Juniper, a titan of the networking industry, has gained its title for many reasons. As we all know by now, networking equipment runs the world from the background. So having the confidence that your network is operating at its best, has never been more important. Network confidence is key.
Juniper Networks contends that they are the “leader in performance enabling services that are designed to accelerate, extend, and optimize your high-performance network.” Their services “allow you to maximize operational efficiency while reducing costs and minimizing risk, achieving a faster time to value for your network. Ensuring operational excellence by optimizing the network to maintain required levels of performance, reliability, and availability.” One of the reasons they can afford to talk such a big game, is their operating system, Junos.
Junos OS, developed for their routers, switches, and security appliances, is specifically designed for use in high-performance, reliable, and scalable network infrastructure. It has a rich history dating back to its inception in the late 1990s. As it was initially designed to power Juniper’s high-performance routers, it has since evolved into a versatile and robust operating system for a wide range of networking devices.
The operating system is known for its stability, security, and feature-rich capabilities, making it a popular choice for many organizations and service providers. Junos is behind many of the world’s top-tier networking operations. The system excels in automation, and operational efficiency, allowing network administrators to free up valuable time and resources to focus on other tasks.
As mentioned earlier, Junos’ robust set of features is what makes it so popular in the industry. Here are some of the big hitters:
Modular Architecture: Junos is built on a modular architecture, allowing for easy customization and scalability. This modular design makes it simpler to add new features and services.
Junos CLI: The Junos Command Line Interface (CLI) is user-friendly and consistent across different Juniper devices, making it easier for network administrators to manage and configure their infrastructure.
Commit and Rollback: Junos introduces a unique “commit” and “rollback” feature, allowing administrators to make configuration changes, test them, and then either commit or roll back those changes safely.
Security: Junos places a strong emphasis on security. It includes features like firewall filters, intrusion detection and prevention, VPN support, and integrated threat intelligence.
Routing Protocols: Junos supports a wide range of routing protocols, including BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, and more. Offering robust routing capabilities that are essential in complex network environments.
High Availability: Junos is designed for high availability, with features like Virtual Router Redundancy Protocol (VRRP), graceful restart, and non-stop routing to minimize network downtime.
Automation: Junos supports automation through the Junos Automation Toolkit, which allows for programmable network configurations using languages like Python and XML, making network provisioning and management more efficient.
Per TrustRadius.com, a popular site for users to write reviews of any business or technology software, many Network Administrators cite Junos OS as simplistic yet powerful, saying “it provides a consistent grammar and easy navigation for users. The CLI is well-organized, making a logical grouping of activities. The built-in security features like commit confirmed, rollback, and commit compare are super valuable and make it safe to use.” one user cited how they especially like the structured CLI. “It makes it easy to read through the configuration, especially when it’s a large config. Once you become familiar with how they name things, it’s all very logical. Juniper gets very granular with its configurations so you can do a lot with it…Having to commit to your changes before they take effect can be a life saver. Especially if you use commit confirm and accidentally lock yourself out or really break something, it will undo the changes without a reboot. Being able to roll back several config changes is also really nice.”
What about other Operating Systems?
As you just read, there are many aspects of Junos that make it stand out amongst its peers. However, there is still a good argument to be made for other operating systems for your networking equipment.
A few of the most common are Cisco IOS, Arista EOS, and Huawei VRP. Each of these operating systems has its own characteristics and strengths, and the choice between them often depends on the specific requirements of the network and the preferences of the network administrators. All three operating systems are designed to be reliable, but their implementations and features may differ.
Cisco IOS stands out due to its comprehensive set of security features, network features, modular architecture, and it’s highly stable and incredibly reliable in order to support of various routing protocols.
Arista EOS excels in programmability and automation, aligning with the industry trend toward automated network infrastructures. EOS is designed for low-latency and high-performance networking. (Important for data center environments where rapid data exchange is critical.)
Huawei VRP is another notable contender. Boasting its versatility and adaptability accommodates a wide range of routing and switching requirements. It is adaptable to various network scenarios, making it suitable for any size network or situation.
As you might realize now, there are many different operating systems for many different use cases. It’s important to recognize what your business needs to accomplish with their network, and what aspects of their configuration are most important to them. There are many features and characteristics that make each OS unique, understanding your use case will be the first step towards building the best network for your business.
What is Right for your Network?
Junos is designed to be versatile and adaptable to different networking scenarios, and that may be perfect for what you are looking for. The specific deployment choice depends on the organization’s networking requirements, the scale of the network, and the desired features and capabilities. Juniper’s operating system is one of the best in the industry, however, it might not always fit your use case. The best thing to do before making any decisions about the equipment you might buy is to first know what you’re looking to accomplish with it. Whether you’re building your first home network, or coordinating an enterprise-level network overhaul, we have the experts here at Dedicated Networks that are equipped to help you answer questions for every level of networking. Whether you have questions such as, ‘Which refurbished product will optimize my home Wi-Fi?’ or ‘Which operating system is ideal for our company’s enterprise-level network?’ We are always dedicated to delivering the best networking solutions at the most competitive prices.