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A Brief Overview of OpenFlow
&
Software-Defined Networking
Peter Christy
Research Director, Networking
451 Research
Santa Clara, CA USAApril 2013 1
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Agenda
A Definition
History
Drivers
Major Activities
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Software-Defined Networking
Implementing network functionality in
software than does not run on network
devices
OpenFlow is an important examplebut
SDN OpenFlow
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What Motivates SDN?
Ability to build research networks
Need to better automate network
management
Virtualization
Cloud computing
Large data center or network cost
optimization
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The History of SDN
Three parallel stories
OpenFlow
Virtualization
Cloud Computing
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OpenFlow (Stanford, ONF)
Began as a way to build research networks
Packet-forwarding hardware standard instruction
set
A protocol for remote interaction
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Switch
Packet
Forwarding
ASIC
ASIC
Look up header bits
Match rules inCAM
Destination and priority
OpenFlow
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Virtualization (VMware)
A technology miracle
A thin layer of software that has transformed IT
SDN implications
Networking within a virtual server
Use of virtual machines to implement network
functions (e.g. load balancer)
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Cloud Computing (Google, AWS)
Large-scale, highly-automated data centers
Resources on-demand, pay for what you use
SDN implications
Building virtual networks for virtual applications
Network automation for data center automation
Network cost minimization
Hybrid cloud integration (public/private)
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Why do we need SDN?
OpenFlow founders painted Cisco as the
reason and said that network innovation was
slow because switches were like mainframes
(closed and vertically integration) We needed openness and standards
OpenFlow was the answer
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Is Cisco the problem?
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Why Do We Need SDN?
Because of how the Internet was
standardized (or not standardized)
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switchswitch switch
switchswitch switch
switchswitch switch
The protocols for
communicating with an
adjacent peer are
standardized
But the configuration and
management is NOT
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What SDN fixes
Historically network devices operated
autonomously (self-governed)
For most purposes that is great
Its not great for a large data center, or to
support an automated data center, or for a
large service provider
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Solution Approaches
Pure OpenFlow
Hybrid OpenFlow
Layered Networks
Software Network Implementations
L2-3 networking in software
Network functions implemented as VMs
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Major Activities
ONF
All the switch vendors have OF offerings
Arista added interesting new twist (Direct Flow)
Cloud Computing (AWS and would becompetitors)
Virtualization (VMW/VSX and would be
competitors) Whatever Cisco does
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Q&A
Thanks!
Peter Christy, Research Director, Networking
451 Research / Palo Alto & SF
Santa Clara, CA USA
April 2013 15
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]
