Open Networking for AIOpen Networking for AI

Announcement

Open Ethernet for AI: NVIDIA Spectrum-X with Dell SONiC

AI needs a better network. We're building it with Dell Enterprise SONiC & NVIDIA Spectrum-X. See how we're unlocking AI's future.
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tl;dr: Dell Technologies is advancing AI infrastructure with NVIDIA Spectrum-X and Enterprise SONiC, creating an open, validated networking solution engineered to deliver the lossless, high-performance fabric required to unlock the full potential of AI workloads. This powerful combination helps organizations build scalable, efficient AI factories by providing the robust data pipeline essential for compute-intensive tasks.

As AI infrastructure advances into new territory, one critical component is often overlooked: the network.  Compute acceleration is only as effective as the data pipeline that feeds it. Legacy data center fabrics simply fall short of AI’s unique demands.

This is where Dell Technologies steps in. We are delivering NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet with Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies—a validated, open networking solution engineered for AI. This platform combines low-latency NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet switches with the modular Dell SONiC network operating system (NOS), hardened for AI scale by Dell, and compliant with the NVIDIA Cloud Partner Reference Architecture.

SONiC’s evolution: from hyperscale to AI

SONiC (Software for Open Networking in the Cloud) emerged from Microsoft Azure in 2016 to solve the problem of monolithic network operating systems slowing innovation. By separating control and data planes and using containerized microservices, it enabled rapid development and hardware flexibility, ideal for hyperscale deployments. With its move to the Linux Foundation, SONiC matured for the enterprise. The community continues to expand features and security. Learn more on the SONiC project site. Dell contributes upstream and provides 24×7 support for Enterprise SONiC, making it ready for highly parallel, low-latency AI systems.

AI workloads introduce fundamentally different traffic patterns from traditional applications. AI training relies on high-volume, synchronous, GPU-to-GPU communication that is intolerant of packet drops or jitter. To support this, AI fabrics must guarantee lossless transport, sub-microsecond latency, intelligent congestion control, and real-time observability.

Dell SONiC is designed to meet these demands with features purpose-built for AI fabrics.

    • RoCEv2 (RDMA over Converged Ethernet v2) is fully integrated, enabling direct memory access between GPUs over Ethernet. This reduces latency and CPU overhead while ensuring high-throughput data transfers. Explore what RoCE is.
    • Adaptive Routing dynamically distributes traffic across multiple paths, optimizing bandwidth and reducing congestion hotspots in real-time, which is crucial during model training.
    • Congestion Management uses ECN marking and PFC to prevent queue buildup. SONiC integrates with NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet telemetry to provide feedback-based congestion avoidance, throttling and ramping up flows gracefully instead of dropping them.
    • Enhanced Telemetry and Monitoring with native support for in-band telemetry and integrations with tools like Grafana provide vital visibility into network performance, which is critical for debugging AI pipelines.

NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet with Dell SONiC

At the hardware layer, NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet switches, now part of the Dell PowerSwitch family of switches, deliver the ultra-low-latency forwarding required for AI workloads. When paired with Dell SONiC, the system achieves an end-to-end lossless RDMA fabric, leveraging advanced features like dynamic buffer management and real-time congestion visibility. SONiC abstracts hardware details, allowing infrastructure architects to mix vendors without rewriting automation. Management tools span from open-source Ansible playbooks to Dell SmartFabric Manager, ensuring SONiC’s deployment and observability pipelines are enterprise-ready. This solution is compliant with the NVIDIA Cloud Partner Reference Architecture, ensuring validated interoperability.

For a deeper look at Dell networking strategy and platforms, visit our website.

Enterprise deployment at scale: the Dell AI Factory

SONiC is a core component of the Dell AI Factory, powering AI clusters running everything from large -language model training to real-time inferencing. The combination of SONiC’s open flexibility with Dell’s support model and validated hardware allows customers to rapidly deploy and scale multi-vendor AI networks without lock-in. You can automate lossless fabric configuration and integrate deeply into AI orchestration platforms. AI networking is no longer a niche capability—it is a strategic enabler of compute performance.

Conclusion: open networks, unlocked AI

AI efficiency depends on the network. With NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet and Enterprise SONiC Distribution by Dell Technologies, organizations can build AI-native Ethernet fabrics that are lossless, observable and ready to scale from day one. This is open networking engineered for AI, delivered with enterprise confidence. We look forward to showcasing these capabilities at Supercomputing 2025. Let’s build the future of AI infrastructure together.

To learn more about exciting new Dell 1.6Tbps switch technologies, take a look at this PowerSwitch blog post link.

Saurabh Kapoor

About the Author: Saurabh Kapoor

Saurabh Kapoor stands at the forefront of innovation leading Core and AI Networking at Dell Technologies, where he spearheads the development and strategic direction of Networking Software Solutions and AI Connectivity and Strategy. Overseeing flagship products like Dell Enterprise SONiC and Dell Smart Fabric Manager, Saurabh drives transformative advancements that empower AI factories and enterprise networks with cutting-edge infrastructure. His visionary leadership has been instrumental in shaping Dell’s industry-leading AI-optimized networking portfolio.

As a distinguished member of the Linux Foundation SONiC Governing Board, Saurabh represents Dell Technologies on the global stage, steering industry-wide collaboration with open-source communities, ecosystem partners, silicon vendors, and ODMs to accelerate SONiC adoption and set new standards in networking excellence. Since joining Dell in 2019 to lead Business Development and Product Strategy for Open Networking Solutions, he has architected the expansion of Dell’s Enterprise SONiC portfolio, cementing its reputation as a cornerstone of modern networking. With over a decade of executive experience in Product Management, Solution Engineering, and Business Development at prestigious firms including Capgemini and Emerson Electric, Saurabh brings a proven track record of strategic leadership and operational excellence.

A distinguished alumnus of George Washington University School of Business with an MBA and Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, India, with a Master’s in Technology, Saurabh combines world-class education with visionary execution, propelling Dell to the forefront of the AI-driven networking revolution.