendor lock-in by adopting an open, non-blocking 100G fabric built on enterprise-class switches running Broadcom-based Enterprise SONiC. Automation plays a central role, using zero-touch provisioning alongside NetBox-driven Ansible workflows to accelerate deployment and standardize operations through Infrastructure-as-Code.
Deca Consulting led design, deployment, and knowledge transfer, enabling IPNexia to operate and scale the new environment independently. The resulting platform supports multi-tenant services and higher-bandwidth applications while allowing incremental expansion without service disruption.
- Deployed a fully non-blocking 100G spine-leaf fabric for predictable low latency
- Adopted open networking with enterprise switches running Broadcom Enterprise SONiC
- Implemented automation using ZTP, NetBox, and Ansible workflows
- Enabled Infrastructure-as-Code and version-controlled configurations
- Designed for multi-tenant services and future expansion without downtime
“We worked closely with IPNexia to design and deploy an open, automated data center network that delivers scalability, operational efficiency, and long-term flexibility,” said a spokesperson for Edgecore Networks.
🌐 Analysis
The deployment underscores growing adoption of SONiC in enterprise and regional data center environments as operators seek alternatives to vertically integrated networking stacks. Edgecore’s emphasis on enterprise-grade SONiC aligns with broader industry momentum around open networking, where automation and disaggregation increasingly shape data center architecture choices alongside offerings from traditional vendors and hyperscaler-driven ecosystems.
About SONiC
SONiC (Software for Open Networking in the Cloud) is an open-source network operating system originally developed by Microsoft to support large-scale, cloud data center networking. Microsoft introduced SONiC publicly in 2017 after deploying it extensively in Azure, where it replaced proprietary network operating systems to improve reliability, automation, and hardware independence. Built on Linux, SONiC follows a modular, containerized architecture that decouples the control plane from the underlying switch hardware, enabling operators to adopt a true disaggregated networking model.
From a technical perspective, SONiC supports modern data center and service-provider requirements, including Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching, BGP, EVPN, VXLAN, ECMP, QoS, telemetry, and high-availability features such as fast failover and warm reboot. It relies on standardized interfaces such as SAI (Switch Abstraction Interface) to communicate with merchant silicon from vendors like Broadcom, Marvell, and others. Key milestones include multi-ASIC support, enhanced routing scale, improved management frameworks, and growing enterprise-grade capabilities such as secure boot, role-based access control, and lifecycle management. SONiC has matured from a hyperscaler-focused platform into one capable of supporting production enterprise and regional data center environments.
The SONiC ecosystem continues to expand through active contributions from cloud providers, silicon vendors, OEMs, and system integrators, coordinated under the Linux Foundation. Hardware vendors now ship SONiC-compatible platforms, while integrators and software partners offer validated distributions, automation tooling, and commercial support. Looking ahead, the SONiC roadmap emphasizes deeper telemetry, improved observability, simplified upgrades, stronger security frameworks, and closer alignment with automation and Infrastructure-as-Code workflows. As network operators prioritize openness, scalability, and operational efficiency, SONiC is increasingly positioned as a long-term foundation for cloud-scale and enterprise data center networking.
