Software-Defined Networking

(SDN)

Antônio Marcos Alberti

Associate Professor at INATEL, Brazil.

July 2013.
Outline
• What is SDN?

• Why SDN?

• The Shenker’s et al. SDN

• OpenFlow

• A Reference Platform for Software-Defined Equipment

• Requirements, Challenges, and Possible Directions

• Conclusion
What is SDN?
• Networking can be defined as the act of establishing a network
among equipment in order to exchange data and information.

• According to Shenker, “current networks are essentially designed

to ‘master the complexity’ behind existing technologies, rather
than to “extract simplicity” from the learned lessons”.

• Shenker defends the idea that abstractions play a big role on

computer science, shielding high level software from the
complexity existing in the lower levels.

• In this context, SDN means to rethink network architectures

considering the important role of abstractions.
What is SDN?
• However, SDN can also mean that some functionality (the
functionality of ‘something’) is defined by software, i.e. it works
accordingly to some controlling software.

• Thus, SDN means to establish networks where equipment

functionalities are controlled by software.

• The equipment could be everything that can be used to do

networking, while functionalities could be any networking
functionality.

• This definition raised on the scope of software-defined radio

(SDR) and cognitive radio (CR).
Why SDN? (1/2)
• To virtualize equipment, decoupling hardware from software
evolution.

• To generalize/homogenize functionalities on equipment.

• To evolve to new versions just changing control software -

preserving general hardware investment.

• To deeply modify functionalities according to software controls

using reconfigurable hardware.

• To enable dynamic sharing of SDN equipment via software to

save energy, better use resources, improve quality, etc.
Why SDN? (2/2)
• To accelerate proof-of-concept, evaluation, comparison, and time
to market.

• To compare technologies performance in real scenario.

• To test technology co-existence, interferences, etc.

• To migrate to new technologies, while maintaining investment in

hardware.

• To move virtual entities according to high level user desires as

well as available resources.
The Shenker’s et al. SDN
• It proposes four abstractions to simplify network control:

• Forwarding - It encompasses a flexible, software-controlled, frame

forwarding model.

• State distribution - comprehends a centralized control program

that operates over a summarized network view.

• Configuration - The output of the control program is a networking

configuration map. To create the required network view a
network operating system (NOS) is used.

• Specification - It enables the generation of abstract configurations

for network devices. Such abstract configurations need to be
mapped to the physical ones.
OpenFlow (1/2)
• It is probably the best well-known SDN initiative.

• It is a standard that covers SDN forwarding and configuration

abstractions.

• It covers the structure of an OpenFlow switch as well as the

protocol used by the control program (controller) to generate
the network view and to configure forwarding tables.

• A diversity of controllers can be used together with OpenFlow:

NOX, HyperFlow, DevoFlow, Onix, etc.
OpenFlow (2/2)
• A special controller called FlowVisor enables the creation of
isolated slices of resources through the orchestration of
OpenFlow switches and controllers.

• In Brazil, a CPqD initiative called RouteFlow enables the creation

of virtual IP networks over OpenFlow switches.

• OpenRoute enables the interoperability with IP networks

without the need to required protocols in a centralized way.

• On wireless media, OpenRadio applies the SDN paradigm to

create a wireless network operating system that controls
forwarding in an heterogeneous radio environment.
A Reference Platform for Software-Defined Equipment

Software Control / Systems /

Apps Protocols

Standard OS RTOS

VM

Hardware Virtualization / Microkernel

Multi-core Processor + High Speed Bus

FPGA FPGA FPGA

Daughter Daughter Daughter

boards boards boards
(c) Alberti 2012
Requirements, Challenges, and Possible Directions (1/4)
Requirements Challenges Possible Directions

Adopting more flexible

How to support the required HW flexibility? platforms? FPGAs +
Multicore computers?
HW
reconfigurability FPGAs? Hot swap?
How to change functionalities implemented
on HW deeply than changing parameter Evolvable HW? New
values? approaches?

How to expose HW resources? Pub/sub of information.

Expose ability of How to provide adequate software Self-organizing virtual

HW resources orchestration? entities?
How to expose hardware attributes and
Pub/sub of information.
states to software?
Requirements, Challenges, and Possible Directions (2/4)

Requirements Challenges Possible Directions

How to balance quality and usage of real State-of-art kernels?

world resources for concurrent virtual
entities? Network as a service?

Self-certifying names?
How to secure slices from threats coming
Pub/sub of information?
Isolation, security, from other slices?
privacy, and
New techniques?
stability.
Is there enough time for
How to make software controls private?
cryptography?

How to avoid stability problems? How to Control theory?

isolate effects of software bugs? How to
Lessons from reliable
isolate fails.
software?
Requirements, Challenges, and Possible Directions (3/4)
Requirements Challenges Possible Directions
Implementing only the
How to implement generic networking
essence of every
functionalities on HW?
functionality?

Selecting a common
Genericity of HW How to go multi-platform?
microkernel?
implemented
functionalities Networking HW
functionalities?
How to customize/modify HW functionalities
depending on different networking software? Using languages for
run time HW modification?

Multicore platforms?
Performance How to balance performance and flexibility?
Real-time?
Requirements, Challenges, and Possible Directions (4/4)

Requirements Challenges Possible Directions

To focus on general aspects

How to manage HW that is being controlled of HW and general
by distinct software technologies? functionalities
implemented?

Manageability How to deal with an army of virtual entities?

Autonomic technologies?

Self-organizing virtual
entities?
How to manage the complex life-cycle of
virtual entities? Self-management?
Conclusions (1/2)
• SDN deeply impacts on how communication networks are
designed and implemented.

• SDN breaks several well established paradigms related to:

• Networking design, implementation, control, and management;

• Equipment development, prototyping, and testing;

• How components are structured in networking equipment;

• Technology migration;

• Networks performance, efficiency, availability, stability.

 Thank you!
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