SONiC

Learning Path

The recommended order. Each module builds on the one before it — the labs especially assume you can already navigate the databases and containers hands-on. Do them in order the first time.

Module 1 · ~8 h

SONiC Architecture & Operating Model

  1. What SONiC Islesson45m
  2. Linux Under the Switchlesson50m
  3. Containerized Serviceslesson50m
  4. Redis and the SONiC Databaseslesson55m
  5. Configuration and State Flowlesson55m
  6. SONiC Virtual Switch Baselinelab45m
  7. Container Explorationlab50m
  8. Redis Explorationlab55m
  9. Interface Lifecyclelab55m
  10. Build an Architecture Maplab60m

Module 2 · ~8 h

Control Plane, FRR & Route Lifecycle

  1. FRR Inside SONiClesson50m
  2. RIB, FIB & Hardware Statelesson55m
  3. BGP Route Lifecyclelesson55m
  4. Control Plane vs Data Planelesson50m
  5. Traditional NOS Comparisonlesson45m
  6. Build a Routed Adjacencylab60m
  7. Trace One Route Through the Systemlab60m
  8. Route Withdrawallab45m
  9. Failure Injection: BGP Containerlab60m
  10. Broken Next-Hop Scenariolab55m

Module 3 · ~8 h

ASICs, Switching Pipelines, SAI & Forwarding

  1. What a Switching ASIC Islesson50m
  2. The Switching Pipelinelesson55m
  3. SAI — The Switch Abstraction Interfacelesson55m
  4. SWSS, Orchagents, syncd & ASIC_DBlesson55m
  5. Full Routed Packet Walklesson55m
  6. Full Bridged Packet Walklesson50m
  7. Forwarding Exceptions — Traffic to the CPUlesson50m
  8. Hardware Resource Limitslesson55m
  9. Route Object Correlationlab60m
  10. MAC Learning and FDBlab55m
  11. Failure Injection: SWSSlab60m
  12. ASIC_DB Explorationlab50m
  13. Control Plane Healthy, Forwarding Brokenlab60m
  14. Physical Switch Validationlab75m

Module 4 · ~8 h

EVPN/VXLAN in SONiC

  1. SONiC EVPN/VXLAN Architecturelesson40m
  2. Underlay Designlesson35m
  3. EVPN Route Types (SONiC View)lesson35m
  4. VXLAN Forwarding Behaviorlesson40m
  5. Symmetric and Asymmetric IRBlesson35m
  6. EVPN Troubleshooting Across Layerslesson40m
  7. Build the Underlaylab60m
  8. Configure VXLAN and VNIslab60m
  9. Establish EVPNlab60m
  10. Trace a MAC Between Leaveslab55m
  11. Packet Capturelab50m
  12. Failure Scenarioslab75m

Module 5 · ~8 h

Open-Source SONiC vs Enterprise SONiC

  1. Upstream Open-Source SONiClesson45m
  2. The Enterprise Distribution Modellesson50m
  3. Dell Enterprise SONiC (High Level)lesson45m
  4. Enterprise Evaluation Frameworklesson50m
  5. Day 0/1/2 Operations: Open Source vs Enterpriselesson50m
  6. When to Choose Each Modellesson45m
  7. Distribution Comparison Worksheetlab60m
  8. Same Task, Two Distributionslab75m
  9. Troubleshooting Experience Comparisonlab75m
  10. Upgrade Planning Exerciselab60m
  11. Architecture Recommendationlab60m

Finish

Final Capstone

Operate and troubleshoot a small SONiC EVPN/VXLAN fabric end to end.