Executive Brief
Izarlink, a premier regional telecommunications operator based in the French Basque Country (Pays Basque, Béarn and Landes), has successfully transformed its data center core network to meet surging demands for secure, high-performance digital infrastructure. By deploying IP Infusion’s OcNOS® in partnership with system integrator Pine Networks, Izarlink has moved from a legacy, vendor-locked environment to a modern, disaggregated open networking architecture.
The core of this modernization is a high-availability 100G EVPN-VXLAN fabric that interconnects IzarLink’s data centers and peering locations. This transition enables the operator to securely host sensitive workloads including healthcare data, while achieving a significantly lower total cost of ownership (TCO).
Migration to EVPN-VXLAN
To ensure its customers continue to receive high-performance connectivity that meets rigorous ISO 27001 and HDS (Health Data Hosting) certifications, IzarLink proactively modernized its network core. The operator replaced legacy Arista DCS7148-SX switches to increase capacity, eliminate vendor lock-in and gain the flexibility needed for a future-proof architecture.
The new core utilizes OcNOS DC hosted on Edgecore whitebox switches, running EVPN-VXLAN with Multi-homing to interconnect data centers and peering locations. This migration provides the zero-downtime stability and carrier-grade performance required for mission-critical applications, such as dedicated fiber Internet (FTTO) and secure cloud services.
Why OcNOS
IzarLink evaluated multiple suppliers, including traditional vendors like Arista, before selecting IP Infusion’s OcNOS based on scalability, operational simplicity, and total cost of ownership.
- Predictable Economics: All features are included in a perpetual licensing model, eliminating costly subscriptions or license add-ons.
- Expert Local Support: Pine Networks provided strong integration and local expertise, ensuring a smooth transition from legacy systems.
- Advanced Feature Set: OcNOS provides robust Layer 2 and Layer 3 capabilities, including OSPF, BGP, and EVPN-VXLAN.
- Open Architecture: The disaggregated design decouples software from hardware, ensuring the solution is independent of any single hardware vendor.
Deployment Architecture
The new architecture features Edgecore AS7326-56X hardware as the core switches of the network. These switches aggregate 25G interfaces from different network segments into a redundant 100G core. This setup applies the full intelligence of OcNOS to manage traffic across data centers and peering sites with superior efficiency. The platform maintains seamless interoperability with IzarLink’s existing Cisco and MikroTik routers, allowing for a phased and secure modernization of the regional infrastructure.
Strategic Impact
The shift to open networking has delivered immediate benefits in terms of performance, and financial agility. By choosing a solution with long product lifecycles and no recurring software fees, IzarLink has secured the most cost-effective path for the next 10 years. This strategic investment ensures that local businesses and public-sector sites in the Basque Country (Pays Basque, Béarn and Landes) have access to a secure, scalable, and locally managed digital infrastructure for years to come.
“IP Infusion OcNOS provided the technical depth and improved network economics that enabled us to timely upgrade our data center core with future-proof scale, security, and resilience. ” – Alexis Guirlé, CEO of IzarLink
“IzarLink’s approach reflects a clear focus on long-term service quality and operational excellence. Our role was to translate that vision into a production-ready deployment, combining local expertise with OcNOS to deliver a resilient, future-proof data center core.” – Hadi Choueiry, General Manager of Pine Networks.
