tinyNBI: Distilling an API from Essential OpenFlow Abstractions - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

tinyNBI: Distilling an API from Essential OpenFlow Abstractions 
 � Jasson Casey ♮♭ , Andrew Sutton ♯♭ , � Alex Sprintson ♮♭ � � Texas A&M Univerisity ♮ � University of Akron ♯ � Flowgrammable.org ♭ �

Where are we? � DHCP Authentication bridging multipath routing North HTTP/S REST API Plugin API Bound Interface Server infrastructure, SDN libraries, data persistence South NetFlow, OpenFlow NetConf OVSDB OpFlex SNMP Bound IPFIX, jFlow, Interface sFlow Switches Switches Switches Switches Switches Switches Switches Switches Switches

Where are we? � DHCP Authentication bridging multipath routing North HTTP/S REST API Plugin API Bound Interface Server infrastructure, SDN libraries, data persistence South NetFlow, OpenFlow NetConf OVSDB OpFlex SNMP Bound IPFIX, jFlow, Interface sFlow Switches Switches Switches Switches Switches Switches Switches Switches Switches

North Bound Interface (NBI) � • Glue between controllers and applications � • API for writing OpenFlow applications � App App App Events C FlowMod o Controller n PacketIn t A TCP r FlowRemoved p Switch o p TCP PacketOut ll Switch e TLS StatsReq r Switch TLS Switch

Most production networks … � • are heterogeneous � • contain multiple vendors � • contain multiple device types � • operate varying versions of software �

OpenFlow … � • has five versions in production � • has a new versions coming � • is not additive � • has a high degree of optionality �

Most Features are Optional � 10" 20" 30" 40" 50" 60" 70" 0" Match"1.0" Match"1.1" Match"1.2" Match"1.3" Match"1.4" Instruc5on"1.0" Instruc5on"1.1" Instruc5on"1.2" Instruc5on"1.3" Instruc5on"1.4" Ac5on"1.0" Ac5on"1.1" Ac5on"1.2" Ac5on"1.3" Ac5on"1.4" Port"1.0" Port"1.1" Port"1.2" Port"1.3" Port"1.4" Required" Op5onal"

Writing OpenFlow applications … � • requires extensive capability detection � • requires extensive error handling � • is not possible without apriori knowledge � • is not for the average programmer �

Introduce a tiny NBI � * Targets single switch * Hybrid network behavior * Maintenance behavior Application Application * Server distribution * Application synchronization Simple High Performance * Topology discovery (LLDP) Application Controller * Network dependency management nocontrol tinyNBI * Version negotiation * Echo state freeflow * Barrier state OFP 1.0 OFP 1.1 OFP 1.2 OFP 1.3 OFP 1.4 * Uniform datamodel Stack Stack Stack Stack Stack * Command translation Switch Switch Switch Switch Switch

Introduce a tinyNBI that … � • has a simple sockets “like” interface � • abstracts away OpenFlow version details � • simplifies the capability detection � • supports cross language bindings �

Read/Write from/to the Data Model � Minimal Control Data Plane 1..* Buffer Plane 1..* 0..1 Switch Datapath Flow Table 1..* 1..* 1..* Flow Match Connection 1..* 0..1 Meter Instruction 1..* 1..* Port 0..* 0..1 0..* Group 0..* 0..1 1..* Action 1..* 0..1 Queue

Abstractions have … � • capabilities that are read only � • configurations that can be read or written � • statistics that are read only � • event generation: packet, port, flow �

tinyNBI also introduces… � • an application lifecycle � • an allocation model for finite resources � • capability requirements statement � • non-native feature offload � �

Questions? � Minimal Control Data Plane 1..* Buffer Plane 1..* 0..1 Switch Datapath Flow Table 1..* 1..* 1..* Flow Match Connection 1..* 0..1 Meter Instruction 1..* 1..* Port 0..* 0..1 0..* Group 0..* 0..1 1..* Action 1..* 0..1 Queue