Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In this session, we will present the architecture of SONiC-DASH based Smart Switches, and how Microsoft is leveraging this and building software defined networks for key customer scenarios in Azure.
We define the problem, state the key requirements and showcase the solution with both hardware and software layers within SONiC that enabled us to implement multiple accelerated services scenarios via Smart Switches for deployment in Azure’s datacenters enabling 'limitless networking' - a concept to accommodate ever increasing scale demands of a public cloud.
We discuss the smartswitch hw and sw architecture, the key elements of a Accelerated Services Sleds with DPUs, and illustrate the customer and infrastructural benefits of deploying and using Smart Switches in a public cloud such as Azure. We walk through the details of a key usecase involving connectivity to Private Endpoints in Azure from customers’ on-premise environment. We also describe how we maintain HA and resiliency of service and share results of the experience from Azure operators perspective.
Murali Venkat: Murali is a Systems Architect and Principal Engineer at Cisco, leading the engineering architecture and product development for Cisco’s SONiC SmartSwitch. He also chairs the SONiC Virtual Dataplane Workgroup, advancing innovation in open networking software. Murali brings expertise across IP Host Services, Carrier Ethernet, and Data Center Networking technologies. He has worked on multiple generations of NPU ASICs and platforms for Data Center and Service Provider Access/PreAgg markets. His background also includes software dataplanes for Mobility and Broadband Network Gateway (BnG) domains, with contributions to 3GPP/SA3LI standards.
Vijay Srinivasan: Vijay Srinivasan is a system software architect and technical leader specializing in high-performance networking solutions for AI infrastructure, data centers, and service provider platforms. At AMD, he leads end-to-end software development for advanced networking technologies, including AI-NICs and AI networking software stacks, while representing AMD in key open-source networking initiatives such as SoNiC and DASH. His expertise spans L2/L3 forwarding, control plane protocols, ASIC dataplane design, and large-scale system bring-up and validation. He also brings deep knowledge of AI networking switch hardware/software stacks enabling seamless system integration and performance optimization across large-scale deployments. Previously at Pensando Systems (AMD), Vijay played a key role in architecting forwarding features in programmable ASICs and developing SDK infrastructure for dataplane validation and fabric-wide debugging. His prior roles at Insieme Networks (Cisco), Juniper Networks, and Greenfield Networks (Cisco) reflect deep technical leadership in SDK frameworks, routing and QoS architectures, and real-time network telemetry applications, with a consistent focus on system performance, scalability, and reliability.
Kristina Moore
In this session, we will present the architecture of SONiC-DASH based Smart Switches, and how Microsoft is leveraging this and building software defined networks for key customer scenarios in Azure.
We define the problem, state the key requirements and showcase the solution with both hardware and software layers within SONiC that enabled us to implement multiple accelerated services scenarios via Smart Switches for deployment in Azure’s datacenters enabling 'limitless networking' - a concept to accommodate ever increasing scale demands of a public cloud.
We discuss the smartswitch hw and sw architecture, the key elements of a Accelerated Services Sleds with DPUs, and illustrate the customer and infrastructural benefits of deploying and using Smart Switches in a public cloud such as Azure. We walk through the details of a key usecase involving connectivity to Private Endpoints in Azure from customers’ on-premise environment. We also describe how we maintain HA and resiliency of service and share results of the experience from Azure operators perspective.
Murali Venkat: Murali is a Systems Architect and Principal Engineer at Cisco, leading the engineering architecture and product development for Cisco’s SONiC SmartSwitch. He also chairs the SONiC Virtual Dataplane Workgroup, advancing innovation in open networking software. Murali brings expertise across IP Host Services, Carrier Ethernet, and Data Center Networking technologies. He has worked on multiple generations of NPU ASICs and platforms for Data Center and Service Provider Access/PreAgg markets. His background also includes software dataplanes for Mobility and Broadband Network Gateway (BnG) domains, with contributions to 3GPP/SA3LI standards.
Vijay Srinivasan: Vijay Srinivasan is a system software architect and technical leader specializing in high-performance networking solutions for AI infrastructure, data centers, and service provider platforms. At AMD, he leads end-to-end software development for advanced networking technologies, including AI-NICs and AI networking software stacks, while representing AMD in key open-source networking initiatives such as SoNiC and DASH. His expertise spans L2/L3 forwarding, control plane protocols, ASIC dataplane design, and large-scale system bring-up and validation. He also brings deep knowledge of AI networking switch hardware/software stacks enabling seamless system integration and performance optimization across large-scale deployments. Previously at Pensando Systems (AMD), Vijay played a key role in architecting forwarding features in programmable ASICs and developing SDK infrastructure for dataplane validation and fabric-wide debugging. His prior roles at Insieme Networks (Cisco), Juniper Networks, and Greenfield Networks (Cisco) reflect deep technical leadership in SDK frameworks, routing and QoS architectures, and real-time network telemetry applications, with a consistent focus on system performance, scalability, and reliability.
Kristina Moore
