Network operating system
A network operating system (NOS) is a specialized operating system for a network device such as a router, switch or firewall.
Historically operating systems with networking capabilities were described as network operating systems, because they allowed personal computers (PCs) to participate in
network stack
to support a client–server model.
History
Early microcomputer operating systems such as
hard disk.[1] As local area network technology became available, two general approaches to handle sharing of resources on networks arose.[citation needed
]
Historically a network operating system was an
Novell NetWare using the Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX) network protocol and Banyan VINES which used a variant of the Xerox Network Systems (XNS) protocols.[citation needed
]
These limited client/server networks were gradually replaced by
Windows for Workgroups (adding NetBIOS to Windows). Examples of early operating systems with peer-to-peer networking capabilities built-in include MacOS (using AppleTalk and LocalTalk), and the Berkeley Software Distribution.[citation needed
]
Today,
groupware applications have become the norm. Computer operating systems include a networking stack as a matter of course.[1] During the 1980s the need to integrate dissimilar computers with network capabilities grew and the number of networked devices grew rapidly. Partly because it allowed for multi-vendor interoperability, and could route packets globally rather than being restricted to a single building, the Internet protocol suite became almost universally adopted in network architectures. Thereafter, computer operating systems and the firmware of network devices tended to support Internet protocols.[5]
Network device operating systems
Network operating systems can be embedded in a router or hardware firewall that operates the functions in the network layer (layer 3).[6] Notable network operating systems include:
Proprietary network operating systems
FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, and Linux-based operating systems
- Cisco NX-OS, IOS XE, and IOS XR; families of network operating systems used across various Cisco Systems device including the Cisco Nexus and Cisco ASR platforms
- Junos OS; a network operating system that runs on Juniper Networks platforms
- Cumulus Linux distribution, which uses the full TCP/IP stack of Linux
- DD-WRT, a Linux kernel-based firmware for wireless routers and access points as well as low-cost networking device platforms such as the Linksys WRT54G
- Dell Networking Operating System; DNOS9 is NetBSD based, while OS10 uses the Linux kernel
- Extensible Operating System runs on switches from Arista and uses an unmodified Linux kernel
- ExtremeXOS (EXOS), used in network devices made by Extreme Networks
- FTOS (Force10 Operating System), the firmware family used on Force10 Ethernet switches
- Linux Foundation) for communications service providers that is designed for scalability, high performance and high availability.
- IETF standardized networking protocols, as well as firewall (PF) and load-balancingfunctionality.
- embedded devices
- pfSense, a fork of M0n0wall, which uses PF
- OPNsense, a fork of pfSense
- SONiC, a Linux-based network operating system developed by Microsoft
- VyOS, an open source fork of the Vyatta routing package
See also
- Distributed operating system
- FRRouting
- Network Computer Operating System
- Network functions virtualization
- Operating System Projects
- Interruptible operating system
- SONiC (operating system)
References
- ^ ISBN 9781133417569.
- ^ Dean, Tamara (2009). "Network Operating Systems", Network+ Guide to Networks, 421(483)
- ^ a b Winkelman, Dr. Roy (2009). "Chapter 6: Software", An Educator's Guide to School Networks, 6.
- ^ Davis, Ziff (2011). "network operating system", PCmag.comRetrieved 5/7/2011.
- ISBN 9781133417569.
- ^ Al-Shawakfa, Emad; Evens, Martha (2001). "The Dialoguer: An Interactive Bilingual Interface to a Network Operating System.", Expert Systems Vol. 18 Issue 3, p131, 19p, Retrieved 5/7/2011.
External links
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