RouterOS v4 MetaROUTER

One of the new features in RouterOS v4 is MetaROUTER: multiple isolated routers running on a single CPU (or multiprocessor SOC).

Uses (warning: these are just a few of the obvious uses):

In the datacenter
- consolidate a number of routers on one hardware platform
- consolidate routing services and higher levels services such a VOIP switches in the same box
- use a guest machine on top of a router for custom features such as accounting, LDAP or legacy networking
- redundant routers much easier and cheaper to have available in case of crashed systems

In the hosting center
- use RouterOS and extensive networking features as a host with a server (mail, http, ftp...) running as guest or multiple guest virtual machines
- offer virtual routers with VPN solutions that give a network administrator customer his own router on a highspeed backbone to make any kind of tunneled intranet or simply VPN access system

At the wireless ISP client site
- set up two isolated routers and set the wireless control only for the router controlled by the WISP while the Ethernet side router is fully under the clients control
At multiclient sites (such as office buildings)
- in locations serving multiple clients by Ethernet from one backbone connection (wired or wireless), give each customer control over his own isolated virtual router

For network planning and testing
- build a virtual network on one box with the same topography as a planned network and test the configurations so that the fine tuning of the configurations can be done in the lab and not in the field, simulate and monitor the network with advanced scripting and The Dude network monitor utility

In custom applications
- develop your own programs (and even Linux distributions) that can be installed on MikroTik supported platforms with minimum difficulty as software patches and virtual drivers are provided for guest systems
- use low cost RouterBOARD embedded systems easily with your own Linux and the advantage that it will work across all RouterBOARDS with the same CPU

RouterOS v4 beta 1 released

This week saw several new software releases:

- RouterOS v3.17 stable
- RouterOS v4.0 beta 1
- The Dude v3.0 stable

The Dude is free software for creating network layouts,
maps, and complex notification setups and early warning systems.
RouterOS v4 beta 1 takes over v3’s testing packages, which are now regular packages in v4. There are also new features, like the MetaRouter, but most new features
are not yet available in this release.