Junos® OS For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Developing Junos OS

Software development probably isn't a topic that you expected to find in a networking book. After all, you don't need to build the Junos operating system. Juniper's engineers do that for you.

However, we include a little about this topic because we think it's important. The disciplined development process is an essential reason why Junos OS is different. Unlike most other vendors, Juniper develops new versions of the operating system along a common release path, as shown in Figure 1-2.

Figure 1-2: Junos release path.

Asking the right questions

Consider reviewing the software development processes of vendors as a part of your evaluation of new network and security equipment, because it can save you time and money down the road. Here are some questions that you can ask vendors about their software development processes:

• Software versions: Find out how many different software versions exist for the products you are buying, and ask why the different versions exist. Know the differences between versions, and when to use one version versus another. Also, ask about the support and end of life policies for each version.
• New features: Ask what steps do development engineers follow when adding new features. How do they support changes and fixes to the features in different software versions or release trains? You also want to know how they decide which features to add ...