IP Infusion to extend OcNOS to support Broadcom Tomahawk 6 platforms, targeting 102.4T network capacity

IP Infusion said it plans to extend its OcNOS® network operating system to support open platforms built on Broadcom’s Tomahawk 6 switching platform. The announcement, published Oct. 14, positions OcNOS as the software layer for vendors and operators that want network control software that is not tied to a single closed hardware stack.

The news highlights what it describes as “OcNOS Goes 102.4T,” a reference to very high switching throughput enabled by the underlying hardware platform. While the announcement frames the move as a way to reach 102.4T-class capacity, it does not provide additional technical detail in the available posting beyond the planned Broadcom Tomahawk 6 support.

OcNOS, IP Infusion’s software-defined networking operating system, is designed to manage and control network switches and routers using standardized open interfaces. In this context, extending OcNOS to Tomahawk 6 is aimed at giving equipment makers a common software platform they can ship on multiple “open” hardware options, rather than building and maintaining separate network software stacks for each chipset generation.

Broadcom’s Tomahawk 6 is a widely cited switching platform used in high-performance network switches, particularly where operators want higher aggregate bandwidth to support data-center traffic growth. By targeting the Tomahawk 6 ecosystem, IP Infusion is aligning its roadmap with a major silicon cycle, which can be important for software vendors that need to remain compatible with the latest switching hardware deployed by infrastructure builders.

The Oct. 14 posting does not name specific switch or system partners, nor does it outline a customer timeline for validation, deployment, or availability of the Tomahawk 6-ready OcNOS. It also does not provide performance benchmarks beyond the “102.4T” reference, nor does it describe any pricing or commercial licensing changes tied to the expansion.

For Broadcom (AVGO), platform support announcements from software partners matter because they can increase the variety of configurations available to switch vendors and operators. A larger ecosystem can shorten software integration cycles, reduce switching software fragmentation, and help hardware deployments progress from prototype to production across multiple vendors.

For IP Infusion, the move is also about maintaining relevance as data-center network designs evolve toward higher line rates and more scalable switching fabrics. In practice, software operating system support for a new chipset can become a gating item in procurement decisions, because operators typically want a consistent network software model across their fleet.

Still, several details remain unclear from the information available in the posting. The announcement does not specify which OcNOS capabilities will be certified on Tomahawk 6, whether the support is aimed at particular switch form factors, or what the availability date will be for partners and end customers. It also does not provide evidence on how quickly engineers can integrate OcNOS into Tomahawk 6-based systems. Observers will likely look for follow-on documentation, partner announcements, and concrete release timing.