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Facebook Open Switching System (FBOSS)

Facebook Open Switching System (FBOSS) is a network Operating System (OS) (network infrastructure) developed by Meta for managing and operating its data center Ethernet switches using a software-driven control and management stack.

  • Software-based control plane and management stack for data center switches (network infrastructure)
  • Support for white-box and Wedge-class hardware switches defined by Meta (network hardware integration)
  • Programmable forwarding behavior and switch configuration via software APIs and agents (network automation)
  • Integration with Meta’s data center tooling for monitoring, telemetry, and lifecycle operations (observability and operations)
  • Support for large-scale Layer 2/Layer 3 Ethernet switching in hyperscale environments (data center networking)

More About Facebook Open Switching System (FBOSS)

Facebook Open Switching System (FBOSS) is a network OS (network infrastructure) created by Meta to run on data center switches that support the company’s large-scale production networks. FBOSS was introduced together with Meta’s Wedge family of Top-of-Rack (TOR) switches and is designed to provide a software-centric approach to controlling and managing Ethernet switching hardware. The system focuses on making the switch behave as a manageable server-like node in the data center fabric, with a programmable software stack on top of merchant silicon.

FBOSS includes an agent process that runs on the switch and implements the control logic for Layer 2 and Layer 3 forwarding (routing and switching). This agent programs the underlying switch Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) through platform abstraction layers (network hardware integration), allowing Meta engineers to define forwarding rules, VLANs, routing entries, and access control behavior through software configuration rather than monolithic firmware images. FBOSS also integrates with standard data center networking constructs such as Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and other routing and switching features where exposed by Meta, aligning it with enterprise-scale IP fabric designs (data center networking).

The system is tightly integrated with Meta’s internal orchestration and monitoring platforms (network automation and observability). Through this integration, FBOSS-based switches can be configured, upgraded, and monitored at fleet scale using automated workflows. Telemetry and status information from the FBOSS agent feed into central monitoring systems, enabling health checks, fault detection, and performance analysis across many switches. This design aligns FBOSS with enterprise infrastructure operations practices, including configuration management, automated remediation, and lifecycle management.

FBOSS is associated with Meta’s open hardware initiatives, such as the Wedge and later switch designs contributed through open hardware communities (open networking). By separating the software control plane from the underlying merchant silicon platform, FBOSS offers a programmable environment for switch behavior while allowing hardware choices within a defined ecosystem. Enterprises evaluating open networking concepts can view FBOSS as a reference for how a hyperscale operator runs a software-defined switch Network Optimization Suite (NOS) on white-box-style platforms.

Within a technical directory, Facebook Open Switching System (FBOSS) fits into categories such as network operating systems for data center Ethernet switches (network infrastructure), hyperscale data center networking architectures (data center networking), and software-driven network automation and telemetry platforms (network automation and observability). Its focus is on programmable control of switch ASICs, integration with large-scale operational tooling, and support for standard IP fabric models used in modern data centers.