OpenFlow

OpenFlow is a communication protocol that provides access to the hardware components of a switch or router, which the processing of incoming network packets performs (called the forwarding plane ).

Approaches

The Open Networking Foundation, a user organization dedicated to the dissemination and implementation of software -defined networking ( SDN) and SDN protocols dedicated, managed the OpenFlow standard. The ONF defined OpenFlow as the first standardized communication interface between the control and forwarding plane of a SDN architecture. OpenFlow allows direct access to the forwarding plane of a switch or router, both physical and virtual ( hypervisor - based). Because such an open interface is missing in classical networking devices, they are often characterized as monolithic, closed and mainframe -like. Instead OpenFlow 's approach is to shift the control of the network from the devices out into a logically centralized software. There is no other protocol that has similar approaches.

Simply put, OpenFlow allows the path, take the packets through the network, to be determined by software that runs on multiple routers. At least two of them have the role of a primary or secondary Observer. The separation of the control plane from the forwarding plane made ​​possible by the use of Access Control Lists ( ACLs) and routing protocols is a complex management of data streams. Its inventors consider OpenFlow as a technology that enables software-defined networking.

Versions

Version 1.1 of OpenFlow was released on 28 February 2011 and will continue serviced by openflow.org, but the development is managed by the Open Networking Foundation ( ONF ). In December 2011, the ONF Board confirmed the version 1.2 and released it in February 2012.

Compatible hardware and software

Some network switch and router vendor announced to offer switches with OpenFlow or support, including Big Switch Networks, Brocade Communications, Arista Networks, Cisco, Dell, Force10 Networks, Extreme Networks, IBM, Juniper Networks, Larch Networks, Hewlett -Packard, NEC, and MikroTik. Some routing control plane implementations use the protocol to manage the forwarding components. Normally OpenFlow is transferred to a secure connection between the switch and the controller.

The Indiana University opened in cooperation with the ONF in May 2011 SDN Interoperability Lab to test how well work together SDN and OpenFlow products from different manufacturers.

In February 2012, published Big Switch Networks, the Project Floodlight, an Open Source OpenFlow Controller under Apache license, and announced his OpenFlow -based SDN Suite for November of that year, which includes a commercial controller, virtual switching and monitoring applications Taps.

In February 2012, HP announced to support the standard in 16 of its Ethernet switch products.

In January 2013, NEC introduced a virtual switch for Microsoft's Hyper-V on Windows Server 2012, the OpenFlow -based SDN and network virtualization is to bring into corresponding Microsoft environments.

Areas of application

In April 2012, Urs Hölzle, described by Google as the company 's internal network has been completely rebuilt within two years in order to achieve significant performance improvements with OpenFlow.