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OpenFlow Technology Investigation Vendors Review on OpenFlow implementation

Ioan Turus, NORDUnet GN3 JRA1 T1&2, Copenhagen, 21.11.2012


Outline

! Software Defined Networks (SDN) ! Introduction to OpenFlow ! Vendors review on OpenFlow Implementation

•  Ciena •  Juniper •  Cisco •  Brocade •  BigSwitch •  IBM •  HP •  NEC •  Arista Networks •  Pica8

! Collaborations ! ONF ! Conclusions


Classical network architecture

Specializedforwarding hardware






Network OS Protocols






! Specialized design built into a “box” ! Specialized hardware ! Specialized operating system ! Specialized applications ! Control plane distributed to every network element

Specialized hardware

Specialized Control Plane

Specialized Features


SDN (Software Defined Networks)

Simple forwarding hardware






Network OS 1. Open vendor independent interface (e.g. OpenFlow)

3. Open APIs

Switching Routing T.E. App. X … 2. Network OS

OpenFlow Agent

OpenFlow Agent

OpenFlow Agent

OpenFlow Agent

OpenFlow Agent

OpenFlow Agent Merchant

Switching Chips

Any control plane

Applications


Introduction to OpenFlow

Ethernet Switch

! The Ethernet Switch architecture



Control Plane (Software)

Data Plane (Hardware)

! The Ethernet Switch architecture ! Data plane (or forwarding plane) ! Control Plane



Control Plane

Data Plane (Hardware)

OpenFlow

OpenFlow Controller

OpenFlow Protocol


OpenFlow Example

OpenFlow Controller

Network OS

Apps Apps … •  Topology changes •  Traffic statistics •  Arriving packet notifications

•  (Un) install rules •  Query statistics •  Send packets


OpenFlow Example

OpenFlow Agent SW layer

HW layer

MAC src

MAC dst

IP src

IP dst

TCP sport

TCP dport

Action Flow Table

10.0.0.1 10.0.0.2 10.0.0.3 10.0.0.4

* * * 10.0.0.2 * * port_2 …

Port 1 Port 2 Port 3 Port 4 Port 5 Port 6

OpenFlow Controller


OpenFlow Specs

! OpenFlow 1.0 !   Released at the end of 2009, target for “campus research” !   The first stable and most deployed version at the moment !   If a packet match in the flow table => perform action

! OpenFlow 1.1 !   Released on March 2011, target for “WAN research” !   If a packet match in the flow table => look at instructions !   Instructions = actions, OR set actions in the action set OR change

pipeline processing !   Allows multiple flow tables

! OpenFlow 1.2 !   Approved on Dec 2011, described as “Extensible protocol” !   Support for IPv6 and support of multiple controllers

! OpenFlow 1.3 !   Add “Meter table” in support of QoS


OpenFlow Vendors Review

! Goals: !   How do vendors see SDN where do they focus on the SDN layers:

–  Hardware –  Controllers –  Applications

!   How do vendors implement OpenFlow –  What equipment is OpenFlow enabled –  What version of OpenFlow is implemented –  SW. (firmware) vs HW. (chips) implementation


Ciena

! Ciena announced in October 2012 the support of OpenFlow ! OpenFlow implementation in pre-production phase ! Focus on “openness at both API levels”

!   APIs for applications to network control software !   APIs enabling network control software to control physical equipment

! Ciena announced in November 2012 their SDN strategy !   Aligned to their OP (Open interfaces/Optical Packet Networks) vision

! Hardware strategy (OF 1.0 enabled in hybrid mode) !   5400 Switch series

–  Now on 4x10G and 32x1G cards –  Plan for 48x10G, 1x100G, 4x100G and 400G cards

!   5160 and 5142 Service Aggregation Switch (mid 2013) ! Software strategy

!   Not looking into controller development !   Tests with BigSwitch controller

Ciena 5400 Series


Juniper

! Juniper announced in June 2012 their first SDN strategy ! Focus on data center solutions as “safe approach” ! Focus on northbound API while lowering the use of OpenFlow

(but not it’s role) ! JunOS SDK includes OF-Client 1.0

! Juniper OF enabled equipment: ! MX routers ! EX switches

! Unclear if Juniper will brand its own SDN controller or source another one ! Juniper MX router & BigSwitch Controller ! Future plans

! OpenFlow 1.3 to be enabled on MX and EX equipment in 2013

Juniper MX series Juniper EX series


Cisco

! Cisco introduced in June 2012 their official SDN architecture called Cisco Open Network Environment (Cisco ONE) !   Platform which allows customers to easily customize it !   Contains APIs, agents, controllers and overlay network

technologies that enable programmability of different layers !   Cisco One Platform Kit (PK) providing APIs for the developers

working with Cisco’s OSs (IOS, IOS-XR, NX-OS) ! Cisco announced to provide “proof-of-concept” OF 1.0 agents on

Catalyst 3750-X and 3560-X switches, but generally it is slow in adopting OF

! For Cisco, OpenFlow is “just” an enabler of the hardware programmability in the big SDN picture

! Cisco call their approach on OpenFlow as “wait-and-see attitude”


Brocade

! Brocade firstly introduced OpenFlow support in June 2010 ! Brocade looks into using SDN for WAN and SP solutions ! Initial OpenFlow support on MLX router ! Brocade enables OF 1.0 on the equipment shipped with OS 5.4 ! Brocade NetIron 5.4 OS provides:

!   Hybrid-mode OpenFlow support (OF enabled per-port basis) !   L2/L3 forwarding !   High-performance 100G (also 1 and 10 G)

! OF runs on dedicated ASICs giving full line-rate to the flows

! In November 2012 Brocade acquired Vyatta !   Software expertise in SDN

Brocade MLX series


BigSwitch

! A start-up created by former Stanford MS/PhDs and engineers from Cisco, Juniper, VMware etc.

