Editing Network operating system

{{Short description|Computer software for running local area networks}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}

A '''network operating system''' ('''NOS''') is a specialized [[operating system]] for a network device such as a [[Router (computing)|router]], [[Network switch|switch]] or firewall.

Historically operating systems with networking capabilities were described as network operating systems, because they allowed personal computers (PCs) to participate in [[computer network]]s and [[Shared resource|shared file and printer access]] within a local area network (LAN). This description of operating systems is now largely historical, as common operating systems include a [[network stack]] to support a client–server model.

==Key Functions==
Network Operating Systems (NOS) are responsible for managing various network activities. Key functions include creating and managing user accounts, controlling access to resources such as files and printers, and facilitating communication between devices. NOS also monitors network performance, addresses issues, and manages resources to ensure efficient and secure operation of the network.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/what-is-a-network-operating-system/ |title=What is a Network Operating System? |website=GeeksforGeeks |accessdate=2025-02-11}}</ref>

==History==
[[Packet switching]] networks were developed to share hardware resources, such as a [[mainframe computer]], a [[Printer (computing)|printer]] or a large and expensive [[hard disk]].<ref name="McHoes 2012">{{cite book |last1=McHoes |first1=Ann |last2=Flynn |first2=Ida M. |date=2012 |title=Understanding Operating Systems |publisher=CEngage Learning |isbn=9781133417569 |edition=6 }}</ref>{{Rp|318}}

Historically, a network operating system was an [[operating system]] for a computer which implemented network capabilities. Operating systems with a [[network stack]] allowed [[personal computer]]s to participate in a [[client–server model|client-server architecture]] in which a [[Server (computing)|server]] enables multiple clients to share resources, such as [[Printer (computing)|printers]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Dean |first=Tamara |date=2009 |chapter=Network Operating Systems |title=Network+ Guide to Networks |isbn=9781337569330 |pages=421, 483 }}</ref><ref name="Winkelman 2009">{{cite web |last=Winkelman |first=Roy |date=2009 |at=6: Software |title=An Educator's Guide to School Networks |url=http://fcit.usf.edu/network/chap6/chap6.htm |website=FCIT.USF.edu |publisher=Florida Center for Instructional Technology, University of South Florida |access-date=December 23, 2024 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=2011 |title=Network Operating System |magazine=PC Magazine |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] }}</ref>

These limited client/server networks were gradually replaced by [[Peer-to-peer]] networks, which used networking capabilities to share resources and files located on a variety of computers of all sizes. A peer-to-peer network sets all connected computers equal; they all share the same abilities to use resources available on the network.<ref name="Winkelman 2009" />

Today, [[distributed computing]] and [[groupware]] applications have become the norm. Computer operating systems include a networking stack as a matter of course.<ref name="McHoes 2012" />{{Rp|318}} During the 1980s the need to integrate dissimilar computers with network capabilities grew and the number of networked devices grew rapidly. Partly because it allowed for multi-vendor [[interoperability]], and could route packets globally rather than being restricted to a single building, the Internet protocol suite became almost universally adopted in network architectures. Thereafter, computer operating systems and the [[firmware]] of network devices tended to support Internet protocols.<ref name="McHoes 2012" />{{Rp|305}}

==Network device operating systems== 
Network operating systems can be embedded in a [[Router (computing)|router]] or [[firewall (computing)|hardware firewall]] that operates the functions in the [[network layer]] ([[OSI model|layer 3]]).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Al-Shawakfa |first1=Emad |last2=Evens |first2=Martha |date=2001 |title=The Dialoguer: An Interactive Bilingual Interface to a Network Operating System |journal=Expert Systems |volume=18 |issue=3 |page=131 }}</ref> Notable network operating systems include:

===Proprietary network operating systems===
* [[Cisco IOS]], a family of network operating systems used on [[Cisco Systems]] [[Router (computing)|routers]] and [[network switch]]es. (Earlier switches ran the Catalyst operating system, or [[CatOS]])
* [[MikroTik#RouterOS|RouterOS]] by [[MikroTik]]
* [[ZyNOS]], used in network devices made by [[ZyXEL]]

=== FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, and Linux-based operating systems ===
* [[Cisco NX-OS]], [[Cisco IOS XE|IOS XE]], and [[Cisco IOS XR|IOS XR]]; families of network operating systems used across various Cisco Systems device including the [[Cisco Nexus switches|Cisco Nexus]] and [[Cisco ASR]] platforms
* [[Junos OS]]; a network operating system that runs on [[Juniper Networks]] platforms
* [[Cumulus Networks#Products|Cumulus Linux]] distribution, which uses the full [[TCP/IP]] stack of Linux
* [[DD-WRT]], a Linux kernel-based firmware for wireless routers and access points as well as low-cost networking device platforms such as the [[Linksys]] [[Linksys WRT54G series|WRT54G]]
* [[Dell Networking Operating System]]; DNOS9 is [[NetBSD]] based, while OS10 uses the [[Linux kernel]]
* [[Arista Networks#Extensible Operating System|Extensible Operating System]] runs on switches from [[Arista Networks|Arista]] and uses an unmodified Linux kernel 
* [[ExtremeXOS]] (EXOS), used in network devices made by [[Extreme Networks]]
* [[FTOS]] (Force10 Operating System), the [[firmware]] family used on [[Force10]] Ethernet switches
* [[ONOS]], an open source [[Software-defined networking|SDN]] operating system (hosted by [[The Linux Foundation|Linux Foundation]]) for communications service providers that is designed for scalability, high performance and high availability.
* [[OpenBSD]], an open source operating system which includes its own implementations of [[Border Gateway Protocol|BGP]], [[Resource Public Key Infrastructure|RPKI]], [[Open Shortest Path First|OSPF]], [[Multiprotocol Label Switching|MPLS]], [[VXLAN]], and other [[IETF]] standardized networking protocols, as well as firewall ([[PF (firewall)|PF]]) and [[Load balancing (computing)|load-balancing]] functionality.
* [[OpenWrt]] used to route [[Internet Protocol|IP packet]]s on [[embedded devices]]
* [[pfSense]], a fork of [[M0n0wall]], which uses [[PF (firewall)|PF]]
* [[OPNsense]], a fork of pfSense
* [[SONiC (operating system)|SONiC]], a Linux-based network operating system developed by [[Microsoft]]
* [[VyOS]], an open source fork of the Vyatta routing package

==See also==
* [[Distributed operating system]]
* [[FRRouting]]
* [[Interruptible operating system]]
* [[Network Computer Operating System]]
* [[Network functions virtualization]]
* [[Operating System Projects]]
* [[SONiC (operating system)]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Network operating systems}}
{{Operating system}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Network operating systems| ]]
[[Category:Internet Protocol based network software]]
[[Category:Operating systems]]