Nokia ups the ante in AI-optimised datacentre networking

Driven by the growing demands of artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud workloads, datacentres are coping with unprecedented workloads and, according to Nokia, are at an inflection point where meeting these challenges requires a new approach that puts networking at the heart of datacentre architecture. To address this issue, Nokia has forged a strategic partnership with Supermicro to deliver enhanced datacentre performance, scalability and automation.

The ultimate aim is to help build modern datacentre networks that are highly reliable, secure and easy to operate, which is essential to meet the growing demands of AI workloads globally. By combining advanced switching hardware from the application-optimised IT solutions provider with its own datacentre automation and network operating system, Nokia said that the two companies could deliver a fully integrated datacentre networking solution built for AI, high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud environments.

The combined solution includes Supermicro’s 800G Ethernet switching platforms integrated with Nokia’s Service Router Linux (SR Linux) Network Operating System (NOS) and Nokia’s Event-Driven Automation (EDA) as the infrastructure platform to automate the datacentre network lifecycle from Day 0 design, Day 1 deployment to Day 2+ daily operations. Nokia’s EDA is said to be built to ensure faster response times, reduce manual effort, minimise errors, consume less compute resources and handle network-wide operations at scale with consistent performance.

The result of the deploying the companies technology, said the firms, was that end-users will benefit from a pre-validated, turnkey solution that reduces deployment time, cuts operational costs and improves overall efficiency.

“This collaboration gives our customers more choice and flexibility in how they build their infrastructure, with the confidence that Nokia’s SR Linux and EDA are tightly integrated with our systems,” said Cenly Chen, chief growth officer, senior vice-president and managing director at Supermicro. “It strengthens our ability to deliver networked compute architectures for high-performance workloads, while simplifying orchestration and automation with a unified platform.”

Vach Kompella, senior vice-president and general manager of IP Networks Division at Nokia, added: “Partnering with Supermicro further validates Nokia SR Linux and Event-Driven Automation are the right software foundation for today’s datacentre and IP networks. It also gives us significantly greater reach into the enterprise market through Supermicro’s extensive channels and direct sales, aligning with our strategy to expand in cloud, HPC and AI-driven infrastructure.

In addition to its Supermicro partnership, Nokia’s datacentre business was also boosted by a project with Kyndryl, modernising and automating datacentre operations for iWay. The Swiss telecommunications provider is using Nokia’s EDA platform and Datacentre Fabric (DCF) system with Kyndryl’s management services to fully automate their environment, roll out new features with ease and reduce human error.

The partnership is designed to offer enterprise datacentre capabilities focused on delivering open, reliable and easy-to-operate network solutions that meet evolving digital infrastructure needs added to Kyndryl’s ability to build and run agile, IT infrastructure equipped to manage risks and capable of integrating advanced technologies.

Matthias Cramer, iWay CTO, said: “The EDA platform gives us the simplicity and flexibility we were looking for, while both Nokia and Kyndryl work as trusted technology providers to deliver the reliability and technical expertise needed to deliver a smooth and secure network modernisation.”