Cisco Catalyst Center vs Open Virtual Network
Cisco Catalyst Center
cisco.comOpen Virtual Network
ovn.orgSide by side
| Figure | Cisco Catalyst Center | Open Virtual Network |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Data Center Fabric Software | 7.8 (#2) | 7.3 (#5) |
| Spec score · Software-Defined Networking Software | 7.8 (#4) | 7.3 (#13) |
| Integrations | Cisco documents integrations with ISE, ThousandEyes, Webex, Microsoft Teams, ServiceNow, Infoblox, and BlueCat, plus generic APIs for other ITSM and IPAM systems. | The architecture page names OpenStack Neutron’s ml2/ovn plugin and the ovn-kubernetes project as cloud management system examples. |
| Purpose | Cisco Catalyst Center is a centralized network controller and management dashboard for enterprise network operations. | OVN is a system that supports logical network abstraction in virtual machine and container environments. |
| Release support | Cisco states that Catalyst Center 2.3.7.x follows a 24-month support timeline, with support for that release listed through June 17, 2027. | Standard term releases receive full bug-fix support for one year after initial release; LTS releases receive bug-fix support for two years and another year of critical and security fixes after a new LTS is released. |
| Security | Catalyst Center supports FIPS 140-2-compliant cryptography modules, and Cisco recommends deploying it behind a firewall on a private internal network. | OVN’s security process directs vulnerability reports to the ovs-security mailing list for coordinated handling. |
| Support | Cisco says Catalyst and Cisco DNA software subscriptions include embedded software support and downloads; opening a support case requires a Cisco Service Contract. | The installation guide directs users to GitHub issues or [email protected] to report problems. |
Plans
Cisco Catalyst Center
- Cisco DNA AdvantagePriced on request
- Cisco DNA EssentialsPriced on request
In their own words
Cisco Catalyst Center
Cisco Catalyst Center has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Open Virtual Network
Open Virtual Network (OVN) provides logical networking for virtual machine and container environments, intended for cloud management software. It converts virtual network configurations into OpenFlow and organizes them around logical routers and switches. Listed capabilities include distributed virtual routers and logical switches, access control lists, DHCP, and a DNS server. Tunnels or other encapsulations isolate logical networks from physical and virtual networks, allowing overlapping address spaces. Virtual machines can move between physical machines without network disruption, and gateways connect tunnel-based logical networks to physical networks. Examples of cloud-management integrations include OpenStack Neutron’s ml2/ovn plugin and ovn-kubernetes. OVN runs in userspace, needs no kernel modules, and is written in platform-independent C; its generic build guide covers Linux, FreeBSD, and NetBSD hosts. It is free under the Apache 2 license, with on-premises deployment, a centralized control plane, and a Linux and self-hosted platform listing. OpenSSL libssl is optional but recommended for secure connections to OVN database servers.