What is cloudSwXtch?

  • Updated on Jan 6, 2025
  • Published on Mar 7, 2023
  • 2 minute(s) read
Prev Next

WHAT TO EXPECT

In this article, users will get a deeper understanding of cloudSwXtch and how it can improve their networking capabilities. This article also gives users a preliminary introduction to the main features available while using cloudSwXtch.

Meet cloudSwXtch

cloudSwXtch creates a virtual overlay network that lets users add high performance networking to their cloud or edge applications with the touch of a button, requiring no code changes!

cloudSwXtch is available on AWS, Azure, GCP and OCI. It can be instantiated via their respective Marketplaces. cloudSwXtch is also available as a BYOL software install.

Supported Environments

What is a Virtual Overlay Network?

swXtch.io provides an application that implements a Cloud Based Virtual Switch - cloudSwXtch. It consists of a software-based network switch and a virtual NIC service (xNIC). Together, these components create an overlay network on top of the standard cloud network.

This overlay network adds many valuable, high-performance network features that aren't traditionally available in the cloud; one of which is a seamless IP multicast experience.

cloudSwXtch Hybrid Network diagram

cloudSwXtch Instance

A cloudSwXtch instance running on a user's virtual machines will provide extremely low latency (µ), high determinism, and elastic scalability. A user can build a 1,000-port switch or create a cloudSwXtch mesh of switches to optimize network reliability.

With cloudSwXtch, existing user applications and services that expect standards-based IP multicast will work in the cloud without requiring any code changes. This enables performance to approach that of bare metal.

Benefits of cloudSwXtch

  • Unblock Cloud Migrations – Migrate critical workloads that couldn’t move to the cloud because of missing network features or performance limitations.

  • Extend On-Prem Networks to the Cloud – Create a single data plane across private networks and the cloud, traversing virtual networks, availability zones, and regions.

  • Massive Scale – Extended networks with unlimited endpoints share identical features and sub-millisecond performance.

  • Enhanced Packet Monitoring – The cloudSwXtch architecture provides a unique view into low level network traffic across the entire extended network. 

  • Simplified and Flexible Network Configuration – Add and remove endpoints dynamically from global networks as conditions dictate. Eliminate the need to reconfigure individual workloads.