Fabric: A Retrospective on Evolving SDN Teemu Koponen with Martin - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Fabric: A Retrospective on Evolving SDN Teemu Koponen with Martin Casado, Scott Shenker and Amin Tootoonchian

Ideal Network Design Hardware Software Simple Vendor-neutral Flexible Future-proof

Information Flow ➞ Interfaces ➞ Modularity Any control information passed between system entities provides hint at an interface: Hosts express their destination and QoS requirements for the network. Switches look into packet headers and forward based on the above requirements. Operators express TE, security, ..., requirements for the network.

Interfaces in IP Interface for host • Host-network and packet- switch interfaces are conflated. • Minimal operator-network L2 Src IP Dst IP L4 ... interface. • Routing protocol does it all. Interface for network (IP router)

Interfaces in MPLS Interface for edge • MPLS separates the host- network interface from packet-switch interface. MPLS L2 Src IP Dst IP L4 ... Labels • No general network- operator interface! Interface for MPLS switch

Interfaces in OpenFlow Interface for host • SDN provides programmatic network-operator interface. L2 Src IP Dst IP L4 ... • Host-network interface are packet-switch again conflated! Interface for network (switch)

Introducing Fabric to SDN C E Fabric Src Dst (Switches) Host Host Edge Edge C F Switch Switch Interface for edge and host Fabric L2 Src IP Dst IP L4 ... Header Interface for fabric

Questions & Implications Isn’t this just Layering provides no decoupling between protocol layering? elements but only between layers. What are the implications for Edge and fabric versions of OpenFlow? OpenFlow? And more general Fabrics combined with edge software implications? switching allows for architectural evolution!

Thanks! Questions?