Does anyone make a SFP with a system on chip "computer" that you can run a
small embedded linux on?
I am sure it can be done because I have a "GPON stick" which is basically a
ONU with a small embedded Linux all on a SFP module. Does get fairly hot
however.
My application is to run some small things that I feel is missing in my
switches/routers. Plug in this imaginary "SFP computer" to enhance the
switch with a small Linux. The SFP slot provides both networking and power
to the device.
I don't know if they're pushing it for the QFX5100, but I think
on the QFX10k line they're pushing the ability to run another
guest VM alongside the 2 JUNOS VMs on the switch's x86 CPU.
No idea what's involved with packaging the VM and getting it there, but
should open up some interesting possibilties.
What are those possibilities? How can you leverage VM in your
router/switch? Do you have access to the high performance NPU? Or some
high-performance link to forwarding-plane?
If it's just plain old VM in server, why would you want to save 1kUSD
on installing compute to the rack and add complexity/risk to your
network infrastructure? JunOS, IOS-XR are very fickle already and fail
on the darnest things, I'd be very hesitant to put random VM there
without extremely compelling justification.
Dave Täht
I just lost five years of my life to making wifi better. And, now...
the FCC wants to make my work, illegal for people to install. https://www.gofundme.com/savewifi
Based on Baldur's original message, it seems he is aware of these, but
he wants SFP where the control-plane is exposed to him to do what ever
he pleases there. I know Huawei has router-in-SFP called 'ATOM',
unsure if it's VRP based or something smaller, but I don't think it
meets Baldur's use-case either.
There is clearly nothing stopping from having general purpose PC on
SFP, but there may be insufficient demand. I'm sure if you'll order
1000 of them, someone will make them in non-terrible price.
Another SFP+ I'd be interested is, is subrate SFP+, which turns your
10GE port into 10/100/1000 port. Very annoying if after upgrade cycle,
for that one port in pop, you need to chain additional switch.
I think for this subrate SFP+ there would be market which would
justify ordering some volume of them.