! The main start-up in SDN market after Nicira was acquired by VMware (for 1.2bUSD)

! Developing their own open source version of OpenFlow controller based on FloodLight (open-source controller)

! Plan is to provide their open-source controller to market so it gets mature and familiar to possible customers

! Business plan is to plan/develop apps and complex network solutions targeted to run on top of their own controller


! Announced SDN strategy in Oct 2012 !   Looking into “all-SDN-layer” coverage !   Data center driven focus

! IBM Programmable Network Controller (PNC) !   OpenFlow 1.0 compliant !   Up to 300k flows !   “not cheap”

! IBM RackSwitch G8264 !   OpenFlow 1.0 compliant !   48 SFP/SFP+ x 10 G !   4 QSFP x 40 G

! Missing a core switch for complete networking solution (use Brocade/Juniper)

IBM

IBM G8264


HP (I)

! HP started looking into OpenFlow in 2007-2009 ! Announced SDN strategy in Oct 2012

!   Looking into “all-SDN-layer” coverage ! HP Virtual Application Networks SDN Controller

!   Full support for the OpenFlow protocol !   Available as SW or HW appliance !   Open APIs for 3rd party SDN app development


HP (II)

! HP switches in support of OF !   HP 8200 !   HP 5400 !   HP 3500 !   HP 3800

! HP APIs and applications !   Network virtualization !   Distributed load balancing !   SDN security application


NEC

! One of the first vendors involved in SDN development ! NEC ProgrammableFlow family of products

!   NEC PF controller –  OF network control –  Virtual networking –  Custom filtering

!   NEC PF 5240 Switch –  OF 1.0 enabled

!   NEC PF 5820 Switch –  OF 1.0 enabled

!   NEC PF Management Console –  End-to-end visualisation –  Virtual tenant network view etc.

! Future plans !   Continue development of northbound

apps for network management support

NEC 5240 NEC 5820

NEC PF Management Console


Arista Networks

! Young company based on the merchant silicon market (Broadcom, Marvell or Fulcrum)

! Focus on data center switching

! OpenFlow 1.0 Agent enabled on Arista switches !   7050 switch

–  16xQSPF+ for 40G –  62 and 52xSFP+ for 10G

!   7150 switch –  24xSFP+ or 52xSFP+ 1G or 10 G –  4xQSFP+ for 40G

! Arista doesn’t see OpenFlow as a key element in enabling SDN ! Collaborations with BigSwitch, VMware and Nebula controllers ! Arista proprietary SDN solutions based on Arista EOS and Arista FPGA

switches

Arista 7150 switch series


Pica8

! Start-up founded in 2009 ! Design “open” switch and router platforms ! Based on merchant silicon opportunities ! Provides 3 switches that are OpenFlow 1.0 enabled

Pica8 3290 Pica8 3295 Pica8 3920

Ø  48x 1G Ø  4x 10G SFP+

Ø  48x 1G Ø  4x 10G SFP+

Ø  48x 10G SFP+ Ø  4x 40G QSFP


! Juniper MX router and BigSwitch Controller !   Demonstrated at Open Networking Summit at Stanford U. in Oct 2011

! First commercial collaboration-based OpenFlow solution (January 2012) !   IBM G8264 top-of-rack switch !   NEC ProgrammableFlow Controller !   NEC PF5240 and NEC PF5820 Switch

!   Tervela –  Data fabric provider –  Predictable performance of Big Data

!   Selerity –  Ultra low latency event data provider –  Accelerate real-time decision-making for global financial business

Collaborations


ONF (Open Networking Foundation)

! Founded by 6 major providers !   Deutsche Telekom, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Verizon, Yahoo

! ..and 50 other member companies (vendors, software suppliers etc)

! Drives the development of OpenFlow specifications

! ONF requires a membership (+fee) for participation/benefits: !   Real-time participation in the evolution of concepts !   Interoperability testing !   Collaboration with inventors and startups driving OF development

! https://www.opennetworking.org/


Conclusions

! Software Defined Network (SDN) a new trend in support of ! Network virtualization ! Reducing OPEX ! Flexibility

! OpenFlow an enabler of SDN ! OpenFlow specs driven by ONF

! Big vendors changing roadmaps with regards to OpenFlow/SDN ! New businesses following new market niches

! Nicira, BigSwitch ! OF 1.0 supported currently on the commercial equipment

! High expectations from OpenFlow development in the near future ! Technology expected to get mature not early than 3-5 years

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